The highest item level belts a level 51–60 character can wear as a Mage start with Belt of Faith (item level 88, epic). 137 items fit the slot and band; the top 25 are ranked here by item level, then quality, not by simulation.
| # | Name | ILvl | Req. | Armor | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Belt of Faith | 88 | 60 | 75 | Cloth | Quest: Belt of Faith (vanilla) |
| 2 |  Frostfire Belt | 88 | 60 | 75 | Cloth | Quest: Frostfire Belt (vanilla) |
| 3 |  Grasp of the Old God | 88 | 60 | 75 | Cloth | Drops from C'Thun (Ahn'Qiraj) at 21.0% (vanilla) |
| 4 | Plagueheart Belt | 88 | 60 | 75 | Cloth | Quest: Plagueheart Belt (vanilla) |
| 5 |  Belt of Tiny Heads | 70 | 55 | Cloth | Quest: A Collection of Heads (vanilla) | |
| 6 |  Mana-infused CordFOREVER | 65 | 60 | 56 | Cloth | Crafted: Tailoring |
| 7 |  Deathmist Belt | 65 | 52 | Cloth | Quest: Just Compensation (+1 more) (vanilla) | |
| 8 | Sorcerer's Belt | 65 | 52 | Cloth | Quest: Just Compensation (+1 more) (vanilla) | |
| 9 |  Virtuous Belt | 65 | 52 | Cloth | Quest: Just Compensation (+1 more) (vanilla) | |
| 10 |  Defiler's Cloth Girdle | 63 | 58 | 50 | Cloth | Sold by Rutherford Twing (Horde) (vanilla) |
| 11 | Highlander's Cloth Girdle | 63 | 58 | 50 | Cloth | Sold by Samuel Hawke (Alliance) (vanilla) |
| 12 |  Runed Stygian BeltCHANGED | 63 | 58 | 50 | Cloth | Crafted: Tailoring |
| 13 | Belt of the ArchmageCHANGED | 62 | 57 | 54 | Cloth | Crafted: Tailoring |
| 14 |  Master's Belt | 62 | 57 | 45 | Cloth | Drops from Ysondre (The Hinterlands) at 1.9% (+459 more) (vanilla) |
| 15 | Eternal Cord | 61 | 56 | 44 | Cloth | Drops from Ysondre (The Hinterlands) at 1.9% (+403 more) (vanilla) |
| 16 | Frostwolf Cloth Belt | 60 | 55 | 48 | Cloth | Sold by Jekyll Flandring (Horde) (vanilla) |
| 17 | Stormpike Cloth Girdle | 60 | 55 | 48 | Cloth | Sold by Thanthaldis Snowgleam (Alliance) (vanilla) |
| 18 | Elunarian Belt | 60 | 55 | 44 | Cloth | Drops from Scarlet Judge (Western Plaguelands) at 1.0% (+395 more) (vanilla) |
| 19 |  EZ-Thro Magnetic DisplacerFOREVER | 60 | 55 | 44 | Cloth | Crafted: Engineering |
| 20 | High Councillor's Sash | 60 | 55 | 44 | Cloth | Drops from Smolderthorn Seer (Blackrock Spire) at 5.3% (+405 more) (vanilla) |
| 21 |  SAF-T Nitro BoostsFOREVER | 60 | 55 | 44 | Cloth | Crafted: Engineering |
| 22 | Devout BeltCHANGED | 58 | 53 | 46 | Cloth | Drops from Blackhand Summoner (Blackrock Spire) at 3.5% (+6 more) (vanilla) |
| 23 | Dreadmist BeltCHANGED | 58 | 53 | 46 | Cloth | Drops from Scholomance Necromancer (Scholomance) at 1.5% (+3 more) (vanilla) |
| 24 | Magister's BeltCHANGED | 58 | 53 | 46 | Cloth | Drops from Crimson Battle Mage (Stratholme) at 3.0% (+6 more) (vanilla) |
| 25 | Swarmtender's CordFOREVER | 58 | 53 | 46 | Cloth | Crafted: Tailoring |
Ranked by item level, then quality, among items with a known source: gear nothing drops, sells, rewards or makes yet (raids not yet open, the client's test items) is left out. The class filter keeps what the class can equip at level 60 (armor type, weapon skill, Dual Wield, the item's own class limit); the side filter drops items that only the other side's vendors and quests offer. Source: the best known drop first (a Forever rate at 10+ loots, else the vanilla 1.12 chance), then vendors, quest rewards and the profession that makes it. Reviewed picks: Mage Best in Slot.
Other slots: Head, Shoulder, Back, Chest, Wrist, Hands, Legs, Feet. Every slot and level.