Alchemy Goods Ballard 1.5-Inch Wide Belt

This is not my first Alchemy Goods belt, and it won’t be my last. I got about 6 years of use out of my last one, which is more than I can say about other belts I’ve purchased. If this one lasts half as long as my others it’s still money well spent. It doesn’t have a lot of stretch right now, but from experience I can say that it has a bit of a break in period. The more you use it, the stretchier it becomes. I love that you can tell that it’s made of recycled bicycle tires and inner tubes, they left the old graphics on, and it just looks great in addition to being comfortable. Other than that it’s a belt, it keeps your pants from falling down, and that’s pretty much what we want, right?

I originally purchased this belt in a small as a gift for a vegetarian family member. It was too small, so I gave that one to my daughter and she loves it. She is not concerned with the fact that this belt is vegan, made in America, recycled.....yadda yadda. That is a true testament to a product like this...is it desirable outside of its ideology? I re-ordered a medium for my original family member and she says she likes it well enough, and she does care about the vegan, made in America, recycled...yadda yadda. She didn't seem really thrilled, however, and I think it is because, as the belt is made with recycled bicycle tubes, the lettering from the original tube is placed right in front and this makes the belt just a little too kitsch for her age bracket. I'm sure the purpose of the lettering being placed so prominently it to say, "look at me, look at me, wearing a recycled bike tube," but not everyone wants to advertise that, they just want a good, usable product. All in all it's a good belt, looks good, has great elasticity, and will probably last forever.

The belt is not at all what I was expecting. It is indeed a bicycle tube fashioned into a belt; that's all. It stretches ever so slightly, but a decent amount. It is very durable and the stitching is well done. The belt, however, isn't as stiff as some leather belts so looping it will be difficult at first if you are accustomed to such belts as it droops. The locking mechanism on the buckle (part which goes through the small notches) is impossible to fasten without looking at it, so don't even try. But it's a very decent belt and I would buy it again. I like the idea that no animals gave their lives so my pants could be held up and through the purchase of these products from Alchemy Goods, you're also supporting both fair trade and recycling.

I purchased this belt as a Christmas gift for my son a year ago. He absolutely loved the belt and wears it every day. Possibly because he wears it every day the belt started stretching and tearing. He has been repairing it with duct tape so he can continue wearing it but it does look like it is falling apart. I would probably have given the belt three stars but I gave it four because my son loves it so much. This year for Christmas I went ahead and purchased another Alchemy Goods belt for him so he can get rid of all the duct tape.

I go through belts quickly, I am active, tall and 240 lbs. I have been wearing this belt daily for four months now, no signs of wear at all. Usually I go through a couple of belts a year. This one seems like it will last a very long time. To clean when needed, I have been using water and a paper towel, or dashboard wipes if I want to shine it up. Because it is inner tube rubber, it is a little stretchy, so it is very comfortable to wear. It does take slightly longer to get through the belt loops than other belts because of the rubber texture. It did not have any rubber odor that some people reviewed. Well worth the money.

The belt offers a nice amount of stretch but still keeps pants up well, which is nice if you are an active person. Unfortunately the buckle is made out of a soft metal which can stretch and fatigue over time causing the roller part of the buckle to fall out, making the belt unuseable. The innertube material is a great idea but not really up to the task of handling the stresses around the belt holes. The takes some time to wear out, but if you want more than a year or two out of your belt, this one will probably disappoint you.

A really neat belt that dismisses the idea that only leather can be used to hold up a pair of pants! Belt stretches a bit when closing it around the naval. A fashionable belt with a little quirkiness added to it! I was concerned that the XXL would not fit my slim yet strong 42" waist but lo and behold, I am able to secure my pants with the size that I ordered. Another positive cruelty free product that I can wear with comfort and not carry a sense of dread with me by using animal skin....

This is such a cool idea, I have to say. Like, reusing bicycle inner tubes as a belt is a great green idea, you know? I went with 36-40 and as I lose the 50lbs on my bucket list, this will be my go-to. After that, I will retire it and order the next size down from them. Thanks so much, you guys!