Training with kettlebells can be an excellent way to boost both your strength and cardio fitness (just check out this kettlebell workout guide) and, like dumbbells, they’re small enough and affordable enough for you get for home use. But don’t just splash the cash on the first one you see.
“Choosing the right kettlebell can be a bit overwhelming,” says trainer Jamie Lloyd, who was British Kettlebell Sport champion in 2014. “Just 10 years ago there were very few companies that sold them. These days you can buy them at your local supermarket.” Here’s our picks of the best kettlebells out there, as well as what to consider when buying your first kettlebell.
Training with kettlebells can be an excellent way to boost both your all-round fitness, and are a smart purchase if you’re planning to work out at home. Like dumbbells, they’re small enough and affordable enough for home use, but unlike dumbbells, you can get by with just one to start with.
Beginner kettlebell exercises are also easy to get to grips with, but there are plenty of tricky movements to master. If you’re up for spending the time perfecting the clean, snatch and jerk exercises you’ll certainly get your money’s worth from your purchase.
Then, once you’re a kettlebell pro, you’ll find there’s a kettlebell workout for every fitness goal – strength, hypertrophy, cardio, fat loss and (of course) abs. However, if you have designs on swinging a kettlebell around like a champ, you need to invest in a good-quality kettlebell.
“Choosing the right kettlebell can be a bit overwhelming,” says trainer Jamie Lloyd, who was British Kettlebell Sport champion in 2014. “Just 10 years ago there were very few companies that sold them. These days you can buy them at your local supermarket.” To help, we quizzed Lloyd on what he looks for in a kettlebell, then we took that insight and our experience to select a range of great options.
We’d break our selection into four broad categories. There’s cheap and cheerful, which will add a little resistance to home strength workouts but you’ll soon outgrow them. Then there are mid-range kettlebells: well-built free weights that are suitable for more committed exercisers who may graduate on to kettlebell flows, but would never consider entering a kettlebell competition.
If you are going to take it seriously, be prepared to put down some serious money on competition kettlebells which have a consistent handle diameter across the range of weights, so you can perfect your technique. The final type is selectorised kettlebells, one handle with a bell that you can add or subtract weight plates to. These are harder to use for technical moves like the snatch, but if you’re happy to stick to more traditional free-weights exercises, being able to choose a lighter weight for an overhead press and a heavier one for a squat is an advantage.
The Best Kettlebells
These kettlebells from big-box sports retailer Decathlon are among the better inexpensive options, with a robust feel and a large handle that’s comfortable to hold for two-handed swings. The weight range isn’t as large as you’ll find with mid-range kettlebells, but having options from 4kg to 24kg will more than satisfy most home exercisers. The rubber base also helps to minimise scraping hard floors.
One of our perennial picks thanks to its no-nonsense nature and reasonable price. It’s a cast-iron model that has a smaller body than similarly priced plastic models, but its handle is still large enough to let you perform two-handed kettlebell swings comfortably. There are sometimes deals for pairs of weights available, but in true Amazon fashion you’ll need to go down a rabbit hole to find them.
These aren’t the classiest kettlebells you’ll find and they would probably enrage our expert if he saw them in your home gym, but we’ve got the pink 6kg one at home and it’s served us well enough, and the prices are certainly beginner-friendly as well. If you just need a little weight to beef up your home workouts, these will get the job done.
These cast-iron kettlebells are a great option for anyone who’s looking to upgrade from cheap weights but doesn’t need to go the whole hog and pick up a competition-class kettlebell (which Eleiko also stocks) for their home set-up. The Training kettlebell is still a high-quality piece of kit, with a finish that feels smooth but has enough texture to allow chalk to aid your grip, and packs the same weight into a smaller kettlebell than cheaper options do. The size of the handle isn’t standard across the range, but is designed to suit the size of the kettlebell and accommodate two hands.
TRX’s eight-strong range begins with 4kg, 6kg and 8kg kettlebells, then increases in 4kg increments. The wide, smooth handle is easy to grip with two hands, and feels comfortable during swings and snatches. Colour-coded bands help to identify the weight you’re grabbing if you buy a few weights. There’s nothing truly remarkable about these kettlebells, but they’re well made and sit between entry-level and competition models. You can also find variations on the TRX site with a rubber base, which will be gentler on hard floors.
Our expert’s favourites don’t come cheap, but these coloured cast-iron kettlebells are top-notch. The size of the handle (34mm in diameter) and bell are consistent across the range, and there’s an extensive selection of weights, increasing by 2kg from 4kg to 16kg, then by 4kg up to 48kg. The handle is stainless steel with a slight texture to let chalk do its thing.
While bigger than one kettlebell, it’s much smaller than two and a dial on the top of the bell lets you cycle through six weights. The handle is steel and comfortably fits two hands for swings, although the plastic body doesn’t nestle in the rack position as well as a fixed-weight mid-range or competition kettlebell. Most usefully, a one-year subscription to the JRNY app is included so you can learn the movements with on-demand tutorials then put them into practice with follow-along workouts. While it is expensive, it’s worth noting that in the US it’s significantly cheaper than the JaxJox below.
If you’re after more bells and whistles and are willing to pay for it, this neat, space-saving electronic model may be up your street. Like selectorised dumbbells, this kettlebell adds or subtracts weight plates to give you six weights to work with. Simply press a button to choose one of six weights, pull it off its charging cradle and it’s good to go. An accompanying app supplies workout ideas, and motion sensors in the device will track your reps.
Kettlebell Buyer’s Guide
The Weight
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“Start with one kettlebell,” Lloyd says. “There’s no need to get a whole set. Build up gradually and order several at a time as you progress. You will know when you are ready to start incorporating double kettlebells and heavier kettlebells into your programme – your body will tell you.”
If you’re a kettlebell novice, Lloyd recommends the following weights for your first purchase.
- Men: 16kg
- Women: 8kg
Feeling ready to commit? Then start with these three weights.
- Men: 16kg, 18kg, 20kg
- Women: 8kg, 10kg, 12kg
The Handle
Of course, there’s more to a kettlebell than how heavy it is. You need to pay attention to the handle.
“Kettlebell swings, cleans and snatches are repetitive actions, so if you have a rough handle or one with a seam going down the middle, you will soon know about it,” says Lloyd. “The seam needs to be filed down to leave an even surface to hold. Cheaper kettlebell manufacturers will make no real effort to remove this nasty, sharp seam and your hands will soon tear up like you’ve done a day on a building site.”
Lloyd recommends running your hands around the entire handle, especially underneath, before buying. If you’re already in possession of a kettlebell with a raised seam, sand it down so it’s smooth.
The Handle Size
That’s the handle’s surface sorted, but you also need to check that its diameter gives you a comfortable hold.
“This is especially important if you have big hands,” says Lloyd. “Slide your hand in and place the kettlebell in the rack position [holding the kettlebell up so it rests on your forearm, biceps and shoulder]. The kettlebell should sit comfortably in your hand and your wrist should be straight.”
“Decent kettlebells will have handle diameters that measure about 30-31mm, going up to around 38mm for the heaviest bells. My favourites are competition kettlebells, which generally have a uniform handle diameter of 33mm regardless of the weight.”
The Price
Be wary of cheap kettlebells, as the results will be far from cheerful. “You can tell if they are cheap as they will be covered in vinyl with a rubber bottom and a handle that looks ridiculous,” says Lloyd.
“Some kettlebells are even plastic. I can think of just a few uses for these and one of them is to hold the kitchen door open! Some cheap bells can have very narrow handles that are nearly impossible to hold on to during kettlebell swings, and feel awkward for snatches.”
Lloyd’s recommendation is Wolverson Fitness. “These are a bit more pricy, but if you want consistency, good progression and form then get kettlebells from Wolverson Fitness. I’ve been using them for ten years. If you are starting out and just want a home workout, get some cast-iron bells which have a smaller cannon base, but if you are more serious get some competition bells.”
