There may be some merit to all the chatter surrounding weighted vests — a 2020 randomized, controlled single-center trial found that weighted vests helped people with obesity lose weight, while another small randomized controlled trial found they helped boost agility performance in young male athletes. A 2019 study even found that wearing weighted vests during exercise could build strength and stamina in adults more than performing the exercises alone.

In short, adding a weighted vest to your daily activities — whether that’s a walk or an intense gym workout — could be a simple way to get more out of your workout.

“I like that it is such an easy addition to my training plan for the day, and that it can really kick my butt,” says RJ Williams, a physical therapist and franchise consultant at Fyzical Therapy and Balance Centers. “It can cut down the amount of time I need to work out as well. Instead of running longer distances, I can shorten it and feel like I trained harder. Or I can improve upon my push-ups or pull-ups without just having to do more because I get a greater challenge.”

We like the idea of making exercise more effective, so we got to work, speaking with fitness professionals to get their tips on what features to look for. Based on their feedback and our own extensive research, we selected 12 weighted vests to test, from weighted vests for running to the best adjustable weighted vest. Over several months, we tested the vests on smaller and larger bodies, including people in their 20s, 30s and 60s, in different exercise conditions, including while walking indoors and outside. Based on our results, we determined the best weighted vest for every need.

Best weighted vest overall
Hyperwear
Best overall weighted vest
Hyperwear Hyper Vest Elite
Sizing: S-XL | Weight capacity: 10 lbs. (S/M/L/XL), 15 lbs. (S/M/L/XL), 20 lbs. (M/L/XL) | Weight increments: 2.25 oz. | Materials: Cordura fabric with two-way stretch | Weight distribution: Torso and back