My grandfather shopped locally for a new belt and could not find a quality belt that worked for him. Every belt he had bought in the past few months did not last long. The cheap material caused breakage in the belt and the buckle fell apart. He does a lot of bending because he works construction and automotive so having something comfortable that will not dig into his waist is very important. This belt has the qualities of a great belt and it is very flexible. He has used this belt for about a week now and told me he is very happy and relieved to have finally found the right belt for him. Not only that he loves that it is braided because he can fit the belt to a comfortable spot.