The 9 Best Weighted Vests of 2024, Tested and Reviewed By Personal Trainers

Best Men's Overall

ZFOsports Weighted Vest

$59 at Amazon

This popular weighted vest from ZFOsports is our best overall pick and checks all the boxes for quality workout gear. From durability to exceptional design and comfort, this vest does it all. It's an excellent option for exercisers, and the Velcro straps ensure a comfortable fit for all. The vest comes in maximum weights of 30, 40, 60, or 80 pounds, and all are adjustable in 3.8-pound increments.

You also get roomy pockets to conveniently stash your phone, keys, and even a water bottle. Extremely durable and versatile, this vest has a wide range of possible uses including strength training, CrossFit, running, and hiking.

^{Key Specs:
Weights: 3.8 to 30, 40, 60, or 80 pounds | Adjustable or fixed weight: Adjustable | Storage: Yes}

Best Women's Overall

Hyperwear Hyper Vest Fit Weighted Vest for Women

$98 at Amazon $18 at Walmart $100 $80 at Target

Known for its comfort and versatility, the Hyper Vest Fit is a superb choice for those who want to improve their strength and boost their calorie burn. It comes with thin, half-pound weights that slide easily into vest pockets, so you can balance and adjust your load without difficulty. When first putting it on, our tester immediately liked the vest’s streamlined design and the super-soft, extremely comfortable fabric.

Unlike some vests that require twisting and turning to get it on, it zips up like a regular vest, which our tester found to be very easy and convenient. She also appreciated how the low profile makes it easy to wear the vest under a top layer, such as a jacket.

The vest comes in three different sizes, since one size doesn’t fit all, and you can use the elastic side cords for the most comfortable fit. Once our tester zipped up the front and cinched the sides, the vest was secure enough for her to run in it with no bouncing. It’s a great option for runners, walkers, and anyone looking for a streamlined, comfortable, and versatile vest for all types of workouts.

^{Key Specs:
Weights: 5, 8, or 10 pounds | Adjustable or fixed weight: Adjustable | Storage: Yes (if you leave some weight pockets empty)}

Best Unisex

Prodigen Weighted Vest

$60 at Amazon

Prodigen's neoprene weighted vest is a versatile pick that can work for exercisers with a variety of fitness levels and interests. The two adjustable buckle straps help you avoid bouncing and give you a snug, custom-like fit. It also has a back storage pocket that’s perfect for stashing your phone or other essentials.

Designed to last, the vest features double stitching to prevent sand leakage, as well as thick, wide shoulders to evenly distribute weight and help you avoid fatigue. It’s soft, breathable, and it has elastic on the waist and edges for enhanced comfort and flexibility. This vest is a great option for fitness walkers, runners, workouts with a balance board, or anyone who wants to make their cardio or strengthening workouts more challenging.

^{Key Specs:
Weights: 8, 12, 16, or 20 pounds | Adjustable or fixed weight: Fixed | Storage: Yes}

Best Budget

Prosourcefit Weighted Vest

$35 at Amazon $35 at Walmart View on Opensky.com

For a quality vest that doesn’t break the bank, we recommend this Prosourcefit Weighted Vest. It’s ideal for those who are looking for a streamlined, comfortable vest for walking, cardio sessions, or strengthening workouts. Made of durable and soft neoprene, the vest is breathable and comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

The mesh back pocket is a nice feature and our tester used it to stash her phone, although she noted that it wasn’t easy to access while walking. Another bonus is the reflective strips on the front and back, which are helpful for workouts in low-light conditions.

The vest comes in five different weight options, from 6 to 20 pounds, so it’s suitable for a wide range of fitness levels. Our tester was concerned that a one-size-fits-all vest might not work for her, but she found that the adjustable buckles did allow for a snug, comfortable fit.

^{Key Specs:
Weights: 6, 8, 10, 12, or 20 pounds | Adjustable or fixed weight: Fixed | Storage: Yes}

Best for Bodyweight Workouts

ETHOS 60 lb. Weighted Vest

$200 at Dicks Sporting Goods

If you want to boost the intensity of your bodyweight workouts, this versatile vest from Ethos is ideal for adding more weight to exercises such as squats, lunges, and push-ups. It comes with 24 pockets of removable 2.5-pound weights, so you can vary your resistance based on the exercise you’re doing and your overall fitness level.

With comfortable foam padding, an adjustable waist belt, and a cropped design, the unisex vest is comfortable and snug but doesn’t restrict your natural range of motion. The secure fit helps it stay put during strengthening workouts, as well as cardio exercises such as running or hiking. Plus, the reinforced stitching and strapping add to the vest’s performance and durability.

^{Key Specs:
Weights: 2.5 to 60 pounds | Adjustable or fixed weight: Adjustable | Storage: Yes (if you use empty weight pockets)}

Best for Walking

Zelus Weighted Vest

$37 at Amazon

Looking to add more intensity to your fitness walks? Wearing a weighted vest while walking will help you build more muscle and boost your calorie-burning potential, taking you one step closer to your fitness goals. The open design and shoulder holster style of this vest from Z Zelus allows for excellent mobility, and the comfortable shoulder straps evenly distribute the weight to help avoid shoulder fatigue.

Adjustable buckle straps are designed to tighten the vest for a snug, no-bounce fit. Additionally, the neoprene material is extremely soft and breathable, so you’ll stay cool when exercising outdoors. Available in several different weight options, from 4 to 20 pounds, the vest also has reflective strips to help keep you seen when you’re walking outdoors in low-light conditions.

^{Key Specs:
Weights: 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20 pounds | Adjustable or fixed weight: Fixed | Storage: Yes}

Best for Beginners

Tone Fitness Weighted Vest

$25 $23 at Amazon $24 at Walmart $23 at Target

If you’ve never used a weighted vest, we recommend this one from Tone Fitness. It has a streamlined design that allows for a great range of motion, making it good for walking and bodyweight workouts. The soft neoprene material is flexible and breathable, and the adjustable front strap allows for a comfortable, secure fit. Our tester did note that she wished there was another strap across the bottom for a tighter fit while running. However, some people may prefer the open design.

The vest comes in either black and blue and even has reflective stripes for when you’re exercising in low-light conditions. With a fixed weight of 12 pounds, it’s perfect for beginners looking to build strength and fitness.

One downside is that once you see successful results with it, you may need to graduate to a heavier vest. That being said, as a multi-tasker and frequent dog walker, our tester found it to be the perfect weight for daily walks with her pup.

^{Key Specs:
Weight: 12 pounds | Adjustable or fixed weight: Fixed | Storage: Yes}

Best for Hiking

Aduro Sport Adjustable Weighted Vest

$90 $70 at Amazon $35 at Walmart View on Adurosport.com

If you’re looking to make your hikes a bit more challenging, you may want to try wearing a weighted vest on the trails. This lightweight, affordable vest from Aduro is a perfect choice for hiking, as well as other cardio activities such as running or walking.

Our tester liked that the vest sits very high up, hugging the shoulders, without covering the entire torso area as some other weighted vests do. The compact size, along with the evenly distributed weight, allows for optimal comfort and a good range of motion. With an adjustable front belt and padded shoulder straps, it won't shift around as you move. Our tester was even able to put her backpack over it thanks to the streamlined design.

The vest also has a convenient mesh pocket on the back for storage, although our tester noted that it was just big enough to hold her phone. It’s available in weight options ranging from 4 to 30 pounds, so you can choose one that works for your fitness level and goals.

^{Key Specs:
Weight: 4, 6, 12, 16, 20, 25, 30 pounds | Adjustable or fixed weight: Fixed | Storage: Yes}

Best for Running

Henkelion Weighted Vest

$28 at Amazon

A good weighted vest for running should be snug enough that it doesn’t bounce up and down as pounding the pavement, but not so constricting that you can't move comfortably. With an adjustable strap and ergonomic design, this one from Henkelion gets the job done. The weight is evenly distributed throughout the vest, so you won’t put too much stress or pressure on one area.

Our tester noticed that running in the 8-pound version definitely slowed her usual pace, but she found that the vest was comfortable and snug without feeling constricting. She also liked the compact size and open design that allowed her to run without altering my form.

Whether you’re wearing it for long runs or short interval workouts, runners will appreciate that this vest is breathable, soft, and not at all bulky. Available in 4-, 6-, 8-, or 12-pound models, it’s suitable for men or women and can be easily adjusted with the front strap. Other cool features include a mesh back pocket to hold essentials and the reflective strips on the front and back for enhanced visibility.

^{Key Specs:
Weight: 4, 6, 8, or 12 pounds | Adjustable or fixed weight: Fixed | Storage: Yes}