One of the issues that many ostomates face is that they’re often confronted with challenges when it comes to clothing and their new stoma.
Table of Contents
Intro
For some, having a pouch means they can’t wear their shirt tucked in comfortably or jeans are awkward to wear. For others, exercising or general activity is uncomfortable because of their “extra baggage”.
Many ostomates go YEARS without finding a solution, and others try every accessory they get a hold of until the right one works. One solution that I’ve found is the Stealth Belt, which is a custom-made support belt, which offers a comfortable pocket to keep your ostomy pouch out of sight and secure.
UPDATE: I have a newer review for the 2017 version of the Stealth Belt Pro HERE. The review below is based on my experience with their 2013 version.
Disclosure: I purchased this product directly from the manufacturer, and they’ve had no input into the content of this review.
About The Stealth Belt Pro
Product name: Stealth Belt Pro
Product code: n/a (this one was custom made)
Dimentions: Custom made for a 3″ flange; 34″ waist.
Quantity: 1, reusable.
The company offers several options, but I went with the Stealth Belt Pro. The Stealth Belt Pro seems to be the most popular and it’s fully customized, specifically to fit your flange and waist size. I got mine for $110 + $10 for the “noise mufflers” (which I haven’t used) plus $49 for shipping to Canada.
Because each belt is handmade, it takes some time to receive after an order is placed.
I ordered mine Sept 10, 2013 and received it Oct 8, 2013. A long wait, but it was well worth it.
Using The Stealth Belt Pro
Putting it on is pretty easy, your ostomy pouch fits into a pre-cut hole in the back of the bag and then it sits securely in a pocket inside the belt.
Here’s a “how-to” collage, courtesy of Stealth Belt.
Once the belt has been secured and your pouch is happily resting in the pocket, you are good to go and enjoy whatever activity you like – the company’s founder even water skis with his!
I usually wear the belt when I go out, but if you work in an office or enjoy the security it offers, you can wear the belt all day.
Emptying your pouch while wearing the bag is easy enough since there is a zipper on the bottom, which gives you access without the need to remove the belt.
Keep in mind that it can take some practice to empty your pouch while it horizontal.
I often rotate the pouch vertically, empty it, then rotate it back – this is easy to do with most Coloplast 2pc systems.
Tip: If your 2-piece pouching system doesn’t allow for easy rotation, I do have a NICE TRICK that can help you.
How Does It Look?
UPDATE July 2016: I’ve had my Stealth Belt Pro for over two years now, and it’s still one of my most valued accessories. Wearing the belt during summer was not a problem, and it keeps me comfortable.
I took a few photos so that you can see how it looks with different clothes on.
Conclusion
Here are a few PROS and CONS that I’ve found with the belt. I’m not being paid for this review, so these are my honest thoughts after using my belt for a few weeks.
Pros:
- Comfortable to wear, allows me to wear jeans with a belt, tuck my shirt in and even wear a seat belt without getting in the way.
- My pouch feels REALLY secure, which is great if you’re active.
- The belt does offer a level of protection if your bag leaks.
- The Stealth Belt is very well-made. I was extremely impressed by the workmanship.
- Helps to maintain a low-profile of your pouching system.
- Looks great, so if you’re on the beach, it’ll look like a simply support belt/fanny pack/exercise band.
Cons:
- Shipping was expensive $49 to ship to Canada :(
- For the Stealth Belt Pro, your ostomy pouch must be placed in a horizontal position. If your pouch doesn’t rotate, this could be an issue (but there’s a trick HERE that can help)
- To add to the point above, wearing your pouch horizontally can also cause a problem if you have very liquid output as your stoma will “sit” in the liquid output and this could reduce your wear time. I’ve read other reviews online and while this can be a potential concern, many other users don’t have this issue.
- The “Noise Muffler” was a bit of a disappointment.
Recommended
While the Stealth Belt is an expensive accessory, I find that this investment will offer me years of comfort. US residents will pay less for shipping, so it’s a better value for those living Stateside.
If your ostomy is temporary, then you’ll have to decide if the cost is worth the short time you’ll have your stoma.
I have yet to use my belt in the summer, and when I do, I’ll be updating this review as I’ll have a better idea of how the heat affects my comfort.
I did purchase two “noise mufflers” for the Stealth Belt, which can be used for stoma protection, but I find that they put too much pressure on my stoma when wearing them in the belt, so I don’t use them.
If I were doing contact sports, I’d likely opt for a harder stoma protector (like the Ostomy Resolutions Stoma Guard, Stoma Shield, Ostomy Armor or Freedom Guard by Stomaplex).
For more info and to order your own, visit the Stealth Belt site at www.stealthbelt.com
Question: Do you use a Stealth Belt? What has it allowed you to do?
How long after surgery would you be able to wear the stealth belt? My son had his ileostomy on 6 Dec 2016 and is recovering well. He has a small hole at the edge of his stomach but that is healing well.
Hey Alison. I hope that your son has been recovering well. I had my surgery in late August and received my StealthBelt Pro in early October. I didn’t have many troubles wearing it that soon after surgery, but I would wait until his stomach wound is fully healed as it may put some unwanted pressure on the wound.
Take care, and have a Happy Holiday!
Eric
Thanks Eric. Happy festive season to you and yours. Much appreciate all that you do
Hello Audra, just checking in. We have made a new lighter style of the Stealth Belt. Many of my clients really like it, it’s almost like wearing nothing at all. I prefer to wear this lighter style in the evenings after work or on the weekends to relax. I have removed all the closures to make it lighter and used a lighter fabric. If you are interested let me know. I made one to wear on my honeymoon and it worked great. Note: We can design anything you need. Please send in any suggestion and I will be happy to help out. Richard – Stealth Belt Inc.
The one in the photo shows the out side covered in a light lace, but I can make it with black, nude or white outside layers.
Does the belt make you sweat? I am looking for a belt that won’t make my husband sweat around the waist. I ordered one off of amazon, and he said it is comfortable, but he can’t deal with the sweat.
Thanks!
Hi Audra, some belts/bands can certainly make you feet hot (a bonus if you’re in Canada during the winter), but I think it can depend on a few factors:
– body weight
– how tight the band is
– how full you allow the bag to get (output is quite warm coming out)
– activity level
– environmental temperatures
– the use of fabric softeners (DON’T use them as they affect the moisture wicking benefits of fabric)
I don’t find this belt to be particularly hot, and I think it actually helps when sweating because it allows moisture to come off the skin quickly.
I’ll ping Richard at Stealth Belt to see if he has any ideas.
I have not had any issues with my belts causing me to sweat. I also don’t have any issues with the bag filling up as I irrigate daily and this eliminates that process.
Thanks for checking. We are in Texas (HOT). Also, he has a urosotmy. That would still work with this band I assume?
Liquid in the bag might cause a problem, and for a colostomate/ileostomate, it’s easy to throw a gelling agent into the pouch to solidify liquid stool, but that really can’t be done on a urostomy pouch that has a spout.
I’d be interested in knowing if other urostomates have used the Stealth Belt (horizontally). If he had the vertical belt, then it should work fine.
I would be curious to hear a review of the stealth belt from female wearers. I received mine about 1 1/2 months ago and it keeps moving around on me causing less wear time with the appliance as the pulling is removing my flange from the base at the top. Although with a bulging hernia where my stoma is, I may have so ordered the belt too large since I measured my waisine standing rather than laying down. That is something I will be recommending to the company to tell clients. With hips and a waist and a lower colostomy, it just doesn’t stay in place.
I’m sorry to hear of your negative experience, Lissa. The people at Stealth Belt are great, so I’d suggest giving them a ring to see what they think of this. I don’t know how the hernia would affect the fitting, but I’m sure it’s a variable that could affect the size/fit you’d want.
Good luck!
Hello Lisa, just checking back in to see how things are going.
Richard – Stealth Belt
Hi Lissa, I just got my belt (I measured and ordered the wrong size and they were kind enough to alter it for me to fit….so if yours is too big, perhaps try that.i believe the cost was $25 but it was oooo big, I wouldn’t have been able to wear it.)
So, today is the first day wearing it……first thing I noticed was (for me) it was easier to put on laying on the bed. I was able to get everything flat. I wear the Coloplast Sensura 2 piece system with the midi pouch. It’s comfortable enough so far. My ileo is across from my belly button. I am 5’2 and about 130lbs….have gained weight since my surgery. I am a little concerned about emptying and making a mess but we will see how that goes later today.
The second thing I was so happy about was I got to put on real panties!!!!! I have been wearing high waisted snug “granny panties” for two years.
Since its day one and I don’t have much on the go today I don’t know how much it will move around but I will wear it all weekend and let you know. I plan on hopping in the pool later today with it on. I got the hernia support in mine as I had a hernia on my left side when my ileo was there and when I had surgery in September, they moved my stoma to the other side. Trying to prevent another one.
Vegan, thanks for the review. It was because of you that I decided to try it. I had mine shipped to our seasonal campsite in the U.S. so shipping was a little more reasonable.
Kelly
Thanks for the honest review. I’ve been thinking about buying a Stealth Belt for a year but the cost scares me. If it’s as good as Stealth Belt says it is, it’s probably worth the money but I still have this nagging feeling that it won’t work for me. That’s a lot of $$$ to waste if it doesn’t work.
Yes, the costs can be a bit prohibitive. Why do you feel that it won’t work for you?
Hello, I just wanted to mention we can easily add a zipper to the top of any belt for easier access. The cost of the belts average $90.00 and I expect them to last a Minimum of 3-6 months.
That is if you wear it 24 hours a day for all activities. The price works out to about .50 cents per day. Another thing to keep in mind, it will help fully support the weight of a the ostomy bag. This will help your flanges last longer and avoid skin irritation which can result form other wraps that apply only pressure to the bag. We all know how expensive ostomy supplies can be. Just by extending the life of your appliance by one day can add up to a huge savings. Feel free to contact me with any questions. Richard – Stealth Belt – Designer, Wearer, Surfer, Martial Artist, Dancer and more. Enjoy Life.