The 5 Best Heavy Weighted Vests

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Weighted vests come in many capacities, designs, weight increments, etc. Many people are interested in what the best heavy weighted vests are.

One of the main principles of growing and strengthening muscles is challenging these enough. Heavy weighted vests can help you do just that. Additionally, they can make things like walking a lot more intense.

Best heavy weighted vest top picks

• Best overall: CROSS101 Weighted Vest
• Best for women: MiR Women’s Weighted Vest
• Highest weight capacity: CAP Barbell Adjustable Weighted Vest
• Best budget: RUNFast/Max Adjustable Weighted Vest
• Best with breathing room: miR Air Flow Weighted Vest

With this list of the top picks you can quickly select the heavy weighted vest that looks the best for your personal situation, training goals, budget, personal preferences, etc.

How we selected our top picks

Our fitness experts spent a lot of time looking at and comparing all the different important factors of heavy weighted vests. Some of the things that were taken into consideration when making our selection include:

• Material, weight capacity, adjustability, shoulder padding, etc.
• User reviews
• Anecdotal reviews from fitness experts
• Price
• Brand trustability

If a pick seems interesting click it to see the online prices.

5 Best heavy weighted vests reviewed in depth

A quick overview of the top picks when it comes to the best heavy weighted vests is helpful. After that, you can also look at the different options reviewed more in-depth.

This way you can make sure the weighted vest you have in mind is the right option for you.

1. CROSS101 Weighted Vest

The model from CROSS101 definitely deserves one of the top spots in the best heavy weighted vests. You get basically all of the important features but at the same time, this is still a relatively cheap weighted vest.

These weighted vests are available in different models with different maximum weights. You can go as low as 20 pounds (9.07 kg) and as high as 140 pounds (63.5 kg) with many options in between.

Something to keep in mind is that you can then adjust these weights down for different individuals or exercises.

The exact weights will vary but for example, the 80-pound (36.3 kg) model comes with 10 weights of about 8 pounds (3.6 kg) each.

Something that can in handy with heavy weighted vests like the CROSS101 is the option to add shoulder pads. This can be especially helpful for longer workouts like walking.

Two features that are typically not as important but nice additions anyway include the phone pocket and water holder.

One potential downside is that there are a few exceptional cases where customers notice the stitching around the weights loosening up after a few months of use.

That being said, because CROSS101 trusts the quality of their products, they offer a lifetime warranty for exceptional situations like these. Overall, this heavy weighted vest has a lot of customers who are typically very happy.

2. MiR Women’s Weighted Vest

This next option stands out in its adjustable design. As the name implies, the MiR Women’s Weighted vest can be especially helpful for women who want to comfortably fit the vest around their curves.

The MiR Women’s Weighted vest has adjustable straps for both the waist circumference and “height”. On top of that, there is more open room in the front than traditional weighted vests.

One downside of these adjustable straps is that it can require some effort to tighten them to the right settings.

When it comes to other important features, this weighted vest is available in different models up to 50 pounds (22.7 kg). You can then adjust the weight down by removing some of the steel “bricks”.

50 pounds is definitely not the heaviest weighted vest in this article. On the other hand, this could be more than enough for many people.

Another potential downside of the MiR Women’s Weighted Vest to note is that it does require a higher investment than many other good weighted vests.

As many happy customers claim, the vest can still be worth it. On the other hand, if you don’t care that much about the vest design and want heavier weights, some of the other options may be better.

3. CAP Barbell Adjustable Weighted Vest

The CAP Barbell is the top pick for the weighted vest with the highest weight capacity. There are a few other options that go up to 140 pounds (63.5 kg) but this model from CAP Barbell goes up to 150 pounds (68 kg).

These extra 10 pounds will definitely not make the difference for most people. However, for the few people who do find this relevant, this is an important point.

To be able to grow and strengthen muscles you have to challenge them enough. If 140 pounds is just not enough to do this, you need something heavier like the CAP Barbell Adjustable Weighted Vest.

A nice addition to a heavy weighted vest like this is the padded shoulder straps. This can make your workouts, especially long ones like walking, a lot more comfortable.

One small downside is that some customers initially do not get every single one of their weights. The customer support from CAP Barbell typically resolves these issues fast but this could require some extra time and attention.

That being said, this weighted vest has many happy customers. In combination with a reasonable price, the CAP Barbell Adjustable Weighted Vest is definitely one of the best options when it comes to heavy models.

4. RUNFast/Max Adjustable Weighted Vest

Investments into your health are typically great but sometimes you can get more for a lower price. the RUNFast/Max model is an example of a relatively budget-friendly heavy weighted vest that still does the job.

There are different models available from 20 pounds (9.07 kg) to 140 pounds (63.5 kg). Similar to the other options on this list, you can adjust the weighted vest down by removing some of the weights.

One downside of this model is that how it fits is not that adjustable. Some customers do not like how this vest from RUNmax fits them. On the other hand, there are a lot of customers that are happy with their purchase.

To make the RUNFast/Max Adjustable Weighted Vest just a bit more comfortable you can order a model with shoulder pads.

If you are not one of the few exceptions where RUNmax forgets to add the shoulder pads this can make a variety of workouts more comfortable.

Two nice additions are the phone holder and water bottle holder. Some customers do find that the phone pocket is not that well designed.

All in all, this weighted vest is not the most premium option. However, the RUNFast/Max Adjustable Weighted Vest can still be a great piece of fitness equipment at a relatively low price.

5. miR Air Flow Weighted Vest

The miR Air Flow Weighted Vest is, as the name implies, designed to give your body enough breathing room while still adding enough weight to your workouts.

Something to keep in mind is that this weighted vest is not the heaviest. 60 pounds (27.2 kg) can be enough for certain individuals and exercises but not enough for others.

If this is heavy enough for you, you can remove as many of the 3-pound (1.36 kg) weights as needed.

The extra breathing room will be more important for some activities than others. For example, this model from miR also makes it to the list of the best weighted vests for running.

For something like a set of 12 pushups in cold temperatures, the extra airflow is typically not as relevant.

The miR Air Flow Weighted Vest has many customers who tend to be very happy. However, if you do not care that much about the extra breathing room some of the other heavy weighted vests could offer more benefits at a lower price.

How to choose a heavy weighted vest

Choosing a heavy weighted vest can be relatively straightforward in some cases. In other situations, the decision can be a bit harder.

If you are in the second group you can think about some of the following factors to make choosing easier:

1. How much weight do you need: To grow and strengthen muscles you have to challenge them with enough resistance. You want to make sure you choose a weighted vest that is heavy enough to train your target muscles. Additionally, you may have a certain intensity level of walking, running, or hiking in mind.
2. What exercises will you do: What exercises you will do not only influences how much maximum weight you need. If you plan to do many exercises for many different muscles you likely also need a lot of weight increments and easy adjustment mechanisms.
3. Your current skill level: Individuals who are new to weighted vest training will typically need a lot of weight increments. The first reason for this is to find the ideal weight for their current strength levels. Additionally, these individuals tend to have a lot of room for improvement. If you are more experienced with heavy weighted vests you may know more precisely what weight range you need and how much you can still improve.
4. Design: Different weighted vests can vary in their design and how they fit certain people. Depending on the exercises you choose, your gender, personal preferences, etc. you may have to pay extra attention to this. For example, for extended walking sessions you likely value comfort more than a quick set of pushups.
5. Price: A heavy weighted vest can often be a great investment into your health. That being said, sometimes you can get these same benefits for a lower price.

By going over the factors above you should better be able to find the best heavy weighted vest for your personal needs.

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