Weightlifting belts in Australia??

[confuzzl3don3]

Due to Gary's inspiring article on the use of belts that has contradicted all my previous thinking that belts were like using straps 4 deadlifts and so training without a belt would develop the core more, I want to get myself a belt to try it out too. I'm currently sitting at 59kgishg (152ish lbs), and last squat was at 90kg (198lbs) 3 x 5, so i was wondering if i could/should be using a belt. The problem is i checked out a few of the belts (toro and inzer) that were recommended and although they do ship internationally it costs like an extra 30 bucks to do so (almost like 1/2-1 more belt) and that's in US dollars, so i was looking for a good quality belt that i can buy here in Australia.

Currently i've only found 2 places:
http://supplementplanet.com.au/search.asp?Keywords=belt
That seems to stock a brand called phoenix force.

and,
http://www.a1supplements.com.au/search_results.aspx?search=belt
that stocks a brand called bronx

I've found a few other random sites/stores with generic "leather" belts but i don't know how good they'll be.

So i guess i was just hoping if someone could point me in the right direction as to what belt to buy, and where i could get 1.

Thanks

[Platus]

I'll defer to the opinions of more experienced persons, such as Gary, but for my 2 cents: just get a sturdy, 4" wide belt (same width all the way around) that is easy to adjust and built to last. They're all pretty much going to work the same way. I still just use a heavy duty velcro belt, as it is very easy to adjust.

[Gary Gibson]

http://supplementplanet.com.au/p/889269/phoenix-force-weight-lifting-belt-suede.html

Looks like the one I use.

[confuzzl3don3]

Thanks Gary and Platus, i was just wondering if there would be a significant difference in the suede ones with like the leather or neoprene ones. They seems to be cheaper by 10-20 dollars, and if they're around the same then i would prefer to get them instead. Is suede like a lot better or something?

[TomV]

You can get good PL belts from TitanAustralia.com

I highly recommend their service, incredibly fast shipping, easy to contact (I had to change some details) and I think good prices.

[confuzzl3don3]

Tom, they only seem to have the lever belt. Is that what you got? or do they have other stuff that their "yet to be completely updated" website doesn't show

[TomV]

I use a lever belt. If you get your waist measurement (around your bellybutton) you should be able to pick the right size. If you've got any questions or doubts, I'm sure calling Minh (the bloke that runs TA) wouldn't hurt.

[confuzzl3don3]

Thanks Tom, I emailed him and asked, and he only has the lever belts. 99 dollars is a bit on the expensive side for me and i was hoping for something cheaper.

[confuzzl3don3]

Ok so i was thinking of getting this neoprene one because people say the 2 pronged ones are annoying to unbuckle.

http://www.a1supplements.com.au/product.aspx?ID=537

Or do you think i need to invest in a more expensive one like in the phoenix range that are 20-30 dollars more
http://supplementplanet.com.au/search.asp?Keywords=belt

[BCS]

If I had to choose one of those, I'd go with the Phoenix Force 4" suede belt.

[confuzzl3don3]

Is there really a difference between the suede and neoprene belts? I'm just finding it hard to justify paying like 10-20 dollars extra for the suede. Also if cost was a big factor, would double prong be better? or is the advantages of single prong really worth the extra 10-30 dollars.