The Best Kettlebells of 2024

When a design is as simple as a kettlebell, it’s the details that make the Eleiko Competition Kettlebell ($80-215) stand out. These steel kettlebells are all the same size regardless of weight, providing users with the same workout experience every time they pick one up. Eleiko achieves this by using hollow interiors with fillers to hit the desired weight.

The wide handle provided plenty of room for two hands when the workout called for high-rep kettlebell swings. The flat top of the handle was also extremely comfortable during farmer carries and pushups. One of our favorite details during testing was the pitted handle, which provided a secure grip, even when our hands were slick with sweat. 

Additionally, the coated sides were surprisingly comfortable when resting on forearms. This is handy for overhead movements like shoulder presses and Turkish Get-Ups. As a nice touch, the logo is painted on instead of stamped on, eliminating bumps that can bruise or irritate forearms and wrists when the kettlebell goes overhead.

For athletes interested in kettlebell competitions, these bells are not only the required uniform size regardless of weight, but they’re also calibrated to be weight-accurate to within 200 g.

Of all the bells we’ve worked out with, the Eleiko Competition Kettlebell is by far the most comfortable and easy to use. They are on the higher side of the price range, but you get what you pay for in this case.

If you’re building your gym on a budget, the Cast Iron Kettlebell Weight ($22-71) from Amazon Basics is a great choice for the price. While similar in price to the higher-end kettlebells on this list, Amazon’s free shipping and returns with Prime make it a great buy.

Made from solid cast iron, the bell itself is extremely durable. The painted exterior is textured and helps prevent corrosion. We appreciate the wide, textured grip, which easily fits both hands even on the smallest bell. The bottom is flat to prevent wobble, and the sides are flat for comfort on overhead movements.

The only issues we’ve had with the Cast Iron Kettlebell Weight are in the build quality. Some come in with sharp ends left on the handles from the casting process. This can lead to discomfort and cuts on high-repetition workouts. These small protrusions can also occur on the bottom of the bell making the kettlebell less stable when doing deficit pushups on them.

These aren’t issues regarding design, however. They’re more of an issue in the process, so these occurrences are rare. If they do happen, Amazon has an excellent return and exchange policy.

Kettlebells provide a great workout but can be hell on garage or living room floors if you don’t lay down horse stall mats or thick workout mats. The Technogym Kettlebell ($100-305) is the highest-quality option if you want to keep your hardwood floor dent-free. While it’s not the cheapest coated kettlebell, this rubber-coated kettlebell is extremely durable and well-built.

Plus, the textured rubber coating (versus the more common vinyl coating), comes with a few interesting perks. First, we’ve found it’s more durable than vinyl — we didn’t see any cracking or abrasion after a few months of use. 

Additionally, the rubber feels slightly softer when performing overhead movements. During kettlebell snatch workouts, the exterior provided a touch of padding when our tester’s form slipped and the bell whacked against his forearm. 

During Turkish Get-Ups, the rubber exterior prevented the bell from sliding around as we worked through our reps. This made the sketchy movements feel much more stable and failed reps less likely. 

And unlike other coated bells, which tend to feel cheaper, the Technogym Kettlebell’s clean lines and textured coating gave our tester’s home gym an upscale feel. Less expensive options exist for floor-friendly kettlebells, but they don’t exude quality like this one does.

If you want a set of kettlebells but don’t have the room for a whole rack of weights, Bowflex’s SelectTech 840 ($149) is a great option. This system can go from 8 to 40 pounds with the twist of a dial. Weight options are 8, 12, 20, 25, 35, and 40 pounds. Basically, this system gives you six kettlebells but takes up the space of one.

The weights switch quickly and easily with a turn of the dial. This is great for adjusting for different movements or even slightly dropping the weight for your last set.

The design makes it more fragile. It’s not likely to survive a drop, especially when fully loaded. And the larger size makes it feel awkward in overhead or ab movements like Russian Twists.

Overall, Bowflex’s SelectTech 840 is a convenient way to store multiple weights in a small space. Just make sure not to drop that bad boy.

For beginners, it can be good to start small. The Best Choice 3-Piece Kettlebell Set ($50) Set from Best Choice is a solid option for people who are just starting out. This set comes with three kettlebells weighing 5, 10, and 15 pounds, along with a storage rack. These weights work well for newbies who want to dial their form down before they go bigger.

They are also ideal for HIIT classes that require lightweight and high repetitions. The three bells allow you to go heavier as you progress, and the low cost allows you to upgrade without breaking the bank.

The Best Choice 3-Piece Kettlebell Set will likely be too light for experienced athletes. But if you’re just starting out, this set is a great option.

The standard kettlebell in almost every CrossFit gym, Rogue Kettlebells ($35-320) are known for their solid build and durability. Cast from high-quality iron ore (not scrap) in a single piece, these are almost impossible to break.

Over almost a decade of working with these bells, we have seen these dropped from varying heights on to concrete, thrown through drywall, and accidentally thrown into each other. We have yet to see one take any damage. You’re basically working out with a cannonball.

The black powder coat finish is durable and feels more natural than an epoxy finish. It is pitted and grippy and holds chalk well. The wide, flat base keeps the bell stable and prevents wobble on the floor.

Rogue Fitness has one of the best reputations in the fitness industry for the quality and build of its products, and its kettlebell is a prime example. This popularity and the price of the premium materials also mean they’re on the higher side when it comes to price. The good news is that you’ll never need to replace one.

If you’re looking to add equipment that will last a lifetime and add some street cred to your garage, Rogue Kettlebells are a great choice.

If you want to protect your floors (and yourself), the Bionic Body Soft Kettlebell ($40-140) is an option. The leather bag and weighted filling are much softer than traditional metal kettlebells. The large handle fits both hands for swings. It’s smoother than most handles we’ve tried, so there’s a greater risk of slipping. A bit of tape on the handle will solve this without issue.

The softer body is great for working out on hardwood floors, as the bottom won’t scratch it when you set it down or drop it. It’s also much safer for working on tile or concrete floors, since dropping it won’t chip or crack surfaces. Also, the soft body felt great against the forearms on overhead movements during testing.

We’ve seen reports of the delivered weight being off by 2 or 3 pounds, and the faux leather definitely shows wear more than cast iron. But if you want a kettlebell that will keep damage to yourself and your home to a minimum, the Bionic Body Soft Kettlebell is a great bell for you.

The Kettle Gryp ($35) is a great option if you already have a set of dumbbells lying around. This device clips around the handle of any dumbbell and turns it into a makeshift kettlebell. It’s easy to pack, so it works well for frequent travelers who don’t want to skip their kettlebell training in a hotel gym.

At $35, it adds versatility to a rack of dumbbells. And it basically gives you a full set of kettlebells that take up no additional space.

The handle wraps and secures around the grip of a dumbbell. This adds a kettlebell-style handle to the dumbbell, making it useful for swings, snatches, and other movements. While they’re a great space-saver, it’s good to note that the dumbbell has a wider profile than the body of traditional kettlebells.

During kettlebell swings, we had to stand with an extremely wide stance to allow the dumbbell to pass through our legs without bruising our thighs. It definitely took some getting used to. 

It also prevented the natural rotation on kettlebell snatches. A round kettlebell rotates around the wrist as you drive it overhead. A dumbbell is too oblong for this, so we had to flip the weight up over our hands to let it whack our forearms. Not ideal.

Those issues aside, the Kettle Gryp could be a perfect solution for a frequent traveler who is working on a dedicated kettlebell program. Plus, it’s a lot cheaper than buying a rack of kettlebells for your home gym.