When I first got my hands on this Arcade belt, I was underwhelmed. I had never had a belt that didn’t have metal, leaving the plastic construction of the belt feeling lower end than what I was used to. However, over the course of two years, I found that I just couldn’t go back to my old belts, and this Vision Stretch Belt became my go-to belt that has been difficult to give up.
Quick Note: The Arcade Vision Stretch Belt was gifted to me by the brand years ago, but no content was promised, and all opinions are my own.
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What is the Arcade Vision Stretch Belt?
- Most comfortable belt I've ever tried
- It's easy to buckle
- It's very durable
- No hole designs are the best
- I really like the way it looks
- It has a bit too much stretch
- Buckle gets stuck on belt loops
The Vision Stretch belt from Arcade is another take on the no-hole style of belt. Gone are the archaic belt holes of the past, and here to stay are the set-it-and-forget-it type of belts. This belt utilizes a plastic (yet durable) belt buckle that uses a mechanism similar to a car’s seatbelt to keep it fastened.
Meanwhile, the belt itself is a stretchy fabric-style band that allows for considerably more give when bending, crouching, or sitting down than traditional belts.
How did I test the belt?
I tested this Acade belt like every other product I review, I moved it into rotation! In the case of this belt, it became my go-to belt on all of my belts for nearly two years before I wrote the article you are seeing here. This gives me considerable more experience than many reviews you will see.
What do I like about the Arcade Belt?
1. Most comfortable belt I have had
Hands down, the best thing about this belt has to be its comfort. Due to its stretchy band, it moves with you in just about every way.
When sitting, the band stretches to accommodate, and it bends over your body in a way I have never seen on another belt. As for walking around, it keeps your pants up without being too tight.
When it comes to sizing out the belt, it’s a simple process to adjust it to exactly the length you need (not predetermined lengths like belts with holes).
To be frank, I have used a lot of different no-hole belts out there, and this is THE MOST COMFORTABLE belt I have ever owned.
2. It’s Easy to buckle (and unbuckle)
The belt buckle itself is an incredibly simple mechanism. Similar to a car’s belt, you just insert the buckle into the clasp, and you are good to go. To unlatch it, you squeeze the sides of the belt, and it releases the belt buckle again.
It’s an easy process that doesn’t take much of a learning curve to do without thinking about it. This is a far cry from leather belts with holes, where you have to find the right hole, pull the belt through, etc.
No complaints here, and it is easily among the best no-hole belts out there right now.
3. It’s very durable
As I had mentioned earlier in this article, when I first got this belt, it felt lower-end than what I was used to. However, it has surprised me! All of the images you see in this article are of the belt after almost two years of nearly consistent usage. Other than the random dog hair caught in it (I have a husky mix people), you would never know that it was any older than a couple of weeks. The plastic has held up incredibly well, the buckle works like new, and I have nothing to complain about on this end.
4. No hole designs are the best
As has been mentioned quite a few times already, I enjoy the no-hole design of this belt. While it not only makes it easier to use the belt, it also makes the belt look better as well.
I am someone who regularly gains and loses weight, meaning I have to adjust my belt regularly along with that. With your everyday hole (leather) belt, that may just mean you choose a different hole in the belt. It leaves that stretched-out hole visible to the public, and it just doesn’t feel great to wear.
Meanwhile, with a belt like this, you cannot only make micro-adjustments to fit you perfectly, but you don’t have to worry about that stretched-out hole (as it’s non-existent).
5. I really like the way it looks
These Arcade belts look awesome! Even though the belt that Arcade sent out to me may be on the conservative side (aesthetically speaking), it still has some cool tree designs on the buckle, and some patterns on the belt itself. Its a clean, yet characteristic design.
While mine may be on the conservative side, there are plenty of belts in their inventory that might fit those that are a little more on the bright side as well.
What do I NOT like about the Stretch Belt?
1. It has a bit too much stretch (in certain cases).
Having stretch to this belt is one of my favorite aspects, as it plays a huge part in the comfort of the belt. However, it also causes some downsides. I have found that when I bend over with this belt, it tends to stretch a bit too much, allowing my pants to slide down, and displaying a bit more of my backside than I would prefer.
While this belt does a fantastic job at keeping your pants up with an excessive amount of comfort, it doesn’t do an amazing job of keeping your pants in place when bending over. The obvious attempt to remedy this concern would be to tighten the belt more; however, that, unfortunately, affects the everyday usage of the belt, as it feels considerably less comfortable with it tighter.
2. The belt buckle gets stuck on the belt loops.
While the bit excessive stretch of the belt may be the most important thing to think about in the downsides, this is by far the most annoying. Due to the design of the end tip (the part of the belt that goes into the buckle), it likes to grab hold of the belt loops on your pants when you are taking the belt off. You can see in the image above, how the belt end looks like a hook (which it ends up acting as with your belt loops).
This results in quite a bit of time spent trying to get the belt out of your pants, especially if you are doing it while wearing the pants, as it gets caught in the belt loops in the rear of your pants. This could easily be resolved by making the buckle ever so slightly thinner. I know it sounds petty, but this is such an annoying experience and flaw.
Who is this belt for (my verdict)
This belt is for anyone trying to get away from traditional belts! Much like minimalist wallets (which I talk a lot about on this site), there wasn’t much (good) change to belts over 100s of years; however, in the past decade or so, we have seen a huge jump in innovation in the category.
If you are tired of tight leather belts, with limited customization, sizing, and comfort, then this is for you!
That said, if you work in a traditional workplace that requires a suit and tie, you might want to look elsewhere as these types of belts might be looked down upon (similar to a clip-on tie). However, outside of that setting, you’ll be viewed as a trend-setter (which we all want to be right?).
What competitors are there?
I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
The primary competitor that I have tested to the Arcade belt is Groove Life’s Groove Belt Ultra (that that brand had gifted me). Both belts are going after the similar crowd that is tires of belts with holes, and is looking to get a belt that easier, and more comfortable to wear.
The Groove Belt Ultra (which I reviewed here) stands out as holding your pants up better when bending over and is easier to take on and off. However, the Arcade is ever so much more comfortable. Both are similar prices, so you’ll have to decide which is better for your situation.
