Bar or ring gymnastics – and functional fitness more broadly – can do a number on your hands. Whether you’re doing chest to bar pull-ups, ring muscle-ups, or kettlebell swings, you’re bound to rip a callus or two. Plus, good hand protection ensures that you’re ready to perform without worrying that your hands will give out before you do. Whether it’s to keep their palms protected or bypass weakened grip strength, athletes turn to grips during their training sessions regularly.
Grips
Why You Need Them
BEAR KOMPLEX CARBON COMP GRIPS
GRIPPY, COMFORTABLE, DURABLE
Bear Komplex’s Carbon Competition grips talk a big game: a patented sticky carbon fiber design that provides a consistent stick and a breathable, adjustable wrist strap for optimal support. Our team of athletes’ feedback was unanimous: they found they lived up to the hype. The undisputed top choice, our testers loved the high-quality construction and top-tier grip strength and hand feel in particular.
SEE IN ACTION
READ THE STATS
We Also Tested
Rogue V2 Gymnastics Grips
While our testers were initially torn between these and the Bear Komplex grips, these were hurt by the fact that their buckles pinched into our testers’ wrists during movements.
Harbinger Lifting Grips
Our testers almost unanimously found that their “un-glove” design, which supposedly allows for a wider range of motion for the fingers, was completely inadequate for high-intensity workouts. These grips were criticized for their bulkiness, uncomfortableness, and – most importantly – poor bar and ring grip.
3 Finger RooGrips
These grips had a crucial set of flaws: they were too thin, they were not good at gripping the bar or rings, and there was a notable amount of friction between the grip and palm.
Why You Can Trust Us
5 GYMS / 50+ ATHLETES
We don’t BS. We're completely unbiased, and there’s no agenda. We listened to what you wanted, and we recruited top athletes to put gear to the test. By relying on feedback from thousands of customers like you and working with some of the country’s top athletes to put each product through a brutal battery of tests, we didn’t leave a stone unturned in making sure that we’re giving you unbiased feedback on the gear you need.
HOW IT PERFORMED
19,400
reps to find the best grips on the market
MOVEMENTS COMPLETED:
Our testers put the grips to the test and through the following workouts:
Toes to Bar
Tested to evaluate durability and comfort of grip when hanging from the pull-up bar.
Butterfly Pull Ups
Tested to evaluate how the grips stand up to kipping and butterfly movements on the pull-up bar.
Chest to Bar Pull Ups
Tested to evaluate the grips’ performance when performing a standard pull-movement.
Bar Muscle Ups
Tested to evaluate how well the grips handle full range of motion movements on the pull-up bar.
DECIDING FACTORS
Grip Quality
was the most important factor when evaluating and ranking the different grips.
Premium Materials
was the key functionality differentiator that put Bear Komplex on top.
Why Our Testers Loved
Bear Komplex Carbon Comp Grips:
“Bear Komplex grips are by far the best. They are light, comfortable, durable and, most importantly, provide great grip on the ring or bar."
- Samuel Baiano
“This the best all around grip I've ever used. You can just hop up on any bar and feel comfortable and locked in right away without having to adjust your hands. The wrist straps felt substantial without being too bulky and didn't slide around. I always complain about grips getting in the way and I never felt that way when using these."
- Matt Bamford
"The Bear Komplex grips feel high quality and the construction of the grip as a whole feels really well throughout. The wrist strap didn't pinch and circled my wrist nicely and I didn't have any problem with the stitching or sharp edges rubbing. They are very durable and the more I wore them the better they felt."
- Carlos Sepulveda
"Bear Komplex Carbon grips are “hands” down the best grips I’ve ever used!"
- Lord Raffaello Angelo Van Couten Esq.
BEST OF THE BEST GEAR
WHAT DO YOU WANT TESTED?
Only you know the training accessories that you want us to put through the wringer. Take the survey below to let us know what you want us to test next. We’ll use your feedback to shape our next round of testing.