Do your hands blister or rip when doing pull-ups in your CrossFit workouts? Check out our full list of the best CrossFit grips for pull-ups to help protect your hands in your next workout.
The pull-up is one of the biggest milestones for CrossFit beginners. For seasoned athletes, mastering the pull-up is a key ingredient for fitness and success in CrossFit competitions or even the CrossFit Games.
Not only, initially, are pull-ups a strength exercise but with so many variations in CrossFit workouts, they can be a cardiovascular movement too. CrossFit pull-ups can include the strict pull-up, kipping pull-up and chest to bar pull-up.
As with so many athletes around the world, pull-ups can wear your hands and sometimes rip the palms or fingers. To solve this, many athletes use gymnastics grips or CrossFit grips to protect their hands during pull-ups or pulling movements.
The Best CrossFit Grips For Pull-Ups
Best overall grips - Merlin X4 Reyllen Grips
Best value for money grips - WOD Nation Grips
Best grips for beginners - IsoGrip Grips
Best grips for durability - Bear KompleX Grips
Best CrossFit grips for small hands - Reyllen Bumblebee Grips
The surge in popularity of CrossFit in recent years has meant that there has been an increase in manufacturers making different grips for pull-ups. So we've tested and reviewed the best CrossFit grips for pull-ups to make choosing your grips easier.
The majority of these grips are conveniently sold on Amazon so if you have Amazon Prime you could get your grips with next day delivery too. Keep on reading to hear our grip reviews and our verdict on the best CrossFit grips for pull ups.
The Best Overall CrossFit Grips
The best overall grips for pull-ups needs to fit well on your hand & wrist, be durable, comfortable, protective and be great value for money.
We are also looking for grips from a well-known manufacturer with a good background in quality and customer service too. We think this is really important to having a great all round experience with your grips.
Merlin X4 Reyllen Gymnastic Grips
The Reyllen Merlin X4 gymnastics grips are a high-quality, fingerless hand protection accessory designed for use during high-intensity workouts and gymnastics activities. Made from premium materials, these grips provide a strong and secure grip on bars, rings, and other gymnastics equipment while helping to prevent calluses and blisters on the hands.
The fingerless design allows for greater flexibility and freedom of movement, while the durable and breathable material ensures long-lasting comfort and performance. The grips also feature adjustable wrist straps for a secure and custom fit, making them suitable for athletes of all sizes and levels.
Best Overall - Reyllen Merlin X4 Grips
Whether you're a seasoned gymnast, a CrossFit enthusiast, or just looking to improve your grip strength and prevent hand injuries, the Reyllen Merlin X4 gymnastics grips are a reliable and effective solution that will help you perform at your best.
Who should buy the X Reyllen Merlin X4 Grips?
Athletes looking for a durable pull-up grip that will last a long time
Those who want a comfortable and easy to wear grip
Athletes who require a grip that works with many surfaces
Recommended for competitions, low-moderate rep ranges and all of those workouts when score is everything (qualifications, open, online or in-person)
The Best Value For Money grips
The best value for money grips for pull-ups will not only need to be cost effective but also need to perform well too. Value for money does not necessarily mean the cheapest grips but grips that offer the biggest bang for your buck!
WOD Nation Gymnastic Grips
Are there cheaper grips? Probably, BUT the WOD Nation gymnastics grips offer the best bang for your buck. Similar to many other grips, the WOD Nation grips offer a velcro wrist attachment and are made from durable leather and the best thing about them is that they're only $12!
Best value for money CrossFit grips - WOD Nation Grips
Great for all surfaces and bars out there, made with durable leather that has the ability to work with as little or as much chalk as you're used to. The WOD Nation grips are only $12 so by far the cheapest, decent quality grip out there.
Who should buy the WOD Nation Grips?
Athletes looking for a pull-up grip that works with all bars
Beginners who are looking for a great starter grip
Athletes who require a versatile and durable grip for only $12
The Best Beginner grips
If you're starting out on your CrossFit journey, getting your first pull-ups and toes to bars can take a toll on your hands. So when looking for the best grips for beginners, we are looking for maximum comfort and protection.
Not only that, but we are also looking for grips that can be used by many different hand shapes and sizes as well as grips that are really easy to be used by everyone.
Element 26 IsoGrips Grips
The IsoGrip grips have a few things that make these our top pick for beginners and that set themselves apart from the rest. Number one is the option to have finger loops to keep the grips in place, ideal for those who are getting used to how to work with and use their grips.
In addition to this, the IsoGrip grips have a padded wrist strap to prevent irritation on the wrist as you put the grip through its paces. Not only that, the IsoGrips have a wider face to offer more protection and comfort for you.
Best Grips For Beginners - IsoGrip Grips
The unique finger loop holes, wide grip face, padded wrist strap and special rubber material make the IsoGrips our pick for beginner comfort and protection.
Who should buy the IsoGrip Grips?
New Athletes looking to get used to bar work
Those who want elite comfort and protection for their hands
Athletes who want CrossFit grips that last
Athletes that want a great grip without breaking in, use straight away!
The Most Durable grips
So you want to protect your hands but you go HAM at every turn. These hand grips are our top pick for durability, able to handle almost anything you can throw at them.
Durability for grips means that no matter what bar, what position or how you use the grips that they hold up and still perform at their best.
Bear KompleX Grips
Endorsed by some of the world's fittest athletes, (Noah Olsen mainly) Bear KompleX grips are well known in the CrossFit world as being up there.
The grips do everything right. perfect size of the grip face, work well with chalk and many bar types, and are made to last. With a unique Carbon Fiber surface and a durable wrist strap, the Bear KompleX grips can take a beating from even the fittest around.
Most Durable CrossFit Grips - Bear KompleX Grips
Durable quadruple stitching, Carbon Fibre material and available in a 2-hole or 3-hole version, it's easy to see why this is our pick for most durable grip.
Who should buy the Bear KompleX Grips?
Athletes who will put their grips through it's paces
Those who want top quality materials in their grips
Those who want to brag they have the same grips as Noah (we all love to show off!)
Athletes who want superior grip with the comfort at those high pull-up rep ranges.
The Best Grips For Small Hands
When searching for pull-up grips that are ideal for individuals with small hands, it is important to find a pair that fits snugly around your wrist and hand while providing comfort, protection, and durability.
Additionally, it is crucial to select grips from a reputable manufacturer with a strong history of delivering high-quality products and excellent customer service.
Reyllen Bumblebee X3 Gymnastics Grips
The Reyllen Bumblebee X3 gymnastics grips are a top-quality fingerless accessory designed for gymnastics, weightlifting, and high-intensity workouts. Made from premium materials, these grips provide a secure and comfortable grip on bars, rings, and other gymnastics equipment while helping to prevent blisters and calluses.
The fingerless design of these grips allows for greater flexibility and movement, enabling athletes to perform a wider range of exercises with ease. The durable and breathable material ensures long-lasting comfort and performance, while the adjustable wrist straps ensure a snug and customized fit, making them suitable for athletes of all sizes.
The Reyllen Bumblebee X3 grips are ideal for those who demand the best from their equipment. With its stylish and functional design, these grips are perfect for athletes looking to elevate their performance and stand out from the crowd. Whether you're a seasoned gymnast or a fitness enthusiast, the Reyllen Bumblebee X3 gymnastics grips are a reliable and effective solution to help you perform at your best.
Best For Small Hands - Reyllen Bumblebee X3 Grips
The easy to adjust wrist strap and the thin profile of the grip material as well as the thinner shape of the grip is perfect for those with small hands.
Who should buy the Bumblebee X3 Grips?
Athletes who have slightly smaller palms than most
Athletes who's hands are susceptible to ripping or tearing
Athletes who have trouble holding onto the bar for pull ups
Athletes who don't like the finger holes on grips.
How We Decide The Best CrossFit Grips
When trawling through the myriad of gymnastic/hand grips out there we look at a few different performance characteristics then we assessed each grip on those characteristics.
Durability
When looking at a gymnastic grip, there are a few elements that we can take a look at. Number one is of course the material the grip is made from. Usually this is a hardwearing leather or carbon fibre material. Then we look at the stitching between the grip face and the wrist strap, we are looking for a solid stitch here that will last the test of time.
Then finally we look at the wrist strap connector, again this is usually velcro, but whatever it is, it needs to hold the grip in place throughout a full workout, without too much adjustment.
Performance
On top of these durability characteristics we look at how the grip performs. In a workout we want a comfortable grip that offers enough grip and purchase on the bar for pull-ups, muscle-ups, toes-to-bar and more.
In addition to this, we want a grip that works well when wet. CrossFitters can sweat a lot during a workout so we need a grip that can handle that. Also, we know CrossFitters use a lot of chalk, so we looked at how well the grip holds up when using chalk too.
Price
Lastly we looked at price. There are some REALLY cheap options out there and we want to ensure that everyone gets what they pay for. In some cases it really is worth going for the most expensive option to prevent wasting your $$$
What to look for when buying Best CrossFit Grips
The best CrossFit Grips should be of the best quality for your money. We have mentioned budget and value for money lots in this article but it's really important to mention that you should look for what you're getting for the price you're paying. The cheapest option typically is of the poorest quality so make sure you shop around.
Check out reputable brands too. Look for who they sponsor or who uses the grips too. Some of the best CrossFit grips will have professional athletes that use them (i.e. Noah Olsen uses Bear Complex!) and we know they need the best grips for their work!
Don't forget to also see how many reviews they have both on Amazon and their website too. Check out what other people say about the brand and their grips to make an informed decision on the best grips for you.
What to consider before buying a gymnastic Grip for CrossFit
So, you're interested in investing in a pair of grips. Here are some considerations that you can think about before buying your grips.
Your Abilities
If you're doing CrossFit style training, the bar is going to be something you get used to fairly quickly. Using a grip to help protect your hands is a great way to ensure your most precious limbs are kept blister and rip free.
You need to take into consideration how often you're using the bar (for durability), how much you sweat and what issues with grip you have currently. If your hands are well conditioned to the bar, you may not need grips at all for most CrossFit workouts.
Your budget
Let's face it, the most expensive grips out there aren't going to break the bank, but you know what, when you're fully outfitted, the little things often add up. A speed rope here, a pair of Nano's there and you're soon looking down the barrel of a few hundred $$, so keep your budget in mind.
There you have it, there is our top list of the best CrossFit grips out there. Make sure you shop wisely and take your time assessing what you need and what you can use your different grips for.
Different Grips For Pull Ups
In CrossFit and indeed may other training programmes, there are a few different grips you can use to position your hands to get more out of your pull ups.
The most common is the overhand grip, which is used for other exercises like deadlifts where the palms are facing away from the body. In CrossFit, this is the most common style of grip as it allows you to fully activate your lats and utilise kipping too.
You may have also heard of the underhand grip or the pronated grip, used for exercises like chin ups and barbell rows where the palms are facing towards the body.
There are other different styles of grips in CrossFit like hook grip, mixed grip, double overhand grip and false grip but the two above are most commonly the ones that are associated with gymnastic grips.
CrossFit Grips Test
When choosing the best CrossFit grips, our test checks all of our considerations and tests the reviews and what other think too. Not only do we check out their website, credibility and other products, we check out what customers have had to say. Amazon reviews are a great way to check out the grips quality, delivery and experience of others.
[If you're on the hunt for more CrossFit gear, check out what Mat Fraser uses for arm conditioning here!]
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