Testing the New Arcade Adventure Mag, a Stretchy Magnetic Belt Made to Move

Most of my go-to gear has selected through tedious drill-down and refinement. Every item has a purpose—and a long list of niche requirements to meet. Some pieces though, like my belt, have earned surprisingly little thought. It’s what I’ve always had and gets the job done. Then a few years back I was introduced to Arcade Belts, the original stretchy, purpose-built belt. And in a single day of testing it replaced a leather belt I had relied on for decades.

So when Arcade reached out with news of a new top-of-the-line model, the Adventure Mag ($49.95), and the opportunity to test, I was intrigued to see for myself how the company could raise its own bar.

With a newly designed magnetic buckle and a more sturdy webbing waistband made of Repreve recycled yarn blended with natural rubber, the Adventure Mag represents an evolution of the company's trademark adventure belt, which has been well copied but never matched in the 15 years since it was first introduced.

[Editor’s Note: The degree of coincidence of a publication named Field Mag reviewing a piece of gear dubbed Adventure Mag is too high to ignore, so let’s please acknowledge it and proceed.]

Magnets, Not Miracles

Arcade's existing Adventure, Utility, and Lifestyle model belts employ a more conventional prong and socket buckle mechanism, like a seatbelt, but for Adventure Mag, the company's design team listened to vocal customer requests for a magnetic buckle.

“We knew there was a segment of customers seeking the latest technology and a product that delivers even greater simplicity, speed, and security. The Adventure Mag belt was designed to meet that need," Arcade’s head of design, Devon Lambert told us. "Rather than stemming from dissatisfaction, this product was driven by our belief that we could serve this audience in a new and innovative way, expanding what an Arcade belt can be while complementing our existing lineup.”

Molded from a lightweight and durable high-density plastic, the body of the new Swiftlock buckle features embedded magnets that help guide a pair of square cleats into their respective openings. (Meaning you’re not just relying on magnets to keep your trou in place.) Even while testing the belt with thick winter gloves on, I found operating the buckle mechanism straightforward and intuitive.

Wearing the Adventure Mag

Over a few winter weeks I tested an Adventure Mag production sample in daily wear. Ongoing near-zero temps here in Philadelphia prevented much of anything in the way of “adventure,” but trust that I wore the hell out of that belt regardless.

Throughout I found the webbing to deliver just the right amount of stretch—not too slack, not too tight. Dialing in the fit is key, though. Instead of mating a traditional belt buckle prong to a pre-cut hole, adjusting Adventure Mag’s tension involves sliding the extra webbing through one side of the buckle and securing the slack with a low-profile loop, like a backpack. Once fit, Arcade’s proprietary Tension-Lock Security resists slipping, even during high-motion activities like running and climbing that cause other webbing belts to loosen.

Final Thoughts

With a short, off-season test period with the Adventure Mag, I admittedly haven’t had quite enough time to put the new belt through the full wringer of hikes, bike rides, and casual wear it’ll no doubt eventually see. That said, a deep winter addiction to coffee and tea provided an unprecedented volume of testing for the Swiftlock buckle, where it deserves my earnest seal of approval. It's easy on, easy off. While I typically gravitate towards less techy apparel and accessories for daily wear, the super low-profile design will make it easy to keep the Adventure Mag in the daily mix for pursuits of both adventurous and more mundane variety.

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