EDC Belt Review: Nexbelt Titan PreciseFit V.4
One of the best things to come out of the concealed carry revolution — aside from increased personal safety — is the vast improvement of trouser belts. For most of my law enforcement career, I was forced to make do with regular dress or work belts. None of those belts supported the carry of larger handguns particularly well when I was off-duty. The variety in type and quality of belts now actually designed to support the carry of handguns — particularly handguns carried outside the waistband (OWB) — is expansive.
Today, my off-duty handguns mostly ride under a covering garment in OWB holsters. Fortunately, there are plenty of belts available expressly designed for carrying handguns. Nexbelt’s Titan PreciseFit V.4 EDC belt stands out as one of the very best. The Nexbelt EDC was designed expressly with comfort, durability and fit in mind.
Comfort and Durability in Your EDC Belt
The V.4 EDC uses improved nylon straps — made from a super-high-density microfiber material — that are stiffer than previous versions. Strap thickness is 0.1875 inches, and it is 1.375 inches wide. Despite the solid construction, the Titan is very comfortable with or without a handgun attached. The backing is sweat-resistant, and the belt tip is leather-reinforced to prevent fraying and to ensure proper threading through the buckle.
The second aspect is individualized fit. The belt ships with a length of 50 inches. The owner cuts the belt and sizes it to his or her waist. The process of sizing is relatively easy.
There are infinite adjustments available via the cleverly designed, lightweight buckle and the “PreciseFit” ratchet locking system. The buckle holds its position firmly in place and releases simply. The belt can be adjusted easily based on carry load or for those moments when a little more room is necessary (like after a heavy meal).
Make It Fit
I requested a sample Titan EDC belt in Coyote Brown with brown powder-coated textured buckle. The belt arrived in a nylon drawstring Nexbelt bag with instructions included. I noted that the inside of the belt was marked off from 25 to 50 inches to make cut-to-fit sizing precise. The buckle was positioned for easy removal from the belt prior to mounting. The instructions also stated that one should use only Nexbelt buckles marked “EDC” when carrying a firearm. (The Nexbelt line is quite extensive and contains non-carry fancier dress and casual belts made of different materials with different style buckles for both men and women.)
The directions tell you to add 4 inches to your waist size and cut the strap at that point. I decided to make multiple cuts as needed until I got the right fit. After all, I couldn’t add more back on should I overdo it.
Nexbelt didn’t advise on what type of cutting tool to use for the toughly constructed strap. Fortunately, I had an old pair of large tin snips on hand. I was able to cut most of the way through with the snips but needed a Stanley utility knife to finish some of the remaining strands. Do not melt the cut end of the strap to stop fraying! If you do that, the strap won’t slide fit in the buckle for mounting. I learned this the hard way and had to re-cut the strap.
I went through three additional cuts before finding the right size for me and then mounted the buckle. The buckle has an easy-to-open-and-close toothed clasp to hold it to the strap. Once it is situated, you mount two, pointed-tip Allen head screws using the included wrench to the back of the buckle and through the strap to prevent any possible slippage.
Buckle Up!
The buckle locks into the 12-inch interior ratchet strip. It is released for removal or adjustment by pulling the latch lever at the bottom of the buckle away from your body. There is almost no way to accidentally release it. The release allows you to loosen or tighten the belt smoothly with minimum extra motion.
I have worn the Titan EDC belt for several days now, including during my morning walks with either my Colt Cobra or Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .38. The belt slides easily through the leather holster slots and holds the holsters firmly in place when buckled. The guns ride in total comfort, and the Titan belt flexes just enough to facilitate that.
The Nexbelt Titan EDC belt is a functionally superb belt and is great looking to boot! Prices are extremely reasonable as well. My sample belt is priced at $52.99.
Sources:
Nexbelt: Nexbelt.com
About Scott W. Wagner
Scott W. Wagner is a criminal justice professor and police academy commander from Columbus, Ohio. He has been a police officer since 1980, working as an undercover liquor investigator, undercover narcotics investigator, patrol officer, SWAT team member, sniper and assistant team leader. Scott is currently a patrol sergeant with the Village of Baltimore, Ohio, Police Department. He has been a police firearms instructor since 1986 and is certified to instruct revolver, semi-automatic pistol, shotgun, semi- and fully automatic patrol rifle, and submachine gun.
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