ZELUS Weighted Vest Review – Solid Rucking Alternative Under $100

Last updated on January 27th, 2025 at 02:18 pm

As I approach 40 years old I’ve been starting to better understand the role cardiovascular abilities play in my life. Whether we are talking about simply being healthier, looking better naked (performing better naked), chasing down PRs on the platform, or keeping up with the kiddos on the soccer field. Cardio is a fundamental aspect of human health and performance, and it is something I’ve taken a little too lightly over the years. Which is why I started rucking with the ZELUS Weighted Vest.

Transparency Note

The team at Zelus connected with me at the tail end of 2024, right when I was putting together my notes around recovery for powerlifters. Perfect timing as I was looking at a rucking vest.

They sent over the ZELUS Weighted Vest for free, for sake of review. The link included here today is an affiliate link, if you use it, I get a small kick back on the sale at no additional cost to you.

My goal is to always be transparent, so hopefully that helps ya as we dig in.

Background

I started my journey into Rucking at the tail end of my 2024 diet. I snagged a 50lb sandbag, tossed it into my backpack, and started doing my walks with it. I hated it. The backpack was off-center like crazy, which made it very uncomfortable. I use the backpack a couple times a week, which meant I had to take the sandbag out every time, and get it back in. Not a sustainable process overall.

But it did let me know that I wanted to explore Rucking further. I started posting on Instagram about it, asking questions, and looking around at what was the right fit for me. I got recommendations that ranged from 20lbs to 50lbs for a male my size, which is a pretty big difference.

My dude Coach Carp offered to send me a Rucking Vest for the cost of shipping, but I had to buy the plates. Fair deal! As I continued to research, I got more confused on whether I needed a lighter or heavier plate. And honestly, I really didn’t want to store MORE plates in my gym, since I already have well over 1,000lbs.

I knew I wanted to Ruck, but didn’t necessarily plan to go “all in”. It would also be nice if what I ended up with, could be used for other purposes and in other workouts. A ruck pack is really meant for walking and that is it. The more I looked, the more a weighted vest made sense.

Weighted Vests come in a lot of shapes and sizes. One I thought was REALLY cool cost over $200, which is a little much for my needs. If this was something I planned to wear in every workout, sure. But it wasn’t. Others were adjustable, which was nice in theory, but I owned one of those before. The weights are either sand or a solid brick of metal, either way you have to store the ones you aren’t using. In the past I just found myself fully loading the vest and moving on, instead of trying to keep track of some small weights.

So I wanted a weighted vest that was comfortable enough to wear for multiple purposes but PRIMARILY for Rucking. I wanted it to be a consistent weight, somewhere between 20 and 50lbs. And of course, it needed to hold up.

Overview On The ZELUS Weighted Vest

The ZELUS Weighted Vest comes in variations from 6lbs to 30lbs, and in multiple color options. Being the big dude that I am, I opted for the heaviest option at 30lbs. I also chose black, because I’m basic and boring with my color choices.

Once it arrived I realized I had seen this vest before. One of my neighbors (female) walks every morning and recently started wearing a weighted vest. The same weighted vest I just got. I’m pretty sure hers is a lighter version, but the same vest.

Specs

This is pulled from their Amazon listing.

• PREMIUM MATERIAL: This strength training weight vest is built to last with durable neoprene rubber fabric, double-stitching, and weighted with iron sand for extreme durability through hundreds of different workouts
• DUAL STORAGE POCKETS: Enjoy your workout without the fear of losing your valuables! Includes detachable front zipper pockets to keep your cell phone, car keys, and other items safe and secure, plus a rear elastic-mesh pocket for extra convenience
• COMFORTABLE MATERIAL: Enjoy your workout in complete comfort with maximum mobility. With cushioned shoulder straps and gentle, non-chafing fabrics, you can go the extra mile in your personal fitness journey with ease and comfort
• ADJUSTABLE FEATURES: Adjustable elastic straps and reflective stripes help this vest go any place at any time. For circuit training, weightlifting, cardio, strength training, weight loss, and beyond, this vest will take your workout to the next level
• EVEN WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION: Evenly filled with iron sand, this well-balanced vest decreases injury risk while working out

I’m Not That Picky

I am REALLY picky about a few things in my gym life. The food I eat, my cable attachments, some of my bars and machines. But a weighted vest for me, is much simpler. I want it to work, work well, and stay together for a long period of time. I’d like for that weighted vest to hold tight, but comfortably, so I don’t end up with chafing issues. And I’d like it to be well balanced, so I don’t feel like I’m leaning forward or back.

Performance Of The ZELUS Weighted Vest

I’ve worn this vest EVERY single day, typically 2 or 3 times a day, for the past two months. I take a short ~10 minute walk after breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. I do this to get my steps in, take a break from work, get some fresh air and sunlight, and help with digestion.

This was my primary focus with the weighted vest, add it in during my 10 minute walks for some rucking. Give my walks a little more purpose, a little more impact for my diet and muscle building goals.

The ZELUS Weighted Vest is “one piece”. What I mean is that there are no detachable pieces, no weights that come on and off, no zippers, etc. You toss it on, close the buckles, and good to go. I’ve actually taken walks without using the buckles before, and it works fine assuming you aren’t moving around too much. I would assume that ladies would prefer the buckles to avoid rubbing on the upper bits.

The buckles are a good firm plastic. I’ve had some plastic buckles that break within a week. These seem to be well built. A more premium option would obviously be metal, and some of the more expensive vests offer that. But the plastic seems durable and ready for the task.

Filling

The ZELUS Weighted Vest is filled with what they call “iron sand”, which is a nice way of saying ground up metal into dust. They claim it has a more even distribution at all times, which I believe would largely be associated with changes in humidity. Sand is the most common filling in the cheaper weighted vests, and sand can absorb moisture. That moisture will add weight, as well as clump together, then dry out and be brittle. With the iron, you can avoid this entirely.

Fabric

The vest claims to have “skin friendly” fabrics. I haven’t tried wearing this without a shirt or a tank top yet (it has been too cold), but I haven’t noticed any issues. Because of the weight, the way the vest hangs, and the security provided by the buckles, you don’t have it shifting around a ton on normal walking. You can pull the buckles tight and firm, to the point where if you were doing a CrossFit style workout, it should stay in place.

The vest has some ability to adapt to multiple sized athletes with the bungie material on the bottom. This is what connects the “front” of the vest, to the back. This is one area I am concerned will wear and eventually stretch out and tear. Bungie material isn’t built to last, and especially when that bungee material is holding 30lbs in place. It is fairly easy to grab the vest by this piece, or have it stretch when you are putting it on and off.

I get it. That is literally the purpose of it. But that material will eventually lose its elasticity. I think buckles of some kind or just a stronger material might be a good decision here for long term use. The good news is, if this happens to break, it will still work for MY needs. But it probably won’t work for an actual workout anymore.

Reflective Strips

The ZELUS Weighted Vest comes with reflective strips on the vest, which is an awesome feature especially since I walk at night. Unfortunately, I don’t think they work. My neighborhood is almost pitch black, and I’ve yet to see them catch a glimmer of light yet from my flashlight, a near-bye house, or a passing car. Good idea, but doesn’t seem to work.

Funny Marketing

I get annoyed sometimes with the AI Generated and generic advertising pictures associated with products. On the ZELUS Weighted Vest Amazon page, they have the following pictures.

In the first one, NO ONE is even wearing the weighted vest. In the second picture, they are recommending you wear a weighted vest while Deadlifting and Benching. First, the guy in the deadlifting picture IS NOT DEADLIFTING. And second, there would be no reason to wear a weighted vest during deadlifts or bench. In the third picture, you at least have two people wearing the vest, but the other two are not.

I get that not every company can afford to pay models to wear their products so they use stock footage and pictures. But these are some GREAT examples of REALLY BAD marketing pictures.

Overall Thoughts On The ZELUS Weighted Vest

In my experience so far, I’ve not had any moments where the vest felt lopsided or uncomfortable to wear. Whether I’ve done 10 minute walks or 45 minute walks with it, it does its job. Everything that came with the vest is still attached and working properly. I see no cuts, stretched out material, or areas of immediate concern. I do think that over time and continued use, especially if I was tossing this around and sweating all over it, we will eventually see issues with the bungee chord material, the buckles, and likely some of the pockets.

As mentioned, for my purposes, none of that probably matters. And time will tell if any of that actually happens or not (if it does I’ll update this article).

Should You Buy The ZELUS Weighted Vest?

This is going to highly depend on your goals and budget. If you plan to use this thing daily, moving around a ton, jumping, running, twisting and turning, I think you could warrant upgrading to a more premium model. It’ll feel better and you likely have no longevity concerns. And from a per use perspective, the cost starts to make sense.

If you want to wear a weighted vest like I do, for some walks, this thing is a really solid balance in terms of price and function. And the few possible issues I could see arising in the future with durability aren’t likely to matter for that use case anyway. Spending double the money for a nicer vest that doesn’t get you anything probably isn’t warranted.

Other Options On The Market

Hyperwear

The team at HyperWear makes some of the most rugged but also sleek weighted vests I’ve ever seen. Remember when I mentioned the $200 vest earlier? That was this one. It looks like it fits like a jacket, like I could wear this under my sweatshirt and no one would even know I had it on. If you are going to wear a weighted vest for a LOT of workouts that involve a LOT of movement, this might be worth the premium.

Rogue Offerings

Rogue, the kings of CrossFit, have multiple weighted vest options that all clock in above the $100 mark. Most are adjustable in some fashion, and these are more meant for the full CrossFit experience. Expect their offerings to be a little more robust and something in between the Hyperwear and the ZELUS Weighted Vest.

Amazon Offerings

There are a metric TON of Weighted Vest options on Amazon. Some go up to 150lbs, and others look EXACTLY like the ZELUS Weighted Vest. Some look EXACTLY the same. If you are going to go this route, you are likely going to be looking for something similar to the ZELUS, but maybe with a different feature or two than what I laid out here, and then focusing on what vest is currently on sale. Amazon has sales throughout the year, so you can always check CamelCamelCamel for any insight on the right prices.

Wrap Up

I will continue to use the ZELUS Weighted Vest for my Rucking needs. Do I think there are other options out there? Definitely! If this one burns out, will I buy another? Yeah, probably. For my needs, it does the job. You just need to decide if you need the premium options, or if this will work for you!

💲Want to buy a ZELUS Weighted Vest? Use this link and Code: GNJNY5FY to save 5%

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