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Shopping for resistance bands? Then read these reviews before you buy.
Affordable Home Workout Equipment
After having visited several local stores and performing hours of research online, it was discovered that resistance bands are without a doubt the most affordable and effective fitness equipment solution. They are capable of easily replicating, and far exceeding, the restrictive gravitational-bound movements of weights and multi-use home gym systems.
If staying fit is your goal or perhaps a new resolution, having the proper exercise equipment will make your workouts more effective and less time consuming. However, not everyone has access to a gym, can afford a gym membership, or wants to go to a gym. Buying workout equipment for the home is an alternative, but that can quickly add up to several hundreds, if not, thousands of dollars. You’ll also need the room to house those bulky weights, benches and machines.
Therefore, this website was created to provide a comparative features analysis of several popular brands of resistance bands, all of which are reasonably priced.
5-Band Systems Evaluated
To make a fair assessment, we chose to compare the 5-band systems from each of the following companies; Bodylastics, Workoutz and Ripcords. Please note that each company also carries other resistance bands sets.
#1 Top Pick – Bodylastics Resistance Bands
$54.95 We prefer the Bodylastics bands above the other brands because of their quality surgical-grade elastic tubing and brand new D.G.S. Anti-Snap Technology. This set has a combined total tension level of 134 lbs.
Superior heavy-duty aluminum clips were introduced at the end of 2009 replacing the old flat machine-stamped hook with spring-type assembly which was prone to bending. The all new quick-clip system is a winner and is far more comfortable against the skin. The tension level of each tube is also stamped right into the side of the clip so there is no guessing how much resistance you’re pulling.
Another welcome change was the addition of soft padding to the ankle/wrist strapes which are considerably more comfortable than just plain nylon webbing. The old D-rings on the handles and wrist straps where upgraded to heavy-duty ones.
We also like the construction of the door anchors with large foam ends that will not, cannot slip through any gaping door cracks while working out.
In summary, Bodylastics has excellent quality all the way around and is the best choice for both beginner and seasoned resistance band power users. They maintain an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
See Bodylastics Resistance Bands up close
#2 Pick – Workoutz Interchangeable Resistance Tubing Kit
$39.95 The Workoutz 5-band high quality latex rubber resistance tubing kit ran a strong 2nd in our comparison coming in at 144 lbs of tension.
This kit also uses a clipping system that allows the bands to be combined for custom resistance levels. The clips are made of durable polycarbonate with a wire flap closure. This kit has 10 more lbs of tension than the Bodylastics Max Tension system.
The clipping system might be cause for concern for durability. We felt the polycarbonate clips were a slight drawback. When Bodylastics first came out, they had similar clips, but were later replaced with metal ones as metal is simply stronger than plastic. Workoutz bands have no lifetime replacement warranty.
We felt the door anchor needed a better design. The webbing is folded over on itself to make a thick section for placing through the space of the hinge side of a closed door. Depending on how tightly the door pinches at that point, this could cause the webbing to eventually become frayed.
The PVC handles and the nylon webbing ankle straps are not padded.
In summary, the Workoutz system is a great choice that will give you years of service. Until Workoutz changes to metal clips and a better door anchor, resistance bands power users would be safer using the Bodylastics system. If you’re not a power user, you can’t go wrong with Workoutz. Padded handles would have been an additional plus.
See Workoutz Resistance Bands up close
#3 Pick – Ripcords Power Tension 5 Pack
$42.99 If you like resistance bands with attached handles, then you’ll love Ripcords. It should be noted that the PVC handles are not padded. The total tension on the set is 114 pounds, but it should be noted that if Ripcords had clips instead of attached handles, this would be a 228 lbs set. (By clipping both ends of a band onto a handle, you actually double the tension of the band.)
When comparing each band in this set to those of Bodylastics and Workoutz, the Ripcords have significantly greater tension per tube. The blue band alone is 42 lbs. If it could be used on a single handle, that would be 84 lbs. That’s some crazy bad tension!
The door hook is very similar in construction to that of the one from the Workoutz kit. We would like to have seen a different styled anchor end on this one, too.
Unlike the other two sets that use clips, there are no ankle or wrist straps with the Ripcords set, simply because they cannot be attached to any. That means your lower body workouts will suffer.
In summary, Ripcords is a super high quality product for single band users who don’t have the need to combine bands for greater tension levels. A single Ripcords blue band will give you the same tension as a Bodylastics blue & black band combo or a red & black from Workoutz (less, 1 pound). We would like to have seen padded handles.
See Ripcords Resistance Bands up close
