If you’ve found yourself here, you will be looking for a weighted vest for running. There is a wide range of sports which can benefit from the use of a weighted vest.
To increase power, a lot of people go to the gym, but this can be difficult adding resistance to events specific exercises like running. This is where a weighted vest comes into its own.
Running with a weighted vest adds resistance but still enables you to run with the same technique and motion. Adding strength this way, you can also reduce the chances of injury.
Table of Contents
Best Weighted Vest For Running
Xn8 Weighted Running Vest
This one size fits all vest from Xn8 comes in 20kg. But as the weights are removable, you can make the vest as light as you wish to depend on the type of exercise you’re about to undertake.
With it being an adjustable weighted vest It’s very comfortable to wear because of its evenly distributed weight around the body and adjustable straps.
You can easily fold the vest, so it’s nice and easy when it comes to storing the vest away when you’re not using it. With the wide range of exercises, you can use this for. It’s excellent value for money making it one of the best weighted vests for running on the market.
Surreal Weighted Vest
A huge range of weighted vest sizes is available with the Surreal Vest starts at 10kg and going all way through to 30kg in 5kg increments.
With the option of removing the weight packets, If you get the 30kg version, you can easily change the weight of before working out. Or if multiple people will be using it, you can change the weight based on the individual. This can save you money, if team members or family may also wish to use the vest.
It has a padded design which helps with comfort while running and other exercises you may wish to you use it for like CrossFit and plyometrics.
The vest is also sweatproof, which makes a massive difference, as sweat can break down the material and cause erosion over many years, and they should keep it clean.
Trying to find the best weighted vest to run in will depend on the running you’ll be doing. Having an adjustable weighted vest I’ll give you the versatility needed to adjust this to your training to get the maximum out of the vest.
MultiWare Weighted Vest
Here we have a slightly different design compare to the other two vests I’ve already mentioned. Weighing in at 10 kg, It’s a lot more versatile and lightweight. With the design, the weight is spread evenly across your chest and back. By having this even distribution of weight is comfortable to wear and would also limit the chances of injury due to incorrect posture.
It’s fully adjustable, which means it’s one size fits all. The materials used are very soft, so you can wear it for large amounts of time without feeling uncomfortable.
There is also a mesh pocket at the back suitable to carry a water bottle, Along with some other small items like your car keys.
Viavito Weighted Vest
At only 2.5kg, the Viavito vest is perfect for adding resistance without having an excessive amount of weight which will impact your performance. It’s not an adjustable weighted vest, so the 2.5kg it comes with is the maximum this weighted vests will carry.
It’s a one size fits all best, so there’s no need to play around measurements. But adjustable straps are allowing you to find a perfect fit.
The way the vest has been designed evenly places the weight around the torso. Couple this with the adjustable shoulder straps makes for a great fitting weighted vest.
With hard-wearing materials, the vest is durable and can withstand the hardest of workouts without the fear of anything breaking.
There are some excellent features added that you don’t generally on most of the vests, like the reflective panelling for when you’re out running at night—also it a mesh pocket at the back for enough space for keys and a water bottle.
Adidas Weighted Vest
The Adidas full body weighted vest as you can see in the picture Is an adjustable weighted vest, Meaning you can Add pound increments To the best depending on what exercise you’re about to perform.
Has breathable mesh sections, which hugely help with ventilation while you are working out.
The weights are included in the price.
Also has brilliant straps so provides a snug fit which is ideal and reassuring to know.
HYPERWEAR Hyper Vest Pro
The hyperwear hyper vest is an adjustable weighted vest, as it comes with 10lbs of weights but that was due to expand and buy more to increase the overall weight of the vest.
Justin profile of the best gives you a great range of motion, And as you can swap and change the weights yourself, You can move it round to see the weight or evenly distributed, Which increases the comfort and reduces the risk of injury while wearing the vest.
The vest is made from a material based fabric, So it has some stretch to it. When you combine that with the open side adjustable straps means it has excellent ventilation and gives you a perfect fit every time.
Are weighted vests good for running?
Weighted vests are good for running because they increase resistance. By Increasing resistance while you are running, overtime improves your strength while performing that movement.
How heavy should weighted vest be?
The amount of weight you should use is down to your body weight and strength levels. I’m around 12 stone in weight and find a best about 10kg is the perfect weight for me to hold my technique while adding the right amount of resistance.
Do Weighted Vests Make You Faster?
Any form of training which makes things harder, this will help improve your power, speed Endurance.
This is only one tiny aspect which you should have in your training programme.
So, to benefit from the gains, the body may receive from wearing a weighted vest while training, you’ll need to perform the correct event-specific drills to help utilise your increased power.
Are Weighted Vests Bad For Your Knees?
If your knees are in poor health, then you may struggle with some of the heavier weighted vests you can buy.
You shouldn’t hit many problems if you steadily build up your training and weight, rather than just jumping in at the deep end.
Can You Adjust the weight?
Yes, this is down to the type of vest you get. I’ve listed some, where you can adjust the amount the jacket weighs.
Many people will opt for this option because it gives you tremendous versatility, in the types of training sessions you can use it for.
You can make it lighter, for sessions where you’re trying to target and increase fast-twitch fibres.
Or heavier, when you’re trying to maximise your strength.
How To Adjust The Weight
Most adjustable vests will come with little pockets in rows all over the front and back. These will hold little-weighted packets which you can slide into the jacket. You can buy extra of these weighted packets, to increase the overall weight of the vest.
You will have to investigate the weights will fit the size of the pockets you have on your vest before purchasing, as you can get a size mismatch.
The weights and pockets on the vest tend to be a universal size between most manufacturers, so it shouldn’t take you too long before finding a match.
How To Maintain Your Vest
As most of you will be using your vest during physical activity, it will undergo some punishment. If not treated correctly, the lifespan of your weighted vest can be dramatically reduced.
I’ve found the main thing that can affect the health of the vest is sweat.
As you can imagine, you’re wearing a vest which is an extra layer you may not wear during exercise. On top of that, the jacket contains weights, which is causing you to work harder than usual.
If you’re working out indoors or in a warm environment, this can cause even the fittest individuals to sweat quite a bit.
If you don’t air out your vest, the sweat can start eroding sections of the vest. I noticed the first parts that start going are the actual weights. Once this starts to happen, the smell can be pretty bad.
Another way of combating this is to wear a sweatproof t-shirt under the vest. This will help with keeping the weighted vest relatively dry during exercise.
Conclusion
Having a weighted vest for running can be a superb asset to have within your training tools. It gives you such a vast range of exercises you can perform with resistance, which would ordinarily be impossible or very dangerous to achieve.
If you’re planning on running long distances while wearing a weighted vest, then you’re certainly better looking for one with ventilation or some kind of sweat repellent material.
Anyone who is using this form of resistance training will tell you having that extra layer cause you to sweat more than average.
There are significant benefits to be made from adding this type of training to your program. Not only does it benefit long-distance athletes, but it can also help sprint power-based events and sports. Which I will go into further detail below.
The reason I like using this kind of weighted training is that you can carry out your typical technique or drills for your chosen sport. While safely increasing how hard it is to perform those actions.
What I mean by this is, say you’re a sprinter. You can wear a weighted vest while doing your regular drills or running. It will require you to activate more muscle fibres during these exercises.
This is pretty much the same type of thing throwers try to achieve by using throwing overweight equipment compared to the ones they’ll be using in competition.
When you come to perform the same action, it will feel a lot easier.
Other advantages are losing weight. This is pretty obvious, as you’ll be increasing your heart rate more than you normally would under the same conditions without the vest.
The market for weighted vests has never been better, with a massive range of companies, including the top ones like Adidas getting involved.
So if you’re one for buying a label, but knowing you’re getting a quality product, you will not be disappointed here.
Buying Tip: Think of all the variations of your training which the vest can aid. Some may be perfect in one aspect, but not so good for others. So I would always try and find a tremendous all-around vest, which will give you a greater scope to use in your training or weight loss programmes.
Always read the reviews. I’m sure many of you do but try and read the reviews from people who have a verified purchase of the item.