CrossFit is amazing for overall fitness but it is undoubtedly tough on your hands - callouses, blisters and tearing are all common injuries from this intense form of exercise. If you don't want your hands to give way before your biceps do, invest in a pair of CrossFit grips - they will protect your skin and - as the name suggests - improve your grip.
Choosing between three hole, two hole and fingerless grips may seem confusing, plus you need to consider the material - synthetic vs natural leather. Our buying guide talks you through the options, demystifies the lingo and guides you to a pair of grips suited to you and your workout preferences. All of the grips in the top 10 are available to buy online in the UK from Amazon and other EC sites.
Quick List - Top Crossfit Grips
PICSIL
Vegan-Friendly, Fingerless Hand Grips for Faster Transitions
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Key Points to Consider
Leather or Nubuck leather (which has been sanded to give a short tufted appearance) is a popular choice for grips. This is because leather is a naturally durable and breathable material. It will withstand wear and tear, and can actually look better with age. Another benefit is the instant softness of leather grips, with no wear-in time to hinder your training.
For those who wish to avoid animal-derived products, there are many synthetic grips available. Hi-tech fabrics, such as carbon-backed microfibre can now be made durable whilst remaining extremely thin, making synthetics the material to choose for a barely-there feel. Synthetic grips will take a few training sessions to soften and mould to your hands, however, so bear this in mind and plan an easy week for yourself and your new grips.
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There are three main types of CrossFit grip available. The type you choose will depend on your preferred training style and level of grip. Here's what you need to know:
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Having a storage pouch is always a welcome addition as grips are often mislaid and can behard to locate. Keeping the storage pouch with your kit bag will remind you to put your grips away at the end of a session - just remember to allow your grips to fully air dry before storing to ensure they last longer and prevent smells.
Separate thumb guards can help protect the often overlooked digit. In particular, the inclusion of elasticated neoprene covers will add padding and support the thumb joints. Unlike full gloves, removable thumb guards won't cause excessive sweating and they can be worn as far up or down the thumb as needed, so your movement is not impeded.
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Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | AEOLOS Leather Hand Grips | ![]() | Double Layer Leather and Excellent Craftsmanship Gives Premium Durability | |
2 | Cobra Grips Cross Training Grips | ![]() | Included Thumb Guards Give an Extra Level of Protection | |
3 | Reyllen® Series 3 BumbleBee 3-hole Grips | ![]() | A Thinner Profile Grip For Increased Palm Flexibility | |
4 | PICSIL Golden Eagle Fingerless Hand Grips | ![]() | Vegan-Friendly, Fingerless Hand Grips for Faster Transitions | |
5 | For:Time Fitness Fingerless Gymnastics Grips For CrossFit | ![]() | Made From a Soft Synthetic Material That Doesn’t Require Breaking In | |
6 | PICSIL RX Carbon 2 Hole Hand Grips for Cross Training | ![]() | Two Hole Grips For a Less-is-More Approach | |
7 | PICSIL RX 3 Hole Carbon Grips | ![]() | Three Hole CrossFit Grips Made From Ultra Thin Material | |
8 | Bear KompleX 3 Hole Leather Hand Grips | ![]() | Premium Leather 3-Hole Grips With Bright Wrist Strap s | |
9 | Bear Grip Open Workout Gloves for Crossfit | ![]() | A Hybrid Open-Glove Design With a Secure Fit | |
10 | Bear Grip Neoprene Alternative | ![]() | Low Profile Grip Pads That Can Be Stored in Your Pocket Between Use |
These thick-yet-flexible leather grips from AEOLOS protect your hands from blisters and calluses during any form of bar work. The expertly-crafted leather padding on the palm has been placed specifically to encourage you towards the best grip contact points, to help improve your workout performance.
Naturally breathable leather and an open design reduces sweating to minimise grip loss. We love the look of these grips and the neat carry bag it comes with. They would make an ideal gift for another CrossFit obsessive, although you'll probably want to keep them for yourself!
Various sizes and colours are available, but the purple rearing cobra snake design really caught our eye. More than just decoration, the textured palms ensure that your grip doesn't give out before your biceps do. Plus, the separate thumb guards are a real bonus!
The synthetic Series 3 grips from Reyllen incorporate a thinner pad profile based on user feedback. In fact, producing grips that allow more freedom of movement, whilst keeping key areas of the palm protected was key during the design process. Although, calling their iconic black and yellow grips 'bumble bee' was another stroke of genius.
The reduced size of the finger-holes provides better support for dowel wear (when you allow excess material to fold over) as they won't slip to the base of your fingers. The sides of the grips are even reinforced to offer better durability in the most commonly stressed areas of the grips.
Handmade in Spain, these vegan-friendly grips incorporate micro-diamond technology in the form of double extrusion microdots. The result is an impressive level of grip and control, whatever your WOD may be.
The fingerless design allows maximum palm support with faster transitions, they are quicker to put on initially and - without finger holes - can be easily adjusted by simply shifting hand positions when you are mid-workout. The ultra resistant buckle will also keep them in place throughout your regime.
These synthetic grips feature a durable, 2 mm carbon outer layer for improved grip and a microfibre inner for comfort. Unlike some CrossFit grips, these have no break-in period, so you can train hard from the get-go without any stiffness. Although, your own muscles may still feel stiff unfortunately!
These fingerless grips are versatile in that they can be used with or without chalk. The neoprene wrist supports anchor the grips securely in place to prevent slippage, protecting your hands from chafing, blistering and ripping.
These vegan-friendly, synthetic Picsil 2-hole grips are made for those who don't like too much material between their hands and the bar. They would also suit those who favour gymnastic-style workouts.
Be aware that these grips will require some wearing-in to get them to optimum flexibility, but after this period, they will be perfectly moulded to your hand. Reviewers suggest chalking them for pull ups, barbell and kettlebell work in particular.
The RX grips from Picsil are made from ultra wear-resistant carbon material. This results in a pair that are much thinner than the majority of leather grips on the market. If you like to feel the bar close, whilst still being protected across your whole palm, we recommend trying these!
Despite the deceptively thin material, they will still take some wearing in. So you'll need to take it easy with them until they mould to a comfortable shape. Many happy reviewers note that this is slightly irritating, but ultimately worth it in the end.
These grips are manufactured from premium leather with quadruple stitching to protect your hands and palms during pull ups, C2B (chest to bar), T2B (toes to bar), K2E (knees to elbow) and more. They also come in a range of colourways, including lime green and all black.
Bear KompleX grips are designed avoid digging in, resulting in an adjustable wrist strap that's comfortable and supportive. These won't suit those with larger fingers, however, as the sizing of the holes comes up a little smaller than most.
Bear Grip have produced the ultimate hybrid glove that's extremely secure with open ventilation. Suitable for most WOD, these grips will stay in place whatever you put them through, saving your palms in the process.
The comfortable padded silicone grips, combined with the wide-cuff adjustable wrist wraps provide ultimate support whilst you test yourself to the limit. These won't suit purist grip enthusiasts, but we think that they're definitely worth a mention!
These alternative grip pads are small enough to keep in your pocket for when needed. This makes them ideal if you like to alternate between using grips and bare palm. We feel that the fierce paw print and inspirational quote held next to your palm are a nice touch too!
Made from durable neoprene and rubber, they cushion and protect. We think these would best suit those with bigger hands, as you'll need to be able to reach round over the generous padding to fully grasp the bar.
When wearing CrossFit grips, you can choose which fingers to place through the holes. Don't push your fingers fully, as you'll want excess material on the palm. This is because it's best to allow the fold of material or 'dowel' to cushion your palm while wearing. Watch this video to learn more about the various different ways to wear your grips!
Here's a Men'sHealth Magazine link to a full run down of CrossFit terms, but for quick reference;
No. 1: AEOLOS |Leather Hand Grips
No. 2: Cobra Grips |Cross Training Grips
No. 3: Reyllen® |Series 3 BumbleBee 3-hole Grips
No. 4: PICSIL|Golden Eagle Fingerless Hand Grips
No. 5: For:Time Fitness|Fingerless Gymnastics Grips For CrossFit
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