What is a ratchet belt?

Good question! I'm glad you asked. A ratchet belt is a specific style of belt that ratchets down to the desired size by using a buckle mechanism that locks into place. The position of the belt is maintained by using a series of teeth and a latch held in place by magnets instead of the traditional peg and holes that most belts use.

The Mission Belt is a ratchet belt. It uses a magnet on the back of the buckle to lock a metal peg into a rail of teeth that catches the peg. This way the ratchet belt makes a perfect fit without putting holes in the leather. The end result is a belt that fits perfectly every time you wear it. Since there are no holes our ratchet belts last much longer than traditional belts. A ratchet belt is a great way to hold up your pants!

Someone really smart once said a picture is worth a thousand words. So here's a picture:

ratchet belt demonstration 1

First you insert the belt into the buckle. 

ratchet belt demonstration 2

Second you slide the belt into the ratchet mechanism. You see the teeth on the track? That's where you will start to here the click click click. 

ratchet belt demonstration 3

The ratchet belt is locked into place as firmly as a traditional belt but without the ugly holes and stretch marks. To release the ratchet mechanism just pull the lever on the bottom and pull out the belt from the buckle. It's that easy. In fact, it's so easy you can do it while getting hit in the face with water balloons. Don't believe me? Just ask Cam:

Are Ratchet Belts Made to Last?

A trick question. I like your style, friend! No, not ALL ratchet belts are made well because most other companies don't hold themselves to the same standard that we do. But we can speak to our own quality.

Every Mission Belt is made from durable materials that make other ratchet belts seem cheap. We only use the highest quality materials which is why our belts last so long. Check out this video that shows how our belts are made:

 

Which Ratchet Belt is Right for Me?

Man, that's two trick questions in a row. But I'm on to you now. Here's the rundown on our belts: we have a great selection of belts in various sizes, colors, and styles. Each belt is offered in small, medium, large, XL, or custom size up to 56" long. Most customers buy the belt a little longer than they need because our buckles are removable and you can easily trim the leather down to the perfect size.

Just be careful. Our scientists tell us cutting the leather down is simple enough but they haven't figured out how to make it regenerate yet. We've experimented with using live lizards instead of cowhide but you know it's harder than it sounds.

Our belts come in two different widths: 35mm & 40mm. All leathers and buckles are interchangeable but only if they are the same width. The idea is to mix and match buckles and leathers as needed. But just keep in mind you can't use a 40MM leather on a 35MM buckle. I know, once again science fails us. Come on scientists!

As for styles and colors, we've got lots of options and we regularly add more. Check out our different collections: Solids, Gold, Kids, 3Bar, Heavy Metal, Alloys. Or just browse all our belts and see what jumps out. So the real question isn't: which one is right for you? It's: which ones are you going to buy first?

We're on a Mission

Remember, the Mission Belt Co is more than just a ratchet belt company. We are on a mission to end world hunger. That's why we donate $1 from every belt purchased to Kiva, a microlending organization. Read more about The Mission.

May 13, 2014 — Candice Newell