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Groove Life has been making some awesome minimalist belts for quite some time, and in fact, when I reviewed the original Groove Belt (read it right here), I always had the wish for a leather version in the back of my head. While I was testing that belt, the brand launched the Groove Life Groove Belt Max Leather. While it may be a mouthful to say, it’s an answer to a lot of people’s wishes.
So, after testing the belt for a bit, it’s time to share what I like, what I don’t like, and exactly who this belt is for!
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What is the Groove Life Max Leather?
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- They finally have a leather belt option.
- Extremely easy to adjust the belt length
- The belt buckle is easy to use
- The belt clasp is weaker than the OG Groove Belt
- The belt buckle is slipping off the belt.
The Groove Life Max Leather is a new belt from Groove Life that covers one area in which their other belt may fall a little bit short, giving it a premium look.
The OG belt is fantastic, and I loved it, but one of the drawbacks was that the belt material looked cheap (it was far from that), and it wasn’t conducive to wearing it for a nice occasion. That is where the Max Leather comes in; this belt is extremely premium, and the leather is soft and supple with a great re-designed buckle that is nothing short of perfect.
Just like the other belt, this one utilizes a magnetized belt buckled so that it pulls both ends together, so you don’t have to fiddle with the buckle to get it to clasp, just one single motion. Meanwhile, the non-buckle end can also be fine-tuned for length by using a track system that can be moved around to grow or shrink with you.
What do I like about the Max Leather?
1. They finally have a leather belt option.
The premium leather is a nice addition to the belt lineup from Groove Life; the leather is the obvious highlight of this belt. It is the last dress belt you may ever need. It’s hard to describe how nice the leather is, but it is very high quality and worth the extra price associated with it.
Now, the belt is made of full-grain leather, which actually has some stretch to it. I don’t know how they did it, but yes, the leather stretches to give a you a bit more give when you sit down. The belt is also available in either a black or brown color, of which mine is obviously black.
2. Extremely easy to adjust the belt length
The mechanism for adjusting the overall length of the belt is a nice and easy-to-adjust system; the large adjustment range is a nice part of the adjustment system and holds well (I haven’t had it pop out or break free), and the locking part of the buckle is not a bulky mechanism.
3. The belt buckle is easy to use, and looks great
Once again, the buckle is such a great part of this (and any other GL) belt. It is easy to use to clasp and unclasp the buckle, and the holding power of the magnets is great. Also, the brushed finish is very classy and modern at the same time, which lends to the more dressy style of this belt.
It’s really awesome to have both styles of their belt in my collection because my other one is a bit more sporty, while this one is a bit more dressy, so I can have both whenever I need them.
What do I NOT like about the Groove Belt Leather Max?
1. The belt clasp is weaker than the OG Groove Belt
The magnet for the closure is weaker than I’d prefer; you do need to get it just right to clasp the two halves together; coming from the OG belt, it feels about half as strong. While this is fine, it will require more deliberate clasping of the two halves instead of just a simple motion in the general direction of both ends of the belt to get it to clasp. I haven’t had any issues with the buckle coming apart, even with the lower magnetism.
2. The belt buckle is slipping off the belt.
The belt-to-top-buckle clamp seems to be slipping and not holding on very well for some reason. This is just an observation, but it is a serious failure point if it does slip out and does not hold the belt; the teeth on the clamp are small, and there is not an indexing area on the belt to hold it in place without moving or slipping.
If the belt does come out of the clamp, then it will more than likely ruin the belt and then make it so that reattaching will not be an option. It’s interesting, as I didn’t run into this at all with their standard belt. However, it has been loosening up within a day of wearing it, and I have to adjust it as needed.
Who should buy this belt?
Anyone looking for a nicer looking belt that would lend to being worn for more dressed up occasions and or someone who prefers earth look over the nylon of the OG or any other GL belt, if you are looking to use this belt every day and are doing something that is arduous and you need your belt to hold up day in and day out, then this may not be for you (the OG Groove Belt might be the better option). As it has some potential shortcomings with the buckle.
If you are looking for an extremely lightweight belt, you might also want to consider the Groove Belt Ultra that Austin reviewed over here as well.
Where should you buy Groove Belt Leather Max?
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