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Wearing tool belt suspenders is one of the ways to prevent back pains and hip injuries from heavy tool belts. These suspension rigs run over the shoulders and hook onto the toolbelt to keep it from falling and take off most of the weight from the lower back and hips.
By taking away the weight from the lower body, suspenders act as safety gear. They prevent fatigue and injuries that may result from putting your lower back, hip, and knees under too much load. According to OSHA, lifting or carrying weights that exceed 50 lbs can result in serious musculoskeletal disorders.
Tool belt suspenders also help to keep your pants up and shirts down to prevent embarrassing moments, especially when performing overhead tasks.
Tool Belts With Suspenders
I know you are probably asking yourself, “Don’t tool belts come with suspenders?” Yes, some tool belts come with a suspension system but most don’t. Even so, having a pair of suspenders that works well is what matters most because you need a suspension rig that not only keeps your tool belt up but is also comfortable on your shoulders and is durable.
Furthermore, some suspenders offer extra accessories such as chest pockets for sharpies and a phone. Those are some of the reasons you may want to purchase a set of tool belt suspenders separately.
Because I understand that selecting the best suspenders for your tool belt can be hectic, I have put together this article to bring you the 5 best tool suspenders. I have tried to be as objective as possible focusing on important factors such as price, construction quality, comfort, durability, and effectiveness.
Tool Belt Suspenders Reviews
Occidental Leather 5055 Suspenders Review – Best Heavy Duty Suspenders
Features summary
- The tool belt suspender has 4 shoulder-padded links
- Includes attachment leather hoops for up to 3″ belt
- Features a non-removable black padded yoke
- Includes extra pockets and accessories
- Has a sternum strap to keep the suspenders from falling off the shoulders
- Stainless steel D-ring for hanging the suspenders
Occidental Leather brand is known for being behind some of the best, most durable hand-crafted leather tool organizers and accessories. The Occidental Leather 5055 Stronghold Tool Belt Suspension System is by no means short of that. It is an all-leather, 4-links tool belt suspenders with adjustable straps to accommodate various body sizes up to 6’2″ tall.
Unlike most toolbelt suspenders that only have hooks to attach to tool belt rings, this particular one also has leather hoops. The hoops come in handy, especially when attaching the suspenders to tool belts that do not already have suspenders attachment points. They can accommodate belts as wide as 3″.
The 5055 occidental tool belt suspenders has a very comfortable design that includes a large shoulder pad and a sternum. A sternum is a chest strap that helps to keep the tool belt suspenders from falling off the shoulders. It also assists to distribute the weight across the body to save your shoulders from a lot of strain. The sternum is well-stitched and riveted at pressure points to keep it from separating.
Sometimes leather can be heavy but these suspenders from Occidental Leather only weighs 12 ounces. This is lightweight enough to have on your body all day long.
Besides keeping your tool belt on your waist, Occidental Leather 5055 suspenders have pockets around the chest area for storing pencils and pens. There are accessory rings as well for hooking up extra tools such as a tape measure.
Sometimes the storage space for tools and tool organizers can be a problem. But that is not a problem for the occidental suspension rig. It has a heavy-duty steel D-ring at the center of the edge of the yoke that you can use to hang it on the wall.
Verdict
Generally, if you like the feel of genuine leather, look no further than the Occidental Leather 5055 Stronghold Tool Belt Suspension System. It is a great value for money and will last for years such that you might bequeath it to your generations.
The only significant shortcoming is that the shoulder pads on the links can be a little uncomfortable. They might rub your shoulders a little bit when working with your arms up but it is not that serious. The occidental suspenders might also be a little bit uncomfortable during hot weather, especially around the shoulders because the pad is not breathable. Other than that, this set of tool belt suspenders is worth every dime, you won’t regret it!
ToughBuilt Padded Suspenders Review – Best for Short Guys
Features Summary
- Comprises of 4 links
- Has durable construction with extreme-duty hardware and rivet reinforcement at all pressure points.
- Has chest strap and two attachment points for extra ClipTech pouches
- Includes a hanging loop.
- Compatible with all ToughBuilt padded belts
You might think that the ToughBuilt tool belt suspenders set is designed for use only with Toughbuilt electrician tool belt but that is not true. This suspension rig is designed for universal use on tool belt tool organizers that have at least four suspenders attachment points. It is black in color and made with high-quality and durable fabric, heavy-duty steel hardware, and rivet reinforcement.
Like the Occidental 5055 suspension system, the ToughBuilt suspenders have a chest strap fitted with snap on buckle. You can adjust the strap to accommodate various chest sizes although it might not work very well for narrow chests.
The attachment straps, however, are adjustable to accommodate small and big bodied people. For contractors already using the ToughBuilt handyman tool belt set, they get to enjoy 2 additional attachment points at the shoulders for extra ClipTech pouches. Comfort from using this set of padded suspenders is unmatched. Furthermore, your body remains cool even during hot weather because of the breathable shoulder pad.
Verdict
If you are looking for a comfortable set of suspenders that is not made of leather and is fairly priced, then the ToughBuilt is a great choice! It is compatible with the Toughbuilt tool belt system and even provides extra spots to attach extra ClipTech pouches.
A potential downside is that the plastic clips may break too soon if you put them under a lot of pressure. So, do not put too much weight on your tool belt to avoid exerting a lot of pressure on the suspenders. Furthermore, isn’t it safe for your back and shoulders to not overload a toolbelt organizer? Tall guys also complain that the straps are quite tight, making these suspenders perfect for short guys.
Bucket Boss Airlift Toolbelt Suspenders Review – Best for tall guys
The bucket boss suspenders come with a tool belt system. The suspenders are generously padded with breathable padding to give you enough comfort while you work. Like the ToughBuilt suspenders, this unit is not made of leather but some heavy-duty fabric that is strong, lightweight and durable.
The bucket boss suspension rig is fully adjustable to accommodate different body sizes but works best for people with large body frame. The suspenders also features an adjustable chest strap that snaps in place to keep the straps on the shoulder all the time. The sternum frees up your hands from having to regularly pull the shoulder straps together all the time, letting you be more productive.
The suspenders attach to the tool belt with metal hooks. So, you can detach and attach them to your tool belt of choice. However, the bucket boss tool belt system is just as good as other universal tool belt systems. It features a belt that fits up to a 52″ waist, two barrel-bottom super capacity pouches on the sides, and a hammer loop at the back. Unfortunately, the pouches do not have a dedicated speedsquare holder. But they are big enough to accommodate one anyway.
Verdict
The Bucket Boss tool belt with suspenders is a bargain and a perfect alternative to the expensive leather tool belt suspenders. It is ergonomically designed, lightweight, durable, and more importantly, affordable. The gear works well for different body sizes but perfect for people with a large body frame.
Dewalt DG5617 Tool Belt and Suspenders Combo – Best for Framing
Features summary
- Adjustable suspenders and tool belt
- Breathable padding on the suspenders and tool belt
- 20 pockets for keeping different tools
- Dedicated pocket for a speed square
- Tough fabric
Like the BucketBoss Airlift, the Yoke-style Dewalt suspenders comes complete with the tool belt system. However, the two are detachable, meaning that you can use the harness on a tool belt of your choice.
The suspension rig is soft on your shoulders and takes the weight off your hip as it should. The padding underneath is breathable to keep you from sweating like a pig while you work. The harness has a tight fit on a range of body sizes. As long as you adjust the straps to fit, the rig will sit on your shoulders comfortably without slipping off.
On the other hand, the Dewalt tool belt system has two pouches with multiple pockets including a dedicated speedsquare pocket. One of the pockets is zippered to secure your valuables. The pouches are removable and this allows you to arrange them the way you like.
Lastly, the harness has a pocket for pencils on one side and for a mobile phone on the other. Unfortunately, the smartphone pocket is too small to fit large smartphones such as the S9 or note 8. But it will fit older generation iPhones.
Verdict
The Dewalt DG5617 tool belt and suspenders combo have all the pockets a carpenter or framer would need to keep his tools. Furthermore, the yoke suspenders are comfy on your shoulders even on a hot summer afternoon. The only downside is that this tool rig uses way too much velcro. The suspenders and the pouches attach to the main belt by velcro. And you know velcro does not last that long. So you can expect the pouches or suspenders to come off after some time. But you can fix this design flaw by replacing velcro with hoops that loop over the belt.
TradeGear/Gatorback Tool Belt Suspenders Review
The TradeGear or rather Gatorback tool belt suspenders is a pair of suspenders that has been built by Gatorback in partnership with TradeGear. Unlike the other suspension systems we have covered thus far, this unit uses the cross-back design. It is made with heavy-duty High Density Nylon that is reinforced with heavy nylon stitching for increased durability. Where the straps cross at the back, they are stitched together with a leather crossover divider.
Similar to the Gatorback electrician tool belt, this unit also has thick and extremely comfortable padding with air channels that allow air to circulate keeping your body cool. The 2-inch wide straps also adjust easily to a range of sizes to fit your specific height and size. In addition, the suspension rig uses heavy-duty nickel-plated spring-loaded hooks that lock to the tool belt attachment rings and will not rust even stored in humid places.
Verdict
If you are looking for a simple but extremely comfortable pair of tool belt suspenders, the Gatorback suspenders are a great choice. They use the old cross-back design and have no attachment points for additional tools. It is, however, very comfortable especially because of ventilated pads that keep your shoulders cool even when it is very hot. It is a great tool belt harness for anyone who fancies the cross-back design.
