Skip to content

Belt size chart and calculator

A 34 waist wears a 36 belt. Blame the buckle.

Enter the waist size on your pants, measure your waist, or measure a belt that fits from the buckle fold to the hole you use. We'll give you your belt size and belts whose listings fit your waist.

Built from the size charts of Allen Edmonds belt fit chart, Levi's men's belt size chart and Levi's size guide (women's belts).

By the Sizemaven team. Rules checked against their sources October 2026.

A brown leather belt with a silver buckle worn with a pale shirt and blue jeans
Photo: Hermes Rivera on Unsplash

Find your size

in

The first number on the label, such as the 34 in 34x32.

Jeans labeled in inches, like 28? Choose "My measured waist" and enter your waist.

in

Tape measure around your pants where the belt sits.

in

From where the leather folds around the buckle, not from the buckle tip.

$
A belt laid flat. Measure from the fold at the buckle to the hole you use most.Buckle foldHole you useBuckle fold to the hole you use
Where to measure. Your answer is drawn here from your numbers.
  1. 1
    Measured waistWrap the tape around your pants where the belt sits, usually just below the navel, snug but not tight. Measuring your bare waist higher up gives a number that is too small.
  2. 2
    Belt that fits: buckle fold to the hole you useLay the belt flat and measure from the fold where the leather wraps the buckle bar to the hole you use most. Do not start at the buckle tip or measure to the strap end.

Belt size chart by waist

Belt size is measured from the buckle fold to the middle hole, so it runs about 2 inches longer than the waist, as on Allen Edmonds' and Levi's charts. Letters follow Levi's men's chart.

WaistBelt size (in)Belt size (cm)Men's letter
28-29 in3075 cmS
30-31 in3280 cmS
32-33 in3485 cmS
34-35 in3690 cmM
36-37 in3895 cmM
38-39 in40100 cmL
40-41 in42105 cmL
42-43 in44110 cmXL
44-45 in46115 cmXL
46-47 in48120 cm2X
48-49 in50125 cm2X
50-51 in52130 cm2X
52-53 in54135 cm2X

Belt size guides

Questions about belts

What size belt do I need for a 34 waist?

A size 36. Belt sizes are measured from the buckle fold to the middle hole, so a belt needs to be about 2 inches longer than your waist.

How do I measure my belt size?

Lay a belt that fits you flat. Measure from the fold where the leather wraps around the buckle to the hole you use most. That number, rounded up to an even size, is your belt size.

What if my waist is an odd number, like 33?

Take the next even size up, so a 33 waist takes a 34 belt. Belts are sold in even sizes, and a size 34 belt is made for 32 and 33 inch waists.

How do women's belt sizes work?

Most women's belts are sold as S, M and L with the waist range they fit, for example "S: fits waist 24 to 30 inches." Measure your waist where you'll wear the belt and pick the size whose range includes it.

Does my pant size equal my waist?

Often not. Many pants measure 1 to 3 inches more around the waist than their label says, so measuring your waist gives a more accurate belt size than the label.

How we size belts

The rule comes from the charts below, checked October 2026. Brands differ, so check the size chart on the product page before you buy. Read our method

Related size tools