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Looking to amp up your fitness routine? We researched dozens of the best weight vests available today and purchased the top 13 models for some heart-pumping, side-by-side testing. We suited up and completed round after round of exercises and cardio workouts to evaluate their performance, comfort, and ease of use. No matter your fitness level or body type, whether you're new to the gym or competing among elite Crossfit athletes, our comprehensive review will help you pick out the best weight vest for your needs and budget.
The Rogue Plate Carrier is a performance-minded machine that will keep up with your workout no matter how hard you go. This top-tier model scored perfectly in our performance metric and earned a rare – but well-deserved – near-perfect overall score. The slim profile and open-side design aid in breathability and comfort; we could swing our arms normally during running and complete full-range-of-motion push-ups and pull-ups with zero interference from the vest. Its thoughtful chest design and optional shoulder pads easily supported the 20 pounds of weight we tested it with, and the velcro waist and shoulder straps let us cinch it down to perfection for full-speed sprints. The shoulder strap design deserves special recognition; it can be adjusted on the fly to customize the fit mid-workout, even while wearing a fully loaded vest.
The Rogue Plate Carrier is a minimalist option that does not come with many extra features. The biggest drawback, by far, is that you need to purchase plates in addition to the cost of this already pricey weight vest. Fortunately, once you own the vest, swapping out those plates is a breeze and will certainly benefit the efficiency of your workouts. The plates slide easily into the internal vest pocket, and the internal weight cinch strap locks everything in place for more high-impact workouts. If your workouts demand the best of the best, there is no better option than the Rogue Plate Carrier. That said, the higher price may deter some. If it's a bit too steep for your budget, the minimalist plate-style 5.11 Prime Plate Carrier can save you some bucks.
Model Tested: 10 and 20 lbs
The Rogue boasts open sides and slim shoulder pads; there was no interference or pinching during pull-ups or push ups.
The TRX Weight Vest excels thanks to its balance of performance and versatility. The slender, one- to two-pound weights are spread evenly across the front and back of the vest and held very close to the body, allowing you to customize the weight of your workout easily. Pair the even weight distribution with velcro shoulder and waist straps for a highly adjustable fit, and you have an extremely adaptable training aid. This vest sits higher on the chest rather than lower around the waist, broadening the exercises you can engage in while wearing it. Running and jumping exercises are a breeze as the form-fitting, flexible vest does not bounce around. Other exercises like climbing or crunches are also easily performed thanks to the slim fit. The TRX is available in 10, 20, and 40 pounds; the lighter two options can be adjusted by the pound, while the 40-pound option is adjustable in increments of two pounds, making this vest very scalable.
Despite all the advantages, the TRX Weight Vest still has some downsides we should mention. Adjusting the weight is an easy, albeit tedious, process – there are 20 weight slots to slide weights into and out of. The shoulder straps can be slightly uncomfortable, and those with a smaller torso may find it does not adjust short enough to keep the weight high on their body. Finally, there is a lot of material to this vest. Between the neoprene padding and full wrap-around design, it is not very breathable and is almost guaranteed to up the sweat level of your workout. Even with these issues, we still had a very positive experience wearing the TRX vest, and thanks to its versatility, we would easily recommend this model to anyone. If you want more breathability without sacrificing performance, check out the Rogue Plate Carrier.
Model Tested: 10 & 20 lbs
The TRX is a highly versatile and all around crowd pleaser.
The Henkelion Weighted Vest is a lightweight vest that rocks a simple design: two armholes, a slightly adjustable chest strap, and a racerback with a pocket. It performs quite well for a budget option, although it falls noticeably short of its pricier competitors. It is small and cropped, making it a comfortable addition to any workout regimen, provided you're not looking for more than 12 extra pounds of resistance. The fabric is soft, and the integrated sand weights conform nicely to the body. Given its design, the weight is surprisingly well-balanced across your shoulders and back.
Unfortunately, this vest bounces around a little while running, but we did not experience rubbing or chafing. Aside from the chest strap, the Henkelion Vest is not adjustable – you cannot change the weights or adjust the size in any way. This is fine if you only plan to add a little extra weight, but if you plan to expand your weighted workouts, you will be limited to the weight you have. Still, for a simple vest at an entry-level price, the Henkelion is a comfortable choice suitable for a variety of workouts. But if you're looking to up your game and increase your weight load, the TRX Weight Vest is highly adjustable and offers great weight distribution.
Model Tested: 12 lbs
A weight vest - even a light one - can make a big difference in training gains.
The GoRuck Training Vest is a workhorse of a vest that carries even the heaviest loads with ease. We were most impressed with its ability to disperse the weight across the entire vest; it sometimes felt like the vest was floating on our bodies. The waistband has the perfect amount of stretch, enabling you to cinch the vest down tightly yet not restrict breathing, and the straps are adjustable, so it will easily fit multiple torso sizes. It also has a durable carry- or drag-handle if your workout includes partner drags while wearing a vest. The fabric and design of this vest left no doubt that it is a tough and durable vest that can take a beating while also excelling at cardio workouts. The GoRuck vest is a clear winner for anything from hiking to rucking to all-out sprints.
A downside to the GoRuck Training Vest is its larger-than-average design. Especially compared to other plate-style vests, it inhibited our range of motion during upper body exercises like push-ups and pull-ups. It's also one of the most expensive models we tested – and that price tag does not even include buying the weight plates. Still, if your primary vested activities are focused on training for long-distance hiking, rucking, or running with weight, then we highly recommend this vest. Another option we like for running is the Henkelion Weighted Vest. The lightweight vest is very wallet-friendly, offers a good range of motion, and features integrated weights.
Model Tested: 20lbs
The GoRuck handles high weight with ease, and is at home on a long hike, ruck, or run
The RUNMax Adjustable is the armored tank of our lineup. It offers a large weight range with the highest maximum weight capacity of any vest in our testing lineup. It shines brightest during strength training exercises such as push-ups, dips, squats, and anything else that requires you to push weight resistance to the limit. This vest has a simple design with a double velcro waist strap, and with a variety of pockets on the front and back, it is easy to add and remove weight as needed. The RUNMax features removable shoulder padding to provide additional cushion for particularly heavy loads. But they also have the option to order the vest without the additional shoulder pads if, for some reason, you don't want them.
The RUNMax Vest is designed more for strength training than cardio workouts. You can hike and jog with minimal bouncing or sliding if the vest is fastened tightly and equipped with less weight. But, as resistance increases, the bouncing can take a toll on your shoulders. The waist strap is also very long, which feels awkward at first. Once fastened down, it is fine, but we questioned whether or not we were using it correctly when we first tried putting on this vest. Small criticisms aside, this vest is a fantastic option for those looking to add significant weight to their static exercises. When you need to get your cardio in, swap out this vest for the GoRuck Training Vest. From hiking to sprints, it's up to the task.
Model Tested: 60 lbs (with shoulder pads)
The RUNMax has an extremely heavy maximum weight capacity making it ideal for serious strength training exercises.
Credit: Hayley Thomas
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Thanks to a secure fit close to the body, we could do full range of motion push-ups while wearing the Rogue.
Credit: Hale Milano
Why Trust GearLab
We researched some of the most popular options on the market, narrowing our selection to only the very best weight vests to purchase and test side-by-side. We devised a comprehensive testing plan to showcase each vest style, highlighting the nuanced differences that end up separating the best from the rest. Our metrics help create an in-depth and objective analysis for the evaluation of each vest.
Our in-depth testing of weight vests is divided into four rating metrics:
Performance (35% of overall score weighting)
Comfort (25% weighting)
Features (25% weighting)
Ease of Use (15% weighting)
Our team of fitness experts collectively have an impressive fitness resume, and were easily up to the challenge of testing these weight vests. Lead tester Hale Milano is a former Army Ranger, CrossFit and triathlon athlete, rock climber, and no stranger to working out in a weighted vest. Hale has over a decade of experience training in weight vests — he's logged hundreds of miles and thousands of pull-ups, all while carrying extra weight for extra fun.
Hayley Thomas also offered her expertise on this review. Hayley grew up training year-round for athletics, but since leaving team sports behind, she has developed her own strength training regimens. This helps her stay fit for rock climbing, which quickly graduated from a hobby to a way of life. With years of training under her belt and a clear goal to become a stronger climber, she is perfect for our testing team.
Exercise regimen for testing out our weight vests.
All the removable weights from our tested vests. Top to bottom: RUNMax, CAP Barbell, ZFOsports, Strength Sport Systems, MIR, and Hyperwear.
The CAP Barbell vest disassembled and ready to get fitted for a workout.
A rigorous workout, side-by-side comparisons, and product analysis are all part of the process.
Analysis and Test Results
While our tests objectively measure performance, it is important to consider what style of vest you may prefer based on how you plan to use your new weight vest. These vests fall into three different categories, and each has its strengths:
Pocket Style: These vests feature small pockets with insertable weight pouches. They excel at versatility since you have the ability to fine-tune the amount of weight easily.
Plate Style: These vests feature insertable plates, generally purchased separately from the vest. You can change the weight by simply swapping out plates. Their minimalistic design means you can focus more on your workout without interference.
Vest Style: This fixed-weight style vest is easy to put on and take off. But often, the tradeoff for that ease is the lack of ability to cinch the vest tightly or adjust the weight.
If you want to add weight to your cardio routine, performance and comfort are important metrics to pay attention to. If you want a well-rounded vest for all your calisthenics, focus more on features and the adjustable weight range. Whether you are a fitness novice or a professional Crossfit athlete, choosing the right vest depends on your health, the current state of your wellness, and your ultimate fitness goals.
Value
To rate each vest's value, we consider the price versus performance. The price range for weight vests is pretty wide. Generally speaking, you get what you pay for, but that does not mean you should simply purchase the most expensive option.
Purchasing Additional Plates
One consideration to remember is that plate-style vests like the Rogue Plate Carrier and GoRuck Training Vest require weights to be purchased separately. However, thanks to standardized sizing, these plates are generally interchangeable.
Although it didn't win a particular award, the MIR Air Flow is a versatile, high-performing, reasonably priced weight vest. Like most pocket-style models, the price increases with the additional weight options. But it is still less expensive than some direct competitors, especially considering the added cost of purchasing plates for plate-style vests. It can carry a max weight of 60 pounds – placing it at the higher end of our lineup for weight capacity – and the short torso design makes it appropriate for a variety of exercises without hindering your breathing or range of motion.
The Air Flow lives up to its name with plenty of breathability due to its innovative short torso design.
Credit: Hayley Thomas
The budget-friendly Henkelion Weighted Vest performs well for a lightweight vest at an unbeatable price point. Although it maxes out at only 12 pounds, even an extra bit of weight resistance can equal significant training gains. This option is great if you are looking for a lightweight, mobile vest and do not want to spend an arm and a leg.
The Henkelion sits close to the body and only bounces a little when the chest strap is synched down completely.
Credit: Hayley Thomas
At the high end of our lineup, and the high end of the price tags, is the TRX Weight Vest. This vest offers top-tier performance, and as expected, you pay for that performance. The TRX is incredibly versatile; the one to two-pound weight increments offer a solid amount of scalability, especially if you buy the 40-pound vest, and the comfort and fit make it a great option for running or climbing.
The TRX vest is very comfortable, highly adjustable and super versatile.
Credit: Hayley Thomas
Performance
If you want to enhance your workout by adding weight, the last thing you want to do is hamper your workout with a poorly designed vest, limited range of motion, or painful bouncing & chaffing from the weights. A well-designed vest should fit like an extension of your body and allow you to execute exercises successfully with a full range of motion. While a good fit and the correct weight factor into this, our performance metric looks exclusively at the ability to perform bodyweight exercises (like pull-ups and push-ups) and cardio workouts (like rucking and running) without impedance from the vest.
The Rogue Plate Carrier leverages the plate-style design to provide unrivaled performance. This open-sided vest kept our body cooler and let our arms move naturally while running, making this vest a great option for CrossFit workouts or other high-output activities. During high-repetition workouts, the vest melts into the background, letting us pull, push, and run without losing any range of motion or creating painful pressure points. The GoRuck Training Vest performs very similarly, but the padding is just a touch too bulky compared to the more svelte Rogue vest.
The Rogue's slim profile never got in the way during even the toughest workouts
Credit: Hale Milano
The overall performance of the pocket-style TRX Weight Vest is also remarkable. The slim fit holds the weight close to your body, ensuring it does not bounce around on a run. The weights are small enough that the entire vest remains flexible, which also makes it easy to tailor the amount of weight to your particular workout. The tough Kevlar ensures a durable build, and the adjustable hip and shoulder straps make for a versatile fit. Its flexible design lets us perform any sort of exercise with ease.
The highly adjustable TRX outperforms most other weight vests.
Credit: Hayley Thomas
The Hyperwear Hyper Vest Pro is an honorable mention here. It allows the wearer to execute every exercise, workout, sprint, and jog to near perfection. Its slim, form-fitting design makes it feel like another layer of clothing, allowing unhindered movement. The only reason it does not score higher is that the amount of weight the vest can carry is directly affected by the size of the vest.
The Hyper Vest feels like a weighted shirt and supports excellent range of motion.
Credit: Hayley Thomas
Comfort
Training is hard enough; wearing a weighted vest should increase resistance, not discomfort. We tested the comfort of each vest in five ways: weight distribution, fit adjustment, chaffing, breathability, and range of motion. Ultimately, the most comfortable vest for each user will depend on the exercises they use it for and their body type. But knowing where each vest lands across our metrics will help you make an informed decision.
Evenly distributed weight across the front and back of the vest helps keep the user from toppling to one side or the other. Keeping the weight close to your body also makes the vest feel as though the weight is part of you rather than something you are carrying. Adjustable strap options enable full control over the fit of your vest – allowing you to place more weight on your shoulders or midsection – and fit various body types.
The velcro straps on the TRX are durable and easy to adjust, but we wish the metal buckles weren't quite as wide.
Credit: Matthew Blake
Testing for chaffing examined where the vest contacts your skin, and if the design would make it likely to chafe during a long working. Breathability tests helped us measure if you're still able to breathe normally — well, as normally as possible while working out — while wearing the vest.
A weight vest is a great way to amplify calisthenics workouts, and the range of motion offered by the GoRuck Training Vest is top-tier.
Credit: Hale Milano
Range of motion tests determine your ability to perform various exercises and whether the vest might impede or pinch when you move a certain way. Well-designed vests shouldn't be practically unnoticeable, whereas poor designs can dig into your neck and even restrict blood flow when your arms are overhead.
Both the Rogue and the GoRuck were excellent during cardio workouts.
Credit: Hale Milano
Standing out for comfort is the Rogue Plate Carrier — we tested it with the optional shoulder pads and recommend using them. The plate-style vest design evenly splits weight between the front and back, and the easily adjustable shoulder straps mean you can tailor the fit to sit as high or low on your torso as you like. The Rogue is one of the few vests available in different sizes, and it is worth noting that since you purchase the plate weights separately, the vest size does not impact the weight.
The Rogue, thanks to easily adjustable straps, can fit many different sized bodies.
Credit: Hale Milano
Another notable standout for comfort, the GoRuck Training Weight Vest offers a unique fit that felt like the vest was floating on our body. Though it took a little while to adjust the size correctly, we get the feeling that you could pile on the pounds, and this vest would stay incredibly comfortable under a heavy load. One drawback is the large chest box and high amount of padding. While it helped with comfort during our tests, it slightly impeded the range of motion for arm movements. Still, this vest would be great for running, rucking, or other cardio workouts.
The GoRuck has plenty of padding and the weight is evenly dispersed across the vest; even higher weights feel light while wearing it.
Credit: Hale Milano
Many vests tested similarly, with slight variances depending on body type or type of exercises. The weight on the TRX Weight Vest was evenly distributed and sat close to the body; the slim weights and flexible but sturdy fabric allow for a full range of motion with no pinching or rubbing. The MIR Air Flow was bulkier than others we tested, but the half-torso design offered freedom of movement and a high degree of breathability, convenient for hot days and hard workouts.
The MIR Air Flow's short torso design helps the wearer move freely through most exercises.
Credit: Hayley Thomas
The Hyperwear Hyper Vest Pro and the Henkelion Weighted Vest are also notably comfortable. The Hyperwear vest has a unique build that feels like you're wearing just another piece of clothing. The elastic sides aid flexibility and allow for a complete range of motion and full diaphragm movement. The Henkelion vest is simple and only ever-so-slightly adjustable in the chest strap. Still, the soft fabric and malleable sand weights are surprisingly comfortable for such a budget-friendly option.
The Henkelion is worn like a vest, and its weighted sand is quite comfortable, although the pocket on the back was not very helpful.
Credit: Hale Milano
Heavier vests require a little more padding around the shoulder straps. The RUNMax can be ordered with or without shoulder pads, and we recommend getting them if you plan to push into heavier loads. We fully believe this vest would not have scored nearly as well if we had tested it without the shoulder pads.
Inversion exercises performed in the RUNMax take things to another level.
Credit: Nolan Pieper
Features
Assessing the features of each vest helped us segment different models, subsequently providing an opportunity to examine various design styles and vest options. If there was a way to adjust the weight range of a vest, we assessed how easily you could tailor the vest to particular workouts by adding or removing weight. We also noted whether or not the weights were secure in the vest itself. We carefully considered the padding on the vest and whether it did a good job protecting our bodies from chaffing or additional pressure from bouncing. Padding can be a double-edged sword, as too much inhibits breathability, making a sweaty workout even hotter. Lastly, we recorded any other unique features of vests that could benefit the wearer.
The TRX Weight Vest shone brightly in our features metric, scoring nearly perfect marks with its highly adjustable weight range. The vest comes in 10, 20, and 40-pound options, and thanks to the small weight size, it can be tailored to within 1-2 pounds by adding or removing individual weights. The soft neoprene padding on this vest is very comfortable. But workouts were often very sweaty due to the lack of breathability, high surface coverage, and the wetsuit-like material of the vest's interior.
The TRX has 1-2 pound individual weight plates stored in neoprene pouches.
Credit: Hale Milano
The three plate-style weight vests – the Rouge Plate Carrier, GoRuck Training Vest, and 5.11 Prime Plate Carrier – all scored above average in this metric but lack adjustable weight ranges. Though you can choose from a variety of plate options, you have to purchase each set of weight plates individually, which can greatly increase the cost of these vests. With the Rogue vest, once the weights are inserted, it has an integrated cinch to really lock them in place. The GoRuck vest offers ample, plush padding, which makes it great for long-distance training hikes. All three plate-style vests have good chest and back padding to protect you from the plate weights themselves.
The Rogue is a minimalist vest; even the shoulder straps are slim profile which we loved for pull-ups.
The GoRuck has excellent padding, and the weight compartment fits standard-sized weight plates.
The 5.11 is a no-frills plate style vest carrier
The plate-style vests are fairly similar in design, but each has specific features that help it perform better, depending on the workout.
Ease of Use
We assessed this metric by looking at the overall construction quality, tightening mechanisms, and, if applicable, weight adjustment. This metric considers many design characteristics that ultimately combine to determine how easy it is to put each vest on, cinch down, and hold up to the rigors of regular workouts.
Leading the pack, once again, is the Rogue Plate Carrier. This vest is built to withstand the toughest workouts, and the velcro waistband and shoulder straps make adjusting the vest while wearing it a breeze. While you still have to swap out whole plates to adjust the vest's weight, the process is straightforward, and the vest even features instructions and a pictured guide to help – not that you'll need it, of course. Our favorite feature is the adjustable shoulder straps that can be tightened or loosened while wearing the vest to move the weight up or down your torso.
One of our favorite features was the easily adjustable shoulder straps on the Rogue that enabled us to adjust the weight higher or lower on our chest, all while wearing the vest.
Credit: Hale Milano
The TRX Weight Vest is also elegantly easy to use. Adding or removing the slim weights into the neoprene pockets is a straightforward process that allows you to easily tailor the weight to a specific workout, but you will still have to take the vest off to make those adjustments. The velcro waist and shoulder straps provide a secure fit, although the latter was a little cumbersome to adjust and, again, could only be done with the vest off.
Although removing all these little weights is tedious, it is an easy process and well worth it to completely customize the weight of the TRX.
Credit: Matthew Blake
For utter simplicity, the Aduro Sport Weighted Vest and Henkelion Weighted Vest are the easiest to use. No initial setup is necessary – they lock in and tighten down with a simple buckle and strap and have no extra components to manage. These vests do not offer scalable weight options, but their simple, lightweight designs are great if you want something easy to pull on for running. That said, the construction and durability are not up to par with the top-tier vests, and the weight jostles around when running.
Credit: Nolan Pieper
The Hyperwear Hyper Vest Pro simply zippers up and utilizes elastic webbing on the sides for tightening, though the arms can get slightly twisted due to the flexible design. While the weight adjustment process is straightforward, there are a lot of small weights, making this process a little tedious.
The flexible Hyper Vest Pro moves with you, and the elastic corset style sides allow for a versatile fit.
Credit: Hayley Thomas
Conclusion
Although simple in concept, choosing a weight vest is undoubtedly more complicated than it might appear at first glance. Available options can range from four to 140 pounds, and are often designed with specific types of exercises in mind. Fortunately, we have devised this comprehensive review to narrow your selection down to only the best weight vests on the market. Remember, you first want to consider the style of weight vest based on the type of workouts you want to wear it for. From there, consider how adjustable you need the weight to be. Then, you can consider which metrics are most important to you and hone in on the best weight vest for your needs and budget.
