I almost never give full five stars. This belt is a rare exception. To be honest I've only had this belt for about two months at the moment so I can't comment on its long-term inoperability. I've seen another reviewer claim that the buckle becomes unusable after about a year, but I can't verify that yet. So far I haven't seen any signs of visible damage from two months of daily wear. Otherwise, I can definitely confirm the functionality, because the belt is the best belt I've ever owned. In the past I've mostly used real leather straps just because they're strong enough to tighten what I need. I have a large stomach and a general shape where the straps fall off very easily, so I have to wear them snug enough so they stay in place. With leather straps, this means the holes stretch and sometimes I have to make new holes. Tissue tapes are prone to tearing and short-lived. Because the buckle has no holes and the strap itself is elastic, this strap can be adjusted to close the exact length and pressure you need. I can't be sure that the elasticity won't deteriorate over time, but I think they've made a decent effort to prevent this. This is partly why I waited two full months before posting a review. Of course it's not completely gone yet. When I bought this, I wasn't sure and ordered a larger belt just in case. I never felt the need to wear that leather belt. I think that's about the best endorsement I can give for that. If it ever fails I will definitely buy another one of these.