I have a few other weight vests, and this is by far the best one I own. The biggest advantage is that it uses actual iron block weights. They slide in and out effortlessly, making adjustments quick and smooth. My other vests use sand filled bags, which are hard to position evenly and always feel a bit lumpy. This one adjusts perfectly every time. The vest weighs 36 pounds fully loaded and includes sixteen 2 pound weights. You can bring it all the way down to six pounds or anywhere up to thirty six. Wearing it at full weight is no joke. It is more or less comfortable, but that much weight on your shoulders or collarbones is something to build up to. My other vests top out around twelve pounds, so this is a major step up. It did take me a while to figure out how the belt secures. There is Velcro on the back, so I kept looking for a matching flap on the front. It turns out the front connection is simply on the bottom row. Some quick instructions would have saved me the trouble of checking the listing photos while I was standing in my garage. One thing to be aware of is the look of the vest. It resembles a police or military style plate carrier. That may be fine indoors, but wearing it around the neighborhood could draw some odd looks since it really does look like body armor at a glance. All that said, this is a very high quality product. It feels durable, the stitching and materials are solid, and the iron block system is outstanding. Adding thirty six pounds to your walks or workouts is absolutely noticeable, and taking it off afterward makes you feel instantly lighter. At the time of this review, it is priced around eighty four dollars. That’s a bit high, but given the quality and adjustability, I think it is fair. I 100% recommend this vest. Read more
I bought the 36 lb version of the AmStaff adjustable weighted vest specifically to train for an 8.5-hour mountain hike I have coming up. I wanted to simulate the exact weight I’ll be carrying with my backpack, water, food, and gear so there would be no surprises on the big day. This vest has been absolutely perfect for that. What I love: • Fully adjustable in 2–3 lb increments (comes with lots of small iron blocks), so I started at 10 lbs and will gradually work my way up to the full 36 lbs over a few months. No huge jumps in weight that shock the body. • Surprisingly comfortable for long sessions. I’ve worn it for an hour of workouts and it doesn’t dig into the shoulders or chafe like some other vests I’ve tried. The wide shoulder straps and thick padding really help. • Stays put! Even when walking or hiking on technical trails, the blocks don’t shift around and the vest doesn’t bounce. • Easy to add/remove weights mid-workout. Takes literally 10–15 seconds. • Good quality for the price – stitching and materials feel solid, and the iron blocks appear to be coated so hopefully they don’t rust or bang together noisily. A couple of very small notes (nothing that drops it below 5 stars for me): • It does get warm (as any weighted vest will), so I wear a thin moisture-wicking shirt underneath on hot days. • Even at only 12 lbs it feels noticeably front-and-back heavy (which is normal), but the first few workouts took a little getting used to. Bottom line: If you’re training for rucking, long hikes, obstacle races, or just want to build serious endurance and strength, this is a fantastic vest. I’m now completely confident that when I throw on my 30–35 lb hiking pack for the real 8.5-hour trek, it’s going to feel easy by comparison. Highly recommend the AmStaff vest! Read more
The 35-lb vest came well packed and in perfect condition in a small, heavy box. Enclosed was the vest, three straps to be fitted together (as seen in the image already connected to the bottom of the back of the vest), and 16 2-kg (2.2 lb) weights. What was not in the box were any instructions for assembling the straps (not easy) and properly fitting the vest for activities (very important). I had to rely on youtube videos for instructions from similar products. The straps are connected and secured by strong Velcro. The main strap is very long (to accommodate people of various sizes) and needed to be looped over onto itself for me (I have a 38-inch chest). This was hard to do even without weights inserted into the vest (it would have been very difficult if the vest was loaded with weights) and I had to try it several times because of the lack of any instructions or guides or indicators for sizing and fit on the straps. Eventually I got it hooked together as seen in the first image. Once assembled, I added half the weights for a trial hike (see second image). Putting the weighted vest on was a tight fit over my ears, but it felt solid and well padded after I got it on. I adjusted the tightness of the straps per guidance online (again not included with the package) so it was snug but allowed easy breathing. I didn't try running, but I did do a couple challenging hikes, and it felt pretty good. Overall I think this is a very solid, versatile, well made product and a decent value for money. The drawback was getting it to the point where you can actually use it. Read more
