A belt seems like the simplest purchase in jiu jitsu. It is a strip of cotton. Yet ask a room of grapplers which belt they like and you will start an argument, because the difference between a good belt and a bad one shows up every single round.
The complaint is almost always the same: it will not stay tied. Everything else is preference.
Our Picks at a Glance
What Actually Makes a Belt Good
Four things separate a belt you keep for a decade from one you replace in a year. Nobody tells you this before your first purchase.
Whether it stays tied
The number one complaint by a wide margin. Very stiff belts and very thin belts both come undone. A mid weight belt with some suppleness holds a knot best. Note that most belts need breaking in before they behave.
Thickness and stiffness
Thick belts feel substantial and last longer, but a very stiff belt digs into your hips and refuses to knot. Thin belts tie easily but can feel flimsy and knot up small. Most people end up preferring something in between.
How the rank bar is constructed
This is the detail almost nobody checks, and it is the one that separates brands. Cheaper belts wrap a separate piece of black fabric around the belt, which can sit crooked or vary in position between belts of the same model. Better belts integrate the bar into the belt itself, so it lies flat and consistent. If you care how your belt looks after two years, look at the bar.
Shrinkage and colour fastness
Belts shrink, and cheap dyes fade. One of our readers had a belt shrink around two inches in the wash, enough to make it unwearable. Others report blue belts fading to a washed out pastel within a year. Buy with a little length spare and wash cold.
Belt Sizing: The Part That Confuses Everyone
Belt sizes usually run A0 through A5 or 1 through 6 depending on brand, and they do not reliably match your gi size. Sizing is based on waist measurement and how long you like the tails to hang, not on your gi.
The practical method: take a belt that ties the way you like, lay it flat, and measure it end to end. Then compare that length against the brand's chart rather than guessing from your gi size. Brands vary enormously, and one of our readers found a particular brand ran dramatically longer than everything else they owned.
The Best BJJ Belts You Can Buy Today
Fuji Adult Belt
$17.95Fuji is the default belt at thousands of academies for a reason: it is inexpensive, widely stocked in every colour, and perfectly adequate. Our readers report it stays tied reasonably well through most of a session, which at this price is fair.
"The Fuji belts are pretty cheap price wise and mine stays tight for a good percent of the practice."
The trade off is colour. Multiple readers report Fuji blues fading noticeably within a year of regular washing, and some fraying at the edges with daily use. If you want a belt to last a decade, spend more. If you need a belt this week, buy this.
Gameness Adult Belt
$20Gameness splits opinion more than any other belt, and the split is instructive. Readers consistently praise the build quality and longevity, and just as consistently complain that the thickness and stiffness stop it holding a knot.
"My Gameness belt is very nice. It's just thick and stiff, even after washing, and won't stay tied. Other than that, no complaints. I can see it lasting a VERY long time."
So: buy it if you want a belt that will outlive several gis and you do not mind retying during rounds. Gameness now also make an Ultra Light Competition Belt at the same price, which directly addresses the bulk complaint and is the one we would pick for competition.
Kataaro
PremiumKataaro make belts to order in the USA, with custom embroidery, dedicated jujitsu belts, and master belt options. This is the category to consider when you are being promoted to a rank you intend to wear for years, or when you want your name or academy stitched into it.
A promotion belt is one of the few pieces of gear where paying properly makes sense. You will own it far longer than any gi, and it is the only piece of equipment that carries any meaning.
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