The best weighted vests for women can help boost your strength by adding a couple of extra kilograms to your body weight, making you work harder without doing anything different.
Weighted vests are everywhere right now, with wellness personalities like Liz Earle and Davina McCall sporting the gilet alongside doctors like menopause specialist Dr Mary Claire Haver. Are they all they're cracked up to be? Absolutely. Wearing a weighted vest for walking or doing a weighted vest workout at home can help boost your strength, mobility, and flexibility, and it tends to be easy on the joints and simple to use.
But when choosing a weighted vest, a couple of choices need to be made - do you want one that's adjustable? With pockets? One that you can use for Pilates or just walking workouts? As woman&home's digital health editor, certified fitness instructor, and keen runner and hiker, I've weighed up our tried-and-tested favourite with Amazon's top options to bring you a round-up of the best to buy.
The best weighted vests for women
The ProsourceFit Weighted vest is the woman&home tried and tested favourite after Health Writer Kat Storr spent two weeks wearing the vest during her daily walks and around the house. At 10lb (4.5kg), it's the perfect starting weight for beginners - though options go up to 20lb (9kg) for those with strength training experience.
Kat said: "The adjustable straps make for a snug fit without rubbing, and the pocket on the back is handy to store keys and other essentials." She also noted that the vest has reflective strips, which can be handy for early-morning walks and adjustable straps on the front, making it a good option for those with a larger chest.
"However, perhaps an option with adjustable weights would have been better so I could build up gradually," she notes.
Weight range: 6lb (2.7kg) to 20lb (9kg)
Adjustable weights? No
An adjustable weighted vest might be a little pricier than the ProSourceFit option, but it's worth the extra expense if you're looking to use it long-term as an alternative to the best dumbbells and kettlebells for building strength.
"By adding the extra weight to your torso, you will force your muscles to work harder during each movement, leading to greater muscle activation, improved endurance, and increased calorie burn," says Laura Blease, a personal trainer at Ultimate Performance. "This makes weighted vest training a highly efficient way to sculpt and strengthen the body without needing heavy gym equipment in your house."
Vailge's vest is my pick of the best weighted vests for women. It covers all the bases with a choice of two vests (1.8 to 4kg or 5 to 9kg). Both have padded chest straps and are adjustable at the waist for a personalised fit and the bags are easy to take in and out of the pocket, even on the move. The vest is also suitable for indoor and outdoor workouts, with a front mesh pocket to store your essentials and reflective strips on the front for extra visibility.
Weight range: 1.8 to 4kg or 5 to 9kg
Adjustable weights? Yes
When choosing a weighted vest for walking, my first suggestion would be to look for pockets. Many weighted vests are somewhat similar, so the pocket element is what makes one weighted vest better for walking workouts over another, especially as we're coming into warmer weather when you're less likely to want to wear a coat and bag to store your phone and keys.
The BAGAIL Weighted Vest has a large mesh pocket at the back - I'd recommend using this one for storing non-valuable essentials as it is see-through - and a removable pouch you can affix to the vest or your arm - which you can use to store valuable essentials as it's made from thick opaque foam.
The only minor downside is that it's not adjustable. You'll be working with a resistance of 15lb (6kg) - a weight is suitable for most women over 60kg, offering a challenge without being too much too soon. To support you, the vest is padded, has adjustable straps, and the iron sand sits close to the chest, reducing the risk of lower back pain, even after many steps.
Weight range: 15lb (6kg) only
Adjustable weights? No
Looking to try bodyweight exercises with your weighted vest? Unlike the weighted vests I'd recommend for walking, a workout-appropriate weight vest doesn't need pockets, but it does have to be adjustable in weight to allow for progressive overload - when the exercise gets harder in intensity or difficulty to continually stimulate muscle as you get stronger. It's also a good idea to have one that hugs the body to spread the weight evenly and prevent the vest from moving during the workout, avoiding the risk of lower back pain.
The Surreal Adjustable Weighted Vest, available in 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25kg weight variations, ticks all these boxes. The removable iron sand bags, two wraparound straps, and adjustable shoulder straps offer a customised fit without feeling too snug. It doesn't absorb sweat either, making it easier to clean and store between workouts
It also leaves plenty of room around the shoulders and back, allowing for a full range of upper and lower-body movement when strength training at home.
Weight range: 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25kg options
Adjustable weights? Yes
The Stepforwarder weighted vest has two padded and fully adjustable straps going across the body, which you can customise to suit your chest. This is unlike many other weighted vests from what I've seen, where lighter resistances (up to 10kg) will only have one strap going across the middle.
The two supportive straps are padded too and wider than average, helping to spread the weight evenly across the body.
While most of my chosen weighted vests would also work for those with larger chests - fitting into this category myself, I know what to look for - it's best to avoid those that go over your head and tie around the waist, like the Surreal Adjustable Weighted Vest, as these can compress your chest uncomfortably. My top pick, the ProSourceFit weighted vest would also work.
Weight range: 5kg
Adjustable weights? No
Any weighted vest on my list is suitable for women over 50, as you should choose one based on the kind of workout you want to do, your fitness experience, and what you want to achieve rather than your age, as everyone is different. However, there does seem to be a favourite among women who wear their weighted vests often - including Davina herself and Liz Earle.
Liz took to Instagram last year wearing a vest very similar to Davina's, sold exclusively at Argos. It's made of neoprene, so it offers a little more comfort, and it is relatively slimline, so it fits discreetly under any jumper or jacket. And, at 3kg, it's most suitable for those looking to walk with their weighted vest or work out at home.
Weight range: 3kg
Adjustable weights? No
Are weighted vests worth it?
- Improves your strength: A weighted vest works much like weights and resistance bands, offering extra pressure to move against during your workout, challenging the muscles and so improving your strength. This is the "beauty of using a weighted vest", says Laura Blease, a personal trainer with Ultimate Performance. "It can engage every major muscle group simultaneously, turning even the most simple bodyweight exercises into challenging, metabolism-boosting movements."
- Boosts bone density: As much as a weighted vest can help boost your strength, it can help improve your bone density as well, which is key for those going through perimenopause, when bone density naturally starts to decline.
- Versatile: "You can perform familiar bodyweight exercises, such as squats, lunges, push-ups, or even walking or jogging, while intensifying your workouts in a way that effectively builds muscle and boosts your metabolism," says Blease.
- Low effort required: While a weighted vest can intensify yoga mat workouts, you can just wear one around the house or out on an early morning walk and feel the benefit. It's an easy way to seamlessly fit strength training, which is one of the best exercises for longevity, into your daily routine.
- Great for limited grip strength: If you have limited grip strength, you'll likely prefer a weighted vest over dumbbells, says Blease. "Using a weighted vest can effectively add resistance to bodyweight exercises without taxing the grip. This allows for progressive overload and muscle development while minimizing reliance on grip strength," she says.
Disadvantages of using a weighted vest
- Storage: While the best resistance bands, dumbbells, and other weights are relatively easy to store, you'll likely have to think about where to put your weighted vest. Even the lighter options are relatively bulky.
- Cleaning: Neoprene weighted vests are sometimes harder to clean than those with a plastic covering, so be sure to check whether your weighted vest can be machine-washed before buying.
- Best for beginners: A weighted vest is ideal for those new to strength training and looking to improve strength without much extra effort. However, you'll need to make sure your vest is heavy enough if you've been working out for a few years.
What weighted vest should I buy?
In general, the best weighted vests for women are 10% of your body weight. So, for example, someone weighing 60kg may find that a 6kg weighted vest is the best option for them. However, if you're new to weighted training then you may want to opt for one just 5% of your body weight or even less.
From here, if you have an adjustable vest, you can build up to more resistance.
