Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is an update of my July 2013 review. Here I'll both update my experiences with invisible belts. This is a Combined Review of 3 Competing Products: the IsaBelt, InvisiBelt, & Beltaway Flat Buckle Elastic Women's Belt. I've also included a review for the Childs Designer IsaBelt for those of you with Children. I've had more than 10 years experience with these types of belts. Specifically: * For about 10 years, I've owned 3 of the IsaBelt Womens Belts isABelt Womens Flexible Clear Plastic Adjustable Invisible Belt, narrow and wide & 3 versions of the IsaBelt Child's Belt, including the Isabelt Original invisible Peace Love Isabelt Jr the Original invisible belt Peace Love * For about 8 years I've owned the Wide InvisiBelt Clear Invisible No Buckle Clear Belt and the Wide InvisiBelt Black Women's Belt: No-Show Adjustable Belt Lays Flat Under Fitted Tops By Invisibelt * For about 8 years I've owned Beltaway Flat Buckle Elastic Women's Belt Beltaway Flat Buckle Elastic Women's Belt My experiences with the belts & the companies are widely varied. Here's a breakdown of my findings and recommendations... As stated, I've used `invisible belts' for around 10 yrs. I'm not crystal on the amount of time, but it's long enough that when I bought my first belt, the IsaBelt just released & had zero competition. O yes, I'm a perfect Apple Shape Body (The type whereby my stomach is bigger than my... you get the picture). All that being said, for fashion reasons, I do not wear my tops tucked in & my pants fall down repeat. I needed a belt which would `hide' under my tops - thus began my quest for the perfect `invisible belt'. Note I wear any invisible belt about 1/week (52 times a year). Keep that in mind while reading... The IsaBelt. I've owned the IsaBelt since it was produced. Upon receipt, I loved the IsaBelt so much I ended up buying 4 additional belts from the company, including 3 of the IsaBelt Jr., Designer Belt's for my Daughter. Moreover, I gave untold numbers of these belts for presents. Did IsaBelt care when their belt malfunctions (once in less than 3 months?) NO. Specifically, as to this Belt, it's flawed: PRO: * very adjustable * Wide is Better than the 'standard' IsaBelt (0.5"); The Wider Belt her = Increased comfort & support. CON: * Flawed belt buckle. With EVERY IsaBelt I purchased (a total of 5) the buckle broke on BOTH SIDES of the buckle! This happened within 12 months of purchase! In sum, every belt was rendered useless. * Their Customer Service is NO Service: o I called the company regarding the broken buckles; o During that call the operator acknowledged there had been issues with their buckle and a new buckle had been developed, but too bad for me because the new buckle was not yet being used ( I suspect they wanted to `use up' their old inventory); o IsaBelt was 'kind' enough to send 1 replacement. Recall, I BOUGHT 5 BELTS, ALL BROKE, BUT THE COMPANY WOULD ONLY REPLACE 1, as a `courtesy'; * So I get my `courtesy' 1 replacement and less than 3 months later the buckle on the `replacement belt' broke exactly the same way as the prior 5 IsaBelts! All told 6 IsaBelt's, 6 Broken Buckles; o Yes I called again, and, you guessed it, IsaBelt refused to send me another `replacement' - I don't recall how much I paid, however I do recall that the belts were expensive and I spent well more than $100 with the company, given the above, their customer service is a joke. * the 0.5" version is a nice flexible plastic, with generous give that's easy to wear; this version, the WIDE IsABelt is less Flexible, thus, less comfortable. You might want to know that the Childs Designer IsaBelt Jr. Isabelt Jr the Original invisible belt Peace Love is a little different, to wit: PRO: * Um, it's kind of cute... CON: * See my information above regarding the IsaBelt Buckle, as stated, I purchased 3 of these for my child and every buckle broke within the year. * Customer Service Stinks (see detail above): o IsaBelt was would NOT replace the Childs belt! * The plastic on the Childs `designer belt' is thicker, akin to the InvisiBelt (above), thus the Childs Designer IsaBelt is uncomfortable to boot. * Moreover, this "designer IsaBelt" is .5" wide which is not wide enough to be comfortable. So what happened after I was snubbed by IsaBelt? In 2008 I bought the The Wide Invisibelt Invisible No Buckle Clear Belt Invisible No Buckle Clear Belt and the Wide InvisiBelt Women's in Black Women's Belt: No-Show Adjustable Belt Lays Flat Under Fitted Tops By Invisibelt. Here are the highlights: PRO: * the buckle is sturdy, it actually outlasted the plastic belt; * the belt has an enormous amount of adjustment ability; & * The belt is nice & wide, a bit wider than 1". I've found that the thinner belts just don't have as much `stay'. CON: * The plastic used to construct this belt is so hard and inflexible that it's uncomfortable, (note, black even less flexible than clear); * The plastic is so hard & edges so sharp that it can cut into your skin; & * After about 7 years of wear, the plastic actually tore away from the buckle. o I don't think 7 years of wear is unreasonable; however, please note that I really haven't worn it that much, see comfort issue. As stated, I've had exhaustive experiences with invisible belts; read on to assess the competition: After being snubbed by IsaBelt & looking for a comfortable alternative, I bought the Belt-away Flat Buckle Elastic Women's Belt Beltaway Flat Buckle Elastic Women's Belt Beltaway Flat Buckle Elastic Women's Belt in 2013. At first it was a `Hit,' now, it's a `Miss,' here's why: PRO: * it's comfy elastic * 1" wide and does THE BEST JOB of holding up my pants CON: * In 2013 I noted "the buckle is tough to close," in 2015 this is a non-issue as I CAN NO LONGER CLOSE THE BUCKLE! This is a deal breaker; Buckle Inoperable. Over the past 2 years, the Belt-away Flat Buckle has become impossible to close. I thought it was my arthritis; however, I've had several strong young men try (don't ask) and they too struggled with the Buckle. My husband has refused to try again. Alas, I once again start my search for the perfect `invisible belt'. Thinking of making my own; I'll keep you updated. If you like me review, please click `yes' to indicate my review was helpful to you... My New Year Resolution is to become a Top 100 Reviewer on Amazon & your vote can make that happen! As a homebound individual, I am dependent on Amazon to satisfy my shopping needs. I'm blessed to live in the 21st century and have most anything I desire delivered to my door. Given my situation, I receive at least 1 Amazon delivery each week. I'm determined to use my experiences to help others decide on their purchases, just as I always review comments before buying. Again, if you like what I have to say, please indicate that you have read my review & found it helpful by clicking `this review was helpful'. I'll update my profile throughout the year to let you know when I reach my goal of becoming a Top 100 Reviewer. Thank you so very much for your help!