Load up! Give workouts and walks a boost with the best weighted vests of 2025

Sizing: S-XL | Weight capacity: 15-25 lbs., depending on size | Weight increments: 2.25 oz. | Materials: Cordura fabric with two-way stretch | Weight distribution: Torso and back

In testing, we were continually impressed by the Hyperwear brand — it offers a variety of different vests that meet different needs, from lightweight vests designed for women to heavy-duty vests for serious athletes. We chose the Elite as the best overall because it comes with pre-loaded weights, features an easy-to-use zip-up design, fits all body types and sizes and can be customized for beginners or more advanced wearers.

We really liked the convenient slip-on and zip-up design of this vest, which made it intuitive and approachable even for beginner testers. The vest itself is super comfortable to wear, made with a slight stretch so it feels secure, but also not too tight to restrict any movement.

The vest comes in sizes S-XL, but each size is also highly adjustable, fitted with flexible bungee straps on the side to fit different bodies. Each vest comes with a basic pre-loaded weight of 10 pounds, which means that the vest is ready to go right out of the box, no weight loading needed. However, if you do want more weight in your vest, choose the 15- or 20-pound option, which ships with 2.5-pound weight bricks that you can add to find your perfect weight.

The vest performed best for doing household chores and while walking and hiking. Our only minor complaint is that the top zipper edging can be slightly irritating, but that depends on how tall you are and how well the vest fits you. The bungee straps, when pulled out fully, also tended to dangle, but you can tuck them in if they bother you. We also tested the vest while running and found that while it can definitely be worn for a jog, it's a little on the long side. We preferred a shorter vest like the Omorpho 5-Pound G-Vest while running.

Overall, however, the Hyperwear Vest Elite Version is the best weighted vest because it works for all genders, body types and fitness levels, is easy to set up and use and can be customized and adjusted to a user's needs. We also liked that it comes with reflective strips for use in low-light settings. Our only request for the Hyperwear powers that be? Pockets would be helpful!

Sizing: One size (17.5"x10.5", 19.5" waist belt straps) | Weight capacity: up to 60 lbs. | Weight increments: 10 lbs., 20 lbs. or 30 lbs. | Materials: Cordura, ballistic nylon Velcro plate closure | Weight distribution: Core and back

If you're looking for a heavy vest, this is the one to get, thanks to the streamlined design and specially designed shoulder straps that help distribute weight evenly. Despite the fact that this vest can carry serious weight, it's very simple to load and use.

When testing the heavier-duty weighted vests, we found that some of the designs were overly complicated and bulky, making it difficult to set them up, take them on and off, and move around with them. This Go Ruck keeps things simple: You load one plate to the front and back of the vest, strap it in and put the vest on over your head — the design offers plenty of room to move your head through, and a Velcro waist strap makes it adjustable to your body. Plus, the weight plates are securely locked in and away from your arms, allowing you to move freely as you work, walk or run.

The vest isn't super adjustable, since one weight plate is loaded at a time, but you can buy different weight plates to swap in and out. (And honestly, if you're going for heavy, 2.5-pound adjustable increments, like the ones many of the other vests have, they don't make a lot of sense anyway — you're better off just switching out a whole plate, as the Go Ruck is designed to do.)

We tested this vest on men and women and found it was comfortable for both. Some of our testers who were new to weighted vests noted that while many of the other heavy vest options were too intimidating and bulky, this one was easy to use, even for a beginner. We also had a professional contractor test this vest — he used it while framing in a house to train for a hunting expedition and noted that he stayed relatively comfortable wearing it even on 80°F days.

Sizing: S-XL | Weight capacity: 5 lbs. | Weight increments: None | Materials: Laminated polyester, synthetic rubber, stainless steel ball bearings inside | Weight distribution: Torso and back

We found this Omorpho to be the ideal running weighted vest for several reasons: It's only 5 pounds, making it a simple way to easily amp up your run, and the material is incredibly comfortable and flexible, allowing you to move and sweat. It's also an all-in-one vest option, making it easy to throw in a bag to take with you if you're traveling.

Our testers liked using this specific vest on runs because it molds to your body and provides just enough resistance to add a challenge to your run without being overpowering. The design is shorter than some of the other vests we tested, which we found helpful because it didn't pull or bunch our clothes while running. Plus, there's just something about the sleek material of the vest that we swear made us feel like we could run faster. We also like how adjustable the vest is — the straps can be adjusted for length and the bungee sides cinch-pull to adjust fit to the body.

One caveat: Depending on the type of shirt you're wearing (or not wearing), the vest's back straps may be uncomfortable or rub against your skin. Our tester wore a racerback tank, and she found that having the vest's straps directly against her skin wasn't as comfortable on a longer run.

The vest we tested was specific to female bodies, but the Omorpho brand also offers a 6- and 10-pound vest option designed for larger or male bodies. Because this vest is the lightest on our list, at 5 pounds, it would also be ideal for beginners who are new to weighted vests. Milica McDowell, a physical therapist, CrossFit coach and vice president of operations at Gait Happens, recommends starting with a weighted vest of no more than 5% of your body weight — for a 150-pound person, that would be around 7.5 pounds.

Sizing: 6 lbs., 12 lbs., 16 lbs., 20 lbs., 25 lbs., 30 lbs. | Weight capacity: Same as size | Weight increments: n/a | Materials: Neoprene rubber fabric, double-stitching, weighted with iron sand | Weight distribution: Back and over-the-shoulder

We chose this Zelus as the best option for walking and hiking for one simple reason: It comes with a storage pouch! In testing, we found ourselves searching for an option that had some kind of storage and came up empty-handed with most vests. Even when taking a simple walk with a vest, we wished there was a pocket to store our phone or stash headphones in. The Zelus has a removable zippered pouch that is just big enough for a phone.

Smooth straps and even weight distribution made the vest comfortable to wear during a vigorous hike. We experienced some level of shoulder strain, but that challenge is difficult to avoid when wearing this type of over-the-shoulder vest. And there are advantages to the over-the-shoulder design: We found that the primary weight being on the back was ideal for a sweaty hike — our tester didn't like heavy weights in the front because it made it hard to catch their breath.

The design was also more open than other shoulder vests we tested, like the Reebok Weighted Vest, which had full panels with more back coverage, so we found it more breathable. (You'll want to be sure you wear an appropriate shirt underneath to avoid the vest rubbing your skin if you think you'll be sweating.)

Sizing: One size, intended for women and youth | Weight capacity: 30 lbs. | Weight increments: 2.5 lbs. | Materials: Heavy nylon | Weight distribution: Chest and back

This vest was designed specifically for women and young people, but it also comes in a larger option. We didn't love the narrow design of this vest — it made it challenging to put the vest on and take it off, but we really like how adjustable the vest is. Not only are the individual 2.5-pound weight bricks removable, so you can customize the weight, but the vest comes with a strap extender so you can increase the circumference if needed. That meant that even my 6'1" husband could use the vest (although again, the narrow shoulder design was a drawback). 

Overall, we liked the adjustability of this vest but would recommend browsing some of the brand's wider-shoulder vest options for a more comfortable fit.

Sizing: S-L | Weight capacity: 10 lbs. | Weight increments: 0.5 lbs. | Materials: Cordura, satin lining, elastic side cords | Weight distribution: Evenly distributed through the torso

This Hyper Vest was by far the most comfortable we tested. If we were skeptical about using weighted vests before, this option made us believers. The vest slips on like a coat and zips up, which makes it very easy to get on and off.

The material is soft and flexible, so it moved with us, there were no zippers or bunching in strange places, and once the vest was on, it was easy to forget we were even wearing it. (However, after wearing it for the first time, we noticed the extra load! Even a small bit makes a difference.) The vest loads with individual 2.5-pound weight bricks that slide into slots, making it easy to add or remove weight as needed. The weights were extremely easy to slip in when setting up the vest for the first time and stayed securely in place during use.

We used this vest while walking on a treadmill, walking outside and doing household chores like washing dishes and laundry. You can also machine- or hand-wash the vest after you remove the weights, which is a step up from most of the other vests on our list that are wipe-clean only. The vest is designed for women and appears to be marketed specifically to older women, but in our opinion, it's an intuitive, simple and comfortable vest any adult could wear. Overall, it made adding a weighted vest to our daily routines effortless, which felt like a big win.

Sizing: One size (sold based on weight) | Weight capacity: 20 lbs., 30 lbs., 40 lbs., 50 lbs., 60 lbs., 70 lbs., 80 lbs., 150 lbs. | Weight increments: 2.5-4 lbs. | Materials: Neoprene padding, breathable mesh | Weight distribution: Chest and back

While the heavier weighted vests from this brand will still cost upwards of $100 or more, for a basic 20-pound vest, it's an affordable option that we found had everything most people need. The vest works for most activities — including working out, walking and hiking — and it's adjustable in both circumference and weight (it comes with individual weight bags you can remove to adjust the weight).

The main drawback is a bulkier design, primarily due to the adjustable Velcro strap for waist size. It was irritating while running, as it tends to rub against the arms.

It's also somewhat cumbersome to set up the vest. Each weight bag has to be inserted into a pocket inside the interior, and some of them were difficult to get in — make sure you load the bottom row first! Putting the vest straps through the hooks and attaching them was a two-person job until we figured it out. You have to attach one side first, slide it over your head, then adjust the other side. It wasn't the easiest to get on and off, especially compared with other vests we tested.

The boxy fit of the vest left more space between our chest and the vest compared with others, which could be a pro or a con, depending on what you prefer. But because it's looser and can bounce, it may not be ideal for activities like burpees, jumping rope or running.

Overall, if you're willing to get past the initial setup and getting it on and off, it's a solid budget vest that can accommodate a wide range of weights and get the job done.

Sizing: 12 lbs., 20 lbs. | Weight capacity: Same as sizing | Weight increments: None | Materials: Polyester | Weight distribution: Upper back

We are partial to the overall comfort and ease of use of the full-body Hyperwear vest, but if you're a beginner who wants a middle-of-the-road, all-in-one vest, this Reebok is ideal. It comes in 12- or 20-pound fully pre-loaded options, so you don't have to add any weights yourself, and transporting the vest is super easy because it's grab-and-go. (For beginners, we recommend the 12-pound option.)

The Reebok vest offers the most padding of any of the other vests we tested, so we found it surprisingly comfortable. We didn't love it for running because it had some bounce, but it worked well with walking and hiking. We found it stayed put when bending over, even while performing burpees.

The vest also has a fuller back, which helps minimize irritation against the skin — however, the trade-off is less breathability. There is a holed panel, which helps create some airflow, but you'll definitely get sweaty wearing it on a hot day. The Amazon listing says the vest has storage pockets, but the 20-pound option we tested did not. We can't say for sure whether the 12-pound option has them.

We had both a 5'4" 150-pound female and a 6'1" 250-pound male test the 20-pound vest, and the male preferred the fit of the vest, as it needs to be pulled back farther to evenly distribute the weight. Our female tester felt the fit under her breasts prevented fully equal weight distribution, but said it was still relatively comfortable.

Overall, the Reebok is an affordable option with everything beginners need to get started wearing a weighted vest. If you are a beginner, Jyima Ofori-Atta, a personal trainer and holistic health coach, recommends working with a certified personal trainer to ensure safe use. "Without proper form or progression, weighted vests can increase the risk of injury, especially for beginners," he explains, adding: "Improper use or excessive weight can strain muscles and contribute to imbalances if not balanced with appropriate exercises."