10 Best Kettlebells Tested

Kettlebells are one of the sporting equipment that is used by athletes who are involved in intense sporting activities. When looking or shopping for one, you will notice that there are two kinds available. We have the cast iron type and the competition type. The competition type is also known as prograde kettlebells. They are more common among athletes who are involved in Girevoy sporting activities. On the other hand, cast iron ones are more frequent among trainers whose objective is just to be physically fit.

The one aspect that you are going to have to consider across the board is weight and associated size. The competition or prograde bells have a uniform size despite the difference in weight. Well, this is to make sure that the lifting technique used by the athletes will not be varied as the athletes get stronger and the sporting activity intensifies. These bells have a weight range of between 8kg – 40 kg. All the bells in this category have similar dimensions and size, and all of them must be able to follow the standards that have been officially set.

While the cast iron type, have a good trend, as the size gets bigger and bigger, they gain more weight. With these changes, the lifting groove of the kettlebell also changes. Apart from that the sitting position of the bell in the rack is also changed with each different size.

The competition or prograde bells have a uniform size despite the difference in weight. Well, this is to make sure that the lifting technique used by the athletes will not be varied as the athletes get stronger and the sporting activity intensifies. These bells have a weight range of between 8kg – 40 kg. All the bells in this category have similar dimensions and size, and all of them must be able to follow the standards that have been officially set.

While the cast iron type, have a good trend, as the size gets bigger and bigger, they gain more weight. With these changes, the lifting groove of the kettlebell also changes. Apart from that the sitting position of the bell in the rack is also changed with each different size.

The Pro bells or Competition bells tend to be made with thin handles. The reason behind this is the fact that the athletes involved in the bells sporting activities, tend to perform rep sets that are very high. This exercise means that the forearm muscles will be fatigued and they are the muscles used in gripping the bell. In order to have a longer grip that will last, athletes need to opt for handles that are thinner. The handles are designed and made to make sure there are minimal chances of the bell slipping out of the hand of the athlete.

If an athlete intends to perform any movements which use the bell as the ground fixture similar to the handstands, pistols quotes that are mounted or renegade rows. They will opt for a kettlebell that has a bottom that is completely flat. Though bells of high quality have the best base. While the cheaper ones have issues sitting on the ground with a flush, they tend to wobble a lot. You can check this when making a physical purchase but then if you are making an online purchase then it’s good to read the customer reviews of the bell before purchasing it.

While the cast iron type, have a good trend, as the size gets bigger and bigger, they gain more weight. With these changes, the lifting groove of the kettlebell also changes. Apart from that the sitting position of the bell in the rack is also changed with each different size. This means that the size of the handle also increases in proportion to the size, bigger bells have bigger handles.

The construction type of these pieces of equipment are typically 2 types: the 1-piece casting or the 2-piece assemble type. The 2 piece type involves attachment of the bell’s handle to the bells’ round part, the only challenge is that when compared to the 1 piece type, they are not strong and they are also less secure.

The competition ones are made and constructed using steel that is one cast. Steel is one of the most durable materials used in making the bells; it even has higher durability than the cast iron. If you want a bell that is made from iron make sure it’s made from one cast, but then most iron bells are not made form one cast. A clear look into the bells will show you that the handles of the bells are welded onto the bell’s body.

The Handle Grip

This refers to the grip that the athlete has on the bells when using it. The grip of the bell is determined by the below factors which are very crucial in making sure the athlete has a good grip and the bell won’t slip from his/ her hand when they are using the bells.

The Flashing/ Handle Seam

This is the casting process of the kettlebell. The process tends to leave behind a flashing/ seam. The seam occurs along the middle underside section of the handle of the bell. The seam must be filed down prior to the kettlebell being finished or coated, in order to achieve a hold on, on the surface that is even and nice. Be cautious of cheaper models of the kettlebell as they will still have the sharp seam and this will prove to be dangerous to the athletes’ hands and might even cause bleeding during the casting process.

Make sure that before you purchase your preferred kettlebell, it has no flashing (flashing is removed). Slowly run your hands entirely around the whole handle of the bell, more focus should be placed on the underneath section. This should not be a big issue for bells that are manufactured by companies with a good reputation like the ones we have listed in our top 10 list.

The Type of Handle Finish

The kettlebells have a few different types of finishes when looking t the handle finishes. These options and types are bare steel, vinyl, enamel and powder coating. The powder coating type is more common among the standard bells like those from Rogue. They are perfect for holding chalk when an athlete is training on long sets. While the bare steel will be found on the competition bells’ handles. The enamel finish is also fine, while the vinyl isn’t much preferred it's still found on bells that are of low quality.

The Handle Diameter of the Bell

The diameter of the bell handle will totally be determined by the size of the athletes’ hands. The two totally depend on each other, that’s why it’s good to look at the handle’s diameter before making a purchase. Most of the companies that make kettlebells tend not to publish this number on the packaging and websites, but then some companies will have the number posted. The decent bells will have their handle diameters that start from about 30-31 mm, and then they have a maximum of 38 mm for kettlebells that are heaviest. But then the cheap bells will mostly have handles that are narrower. These handles are almost impossible to hold on when an athlete is swinging the bell and are pathetic when it comes to snatching.

The standard bells have handles that get thicker when the weight increases. The Pro bells or Competition bells tend to be made with thin handles. The reason behind this is the fact that the athletes involved in the bells sporting activities, tend to perform rep sets that are very high. This exercise means that the forearm muscles will be fatigued and they are the muscles used in gripping the bell. In order to have a longer grip that will last, athletes need to opt for handles that are thinner. The handles are designed and made to make sure there are minimal chances of the bell slipping out of the hand of the athlete. They tend to be more expensive and are the best option for athletes looking for consistency.

While the cast iron type, have a good trend, as the size gets bigger and bigger, they gain more weight. With these changes, the lifting groove of the kettlebell also changes. Apart from that the sitting position of the bell in the rack is also changed with each different size. This means that the size of the handle also increases in proportion to the size, bigger bells have bigger handles.

The idea here is focusing away from kettlebells that have handles that are cheaper and more skinny. That is why it’s important to get your kettlebell from a reliable store.

The width of the Handle

For effective movements, when using the bells, an athlete will need to make sure that both of their hands can comfortably fit perfectly within the bell’s handle, not very tight or very uncomfortable for the athlete. Remember that for some bells, the handle will get wider with an increase of the bell’s weight.

The Pro options or Competition bells tend to be made with thin handles. The reason behind this is the fact that the athletes involved in the bells sporting activities, tend to perform rep sets that are very high. This exercise means that the forearm muscles will be fatigued and they are the muscles used in gripping the bell. In order to have a longer grip that will last, athletes need to opt for handles that are thinner. The handles are designed and made to make sure there are minimal chances of the bell slipping out of the hand of the athlete. They tend to be more expensive and are the best option for athletes looking for consistency. However, make sure the opening of the handle is spacious enough for your hands.

Kettlebells can be pricey, especially if you are ordering them online. We rated the value of each kettlebell because we wanted to let our readers know whether or not the kettlebell they were considering is worth the purchase. We know that a lot of our readers on a budget. or simply may not want to spend more than a certain amount of money, regardless of what they can afford. Aside from that, however, we understand that some of you may just be starting out and unsure of how much to invest in a kettlebell as a beginner.

The first factor we took a look at when evaluating the overall value of each kettlebell was the price of course. Each of our products has the price listed in the review as well as a link you can check out-- so you can take a look for yourself and double check that the price is correct. We also took a look at the different weight options each of the kettlebells has to offer--we even included some adjustable options. While doing this, we also considered what the kettlebells are constructed from and whether or not they would be durable. Lastly, we took a look at what types of exercises you can do with each of the kettlebells and how versatile they were

Once we gathered all of this information, we compared our ratings for each factor and compared to the price of the kettlebell. This is important because the value is not just a number, but rather what the kettlebell will contribute to you in relation to your initial investment. That is why it is important that you take the time to consider what you are looking for in a kettlebell, whether you are a beginner or not, and the types of exercises you want to do with your kettlebell.