I have been wanting to put together a blog on the use of grips for quite some time. I have held off because it’s a difficult thing to “type” out. Today in a couple of my classes I addressed the use of them for the toe to bar component. While there is a lot that goes into the use of grips that is personal preference, there are also a few simple points that should be adhered to for everyone. I’ll also throw in some of my personal “tips” and you can take ‘em or leave ‘em, but just things that have worked for me. Being in the midst of the Open and having week one out of the way without any gymnastics, you can bet you’re going to be needing grips more than once in the next four weeks. 

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First, just so everyone knows what I am talking about when I say “grips”. I am referring to gymnastics grips for gripping the rig while performing movements there. There are all kinds of different styles out there but they all share a few common traits. First, something around your wrist to keep them in place. A Velcro enclosure fed through a buckle that you can adjust for how tight you like them. Then a piece of material extending over the palm of the hand and fingers. This is usually leather but there are some other options out there as well.  Some have finger holes in them, others have loops attached to the end to put your fingers through, while others are just a “flap”. 

Next, why use them?  A gymnastics grip is designed for two main reasons. They are designed to help you have a better grip on the rig is number one. The “flap” on them, usually leather, is made to have better stick than your hands. Second, they are designed to help save your skin!  We are all familiar with the dreaded “tears” from any volume of rug work. A grip will help prolong the life of your skin; and when used properly will all but eliminate those tears. As an added benefit, when used properly, they will also aid in your grip and help prevent fatigue from setting in so quick. More on this later. 

I am not going to go too much into “fit” of them, as that varies greatly depending on the style of grip you chose. However, a couple things to watch for. Obviously make sure the strap is long enough to go around your wrist and stay closed. You also want to make sure the flap is covers at least to the third joint on your index finger (if you have the style with holes in them for your fingers, they’re going to need to be longer than that). Any reputable source selling grips will have a full sizing “how to” on their webpage that I strongly suggest you take a read of and do the measurements before ordering.

Ok, so now that you have selected your favourite grips and they’ve shown up and you’re ready to smash your first workout in them - here’s a couple things you should know. They’re going to need some breaking in. Depending on the grips and you as an athlete and how much “torque” you apply to the grips, this might take two or three workouts. Don’t get frustrated with them until then. You may be a little slower because you’re regrouping and chalking up in the first couple workouts in them. It’s ok. I assure you, no one remembers or cares. Just like any new piece of equipment or gear, they’re going to take some time to get used to. On that note, just because you have grips, doesn’t meant you don’t need the chalk bucket. Still put some chalk on your hands “under” the grip. Then, chalk the front side of the grip that is going to be on the rig. You don’t need to go nuts with the chalk (and believe it or not, there shouldn’t be a pile of chalk  on the floor beside the bucket when you are done haha). 

When you put the grips on, the strap around your wrist should be tight. Not “cut off circulation” tight, but they should stay in place (maybe with some exception depending on the workout but that’s for another time) and not be able to spin around your wrist. Most grips are designed to have the buckle be on the outside of your wrist (again, this will be in the instructions and how-to from any good grip company). That strap that goes around your wrist is designed to be “loaded”. This is where I see a ton of people go wrong. The flap isn’t just there as a piece of material between your hand and the bar. The whole grip is meant to do some of the work for you. When you are hanging on the bar with a properly loaded grip, the strap around your wrist should be tight and pulling. This helps take a little bit of the load of your actual hand and saves some physical strength grip fatigue. In order to make this happen, think “catch high” when you grab the bar. You want to “overwrap” your hands when you jump up. You should be doing your rig work on your first set of calluses on your palm. When you jump up to “set” and load your grip, make contact with the bar at the butt of your hand keeping the flap of the grip tight on the strap. As your hand slides down into that “first callus” position, the strap of the grip should get loaded up and pull on your wrist. Now your grips are doing some of the work for you.  Simply jumping up and gripping as you would without a grip on and having that grip just act as piece of material between your palm and the bar isn’t doing yourself a lot of favours. I’ve actually snapped of couple of the plastic buckle grips from “loading” them up like this. 

That’s kind of the long and short for using grips. Regardless of the type or style or material, you can and should apply those points. One thing you might want to try out, which in my opinion, helps to properly load and benefit from grips is not putting your fingers through the holes. Again, purely personal preference here but this works for me.  When I use grips with fingers holes in them, before I jump up on the rig, I put just my finger tips (basically to my finger nails) into the holes and extend. This stretches the flap of the grip tight and “loads” the wrist strap. As I jump and catch high like I talked about in the last paragraph, I let my fingers come out of the holes. This helps to ensure the grip is set tight and loaded on my wrist. This is a very common practise and something that works well for most people. 

A couple other quick tips for grips:

1. Let them dry!  Don’t just jam them into your bag after using them (unless you like that moldy hockey glove smell kind of thing). 

2. Close the velcro strap up when not using them. This helps the world’s lint supply stay free from captivity on it and makes it actually work like it’s supposed to.  

3. Don’t store them folded seven times or crumpled up and rammed in the corner of your bag. Try to keep them as close to how you were them as you can. Hint: I hang mine on a carabiner on the outside of my bag. 

4. Don’t be afraid of chalking them up. We talked about that above but chalk the inside and outside of them “before” you start a workout to save time during. 

That should about cover it. If you are unclear on anything I have tried to make sense of here, track me down at the gym anytime and I’d be more than happy to help show you what I’m talking about. I’ll also say, there is a difference in an entry level “get by” grip and an actual good set. Before you invest some money in a good pair, ask your friends at the gym to try theirs. See what you like and what works for you. Again, feel free to track me down and ask for some advice here; I’ve tried a ton of different ones. I also have three or four different ones of my own at the gym you can take a look at. 

Best of Roundups

The Best CrossFit Grips for , Tested By CrossFitters and Personal Trainers

Ripped hands.

Anyone who has done CrossFit for a considerable amount of time has the scars and stories of bloodied palms. It’s almost like a rite of passage for some. “Oh, you ripped your hands on those pull-ups? Now you’re a real CrossFitter!”

Basic hand care and right-hand protection can prevent you from losing days of training (and painful showers). In fact, I think grips are one of the best CrossFit equipment pieces you can own. That’s why I dove into researching the best CrossFit grips and compiled the list below.

Why You Should Trust Us

I have been doing CrossFit for years, and we have two other people on the Garage Gym Reviews team – Kate Meier and Amanda Capritto – who are both avid CrossFitters as well as certified CrossFit L1 Trainers.

We researched around 25 gymnastic grips and legitimately tested almost a dozen of them over the course of 35 workouts. We performed kip pull-ups and other rig work and checked out their ease of use in making transitions between the bar and other movements. Also, we reached out to companies to talk to them about how they made their grips.

Best CrossFit Grips

• Best CrossFit Grips Overall: Bear Komplex 3 Hole Hand Grips – Carbon Fiber
• Best Budget CrossFit Grips: Rogue V2 Gymnastics Grips
• Best CrossFit Grips for Pull-Ups: Iron Bull EZ Gripz V2
• Best CrossFit Grips for More Reps: Picsil Azor Grips
• Best Fingerless CrossFit Grips: Element 26 IsoComp Gymnastic Hand Grips
• Best Single-Use Grips: WOD N DONE

Best CrossFit Grips Overall: Bear Komplex Carbon Fiber Gymnastics Grips

Good for: People looking for a very sticky pair of gymnastics grips

Best Overall GGR Score: We test and review fitness products based on an independent, multi-point methodology. 4.75 Bear Komplex 3 Hole Hand Grips – Carbon Fiber No returns after they’ve been used 30-day warranty Multiple sizes available Material Carbon Fiber Design Three finger holes Multiple Sizes? Yes Durability With a carbon fiber design, these are among the most durable grips we’ve tested CrossFit Athletes The durable design is meant to be used for a variety of high-intensity exercises. Weightlifters The versatile design also works well for Olympic weightlifting. Budget Shoppers Priced under $50, these durable grips should fit most budgets. Pros of the Bear Komplex Carbon Fiber Gymnastics Grips Three-hole finger design Very sticky grip Lightweight carbon fiber Extremely durable Cons of the Bear Komplex Carbon Fiber Gymnastics Grips Not as great with barbell work as leather grips Circular finger holes stretch out and are slightly uncomfortable Designed to go over the index finger, which is a little odd to us Cost Around $45 Available Sizes Small, Medium, Large, X-Large Washable? Hand wash with soap and water

This unique, patented Carbon Comp design from Bear KompleX offers athletes a 3-Hole Hand Grip specifically suited to slick and powder-coated bars and handles.

If you’re on social media, you’ve likely seen many CrossFit Games athletes repping the Bear Komplex Carbons. Sure, Bear Komplex sponsors a lot of athletes, but many of them use them because they also like them. The Bear Komplex Carbon Fiber Grips are a clear front-runner when it comes to gymnastic grips. We like the three-hole finger design (though there is also a two-finger option) and highly recommend them over the two-hole style.

However, the best part about the Bear Komplex Grips is the carbon fiber that is both lightweight and sticky. These are the first and only gymnastic grips we’ve seen using this material, and although we were skeptical at first, the carbon fiber sticks to the pull-up bar better than any material we’ve used. The Bear Komplex Carbon Fiber Grips are also well-built and will last longer than many of the cheaper options on the market.

The last benefit of the carbon fiber material Bear Komplex uses is its durability. We used the Carbon Grips quite a bit, and they showed very little wear at the end of testing. That said, the downside to the carbon fiber material was how it felt while using a barbell. Although we enjoyed them during all bar work, when it came to things off the bar or rings, they fell short in comparison to leather.

One improvement we’d like to see with the Carbon Grips is making the finger holes more of a rectangle shape. The circular cutouts dug into our fingers until they began stretching out during the break-in period.

Although we didn’t like the cutout holes, we did like the wrist strap. Most of the cheaper gymnastic grips are very uncomfortable around the wrist. However, the Bear Komplex Grips wrap the carbon fiber material around the wrist which keeps the velcro from digging in.

The aggressive angled design of the grips kept the material on the calluses, however, rather than the holes corresponding to the pinky, ring, and middle fingers, they are meant to be on the index, middle, and ring fingers. We’ve experienced very little wear under our index finger over the years and were a bit confused why they were designed in this way. You can adjust, but it is a bit awkward.

Best Budget Crossfit Grips: Rogue V2 Gymnastics Grips

Good for: The budget-conscious shopper who needs hand protection

Best Budget Grips GGR Score: We test and review fitness products based on an independent, multi-point methodology. 4 Rogue V2 Gymnastic Grips No returns after they’ve been used 30-day warranty Multiple sizes available Material Leather made in the USA Design Two finger holes Multiple Sizes? Yes Durability These grips aren’t quite as durable as high-end options, but they’re more affordable. CrossFit Athletes The durable design is meant to be used for a variety of high-intensity exercises. Weightlifters The versatile design also works well for Olympic weightlifting. Budget Shoppers Priced around $30, these are very affordable, especially for the quality you’re getting. Pros of the Rogue V2 Gymnastics Grips Affordably priced Longer grips fold over bars for better grip Suede covering is comfortable on the hands Cons of the Rogue V2 Gymnastics Grips Can get a little slippery after a lot of use/chalk Strap is uncomfortable Two-finger design Cost Around $30 Available Sizes Small, Medium, Large Washable? Hand wash with soap and water

Rogue’s Gymnastics Grips are the proven accessory for protecting your hands during high-rep pull-ups, kettlebell swings, toes-to-bar, and dozens of other palm punishing movements.

If you want a decent pair of gymnastic grips that are less comfortable, durable, and grippy, but also less expensive, the Rogue v2 Gymnastic Grips will more than get the job done. I’m a fan of budget-friendly equipment when the product doesn’t sacrifice too much for the price. I’d say these grips fall into that category.

Before we set out to test the best gymnastic grips available, these are the only grips I had ever really used. I started with a short pair and then realized after watching videos of Rich Froning and Annie Thorisdottir that a majority of the top CrossFit Games athletes use extra-long grips so they can put a fold over the bar. Once you use a longer pair of gymnastic grips, it’s hard to go back to a shorter pair, which is one reason Jaw Grips and Natural Grips didn’t rank higher on our list.

The Rogue V2 Grips feature a 2.5″ wide piece of leather that has suede texture on both sides for hand comfort, as well as extra grip on the pull-up bar. In our testing, the Rogue V2 Grips proved to be a durable pair of gymnastic grips, however, after a while and lots of chalk, the grips did begin to get slippery.

The way the grips fasten to your wrist is through a velcro strap that keeps them in place but is also very uncomfortable on the wrist and can dig in rather easily. The plastic buckle also tends to dig into the skin and is on the same side of both grips.

What this means is that Rogue is not making grips that correspond to your hand, but rather the same design that causes the buckle to sit on different sides of the wrist due to them being the same. Although this is probably great for Rogue in regards to their cost, it’s a less-than-ideal design and should be addressed.

Best CrossFit Grips for Pull-Ups: Iron Bull EZ Gripz V2

Good for: People who want a hand grip that will keep them stuck to a pull-up bar

Best for Pull-Ups GGR Score: We test and review fitness products based on an independent, multi-point methodology. 4 Iron Bull EZ Gripz V2 30-day return policy 1-year warranty Multiple sizes available Material Proprietary Non-Slip Material Design Fingerless Design Multiple Sizes? Yes Durability These grips are very durable and secure, with a thick, grippy design. CrossFit Athletes The durable design is meant to be used for a variety of high-intensity exercises, providing plenty of grip on pull-ups, snatches, and more. Weightlifters The versatile design also works well for Olympic weightlifting and barbell exercises. Value Shoppers At $50, these aren’t the cheapest grips, but the quality is excellent and worth the extra cost. Pros of the Iron Bull EZ Gripz V2 Quick grip switch between sessions Durable construction Enhances lifts during push or pull exercises Cons of the Iron Bull EZ Gripz V2 Only available in medium and large Some reviewers say the design feels too thick Cost Around $50 Available Sizes Medium, Large Washable? Hand wash with soap and water

Designed with a proprietary non-slip material, the Iron Bull EZ Gripz V2 accessory provides good grip, solid arch support, and enables quick grip switches in between sets. If you have smaller hands, however, these may not fit as they are only sold in medium and large.

The Iron Bull EZ Gripz V2 are a useful tool for anyone trying to perfect their pull-up game, or even those who are still at a beginner level. The non-slip material is specially designed to help with mind-muscle connection during push-pull exercises so you can focus on getting your chin above the bar instead of worrying if you’ll slip or not.

Although we haven’t gotten our hands on these, yet, we’re big fans of its versatility. The palm piece can be placed against your hand for quick grabbing, or wrapped around the bar if you want to go for as many reps as possible. The quick-release feature is also a nice touch for anyone who might be supersetting their pull-ups.

While we’re recommending these for pull-ups, we can also see them working for other movements such as rows, deadlifts, or any other move where you don’t want to lose your grip.

Yes, these grips are on the expensive side but you get a 30-day money back guarantee.

Best CrossFit Grips for More Reps: Picsil Azor Grips

Good for: Lifters who want a secure grip that works well with chalk

Best for More Reps GGR Score: We test and review fitness products based on an independent, multi-point methodology. 4.25 Picsil Azor Grips 30-day return policy 60-day warranty Multiple sizes available Material Leather Design Fingerless Design Multiple Sizes? Yes Durability Reviewers say the grips will last 6-9 months with regular use. CrossFit Athletes The durable design is meant to be used for a variety of high-intensity exercises, providing plenty of grip on pull-ups, snatches, and more. Weightlifters The versatile design also works well for Olympic weightlifting and barbell exercises. Chalk Users These grips are designed to be used with chalk, and machine washable for easy cleanup. Pros of the Picsil Azor Grips Multiple sizes and colors are available Designed for increased magnesium retention Machine washable Cons of the Picsil Azor Grips Some users report the grip feels too thick May need to be replaced every 6-9 months Cost Around $45 Available Sizes Small, Medium, Large, X-Large Washable? Machine washable

Picsil Azor Grips are lightweight grips designed for CrossFit, gymnastics, and Olympic weightlifting. They’re designed to work well with lifting chalk, and can easily be washed with your regular laundry loads.

For those who want grips that won’t slip, allowing you to perform plenty of reps before you need to readjust your grip, Picsil Azor Grips are a great choice.

Each grip has a wrist strap for extra security, similar to lifting straps. You can adjust the velcro strap to perfectly fit your wrist, keeping it securely in place for nearly any type of exercise.

The Azor Grips are also designed specifically to increase magnesium retention, which is the most common ingredient used to make lifting chalk. This allows you to get an even better grip using chalk, a common staple in CrossFit facilities and home gyms alike.

Goto Zechen Fitness to know more.

Finally, Picsil Grips are designed to be machine washable. If you make a mess with your lifting chalk, Picsil says you can throw these grips in a regular load of laundry, and they’ll be ready to go.

The only minor concern would be the longevity. A few reviews mention the grips start to fray after a while, and even the five-star reviews say the grips should last six to nine months. While the Picsil Azor grips work great, especially with lifting chalk, just know that you may need to pick up a new pair every year or so depending on how often you’re using them.

Best Fingerless CrossFit Grips: Element 26 IsoComp Gymnastic Hand Grips

Good for: Anyone who prefers a fingerless grip design

Best Fingerless Grips GGR Score: We test and review fitness products based on an independent, multi-point methodology. 4 Element 26 IsoComp Gymnastic Hand Grips 30-day return policy 3-month warranty Multiple sizes available Material Rubber with Kevlar reinforcement Design Fingerless Design Multiple Sizes? Yes Durability Very durable with a Kevlar-reinforced palm, and a three-month warranty. CrossFit Athletes The durable design is meant to be used for a variety of high-intensity exercises, providing plenty of grip on pull-ups, snatches, and more. Weightlifters The versatile design also works well for Olympic weightlifting and barbell exercises. Multi-Sport Athletes These grips are designed to be used with or without chalk, on any type of bar or material. Pros of the Element 26 IsoComp Gymnastic Hand Grips Same price for all three sizes Kevlar on palm side for increased grip Neoprene wrist padding for extra protection Cons of the Element 26 IsoComp Gymnastic Hand Grips Some customer reviewers say they don’t last long Short three-month warranty Cost Around $35 Available Sizes Small, Medium, Large Washable? Machine washable

The Element 26 IsoComp Gymnastic Hand Grips are made with heavy-duty materials, such as kevlar on the palm side, for increased grip on pull-up bars, gymnastic rings, and more.

If you’re looking for a grip that allows for easier transitions between moves or just prefer a fingerless design, the Element 26 IsoComp Gymnastic Hand Grips is your best bet because they’re one of the few pairs that works well with or without chalk and have a secret weapon on the palm side: kevlar. Yup, the same material used in bulletproof vested is stitched into the grip for added support.

Plus, its outer edge is rounded to protect your skin during muscle-up turnovers so there’s no shedding of skin.

It’s not just about the hands. There’s also neoprene wrist padding for protection and sweat resistance.

Best Single-Use Grips: WOD N DONE

Good for: People who just want to try grips or don’t use them often

Best Single-Use Grips GGR Score: We test and review fitness products based on an independent, multi-point methodology. 3.75 WOD-N-DONE No returns once used No warranty One size fits most Material ‎Kinesiology Material Design Fingerless Design Multiple Sizes? One size fits most Durability They’re designed for single-use only. Those New to Grips You’ll get a pack of a single-use grips, making this a perfect option to see how like grips before buying a more expensive pair. Budget Shoppers While not exactly cheap, they’re more affordable than an expensive pair for those new to grips. Pros of the WOD-N-DONE Grips Thick, supportive wrist wrap Affordably priced Three finger holes Cons of the WOD-N-DONE Grips Padded grip may be great for some but too much for others Tight fit means getting the right size is paramount Not very eco-friendly Cost Around $35 for 10 grips Available Sizes One size fits most Washable? No, they’re meant to be thrown away after one use

A single-use grip that’s perfect for beginners, or those who don’t use grips often.

Single-use grips are a great option for those who have a tear and need some last-minute protection, or just want to see what it’s like to use grips.

Let’s get one thing straight, though: I’m not a fan of single-use grips for people who need grips on a regular basis. That isn’t environmentally friendly, it’s chaos on your budget, and it’s flat-out impractical.

The WOD N Done Grips are basically kinesiology tape in pre-cut packs. They come with three finger holes, which is nice because as we have covered exhaustively, we prefer three holes to two. Also, they are long enough to fit just about any hand; we have seen them on young athletes and on athletes with very big hands.

The bottom of WOD N Dones splits in half to wrap around your wrist to secure the tape in place. To prevent ripping, these actually hold up pretty well. They stay in place and definitely cover the parts of your hand susceptible to ripping.

However, these are pretty expensive for being single-use. Also, we have found them to be a little slick on the pull-up bar but perform better on wood rings.

Other CrossFit Grips We Tried and Researched

JAW Pullup Grips: Although JAW Pullup Grips are a popular option, there’s a reason you see very few CrossFit Games Athletes use them and that’s because they simply don’t perform as well as more traditional style gymnastic grips. The JAW Pullup Grips are comfortable, in fact, they’re one of the most comfortable pairs of grips we tested, but due to their use of stretchy clots, they don’t wrap around the bar like we like to see grips used. The JAW Grips did not require any break-in time as advertised and they will help prevent your hands from ripping if that’s a large concern. The JAW Grips were also comfortable during barbell work due to their short and stretchy nature. For these reasons, we like the JAW Grips to avoid ripping but prefer the traditional style for most bar and ring work.

WOD Nation Leather Palm Grips: Priced at just $15 a pair, we don’t have much faith that these will be durable or comfortable. In truth, we haven’t worn them, as we have found with other grips that when the price dips below $20, quality suffers. These are two-hole grips, which we already don’t love. And while WOD Nation promotes that they are great for pull-ups, kettlebell work, and deadlifts, we can’t verify that.

Natural Grips: Natural Grips have been a popular option since their appearance on Shark Tank. Although the Natural Grips provide an incredible grip on the pull-up bar and rings, they rip very quickly. Although we got by with a couple of sessions using the Natural Grips, they didn’t last nearly as long as they were stated to last, and they’re pretty expensive for how quickly you’ll have to replace them. If you don’t mind spending a ton of money on grips, then the Natural Grips are a decent option, otherwise, simply make your own out of tape.

HumanX Palm Grips: This design will protect your hands, but simply isn’t as effective as the more traditional style of gymnastic grips. The wrist is somewhat comfortable, but the big leather pad simply doesn’t work very well.

RooGrips: We didn’t get a chance to test these ones out, however, based on their design and price we have a good feeling that they aren’t to the level of our picks, although we can’t say for certain without using them. They feature a thin piece of Kangaroo Leather, but for what they are, they seem to be overpriced at $50.

Fit Four F4G Gymnastic Grips: For the same reasons we don’t recommend WODies, these, which are available on Amazon, did not make our top picks.

Victory Grips Stealth Grips: The Stealth Victory Grips take all of the things we really liked about the leather versions and instead uses a very lightweight microfiber material. The Stealth’s are an awesome pair of gymnastic grips and give an almost barehanded type of feel. We preferred the leather grips in use, but have talked to many who prefer these. You can’t go wrong with either.

How We Picked and Tested

To compile our list of gymnastic grips, we researched all of the major manufacturers within the industry as well as reached out to industry experts and various forums. In addition to this, we went to Garage Gym Reviews HQ to rank and test all of the gymnastic grips we’ve used over the years. After researching around 25 different gymnastic grips that were worth your time and money, we narrowed it down to our top picks, all of which we acquired from companies to test out in-house.

There is an overwhelmingly large amount of gymnastic grips available for purchase today. Due to the growth of CrossFit training as well as gymnastics training for adults, the amount of people using gymnastic grips is likely more today than it ever has been.

Price

In our search for gymnastic grips, we found options at varying price points, although it seems that anything above $50 really isn’t worth your time as are most of the grips below $20. When it comes to grips, like with other training equipment such as Olympic barbells or squat racks, you typically get what you paid for.

One thing we found with all gymnastic grips was that the lifespan and effectiveness of the grips are increased through the use of sweatbands underneath the grips during use. We highly suggest that no matter what gymnastic grips you purchase, you also get a pair of terry cloth sweatbands to absorb sweat and go under the gymnastic grips.

The gymnastic grips we picked to test could all be considered worth purchasing. Even the ones that didn’t make our list have various features that we found to be excellent.

Durability and Construction

We evaluated the overall construction, materials used, durability, warranty, and pricepoint of the best CrossFit grips.

During testing, we performed many different movements in and out of CrossFit workouts, including high rep kipping pull-ups on various pull-up bars, kipping muscle-ups on wooden and plastic rings, strict muscle-ups using a false grip, kipping toes to bar and skin the cats.

In addition to traditional gymnastic-type movements found in CrossFit, we did movements featured in metcons such as handstand pushups, burpees, and dumbbell snatches.

Finally, we asked the opinion of others on which grips they preferred.

Benefits of CrossFit Grips

While CrossFit recently may have popularized the use of gymnastics grips, the truth is that they have been around for decades. Competitive male and female gymnasts use dowel grips all the time, in training and in competitions. This protects a gymnast’s hands against blisters as they flip and turn around bars.

We all want to move like Simone Biles, right? So if she is using gymnastics hand grips, you might also want to consider it if you are doing cross-training that involves bar work.

Injury Prevention

By and large, we wear grips to keep our hands from suffering an injury. Simply hanging from a gymnastics bar or rings can give you calluses, but spinning around them when performing kipping movements and muscle-ups can actually cause the skin to tear. Grips shield your hands against that friction. Though be warned – you can still tear even when wearing grips. However, they do minimize those odds.

Better Grip Strength

If you have ever used a slippery pull-up bar, you know how frustrating it is to hang on for a few more reps. Many high-quality gymnastics grips are constructed to actually give you a better hold on the bar. Maybe the grip provides some stickiness that your hands and chalk can’t create.

In some cases, grips help with how long you can hold onto a bar by helping to prevent grip fatigue. The strap around your wrist that holds the grip in place should take some of the pressure off your hand muscles, thus, conceivably, lengthening the amount of time you can hang onto a bar.

Cleanliness

Lastly, some people feel a little safer with a grip in between their hands and a pull-up bar or set of rings where other people, possibly strangers, have been sweating or possibly ripping or bleeding. A grip is by no means intended to be a guardian against germs and shouldn’t replace sanitizing and hand washing. However, if it gives you a little bit of comfort, then rock on.

What To Look For in CrossFit Grips

There are a few key components of grips you should consider when looking at gymnastics equipment grips:

Construction and Finger Holes

Although the gymnastic grips we recommend aren’t the absolute most expensive available, they need to be constructed well to provide a reliable experience over the product’s suggested lifetime. The quality of materials and workmanship of the company plays a large part not only in the performance of the grips but also in how long they will last.

One of the key things to look at is how many finger holes there are. We recommend you go with a three-finger pair of grips as opposed to grips with two-finger holes. Three-finger gymnastic grips protect the areas of the hand in which calluses are most likely to form and, therefore, rip; after using the three-finger design, you’ll have a hard time going back to the older style.

Materials

Although we found that we preferred durable leather, there were other materials that worked great with varying abilities to withstand high-volume workouts. Our runner-up pick features a carbon fiber material. Victory Grips Stealth Grips – which we also love – use synthetic microfiber that was ultra-light and thin. Genuine leather tends to be extremely comfortable but has its drawbacks, like how to keep it clean. There are products that use silicone and other materials, but we prefer the materials in the products above.

Durability

Gymnastic grips are not designed to last a long time; in fact, a majority of the experts we consulted recommended people who use them often, to replace their grips at a minimum of once a year and most people would be best off replacing them every six months. So while we wouldn’t say that there are many heavy-duty grips, there are grips that can last that long.

There are many “disposable” gymnastic grips available, and although they are effective during use, their life is much too short, and we don’t see a reason to produce so much waste for a product that is inferior to our top picks if you’re going to use grips long-term.

Warranty

Although gymnastic grips have a short lifespan, they should at least live up to six months’ worth of use, and if they don’t, the company should have procedures in place to rectify the situation.

Price

The price of the gymnastic grips should be in alignment with the quality and features offered in the gymnastic grips. Value is important, but in seeking the absolute best gymnastic grips for CrossFit, it was of less importance than our other specifications. We found that the ones we liked best fell between $20 to $50 for the pair.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website crossfit hand grips manufacturer.

Crossfit Grips FAQs