How to Choose a Running Belt: The Complete Buying Guide

Running belts all look similar in a product photo and behave very differently at kilometre 15. This guide covers what matters, in the order it matters.

First, decide which type you need

Race belts

Thin elastic or webbing, no pouch or a very small one. Built to carry a race bib and one or two gels and nothing else. Light, cheap, invisible.

Storage belts

A wider band with a zip pouch sized for a phone. Built for training, travel and everyday carry.

Hydration belts

A storage belt with bottle holsters. Useful in heat, heavier and bouncier by nature.

Most runners end up owning a race belt and a storage belt rather than one belt that does both jobs badly.

The eight things that matter

1. Bounce

The single most common complaint. Bounce comes from three things: a belt worn too loose, weight concentrated in one lump, and stretchy material that lets the load oscillate. A well made belt on low profile webbing, worn snug across the top of the hips, will not bounce.

2. How it adjusts

Sliding clips beat fixed sizes. A one size adjustable belt fits a much wider range of bodies and, importantly, still fits when you are wearing a winter layer or have changed shape over a training block.

3. Phone fit

Check the actual measurement, not the marketing. A 6.9 inch phone in a case is a different object to a 6.1 inch phone. A pouch that is too big is as bad as one that is too small, because the contents rattle.

4. Profile

How far does it stand off your body? A flat belt sits under a running top without a visible bulge. A bulky one catches on your arm swing.

5. Water resistance

Sweat is the constant, rain is the occasional. Look for water resistant fabric and a covered zip.

6. Bib loops and gel loops

If you race, bib loops mean you never put a safety pin through a race shirt again. Gel loops on the outside mean you can reach nutrition without unzipping anything.

7. Chafe

Seams and hard plastic edges sitting on bare skin at kilometre 25 are how people finish races bleeding. Look for flat seams and rounded hardware.

8. Reflectivity

If you run before work or after dark, a reflective element on the belt sits at exactly driver eye height. It is a small thing that matters.

Questions worth asking before you buy

• Will it hold my actual phone, in its case?
• Is it one size adjustable, or do I need to measure?
• Can I reach what is inside without stopping?
• Does it have bib loops, if I race?
• What happens if it does not fit?

What you can safely ignore

Enormous capacity is rarely a virtue on a road run. Neither is a belt that does everything. Sports specific branding does not make webbing behave differently. And a very low price usually shows up as an elastic band that has stretched out by the third wash.

How to fit it once it arrives

1. Wear it over your shorts and under your shirt hem.
2. Sit it high, across the top of your hips, not around your waist.
3. Tighten until you can just fit two fingers underneath.
4. Centre the load rather than letting it sit on one hip.
5. Do thirty seconds of running on the spot before you commit to the setting.

What TEMPO makes

Two belts, two clear jobs. The PACE Race Belt is the race belt: bib loops, two gel loops, low profile webbing, six colourways, from $32. The CARRY Storage Belt is the storage belt: phone up to 6.9 inches, keys, cards and nutrition, $49.

Both are one size and fully adjustable, and both are designed and tested in Australia. If you would rather be told than choose, the belt quiz takes about thirty seconds.