One of the earliest types of horizontal looms, the manually operated pit loom gets its name from the pit over which the loom is set. The four posts of the horizontal loom are sunken into the ground, allowing the treadles to be located inside the pit, which the weaver operates using their feet.

The pit loom is considered to be an upgrade on the handloom and the backstrap loom for several reasons, due to which it also has comparatively higher production rates. Owing to its proximity to the ground, a pit loom is more stable than a handloom. Also, unlike the horizontal ground loom – where the warp is stretched between two beams, requiring the weaver to lean over the yarn as the weaving progresses – the warp is level with the weaver, making the weaving process less physically strenuous. Since the warp can be controlled by foot using the treadles, this leaves the weavers hands free, allowing them to pass the weft through the warp using a shuttle.