Welcome to EN’s Product Review series! Who doesn’t love shopping, especially when the object of your search is new gear for yourself or your horse? As an enthusiast of all products equine, I LOVE trying out new gear. Please join me as I narrate my personal journey of trying out all of the products featured. While I will make no recommendations, I hope you have fun reading about my many adventures of trying new products, and that hearing about my personal experiences helps you on your own quest for new gear. Go Shopping.
My personal favorite Mango Bay belt, just for the flashy 'wow' factor alone, is the red eventing belt, which features a horse and rider in several poses to represent the XC phase. Photo by Lorraine Peachey.
There’s nothing worse than the constant feeling of your breeches slowly slipping while trying to focus on riding. Ok, that may be a tad overdramatic. But all the same, no one likes to have breeches that slip, or shirts that ride up. At least no one I know!
While I’ve never been a super fan of tucking in my shirt and wearing a belt just for schooling at home, I’ve come around to the idea over time. After all, it is acutely uncomfortable to feel like you have to keep pulling your shirt down to avoid having my lower back hang out!
So I’m all for the practicality of wearing a belt with my breeches, but ideally I want it to be stylish and fun as well! I have just a few requirements for what makes a good belt for me. It should fit well, look awesome, and be durable enough to keep up with my active lifestyle.
Recently, I started wearing some belts from Mango Bay Designs. When I first became aware of the brand, I was delighted to see the number of colors and different equestrian inspired designs that they offer their belts in.
When I found that I was right in between two sizes, I was glad to find that you can order belts to be cut in a custom size when ordering directly from the Mango Bay website! Photo by Lorraine Peachey.
But better still, then I took a look and noticed that their wide variety of belts while extremely chic, are also very affordable. Which means a double win. Belts from Mango Bay are made out of 100% cotton, using ink that is color fast, and webbing that is printed on both sides.
When looking at the variety of colors and designs, be prepared to browse through a wide selection. I had the opportunity to stop by Mango Bay’s boot at the AETA trade show, and found myself slightly overwhelmed by the sheer number of belt options.
Different colors. Differnt styles. Different widths. And many of the designs are even available in multiple colors. Something that I like is that Mango Bay offers both equestrian and non-equestrian designs. There are belts for specific disciplines, such as dressage, jumping, and eventing.
The material of each Mango Bay belt feels soft and pliable to the touch, yet durable at the same time. Each belt also featurs flat ring closures that have either a bright nickel finish (see the red eventing belt) or a gunmetal finish (see the indigo snaffle bits belt).
The flat ring closures also do a really great job at holding the belt exactly in place. They don’t slip or slide looser during wear…and in fact, I have to push the end back through to loosen the belt. Photo by Lorraine Peachey.
I’ve been happy with the way that the Mango Bay belts fit me, as well as the way that they look. There are a couple of things I’ve noticed about them. One, make sure to get the right fit, so that you don’t have too much extra fabric hanging out after tightening the belt.
Mango Bay offers standard sizes (which are listed in each belt description); I found that I was right in between two sizes. But thankfully, you can order belts to be cut in a custom size when ordering directly from the Mango Bay website!
Also, I really like the way that the ring closures lay flat while wearing the belts. And the flat ring closures also do a really great job at holding the belt exactly in place. They don’t slip or slide looser during wear…and in fact, I have to push the end back through to loosen the belt.
Belts are available in different widths as well, including a 1.25″, a 1.5″, and even a 2″ width. I’ve found that Mango Bay belts are easy to add to a pair of breeches, or even a pair of shorts or jeans to wear casually. I generally prefer a narrower width to wear with breeches.
I was delighted to see the number of colors and different equestrian inspired designs that Mango Bay offers their belts in. Photo by Lorraine Peachey.
My personal favorite belt, just for the flashy ‘wow’ factor alone, is the red eventing belt, which features a horse and rider in several poses to represent the XC phase. I’ve also enjoyed wearing the snaffle bit design because when I’m not riding, I’m still able to sport equestrian flair.
Cleaning instructions for Mango Bay belts are also pretty simple. If you happen to get a bit of mud or dirt on the belt, simply rinse it off and hang it to dry. Otherwise, for regular cleanings, just hand wash each belt in warm water and hang it up to dry.
The original Mango Bay belts with the double ring closure retail for around $20, and you can shop their collection here. Or if you are attending the AECs, you can stop by and check out Mango Bay’s booth.
Go stylish and functional belts. Go Mango Bay Designs. Go Eventing.
