The REV’IT! Safeway belt was first introduced on webBikeWorld in the REV’IT! 2014 Fall/Winter preview. The Safeway belt connector is a simple device that slides over the leather belt and adds a connector that fits any REV’IT! jacket. Not only is it simple and easy to use, the design is ingenious and — after you see it — so obvious that I wonder why no one thought of it before.
There’s not much to say about the new REV’IT! Safeway belt, other than this: get one. Or two; it comes in brown and black. Although the Safeway belt works best with REV’IT! jeans and jackets, it has a double-sided zipper, so you can sew the upper half into your favorite jacket and use the connecting zipper with a pair of REV’IT! jeans.
It may work with other brands of jeans too, but the connector with the Safeway belt is designed to fit over the two belt loops in the center rear of REV’IT! jeans. Not only is this a safety factor, by helping to keep your jacket attached to your pants, there’s also a comfort factor involved. Keeping the back of a jacket attached helps prevent drafts — especially with short jackets over jeans.
A couple of webBikeWorlders emailed me to ask how it works, because it’s not that obvious until someone shows you, then it’s a forehead-slapper. So we took a bunch of photos and even made a quick video (below) to show you how. The leather is your basic western-style working-class jeans type, with built-in patina including an oxidized belt buckle.
The belt is standard 1.5″ (34 mm) jeans width and it measures 120 cm long from inside the buckle to the tip of the leather belt on the other end. It’s marked “110” inside, which apparently means 110 cm max waist diameter, or about 42″.
The belt can be trimmed shorter by unscrewing the buckle and cutting off what you don’t need. Remember: measure twice and cut once!
Otherwise, the Safeway belt works just like you’d think. We connected it to the REV’IT! Flatbush jacket (review) and the jacket and belt is a natural with a nice pair o’ REV’IT! jeans, like the REV’IT! Memphis H20 jeans (review) or the REV’IT! Philly jeans or Jersey jeans (my favorite), also described in that review.
The only downside is the price; the Safeway belt lists for $89.99 in brown or black. All the belts in my closet didn’t cost that much…but I guess none of them will connect to a jacket either and maybe save me from road rash.
Here are some photos with info on the new REV’IT! Safeway belt and the video below.
The REV’IT! Safeway belt with its slide-on connector sleeve. REV’IT! Philly jeans shown. Here’s the buckle detail, the screw can be removed to cut the belt to length. Here’s the back side of the connector. The belt slides through the connector and the dual loops on the jeans.
You can either attach the Safeway belt before you wear the jeans or after. This photo shows how the belt slides through one end of the connector (make sure you have the zipper side up), then through the belt loops (doubled for safety on the REV’IT! jeans) and then out the other side of the connector sleeve.
Close-up of the Safeway belt attached to the jeans.
Here’s the Safeway belt connecting the REV’IT! Flatbush jacket to the Memphis H20 jeans.
Conclusion
The REV’IT! Safeway belt is an ingenious yet simple design that works well. It will fit any REV’IT! jeans and jackets and it will connect to other jackets if you have the upper half of the zipper sewn in the correct location in the non-REV’IT! brand jacket. The sleeve is easy to remove once you get to work; just don’t lose it!
See Also: REV’IT! Memphis H20 Jeans Review and all REV’IT! Clothing Reviews