Rogue 5'' Nylon belt vs Echo belt
This is a comparison of the Rogue 5 Nylon belt and the Echo belt including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details
Rogue Echo 10mm Lifting belt
The Rogue Echo 10mm belt can be had for $52.50. It is one of the cheapest leather belts you can get from Rogue. If you want to know more about the entire Rogue belt portfolio you can read my article "Which belt to buy from Rogue" in which this overview was originally published.
What else to consider from Rogue
Overview of the Echo belt
The
Rogue Echo belt is 4'' in width and 10mm thick. Production for this belt takes place outside of the United States. It comes with a single prong and in black color. The Rogue logo is stitched on in white. It provides 10 precision-spaced holes. The
Rogue Echo belt might not a lot of breaking in based on the quality of the leather and the production process.
Pros of the Echo belt
A big pro is the price tag. You get a 10mm leather belt for 52.50$. This is nothing to be scoffed at when you are only a weekend warrior or want to get belts for the entire family for Christmas for the home gym. Same goes for equipping a commercial gym. If I was to open a gym I would get one per rack and invest the money saved compared to the Ohio belt in putting my own gym branding on them.
Cons of the Echo belt
For a leather belt, the finish is poor.
This belt is mass produced in a machine in China with lower quality leather. This saves money and comes at the cost of longevity. This belt is more likely to fall apart and let moisture seep in where the finish is imperfect. If you are only using it occasionally or keep it for group use that is fine. If you want to go pro in lifting maybe wait and invest $100 to $150 bucks into something you can be proud of.
Alternatives to the Echo belt
This is the belt at the chasm between hobby and passion. If you only want to protect your back a little for occasional workouts you can also look into
Nylon belts which save you even more money. These also can be worn with greater ease.
Rogue 5 Nylon Weightlifting belt
The Rogue Nylon 5'' weightlifting belt is a low price option from Rogue to provide some support for your back. This is the right choice when you want to save money. If you want to know more about the Rogue belt portfolio read my article "Which belt to buy from Rogue" in which this overview has been originally published.
Overview of the 5'' Nylon belt
Pros of the 5'' Nylon belt
The biggest pro is the price of only $21.
This belt will support beginners in the squat, deadlift and bench press. It is also a good option for anyone with back pain or just occasionally lifting to protect the back. Crossfitters will find it a good option to ease lower back fatigue on high rep WODS with light weights. The nylon will be more forgiving to your body than leather and leave fewer marks.
Cons of the 5'' Nylon belt
You get what you pay for. The Rogue branding on this belt is neither stitched nor embossed. Be prepared that it will wear off quick when used heavily. I have worn
Nylon belts on heavy squats and would not recommend it. Once you start squatting more than your own bodyweight for reps it is time to go for leather., if you were a belt.
Alternatives to the 5'' Nylon belt
If this belt is too big for you, you can also
go for the smaller 4'' version. If you are willing to invest into a leather belt but do not want it to dig into your ribs as much, you might want to look at the
3'' version of the Ohio belt. If you prefer something produced in the states there is also an upgraded version of this Nylon belt for double the price which is exclusively produced in the US.