Top 3 Gait Belts for Safely Walking with Somebody

Caregivers and their clients use gait belts to safely walk together. 

The caregiver walks alongside the client holding onto the gait belt, to prevent trips and falls in case the client runs into trouble.

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What to know about gait belts

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• Gait belts are designed expressly for ambulation (walking, but frontline caregivers who’ve used them a while also leverage them for lifting and transfers.

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• Most gait belts are reusable and washable, with a laundry label to follow closely.

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• Gait belts adjust from a full belt length of 60 inches to fit smaller waists as slight as 24 inches.

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• Gait belts are equipped with either a metal buckle with strong locking teeth or a plastic buckle for quick release.

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• Find a gait buckle in a color and pattern you like, to wear it while walking outside in public.

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#1  Secure Safety Solutions

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A standard gait belt with metal buckle and an elastic belt loop holder, and funky prints just for fun.

• Size: 60 x 2 inches
• Buckle: Metal
• Colors: Beige with Thread Tracks, Pink with Leopard Print, Black with Leopard Print, Gray with Camo Print

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#2 LiftAid

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A standard gait belt with side-release plastic buckle and an elastic belt loop holder.

• Size: 60 x 2 inches
• Buckle: Plastic
• Colors: Beige with Thread Tracks, Rainbow, Purple, Maroon, Navy, Black

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#3 Vive

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Another standard gait belt with metal buckle and an elastic belt loop holder.

• Size: 60 x 2 inches
• Buckle: Metal
• Colors: Black

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Gait Belt vs Transfer Belt - Which is better?

Both gait belts and transfer belts are used by caregivers to support clients mobility within their environment.

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• Gait belts are a simple, strong belt, 60 inches long and 2 inches wide, typically made of woven material, designed for a caregiver to support their client’s walking.

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• Transfer belts involve a belt with multiple heavy-duty handles, designed for the caregiver to hoist their client into another position.

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Despite their differences in complexity and number of handles, both gait belts and transfer belts can be used by caregivers to perform transfers from sitting to standing and ambulation (walking) from one place to another. 

Both are equally as effective for ambulation, but transfer belts - with their multiple handles for the caregiver’s leverage and soft padding for the client’s comfort - are more appropriate for more strenuous lifting and heavier clients.

Although simpler, gait belts, are preferred by seniors who walk fashion forward because gait belts are available in fun bright colors and prints that look nice compared to black medical-looking transfer belts.

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Metal Buckle vs Plastic Buckle - Which is better?

A standard gait belt has a metal buckle with locking teeth, like a belt buckle without a prong, since the teeth dig into the belt material.

Some newer gait belts have a plastic buckle, with the common side-release mechanism.

A metal buckle is more durable and withstands greater weight, up to 300 pounds, but a plastic buckle can quick-release to remove the belt much faster.