Are you coasting along in your workouts? Are you doing compound exercises like squats, pull-ups, and especially tricep dips, but feel like you aren’t reaching your full potential? If so, then we highly recommend investing in a dip belt!
A dip belt is a piece of workout equipment that you wrap around your waist and attach weight plates to. It instantly takes your simple bodyweight exercise and turns it into a challenging workout. Unsure of where to start? We got you!
In this buyer’s guide, we are sharing:
Don’t waste anymore time! Instantly upgrade your squats, pull-ups and tricep dips with a dip belt!
Are you committed to making serious gains in your upper and lower body muscles? If so, then you need to invest in a dip belt! Dip belts help you achieve maximum hypertrophy in several of your lower and upper body muscles, including the quads, calves, hamstrings, chest, biceps, and triceps.
The triceps get a particularly great workout with dip belts. Perhaps the main benefit of using a weighted dip belt is it takes your tricep dip exercise to the next level (hence why they are called dip belts). The triceps are a smaller arm muscle group.
They are more challenging to reach than other arm muscles like the biceps. And, there are far fewer exercises targeting the triceps than there are for other upper body muscles. Not only that, but people tend to underestimate the importance of the triceps.
The tricep muscle group is essential for:
Moreover, the triceps are more active in upper body exercises than you think. Don’t underestimate or neglect working on them! In addition to tricep dips, dip belts are most commonly used in squats, pull-ups, and chin-ups.
Utilizing a dipping belt will significantly increase the difficulty of your tricep dips. The more challenged your triceps are, the more overall improvements you will see in other upper body exercises!
Do you already own a weight vest? If so, are you wondering whether or not you can use it interchangeably with a dip belt? If so, the answer is yes and no. Dip belts and weight vests are the same idea. They both add additional resistance on top of your own bodyweight to help you build extra muscle. A weight vest is strapped to your chest, while a dip belt wraps around your waist.
You can add additional weight plates to the weight vest, and you can hang additional weight plates from the long chain attached to the dip belt. They both are designed to add difficulty to traditional exercises.
However, there are two key differences between vests and belts, including:
First off, you can use weight vests for both strength training and cardio exercises. For example, you can wear a weight vest while walking and doing squats for added difficulty. However, they aren't effective for all strength training exercises, including most upper body exercises. On the other hand, dip belts have a higher weight capacity than vests.
Technically, you can add as many Olympic-sized plates to the steel chain as you want. Moreover, dip belts are more effective for extreme muscle building than vests. However, belts aren't as versatile as vests. You are mostly limited to dip, squat, and pull-up exercises with dip belts. We highly suggest investing in both a dip belt and a weight vest! That way, you can reap the muscle-building benefits of both pieces of equipment.
Now without further ado, here are our top dip belt picks!
You can purchase each on either their official website or Amazon. Why are these dip belts our favorites?
Because each of them includes some or all of our favorite dip belt features, including:
It is about time you make the investment in the right dip belt!
The Dark Iron belt checks all of our requirement boxes. Not only that, but it goes above and beyond what we would normally expect from a non-chain dip belt. The most impressive thing about this belt is that it combines comfort with durability.
The leather belt is extremely easy on the waist, and the nylon belt can withstand heavy-duty weights without breaking. If you want a no-nonsense dip belt that goes above and beyond for a reasonable price, look no further than the Dark Iron belt.
Online price: $39.99
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Here is what one online customer said about the Dark Iron Fitness Dip Belt:
"This belt will easily last me for years, maybe even decades because of the lifetime warranty. I like that when I put it on, I can focus on doing my dips or pull-ups without thinking about how uncomfortable the belt feels around my waist with added weight. It's also easy to use. Do yourself a favor and don't skimp out on a cheap nylon belt that will break in a couple months, or splurge on some leather monstrosity. Dark Iron Fitness has made an affordable high-quality product worth all the 5 stars I've rated it with."
The DMoose belt is a classic leather dip belt with a steel chain. While it does have a metal chain, it isn't obnoxious or hard to deal with like other metal chain belts are. It is a particularly great option for beginner lifters, considering it is designed to hold a maximum of 225 pounds. Not only that but the reinforced D rings and carabiners ensure safety. If you want a no-nonsense beginner dip belt, then opt for the DMoose!
Online price: $29.99
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Here is what one online customer said about the DMoose Fitness Dip Belt:
"I love this dip belt l. It's very resilient for people like me that want to use heavy weights when doing pull-ups or dips. The quality is amazing, and the colors are bright and reflective... So that means night training for you earlier birds and crossfitters. Overall 10 out 10 for this belt. I definitely recommend this to be a must in any fitness center or gym."
The Harbinger polypropylene belt is perhaps the most comfortable dip belt on this list. The polypropylene fabric is so soft that you can barely tell there is anything strapped around your waist. The downside to that comfort is that it can't carry a super heavy amount of weight.
The maximum weight on this belt is approximately 200 pounds. Therefore, it isn't suited for the most advanced lifters but is perfectly fine for beginners and intermediates. If you are a beginner lifter who wants the most comfortable belt, then this is the one for you!
Online price: $34.99
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Here is what one online customer said about the Harbinger Polypropylene Dip Belt:
"I absolutely love this belt. It is very durable; well made. I am doing dips, wide grip pull-ups, and donkey calf raises. I am on the Bigger, Leaner, Stronger program. It's all about progressive overload (a.k.a Gains). This belt is incredibly inexpensive for its value in helping grow your upper back, lats, triceps, and even calves (donkey calf raises). I almost feel like I stole this belt. It's so affordable."
Are you no stronger to dip belts? Are you an advanced lifter looking to take their workout routine to the next level? If you said yes to either of those, then you need to check out the Iron Bull Dip Belt. This belt is truly state of the art. It has three different anchor straps - one in the center and one on each side. The different anchor locations allow for plenty of versatility and isolation of different body parts. If your goal is hypertrophy and building muscle alone, then you can't go wrong with this Iron Bull belt.
Online price: $39.95
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Here is what one online customer said about the Iron Bull Strength Belt:
"Started using this product for belt squats to strengthen my quads after realizing arthritis in my knee and ankle. What a difference! It's only been a few weeks of using this belt three times per week and I can feel my legs getting stronger and my mobility is progressing nicely. Would definitely recommend to anyone with weak legs (for squatting purposes) where isolating the quadriceps is a priority."
The RimSports Premium belt is the most affordable option on this list. Not only that, it is designed to be portable, so you can easily carry it around in your gym bag without taking up a ton of space. The RimSports belt checks all of the boxes of a basic metal chain dip belt.
It doesn't come with particularly astounding features, yet is very comfortable, breathable, and has a maximum weight capacity of around 200 pounds. If you are new to dip belts or want a no-nonsense belt to add to your gym equipment collection, then opt for the RimSports belt!
Online price: $23.97
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Here is what one online customer said about the RimSports Premium Dip Belt:
"All I can say is that it is worth it's weight in gold and then some when it comes to training and core strengthening. I've got nothing but praise for this product! At first it was a bit awkward, but later, it proved to be a valuable asset. I highly recommend this product."
No fitness equipment buying guide is ever complete without including at least one piece of Rogue equipment. As a leader in the fitness equipment industry, we always have high hopes for Rogue's equipment. And, this dip belt does not disappoint! The Rogue belt is perhaps the strongest one on the market. What makes it so strong?
Unlike other belts, it has large straps that are a part of the belt itself. This feature allows you to pack more weight onto the belt, and the belt in turn distributes that weight across your waist. This belt is unlike any other. If you are serious about getting perhaps the best one on the market, then opt for the Rogue belt!
Online price: $49
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Here is what one online customer said about the Rogue Dip Belt:
"Replaced an old leather dip belt that was tearing in half. I can pile the weight on this thing for calf raises and belt squats. Of course it easily handles external loads for weighted pull ups and weighted dips. Had 300 on it for donkey calf raise and it just chuckles at me. Super high quality. This is actually the first piece of Rogue equipment I’ve purchased. Sad for someone who’s been in the garage gym game for 10+ years AND lives in Columbus. Won’t be my last!! Thanks, Rogue."
The dip belt market is a crowded field. It was really challenging for us to pick our favorite ones. With that said, here are some of our honorable mention picks that are also great options, but didn't quite make the cut of our favorite ones:
Whether you go with one of our top picks or an honorable mention, you can trust that you will be getting an excellent product!
Regardless of your fitness level or where you are at in your fitness journey, we highly recommend investing in a dip belt! Take your tricep dips and other bodyweight exercises to the next level to gain as much muscle as possible. This is the sign you were waiting for to hit the purchase button and buy the dip belt!
Bonus tip: Like we mentioned before, using dip belts for tricep dips helps you get at the hard-to-reach tricep muscles. Hungry for more tricep exercises? Check out our top ten tricep exercises for growing bigger and stronger triceps!
