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Hands-On Anson Belt Review: A Belt With No Holes?

Published on May 5, 2020 by Brock McGoff · Product Reviews May contain affiliate links (what's this?)

In this detailed, hands-on Anson Belt review, we’ll talk about our experience with holeless belts and let you know if Anson belts are worth buying.

Anson Belts review
Brown leather 1.25″ strap with antiqued gold buckle

Quick note: This review was originally published in July 2016. It’s been updated to reflect Anson Belt’s more recent product offerings, and to include additional thoughts after wearing these belts for a few years.

Anson Belts are now available to purchase on their website or from Amazon.

Many men are making the switch from traditional belts to holeless belts (often called slide belts).

Why, you ask? Here are four reasons you might prefer a belt without holes:

  • Micro-adjustable (never too tight or loose)
  • More durable (no need to bend the belt when putting on and taking off)
  • Versatile (interchangeable buckles)
  • Fits every waist (easy to shorten to your exact size)

If this is a new concept for you (as it was for me when I first discovered Anson Belt & Buckle), you’re probably wondering how these belts actually work.

Let’s dive into it…

Belts With No Holes

Sometimes called slide belts or ratchet belts, holeless belts are – you guessed it – belts with no holes.

These no hole belts have grooved tracks that run along the inside of the belt strap.

Slide belt track grooves

The belt buckles have ratchets that slide along the track and snap into the grooves.

Anson belt buckle

Most ratchet belts have 1/4″ grooves, while traditional belt holes are 1″ apart. This means that slide belts are 4x more adjustable than traditional belts.

To loosen or unbuckle a holeless belt, you just press a little release lever on the back of the buckle.

Slide belt release lever
That horizontal bar on the right is the release lever that disengages the locking mechanism.

You don’t have to yank back the end of the belt to loose or unbuckle it, which is what causes even the strongest leather to crease, crack and tear over time.

The only drawback to this sort of belt is how thick the buckle is. While these buckles are available in an endless variety of colors and styles, they’re all a bit thicker than traditional belt buckles.

Camo canvas Anson belt
Camo belt strap with gunmetal buckle

You know how a belt buckle will sometimes protrude underneath a very thin shirt, like an extrafine merino wool sweater?

This effect will be eve more obvious with a thicker buckle. And, in my opinion, this inherent bulk makes holeless belts more casual and harder to wear with suits.

That said, most men who give slide belts a try really love them, mostly for the micro-adjustability. So if you haven’t tried one on, you might want to give Anson a shot!

About Anson Belt & Buckle

The company was founded by Frank Ferree, a man who was sick of punching new holes in all of his belts to get that perfect fit.

After discovering a holeless belt while traveling overseas, he decided to perfect the design and start manufacturing them himself.

Anson Belt founders

His son, David Ferree, helped him launch the company in 2009, and they’ve been growing steadily ever since.

These days, there is more competition in the ratchet belt arena, but Anson takes pride in making what they believe to be the highest quality holeless belts on the market.

To back this up, they offer a lifetime guarantee on all of their belts.

The Belts (and Buckles)

Back when I originally wrote this review, I also partnered with Anson Belt on an unboxing video.

If you want to watch me unbox some brand new belts and shorten them down to size, here ya go:

Or, read on for more details about these innovative belts.

Interchangeable Buckles

Unlike most traditional belts, Anson belts have detachable buckles. This means you can mix and match buckles and straps to create different looks.

Anson belt buckle swap

So if you have five straps and four buckles, that’s 20 different belts!

I’m not saying you’re going to swap buckles every time you put on a belt, but the interchangeability is very practical.

Anson Belts-20
Shark grey microfiber strap with gunmetal classic buckle

During the day, you can be out on a boat with a flip-closure styled buckle paired with a nylon strap.

Later that evening, pivot to a chrome buckle and black strap for that fancy dinner.

In between, mix and match the casual buckle with a brown belt for your chinos, and coordinate the colors to match your other accessories.

Anson Belt Quality

In terms of quality, I wore two of my Anson belts religiously for about a year, and they held up nicely.

Anson belts canvas
On the black buckle, notice some of the finish rubbing off around the edges.

The only wear and tear I noticed was on the black buckle. Some of the black finish (paint?) wore off at the corners and edges of the buckle, resulting in a sort of patina.

Otherwise, these belts and buckles have held up wonderfully over the months and years.

Anson Belt Sizing

Anson belts fit any waist up to 50″, and they can be cut down to your size. Don’t worry, it’s very easy and almost impossible to mess up.

I show you how to do this at the beginning of the Anson belt review video (see above or click the link).

The only thing you have to remember is to cut off the unfinished end of the belt.

Room for Improvement

I only have one small gripe about Anson’s current collection: I wish they carried a slimmer belt.

Right now, they sell 1.25″ and 1.5″ straps. I’d love to see a 1″ option as well, especially for dress belts.

Anson belt buckle
A 1.25″ strap combined with a substantial buckle will make this belt harder to wear with super formal outfits.

To be fair, though, some of their 1.25″ full grain leather straps have edge stitching that helps them feel a little slimmer and dressier.

But if I’m suiting up or even wearing a nice jacket and trousers, I prefer a lower profile, dressier belt strap and buckle.

Final Recommendation

Anson Belt hits that sweet spot between function and form, and their belts are reasonably priced for the quality.

Anson’s customer service and passion for helping people is top notch. They offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee which makes taking the leap all the easier.

Lastly, their boxed sets make excellent gifts at the right price point for friends and family.

When it comes to no hole belts, Anson Belt & Buckle is TMM’s brand of choice. Check them out on ansonbelt.com or on Amazon.

Do you wear holeless belts? Leave a comment below!

Product Reviews Anson Belt, belts

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About Brock McGoff

The Modest Man founder, Brock is an aspiring minimalist who enjoys working out, spending time with his family, discovering new brands and creating great content.

Background: Brock McGoff has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a professional background in digital marketing. He believes that men's fashion is just one facet of self-improvement, and he started The Modest Man to help regular guys feel more confident by improving their appearance.

An east coast native, Brock currently lives in Arizona with his wife and daughter. When he's not working, he spends time with family, training BJJ, reading/listening to books and podcasts, and unsuccessfully trying to decide which movie to stream.

Expertise: Brock has built a men's lifestyle YouTube channel with over 400k subscribers. He's also worked as the creative marketing manager in a men's apparel startup. Brock has been quoted in, mentioned by or featured in publications like Esquire, Huff Post, Men's Health, WWD and Forbes.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Got questions? Want to share your opinion? Comment below!

  1. mike caldwell says

    October 10, 2022 at 6:21 am

    The lever with teeth fell out of my belt. I took a picture and sent an email. Within an hour I got a reply that a new, identical buckle was on its way. ONE HOUR, and this was SUNDAY NIGHT! Never had such great service.

    Reply
  2. Lance Goodemann says

    January 3, 2022 at 2:40 pm

    I have been wearing Slidebelt for the last few years and really like the concept however I have had to replace the buckles several times. It dropped on a tile floor they break very easily. Also, the pins fall out after a few months. Wondering about the durability on the Anson products??

    Reply
    • Brock says

      January 3, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      I never had durability problems with Anson buckles. Only problem was some paint wearing off on the black buckles, but no mechanical issues.

      Reply
  3. Joe says

    February 11, 2020 at 12:24 am

    I have had my belt a few months now extremely happy with it, will review again towards the end of the year!

    Reply
  4. Theophilus Peters says

    February 10, 2020 at 10:30 pm

    Finally making the switch! I read this article when it first came out back in 2016. I loved it but didn’t really think much about it after that. Yet here I am 4 years later, just threw away another worn belt with traditional holes and thought to myself “there has to be better way”. Lo and behold this article popped into my mind again. Thank you Brock! Really stoked for my Anson Gift Box!

    Reply
  5. Arturo Olivo Jr (@ArturoOlivo) says

    November 29, 2017 at 4:15 pm

    The Anson belt is really a game changer and makes me not miss using a traditional belt with holes. Great review.

    Reply
  6. Bryan says

    September 5, 2017 at 12:00 pm

    How do you see the buckle/strap detaching mechanism holding up? Is it something you’d only want to do every once and a while or would it hold up to everyday interchanging?

    Reply
  7. Douglas Erickson says

    January 18, 2017 at 2:47 pm

    I have been wearing my new belt for a couple of months now and I REALLY like them, but recently my black belt does not seem to latch most of the time. There is no clicking or latching…what do I do?

    Reply
    • Mike King says

      January 22, 2017 at 4:21 pm

      I would let them know, they have a guarantee and should switch it out for you no problem!

      Reply
  8. Rc says

    November 5, 2016 at 11:14 am

    Brock, great review and thanks. I brought 3 of them and they are great.

    Reply
  9. noelblorenzana says

    July 27, 2016 at 4:09 pm

    Great review Brock! I love my Anson belts and that is all I wear anymore 😉

    Reply
  10. Jay Feinberg says

    July 19, 2016 at 5:45 pm

    I’m a Mission Belt guy. Check them out a http://missionbelt.com/ (You might remember them from Shark Tank.) They seem to have an identical product at a better price point.

    Reply
    • Brock says

      July 19, 2016 at 5:49 pm

      Haven’t tried them yet. Looks similar, although I’m always a little wary of “genuine leather” (it usually means bonded or low quality).

      Reply
  11. Thomas Bucaro says

    July 19, 2016 at 3:12 pm

    I have used these belts for a few months now, and like Brock I am never going back to holes.Perfect fit, and look every time, even if my waist expanded a bit after a heavy meal. lol

    Reply
  12. Dave Minella says

    July 19, 2016 at 12:45 pm

    Go for the gift box! It gives you two belts and three buckles or three belts and two buckles. I bought two gift boxes for myself, and now I have five complete belts for $200. Black, burgundy, light brown and dark brown, plus a more casual navy.

    Reply
  13. Bert says

    July 19, 2016 at 11:38 am

    Apparently I have to go thru the process of “building” a belt to get the price. When the cost information comes last, I know it’s going to be a shocker & I’m going to feel sucked in. If a seller won’t tell me this up front, I’m suspicious of them.

    Reply
    • david guetzow says

      July 19, 2016 at 1:40 pm

      No, you build the belt and then see the price. You can delete it from your cart before any CC information is given. I just did it. Besides, it looks like all the belts are the same price: $49.

      Reply
    • Brock says

      July 19, 2016 at 2:02 pm

      Good feedback for them. For what it’s worth, I think the belts (and buckles) are priced very reasonably.

      Reply

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