Best kettlebells: Upgrade your workout with these affordable, high-quality kettlebells
Our pick of the best kettlebells for your fitness routine
Kettlebells are a brilliant exercise tool – not just for boosting your strength training but for cardio as well. And because they’re so simple to store and use, they’re the perfect addition to any home gym. In short, they’re an all-round fitness superstar.
They’re also easy to come by. A few years ago they could only be found in specialist stores, but now they’re seemingly everywhere. However, an abundance of choice doesn’t necessarily make the decision-making process easier: if you’re a beginner, it can be hard to work out which are the right ones for your current fitness levels and your future ambitions. Even experts face a confusing range of options when looking to purchase their own kettlebells.
Here’s our guide to choosing the right kettlebells, whether you’re looking for just one or a whole set. Below you’ll also find our selection of the best on the market, to help you buy exactly what you need.
How to choose the best kettlebells for you
Which weight should I start with?
The rule with kettlebells is not to bite off more you can chew. Don’t try to go too heavy too soon: this can result in your progression stalling before it gets off the ground. Start with something like 16kg for men or 8kg for women. Want to introduce double kettlebells to your routine? Again, work your way up to it. In general, you should always purchase a single kettlebell on its own before investing in a set.
What sort of handle should I look out for?
The shape and thickness of the handle is a matter of personal preference: what’s important is that it’s of high quality. Cheaper models may have rough edges or seams, and once you start performing repetitive swings and other exercises these could lead to cuts and other injuries in your hands. If you have to use kettlebells without perfectly smooth handles, consider sanding down the offending areas before use.
How much should I spend?
The answer to that depends on how you plan to use your kettlebells. A set of gradually increasing weights costing around £150 could be perfect for an experienced athlete who’s already used to kettlebells – but a single, mid-weight option need only set you back between £10 and £30. Don’t be too hasty to pay over the odds for a professional-grade set that you might only ever use one or two items from.
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The best kettlebells to buy in 2023
1. York Fitness Vinyl Kettlebell: Best vinyl kettlebell
Price: £35 (10kg) | Buy now from Leekes
These wallet-friendly weights come in a colour-coded range that extends from 2kg up to 20kg, and you can also get sets of three or four kettlebells. The vinyl weights are easy to keep clean and there are four small feet on the base of each kettlebell to help ensure they stay upright when not in use. The handle is well shaped, although not as smooth and comfortable as on pricier weights.
The York Kettlebells are bulkier than cast iron options, and are really aimed at beginners rather than gym regulars looking to outfit a home gym, but they’re as heavy as advertised and that’s the main thing when you’re looking to increase your strength and fitness.
Weight range: 2kg-20kg
2. AmazonBasics Cast Iron Kettlebell: Best budget cast iron kettlebell
Price: from £17 | Buy now from Amazon
It’s not the prettiest thing we’ve ever seen, but AmazonBasics’ Cast Iron Kettlebell is a brilliant budget option, offered in weights from 4kg to a heftier 20kg. Unlike cheap plastic options, this product is built to last: the surface is painted with an anti-corrosion coating, and it comes with a one-year warranty. The textured handle affords a comfortable yet secure grip and is wide enough to use with one hand or two depending on preference. If you’re just getting into kettlebells, this is a fantastically affordable way to get started.
Dimensions: 7.9cm x 15.9cm x 16.3 cm; Weight range: 4kg-20kg
3. Wolverson Kettlebells: Best kettlebells if money is no object
Price: from £75 for set | Buy now from Wolverson Fitness
If you’re looking for a kettlebell brand with a good reputation, you won’t do much better than Wolverson: this is the company that supplies kettlebells to certification trainers IKFF. A set of three weights (available in intervals between 8kg and 32kg) will set you back between £75 and £205, and for the money you can be confident of getting durable weights that are comfortable to use.
The handles are hand-finished in order to ensure quality, and while 95% of kettlebells need to be refinished over time, Wolverson guarantees that its products are sturdy enough to do without the extra maintenance.
Wolverson’s kettlebells are in high demand at the moment and the sets are sold out, but you can buy kettlebells individually. Even then stock is low, but it’s worth checking to see if the weight you’re after is available.
Handle thickness: 32mm; Weight range: 8kg-32kg
4. Opti Vinyl Kettlebell: Best kettlebell for beginners
Price: £16 | Buy now from Argos
The Opti Vinyl Kettlebell is as temptingly priced as the AmazonBasics one, but it takes a different approach with its shiny plastic design and has a smaller weight range. The latter makes this a good option for women or beginners before they move on to bigger weights – and the 2kg version costs just £6 at Argos.
Stainless steel variants are also available in 2kg and 4kg varieties, and if you’re feeling colourful you can also choose vinyl styles in a variety of vibrant shades. If you’re in the market for relatively lightweight kettlebells, these are a good option at a great price.
Dimensions: 19cm x 25cm x 28cm; Weight range: 2kg-10kg
5. Bowflex SelectTech 840 Kettlebell: Best adjustable kettlebell
Price: £230 | Buy now from Amazon
Adjustable weights are expensive, but when you consider how much it would cost to get a set of individual kettlebells to cover the same weight range the price starts to make sense. On top of that, you get the huge benefit of saving space by having only one weight to store.
The Bowflex SelectTech 840 Kettlebell has six different weight settings – 3.5kg, 5.5kg, 9kg, 11kg, 16kg and 18kg – which will cover most people for an extensive home workout without the need for any other free weights. The weight is changed by a dial on the top, which is simple and more reliable than weights with a digital setup in our experience, if only because you never start a workout and then realise that you haven’t charged your weights and can’t change them.
Dimensions: 22.4cm x 31.8cm x 17.8cm; Weight range: 3.5kg-18kg
6. JAXJOX Kettlebell Connect Smart Kettlebell: Best smart kettlebell
Price: £200 | Buy now from Argos
One kettlebell with six different weight settings ranging from 5.5kg to 19kg. The JAXJOX smart kettlebell isn’t cheap by any measure, but it’s the ultimate in convenience, swapping between the six different weights available on offer in seconds, which makes it ideal for homes where space is at a premium. The kettlebell has nine hours of battery life and connects with a partner app where it tracks your sets and reps automatically using the motion sensors on board. You can set up nine different users on the kettlebell, so your training sessions aren’t confused for your partner’s, and the app will even recommend workouts for you to try.
Weight range: 5.5kg-19kg
