Weighted Vest Discussion + Help: For those who have owned/used weighted vests in the past which features should be avoided and which are must haves?

[dinkold]

Hello,

I am looking for some advice on buying a weighted vest to add to my workout. I think I have reached the point in my training where I need to add increased resistance to my basic pulling and pushing exercises.

I know that, as a whole, this subreddit is not a big fan of weighted vests and tends to recommend dip belts/plates; however, for those who have experience with vests in the past I would love recommendations.

I have narrowed my preferences down to something that is of high-quality and either short, or slim to allow for as much ROM as possible.

Price is not a major factor as I am excited to make this purchase and view it as something that I will ultimately get plenty of utility from.

My reasons for preferring a vest are as follows:

1) The weighted vest allows one to add weight to a greater number of movements than just pullups + dips, which will be useful in the long-term

2) I work out at a park and it is much easier to transport a vest than a dip belt + multiple plates

3) I do not own any barbells/plates to begin with and buying high-quality plates is not materially cheaper than buying a high-quality weighted vest (which is often cited as one of the main reasons to avoid vests)

What I am struggling with is selecting my weighted vest. I have effectively narrowed it down to three options, but am also open to any other suggestions:

1) Hyperwear Vest Elite: https://www.hyperwear.com/product/weighted-vest/

a. Pros: Seems to be extremely good quality, allows for high mobility with minimal restriction, adjustable weight increments

b. Cons: Only goes up to 20lbs

2) V-Force Basketball Vest: https://weightvest.com/product/40-lb-v-force-basketball-weight-ves/ (spoke with a rep from Weightvest.com who explained that the basketball model allows for the most mobility)

a. Pros: Good quality, narrow profile for a vest of its size, adjustable weight increments

b. Cons: (basketball weight vest model goes up to 40 lbs – far more than I need right now, but 5-10lbs less than other “short vest models”), not quite as “low profile” as the Hyperwear, a bit more difficult to adjust fit while on

3) Box Weight Vest: https://weightvest.com/product/45-lb-box-weight-vest/

a. Pros: Good quality, goes up to 45-50lbs (among the best for a short weight vest), strap makes it easily adjustable, adjustable weight increments

b. Cons: A bit more restrictive seeming than either of the two options above

Thank you very much! If there is another forum that would be more appropriate for posting this question please let me know.

 

[abulawi32]

@dinkold I’ve owned the box vest for 10+ years.

It is excellent quality. 45lbs made up of 2.5lb bullion shaped weights.

I’ve used it for body weight training, HIIT, distance jogs, stairs etc...

I only have two complaints...
1. Expect a lot of attention. It looks like you’re on deployment if you wear it in an urban area.
2. If you are engaged in some sort of plyo or impact activity such as: box jumps, jogging, or even jumping to grab a pull-up bar, it moves around quite a bit. To the point where if you move with explosiveness and aren’t holding it/paying attention you will get hit in the chin by the steel brick.
The solution for this is to tighten it right up, but then it restricts breathing, which is worse. I usually get into a rhythm and land gently or hold onto it at the collar at key moments.

That being said I would buy it again. Top notch kit!

 

[uncleo]

@abulawi32 Ooof. Getting hit in the chin sounds like a good way to bite your tongue. Good shout on grabbing the collar.

 

[kwils858817]

@abulawi32 Have you used it for push ups? I want one mostly for pushups but no one seems to be mentioning those on this thread.

 

[christ_inme93]

@kwils858817 I got some play sand and made a sandbag out of the plastic bag it came in plus some duct tape and put that in a backpack for push ups. It works great for me and doesn’t limit range of motion. If you have an unused backpack, total cost is like $5.

 

[abulawi32]

@kwils858817 I have not used it for push-ups. The box vest has some bulk to it. So it would limit your range of motion. As someone else mentioned, you could use chairs or parallettes to make it work.

 

[serventofyeshua]

@kwils858817 I have a similar one that I use for my routine to overload pushups, dips, pull-ups. For push ups id highly suggest rings (if doable with weight) or parallettes as the vest hits the floor a good couple of inches before my torso so I feel I lose ROM. Other than that it’s fantastic for push ups

 

[whiterobe]

@kwils858817 That’s just bench press with extra steps.

 

[kwils858817]

@whiterobe Less steps for me at least. A vest and a floor are a lot easier to come by than a bench, rack, barbell, and plates. Makes more sense for the rest of my routine as well.

 

[dawn16]

@kwils858817 The box vest is not great for push ups. Why do you need to do weighted push-ups? Can't you just bench press?

 

[jesusismysavior]

@abulawi32 I got a big oversized shirt to wear over my vest. Makes you look super bulky, but don’t really get as many stares or people thinking it’s a bomb, as others have mentioned in the thread.

 

[hopehannah]

@dinkold Checked out the box vest link, and the latest customer review said:

“i WAS TACKLED BECAUSE IT WAS MISTAKEN FOR A BOMB VEST”

LOL

 

[beautifulkindheart]

@hopehannah The person who tackled the reviewer had balls of steel if they thought it was a bomb vest. I would’ve taken cover and called emergency services.

 

[mir2017lma]

@hopehannah Not even joking I was stopped at the Nimitz gate on Pearl Harbor by a gate guard because I was wearing a weight vest. I tried calling my Chief to explain why I was going to be late to muster and the guard drew their sidearm and started screaming for me to put the phone down.

I wasn't thinking that cell phones are common devices used to detonate IEDs which the guard thought I was wearing.

 

[starsatnight22]

@mir2017lma What happened next?

 

[mir2017lma]

@starsatnight22 Pearl Harbor and Honolulu police both showed up. They checked out my vest and a couple guys had a good laugh. I had to make a statement and sign a waiver. The official statement I received was that the guard thought it was a drill. It was about a year later I told someone about it and they were like "the guard thought it was a drill and pulled a loaded gun on you?!" I had never thought about it too deeply and chalked it up as a good story.

I probably ruined a lot of people's commutes as that gate was shut down for 40ish minutes and everyone had to be re-routed to the smaller gate on base.

 

[primordiarch]

@hopehannah Farewell Mr. Tien!

 

[hrcamacho]

@primordiarch I got that reference!

 

[emilius]

@dinkold The consideration I would suggest is deciding if you will be switching weight based on the exercise you perform. For example if you want 20 pounds for dips, 40 pounds for squats, etc. I have an 80 pound vest but the weights are a pain to get in and out so I have to choose a weight and stick with it the entire workout.

 

[abulawi32]

@emilius This has been my experience too!