I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
The Groove Life Belt that’s equipped with a carbon fiber weave buckle is just that, a belt, but it’s probably the last belt you will ever need to buy (and I can say that as I’ve been testing it out over the past month). I know that is a bold statement, but this belt from Groove Life is the absolute best belt I’ve ever used; from the sleek black and carbon buckle face to the perfect fit every time, the Groove Life belt is sure to impress.
So, how did I test this belt? Well, after the brand was willing to gift it to us, I put it through its paces by using it exactly the way you would. Then, I took note of everything I did like and didn’t like, and this article is the summary of my findings so you can decide for yourself if it’s what you should buy for yourself or possibly steer clear of.
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What is a Groove Belt OG?
I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
- It’s the perfect amount of magnetism.
- They thought through how stretchy it should be
- The belt buckle doesn’t release on its own
- It doesn’t store in drawers well.
- The material looks cheap (but isn’t)
The Groove Life ‘OG’ belt is a minimalist belt that is about 1.5 inches wide and is made out of semi-rigid nylon with a metal buckle. It is a minimalist design (similar to their wallet which I also reviewed here) in which you don’t have any visible tail hanging out on the one side, and you don’t have a bunch of holes in the belt for the pin to go through on the other.
The buckle is a clasp-type buckle that is held together with a magnet; the belt (and buckle) comes in a variety of colors and buckle patterns; the one the brand gifted me for this review is the black belt with the carbon buckle face. This is the OG belt. They also have the slim Ultra (which Austin reviewed over here) and Low Profile, which are the other options that Groove Life has as of the time of this article.
What do I like about this belt?
1. It’s the perfect amount of magnetism.
I like that the magnet is strong but not too strong. When I put it on, it wants to latch on its own, but when you are ready, it unlatches without hesitation. Now, if the magnet was stronger, it would be trying to latch when you don’t want it to.
The magnets are such an important part of this belt because they make it so incredibly easy to use. This means you essentially have to get either end of the belt near each other, and the magnets do the rest. You don’t have to constantly do a set of steps to get your belt buckle; it’s you just put them in the general area of each other, and it does the rest.
2. They thought through how stretchy it should be
The stretch is there, but calling the belt stretchy is an overstatement. It’s just slightly stretchy but still rigid. It is a good balance of the two; I like the slight stretch, so throughout the day, the belt is always snug but not overly tight (especially when sitting).
I have found that when wearing a traditional belt throughout the day, I would want a middle ground between holes in my traditional belt, one would be too tight and the next way to lose, the groove life belt fixes this with the stretch that is built into the belt, and if the stretch is not enough, it is super fast and easy to adjust the overall length of the belt.
3. The belt buckle doesn’t release on its own
The buckle is such an awesome part of the belt! I know it’s just a buckle, but it is so much more; I saw the buckle design and figured I would be frustrated with it coming apart and not staying together while working or doing any fiscal movements.
I have never had it come undone on its own, it stays together until you want to take it off, which is super easy, just press the two ends together and it separates the two halves of the buckle, it is easier and faster than a normal belt to get buckled and unbuckled.
What do I NOT like about the original Groove Belt?
1. It doesn’t store in drawers well.
First, this thing is a little annoying to try to store; if you are like me and have a drawer you place your belts in, then you will need some kind of cable tie or old phone cord velcro strap to keep this thing together, or else it will be all over the place. Due to its being a stiff and rigid material, it will not roll up or fold up nicely and stay that way.
If you are someone like me who likes to store your belts all in one place, this might turn into both your favorite belt to wear and your least favorite belt to store.
2. The material looks cheap (but isn’t)
The second thing I ran into that I didn’t like is it is a belt you want to wear all the time, but the material styling makes it look cheap ( but looks are deceiving – It’s very good quality) I find myself wanting this belt anytime I have to dress nice and need a “dress” belt, but when paired with dress clothes it’s not a great replacement, I would go out on a limb and say that if the material was a little less cheap looking – It could be a good contender for dress belt.
However, for those times that I need to dress up a bit, I have to back to my old-school belts with holes in them, which is a bit of a bummer.
Who should buy this belt?
This belt is for anyone that is like me, if you are looking for a belt for almost any occasion, this is the best for you; from high-grade materials to the I think that it will be one if not the last belt you will ever want to buy. If you feel like the price is a little bit high, you will not regret the purchase; I tell more people to get a Groove Life OG belt than almost any other product I have.
That said, if you are someone who likes to store your belts in drawers or is someone who consistently wears dress attire, you might want to think about going in a different direction.
Where should you buy the product?
I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
- It’s the perfect amount of magnetism.
- They thought through how stretchy it should be
- The belt buckle doesn’t release on its own
- It doesn’t store in drawers well.
- The material looks cheap (but isn’t)