I have a ratchet belt (different brand), never thought I would buy another one after that. It was difficult to lock and unlock the buckle mechanism. It didn't take very long either. The mechanism that bites into the belt to hold it in place has started cutting the belt in two. This new belt solves all these problems and works perfectly. The lock/unlock mechanism is easy to toggle on and off. The control mechanism is light years better than the old belt I had. It is far superior to the previous generation belt I had and conventional belts.