Top 10 Concealed Carry Belts in 2023
Because concealed carry means concealed carry
Gun ownership in the United States has been steadily increasing since 2019, with a significant rise in the number of new gun owners. It is evident that the demand for reliable gear to store, maintain, and carry firearms, including concealed carry clothing for both men and women, has also surged. In 2021 alone, there was a remarkable surge in first-time gun ownership, with a staggering 5 million new gun owners. Additionally, more than 21 million Americans applied for a concealed carry permit in the same year.
These trends prompt us to address a crucial question: What are the best concealed carry belts available in 2023? To save you time and effort, our team has meticulously researched and compiled a list of the Top 10 Concealed Carry Belts suitable for your everyday carry (EDC) and concealed carry requirements.
Kore Essentials
Once again Kore Essentials belts are the overall #1 top pick when it comes to daily use, conceal carry belts (or EDC belts). Kore belts feature a hidden 10” track with 40+ size positions that let you adjust the fit in small 1/4” increments without ever undoing the buckle. This means you get a perfect fit every time. You honestly can't beat the combined fitment, quality, or support of these Kore belts anywhere, making them the ultimate concealed carry belt for work, play, the range, or just around town.
Kore gun belts (leather & tactical) feature their Proprietary Reinforced Power-Core™ center. This unique blend makes each belt sturdy and stiff enough to support your firearm and gear without any sag, yet flexible enough to sit, walk, or move in all day. It's the most secure, comfortable gun belt you will ever wear- and we know because we wear them even when not carrying.
Grab an EDC Leather, Tactical, Multicam, or even Carbon Fiber Gun Belt from their lineup and stay confident and comfortable while you carry. Kore features several colors, belt buckle designs, and has some of the best backing of any belt we have ever tested. Note: Kore also offers garrison range belts (1.75" wide) and molle battle belts (1.75" wide) using the same cool technology with added support. No one does what Kore does.
Price: $59.95 on KORE Essentials
2. Hanks Belts
The Gunner 1.5” Gun Belt by Hanks is their flagship belt that started it all. By far their bestselling work and CCW belt, the Hanks Gunner Belt™, just keeps on performing while you do. Simple in design but gets the job done at a price that is on point with the quality and craftsmanship.
The Hanks Gunner Belt™ is 1 1/2" wide and made out of 14 oz solid full-grain steer hide. Made right here in the USA, this belt will probably outlast you and be passed down to the next generation. No matter what you carry on your belt, the Hanks Gunner Belt™ will handle it without cracking, breaking, splitting, or tearing at the holes.
This belt offers the support and comfort you just can't get with any big box store belt.
Price: $74.99 on Hanks
3. Bigfoot Belts
The 14oz. Leather BigFoot Gun Belt has been crafted with two layers of durable English Bridle leather, a high-quality drum-dyed cowhide that will age well over time, while providing superior support to your everyday carry. Once you feel the strength of this gun belt, you’ll never want to wear a regular belt again. This bad boy or should we say “Bigfoot” comes in the standard 1.5 inch width; this gun belt option is approximately .219” thick. To pair well with the English Bridle leather, this belt has been integrated into a steel roller buckle and two sturdy directional snaps, available in flat black or standard steel. This buckle’s design allows the leather to effortlessly “roll” through the buckle without getting scuffed up or damaged over time. The snaps provide carriers with an easy way to switch out their buckle for another within seconds. Every Bigfoot Gun Belt receives a Triple Edge Finish, which includes an in-house bevel, burnish and paint by the industries finest craftsmen.
Price: $68.88 on BigFoot
4. CrossBreed Gun Belt
CrossBreed Holsters has gone to the next level with the best-selling belts in their line. The Classic Gun Belt now has a woven nylon webbing strap as a liner to our already tough, sturdy belts. This nylon core increases the support of the belt, making it stiffer, and keeps the belt from stretching long term. This liner is set in place with industrial adhesive between the layers of top grain leather, and as always, the belts are recessed stitched to keep a smooth look and provide for longer, fray free wear.
A good, solid gun belt is the foundation of concealed carry, allowing a holster to be reliable means to stay in place. The Classic Gun Belt by CrossBreed has been recently redesigned, to make it stronger and better than ever!
The Classic Gun Belt starts with hides specifically tanned to the specifications of CrossBreed. Once these hides are in-house they are cut into the desired width of belt strips and hand leveled to ensure an even 7 oz thickness. Each strip is matched cross grain with a premium 7 oz leather liner using industrial adhesive, and now incorporates a ¾” woven nylon webbing strap. This new design provides additional support and keeps the belt from stretching through continued use.
Price: $64.95 on CrossBreed Holsters
5. KLIKBelts Belt
This Heavy-Duty Matte Black is ready for any adventure. The patented Cobra® buckle is the strongest in the world. The 2-Ply webbing is designed to be rigid in the vertical direction but pliable in the horizontal direction making this an excellent concealed carry gun belt. The belt is 1.5" wide 2-Ply webbing that fits through all pant loops. It is triple-stitched for extra strength and comes with the world's strongest Cobra® buckle. Anodized and not powder coated, providing a super hard finish and looks incredible. If you don't wear a holster and you're simply looking for a good, everyday-use belt, their 1-Ply version may fit you better. No pun intended.
Price: $79 on KLIKBelts
6. Relentless Tactical Belt
Relentless Tactical is relentless in making quality, handmade belts right here in the USA. Featuring a lifetime warranty, if you are ever unhappy with this belt for any reason just let them know and they will replace it at absolutely no cost to you.
Carey in confidence with a none stretch, bend or sag belt! A Strong and Secure platform for your IWB or OWB holster, mag pouches, flashlights and any other gear you need! This 1.5 Inch 14 ounce Premium Full Grain US Leather Belt is strong enough to carry all your gear and stylish enough for discreet everyday use. 100% Free Exchanges if needed.
7. Magpul Belts
In 2021, Magpul took their already reliable and versatile Tejas Gun Belt - “El Burro” and gave it some upgrades. With all-new materials and design, the buckle comes in brushed antique silver and sits flat against the waist. This makes the newest “El Burro” more comfortable than ever and significantly reduces printing when you’re armed. It also includes easily removable tool-free fasteners if you need to remove the buckle for any adjustments.
The “El Burro” is built from a single flexible layer of waterproof, textured, reinforced polymer that provides dress belt comfort with stretch and sag-free performance whether you’re carrying or not. It’s cut in a standard 1-1/2” size that fits most belt loops and holsters, and we also refined the construction to include a tapered tip, making it easier to put on and take off.
The "El Burro" comes in even sizes from 32-44 inches and in four colors: Black, Charcoal, Coyote, and Chocolate. See Tech Specs for belt sizing considerations.
Price: $59 on Magpul
8. Daltech Force Belts
Smooth face adds a clean Look to this Daltech Force Full-Grain Leather Belt. One of their top sellers for CCW and a great no-frills look, this belt is a USA full-grain leather ultimate single layer belt. Premium USA full-grain leather that is not glued, laminated, or stitched together. It will never split or come apart. Daltech Force® Gun Belts are made from all American leather and made in America in the Daltech Force® leather shop. The standard thickness gun belts are 12-13 oz. however each belt shoots for 13 oz, which is approximately 3/16" thick. Trusted and reliable, these concealed carry belts are top notch.
Price: $44.99 on Daltech Force
9. 5.11 Tactical Belts
A quick and convenient tactical or concealed carry belt that excels in a wide range of environments, the 1.5” TDU® Belt can be quickly converted into a secure tie down or secondary carry strap. This belt is Ergonomic, affordable, and highly functional, is Metal-detector friendly and features a durable nylon webbing. With a Fade and fray-resistant belt made with stitched reinforcements and a Non-metallic buckle this belt surely can hold whatever you carry- wherever you carry! The sizes do run small; we recommend you order 2 sizes up from pant size!
Price: $20 on 5.11 Tactical
10. Elite Belts
The CO Shooter's Belt from Elite Survival Systems is made from the toughest materials available. The Elite Survival Systems shooting belt rig incorporates special Scuba nylon webbing, structured inner core, reinforced stitching, and features a COBRA® quick-release buckle by AustriAlpin. COBRA® buckle belts are the safest, most finely crafted, and strongest load-bearing hardware on the market today. These high quality materials combined with unrivaled American craftsmanship make the CO Shooter's Belt the ideal platform for any gear rig. Buckle up with this 1.5" Cobra buckle belt!
Price: $84.95 on Elite Survival
PRO TIP!
Our Top 10 list showcases some of the best concealed carry belts in 2023- but that doesn’t come without some tips on Belts to steer clear of.
We The People belts can at times be very hard to fit through belt loops and the branded logo could be a dead giveaway you are carrying.
Belts like Groove Life belts are a bit too stretchy in the strap with minimal support, and can't use for outside waist band carry and large buckles won't fit thru many holster slots.
Lastly, do not buy any department store belts for your concealed carry setup. They don't hold up to the stress of a firearm and other gear and end up breaking before you get too much use out of them!
For more tips and tricks on concealed carry check out this post by ClipDraw!
Choosing the Right Belt!
While many methods for carrying have changed over the years, the basic approach to carrying basically comes down to two ways: outside the waistband (OWB) or inside the waistband (IWB). Yes, there is a third option – pocket carry – but that is reserved for very small guns only. If you want to carry anything bigger, you will need a belt that addresses the following:
-
A full size, unloaded polymer-framed gun averages about a pound. So you need a good belt to handle the load! Most of them are made from leather, nylon, or both. Most dress belts that you’ll find at your nearby retailer aren’t strong enough. The belt needs to be stiff enough to not lose its form throughout a full day of carrying. Some belts are extra-thick while others contain a steel or polymer/Kydex insert between the leather layers for added stiffness. The biggest advantage of a leather gun belt for concealed carry is that it looks like a normal belt, so you won’t stand out.
-
Most holsters have metal or plastic clips designed to go over and tuck under the belt to secure the holster in place and prevent it from popping out unexpectedly, especially when drawing the gun. Wearing a thinner belt might allow the holster to slide around on the belt – possibly out of reach – creating a very dangerous situation.
-
Standard Hole: The upside of this system is that you can always pull the buckle to the same hole and it stays locked in place all day. The downside is that over time, repeated use of the same hole wears out the hole and loosens the belt a bit overall.
Ratchet/Track: This system works by sliding the tip of the belt with the track on the backside through the buckle, where a tab engages the track belt to lock and hold the belt securely. The biggest advantage is infinite adjustability in 1/4" increments to get a perfect fitting belt every time.
Quick Release: Commonly called the Cobra buckle (named after the company that invented it), the quick release is most commonly found on nylon belts because it is pure tactical in both look and function. This is a highly stable platform that will not budge once locked in place.
V-Ring: Also highly tactical, the V-Ring buckle works by weaving the unfinished end of the belt through the tension rod inside the buckle and back through, cinching it tight. Adding a hook and loop field to fasten down the excess material can help keep it tight and prevent the belt from rotating.
![Top 50 Gun Belts on the Market Right Now [2024 Edition]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d27f662dd7b3c000158a331/1564724506537-5H6Q9IE8Y8XSX9U963VS/gun+belt+review+top+50.png)
