The Cost of Quality.
At $35, some may consider our belts to be expensive. Rather than expecting our customers to accept that, we are going to get into the nitty-gritty and explain what goes into our belt pricing.
Before we jump into this head first, we want to share some interesting statistics.
- 70% of the clothing Americans bought in 1980 was made in the United States, whereas now it's about 2 percent. (In 1960 98% of our clothing was made in the U.S.)
- In 1960 10% of an average American's gross income went towards clothes, in 2017 that number was down to 3%.
- In 2016 the labor cost to manufacture a pair of jeans in Bangladesh was $1.80/hr. In America, it was $25.00/hr.
First things first, our goal is to make quality products that will last a lifetime. We get tired of hearing the phrase "they don't make things like they used to!" Our belt is designed to withstand everyday rigors for up to 30 years. We accomplish this by using the highest quality materials, entirely sourced from the USA.
At GRIP6 we have an amazing team of engineers that design and build a lot of the machines that make our belts. A key component of making a product that is designed to last 30 years is running exhaustive quality control checks on all of our products. Nothing leaves our shop without being individually checked for any faults, or defects.
It's challenging to make a product that will last a lifetime without being able to oversee its production. That's why we decided to make our belts in the USA. Not only are we able to maintain high production standards, but we are able to give back to the employees that make our products. We're a small business, but that doesn't mean we don't take care of our own. We pay competitive wages, offer health and dental insurance, and we are constantly ensuring that they have a safe work environment.
Speaking of the environment, we do all we can to utilize as much post-consumer product as possible. That includes everything from recycled paper packaging to soy-based inks for our dealer catalogs. There isn't a governing body that requires us to meet these standards. We set them ourselves and we do them because it's the right thing to do. They cost a little more money than using virgin materials but the long-term costs are too significant to ignore.
Every product at GRIP6 is backed by an unlimited lifetime guarantee. We refer to this is our A3 Guarandamntee. The A3 stands for Any Time, Any Reason, Any Condition. Whether you just don't like it or it was shredded while you were fighting off a bear (looking at you Leonardo DiCaprio) we'll take it back like a prodigal son.
Moral of the story?
Our craftsmanship is on trial with every belt we produce. We are responsible for making sure your belt works better and lasts longer than any other belt you've worn, and we do everything we can to ensure it will.
When you buy one of our belts you're not getting just a belt. You are getting our word that we have done everything we can to make this the finest, most functional belt you have ever owned. You are getting a promise from us that if your belt ever does fail, we will replace it, no questions asked. You are getting hours of research, design, and testing, along with our commitment that we will continue to responsibly produce quality products, right here in our own backyard.
96 comments
Gill
Best belts ever! Will never own another brand! Thanks for such a great belt!!!
Mary Hieronymus OLeary
My last 2 leather, “made somewhere else” belts were about $20 each and haven’t lasted a year. I ordered 2 of the Grip6 belts, one for me, one for my husband and the quality is worth the price! I have a feeling these belts will outlast any leather belt I’ve ever had!
Mike Duncan
I was fed up buying cheap leather belts where you have to add holes to the leather to take in the belt and left with a tongue flopping about. Now, being a Scotsman I took advantage of the 3 belt offer and haven’t regretted this purchase, hopefully these will last me out.
Was hoping to get the carbon fibre belt buckle as there is nothing more embarrassing at security, belt into tray, holding up trousers walking through the metal detector gate hoping that the trousers are not going to be at my knees until I can reclaim my belt.
Jason P Flint
The best belt I’ve ever had! Great quality for the price and made in the USA another bonus! $35 is very reasonable. I purchas kits for gifts and packaging is awesome!!
Dan
I would like one of these if it were TSA compliant, I travel Europe extensively and hate having to continually remove my belt at airport security check points.
Marco
I have backed grip6 on kickstarter a few years ago and bought 4-5 belts i believe. I gave some to my friends, lost one, but one i’ve used for around 3 years. Love the belt, but i needed to order a new one this year. The buckle is fantastic, but the strap shows wear after 3 years, to a degree that i don’t want to wear it in public.
So I would challange the claim the belt is designed to last a lifetime. The buckle is, if you don’t scratch it. But yeah, i believe the belt will last 30 years and still would be working. Just wouldn’t be looking as good ( what would you expect after 30 years? :-)
Glenn
I have been wearing a black and Silver Grip6 for over a year now, almost daily. There are no signs of wear on it yet. Also, I have kind of an overhang on my belly. Most belts cut into my stomach while I am sitting down. This Grip6 is very thin, (low profile) and does not goudge my belly when I bend over. This belt is good for chubby people with a gut.
Steve
I purchased the special 3 belt special to ensure I had the three basic colors that would match my clothes. I have used two of them and find that they work as advertised. Like others in the comments, I don’t see $35 for a quality belt as expensive. I have always preferred to purchase quality products even when they are more expensive and especially when they are made in the USA. People who work to make your products deserve a decent wage and benefits so supporting a business such as yours is worth the higher price. Keep up the good work.
Tony
Fantastic write up.
Herald Hensley
I have 3 belts that are a couple of years old. They still look and work like new. $35 is not an expensive belt. When I bought these 3, I was looking at other belts for considerably more. Besides all of that, they have a very “clean” look that I really like.
Mark holland
Well Ive paid easily as much as the cost of 1 of these for mass produced belts before that have worn down to the brass and stopped gripping in less that 6 months.
So for these to be tje price they are amd manufactured locally (even though I’m in England… so not very local! But you get what I mean) I think is a crazy cheap price.
I’ve just ordered a combo pack, with a completely custom metal hanger as well I have no idea how you are doing it so cheap to be honest.
3 belts, the cool custom hanger and pistage to the UK for £60 is silly cheap. And if they work as well as they look, then you’ll have a customer for life.
Always happy to support home-grown companies!
Scott Havemeyer
I can not say enough good things about this company. I have been working with them to design a custom buckle for a charity cycling event that I created. The process has been so easy and the results are AWESOME!!! I can not wait to give them away at our event on September 9th.
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David Teichholtz
I don’t consider $35 to be overly expensive. These belts just work, plain and simple. I also have a nickel allergy and the aluminum buckle solved that issue. I’d say I’ll be a customer for life, but I know I will never have to buy another one!
Jim Holden
Have had my belt for 4 days and love it. I ordered a second belt with a customized buckle and am looking forward to getting it next week.
Orren Gasparx
I wear this belt almost every day. $35? Fantastic value. Wears like a champ. Made in the US? Icing on the cake. Y’all making a profit? I sure hope so!
Julie Duncan
Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but I don’t think $35 is a high price to pay for the quality one is getting with this belt. You will pay around $20 for a crappy “leather” belt at Wal*Mart or other store (made overseas), and it MIGHT last a year or two. Also, I didn’t notice any typos or grammatical errors on your website, which is impressive. Will be ordering a belt soon. Thank you for offering a rare thing – quality with integrity.
Tommy
I’ve spent $35 and more on belts that are far inferior to Grip6 for both quality and style. I own two Grip6 belts and plan to buy them when needed from here on out. The only reason I ever wear an old school belt is when I know I’m going to be getting filthy in the garage.
Bradley
I have always been a firm believer in you get what you pay for. I would much rather pay 35$ for a belt that works and will last the test of time than to pay 10$ for a belt at Walmart that doesn’t do a good job holding my pants up and that I will have to replace in 6 months. The fact that they are made in America and help to keep food on the table of American families is well worth the 35 dollars imo. Keep up the good work Grip6!
John Covele
If this belt was the same as another $15 belt with equal quality, then I would expect to pay – well around $15. Maybe $20 because of the Made In USA part. This is NOT just a “piece of metal and nylon”. There is NOT another belt that I know of at ANY price that is: equal quality, made in USA, interchangeable belts/buckles, custom engrave-able options, thin and strong, infinitely adjustable with no flap sticking out, etc. Money is worth spending when you are getting something unique that will also last, and you can feel good about it for the other reasons stated in this article.
Ken Brown
I’m a long time customer. Dont wear anything else. Love every one of my belts, especially the three custom buckles I have. Just waiting for some bright straps to buy more. Just happened on a light blue one you have in one of your ads and after asking found that some are still available, so I ordered one. Would like some colors to match the buckles, especially orange.
Very happy customer. Well worth the price!!
Cheryl
I was so happy to see you come out with the narrower belt for women! I love mine, and your customer service is awesome.
Ryan
$35 is a bargain, especially considering I was buying a belt every year at $25 each. It works exactly as promised, having multiple straps and buckles that can be mixed and matched… people laughed when I was excited to get these. Now they all want to get their own! Thank you sincerely grip6.
Lou
I own many buckles and straps. Worth every penny. Best belts ever!
Claude
I have four belts now and the belt holder. The only time I go back to using a leather belt is for a really formal affair even though the Grip6 should work fine for one of those!
Saving up for one of the Carbon Fibers so I don’t have to take off my belt going through airports. Love these belts.
Derek
Any chance a 1 1/2 to 2 inch “Gun belt” is coming? That width with some thickness and I’m a customer for life.
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