Best weighted vests for elevating your workout

The benefits of wearing a weighted vest come from the resistance they add during workouts.

Particularly in bodyweight exercises, like press ups or calisthenics, weighted vests can demand more from your movements, influencing the ways your muscles strain and stress.

Weighted vests effectively add more force to your training, which can have long-term improvements on your strength, endurance, and breathing ability.

They can also be effective in traditional workouts like running or strength training. However, if you’re looking to use a vest during cardio exercises, it’s important to make sure you choose one that’s comfortable.

For a more detailed look at the benefits (and cautions) of using a weighted vest, read our guide on whether weighted vests are useful for triathletes, with insight from coach Nick Beer.

Otherwise, keep on scrolling to find a round up of the best weighted vest deals.

Best weighted vests to buy in 2024

Gravity Fitness Weighted Vest

The Gravity Fitness Weighted Vest is adjustable as it’s weighted using individual iron blocks, allowing you to customise your weight in 1kg increments. To help avoid the solid iron casts from impacting your body too heavily during movement, the vest has foam padding for added comfort.

To provide more range of motion, particularly when doing flexible bodyweight exercises, the vest is designed to sit right in the central area of your torso without reaching the hips or neck too closely. It has adjustable Velcro straps, too, so that one size should fit any body type.

Vailge Weighted Vest

The Vailge Weighted Vest takes up barely any space on your torso, making it a stand-out choice if you’re looking to maximise your movement and flexibility. The vest has two straps around the shoulders that connect over the front, but the bulk of the vest’s material is on the back.

Vailge use iron pellets as the vest’s weight with dividers to distribute the weight more evenly. The adjustable straps are designed to ensure a tighter fit to your body, reducing chances for the vest to slide or bounce during exercises. It’s available in 2kg, 5kg and 10kg, and in four different colours.

ThruDark Force Weighted Vest

• Buy now from ThruDark (£160.00)

ThruDark model their product ranges around special force operations, evident from the strong, impactful imagery on the Force Weighted Vest. Using 5kg weight plates on the front and back, the vest can help to upgrade your strength training and bodyweight exercises.

Its total weight is 10kg and there are Velcro straps on the side to help create more of an individual fit.

RDX R1 Adjustable Weighted Vest

• Buy now from RDX Sorts (£49.99)

Adjustable between 10kg and 18kg, the RDX R1 vest can be a great way to allow your body to progress to higher weights. The vest is designed to securely fit your body with a wraparound belted system, while its lining is said to be moisture-wicking, keeping you drier when exercising.

Decathlon Adjustable 6-10kg Weight Vest

Created with CrossFit training in mind, Decathlon’s weighted vest is said to offer some decent freedom of movement. The brand says the vest’s weight is distributed evenly and, using the four 1kg weight plate handles, you can adjust it between 6kg and 10kg.

Surreal Weighted Vest

Removable sand bags are designed to evenly distribute the weight across this weighted vest from Surreal. There’s also padding in the shoulders and adjustable straps to help give the vest a comfortable feel, while there are different weight options available from 5kg to 30kg.

Looking for other workout accessories? See our guide to the best weighted hula hoops.