GORUCK Weight Vest – Our Review

I can remember the first time I tried a weighted vest workout.

The gym I was at had some weird, quasi-space suit looking think that was lumpy in the weirdest places and fit really tightly on one arm and really loosely on the other.

I was pretty much scarred from doing the run/sit-up/(half) pull-up workout for years and didn’t mess around with vests again for probably, like, 5 o 6 years after that.

Why am I telling you this? Because getting your hands on a good vest is important if you…ya know…don’t want to go half a decade between your added weight outings!

This brings us to the current topic of conversation…the GORUCK Weight Vest (2.0, technically); is it the best weight vest out there?

Maybe…maybe not…

What it is for sure is a solid offering in the rapidly expanding lineup of vests (and similar items) that combines a more than sufficient load capacity (for most…reasonable people) with superior materials.

I’ve said it before in general terms and I’ve said it again, (specifically in regards to Murph) that you really should be at least decently adept at most bodyweight movements (to include…walking) unweighted before giving a vest a try…but…I know you’re gonna throw one on, regardless. Let me break down my experiences over the last few months since I got mine.

Sizing (unscored)

I want to provide a few special pictures of the weight vest to give an idea of sizing. For reference, I’m ~5’8″ and Mel is ~5’2″:

Rucking

People have been using weighted vests for workouts for quite some time.

Rucking isn’t exactly a new pastime, either, even if people may have been more likely to referred to what they were doing as “hiking” or “yomping” (lulz) or something else.

…but using a weighted vest to ruck…? This is definitely something that has garnered more significant amounts of attention in recent years.

Personally, I’m partial to just using, ya know, a rucksack, bag, etc. for rucking, but I understand how using a weighted vest or plate carrier may either be preferable or may be used with a specific purpose in mind (likely in preparation for some type of event or to mimic some type of body armor). In this regard, the GORUCK weight vest is perfectly suited for the task.

I would actually argue that I prefer rucking with the GORUCK weight vest compared to many others for two main reasons:

First, the large, thick waist belt is much more substantive than the “belts” on other weight vests. I don’t often use a hip belt when I’m rucking, but the weight vest’s waist belt straps firmly around the lower half of the torso, ensuring that the weight stays close/tight against my body while also stabilizing the plate(s) weight and even transferring it more to the hips.

Second, while not uncommon, loading the GORUCK weight vest involves slipping (ideally) appropriately-sized plates into each plate pocket/sleeve. This is how vests from Rogue and Wolf Tactical work, but a number of others require that a large number of small, 1-2-pound plates be individually throughout the vest.

Some will (rightfully) argue that the smaller weights allow for more control over loads while making incremental increases easier to facilitate. However, I prefer the feel of a single, large plate against my back and the amount of extra stability this creates throughout the entire vest.

To piggyback off that point, rucking with a plate pretty tight against my chest just feels…off. I mean, I can do it, but it feels like some odd, inorganic method. If this is what you’re into…I guess…you do you, though. However, for me, this doesn’t add any utility to the “pure” rucking experience.

As it is, I find the GORUCK weight vest’s design to be slightly superfluous for rucking because most people (dare I say nearly all people?) will pass on loading a front plate for their ruck outings. This “limits” the maximum load to 30 pounds which, while nothing to sneeze at for most people, is less than the 45-pound capacity that GORUCK’s (long) Plate Carrier boasts.

(I make this comparison because it is another piece of “non-traditional” rucking gear).

Additionally, when rucking with only the back side loaded, I start to wonder why I have a large piece of empty Cordura-velcro material strapped across my chest (although, to be fair, for shorter outings, I don’t really notice it. If anything, its “tightness” reminds me of how secure the waistband feels!)

Speaking of the plate pocket (or “plate closure” as GORUCK puts it), it isn’t as intuitive as other vests (to include its aforementioned Plate Carrier). It involves unsticking a couple pieces of velcro (to include to waist belt when unattaching it), as opposed to one (like most others). Once you’ve done this once or twice, it’s not so bad, but still a little more tedious than it could be…

To be fair, I probably make it harder than it actually needs to be!

The good news is that this extra enclosure really keeps the plates in place. This is appreciated when rucking in the weight vest, but is especially appreciated when using it for “dynamic” rucking purposes (as we’ll discuss in the next section).

The heavily padded shoulder straps are also a major blessing , particularly on any outing longer than ~30 minutes (the time, in my experience, it takes for the irritation of un-padded straps to really start to set in). These are a common, but appreciated inclusion of many of GORUCK’s bags and rucking accessories.

One thing that’s probably obvious to…everybody is that if you’re planning to ruck in a weight vest…well…you really want to be fed and hydrated ahead of time because you ain’t gonna be able to haul very much with you. Unlike a ruck with its endless array of pockets and general storage, weight vests…don’t allow you to schlep too many additional supplies.

Creative ruckers may opt to use the front plate pocket as a small storage area (and hat’s off to you if you can make this work!), but if you’re doing this, you may as well just opt for a normal bag.

Finally, one last thing to note is that, like many other plate carriers (and rucks), some plates fit/work much better than others. As you can imagine, GORUCK plates fit perfectly; the dimensions are standardized across all of GORUCK’s (standard) plate pockets. You can make other plates work…sometimes…but for more popular alternative options, it’s gonna go like this.

I don’t want to go so far as to say you have to get your hands on some GORUCK ruck plates to make the weight vest work, but your rucking experience will be much better if you do.

Overall, rucking in the GORUCK weight vest is certainly doable and, if you have a GORUCK plate and only intend to use the back pocket, you’ll likely have a very positive experience. However, if you’re going for this type of rucking, the GORUCK Plate Carrier is the more functional (and much more affordable!) option.

Rucking: 80

“Dynamic” Rucking

This is probably the “main event” for most people who are interested in picking up a weight vest. I’ve seen a lot more people run, squat, pull-up, and push-up in their weighted vests than go on legit ruck outings.

Thankfully, I think the GORUCK weight vest is better suited for these activities than it is for “pure” rucking.

To piggyback off of some of the content we covered in the last section, first and foremost, running in the GORUCK vest is a treat, particularly as fatigue starts to set in. The (ideally) high and tight positioning of the back pocket (assuming a plate has been inserted) works to keep my body more upright and in a more efficient running position. I’m not sprinting in this so I’m not concerned with a good forward lean…and it keeps me from slouching (too much!)

Because of how easy it is to adjust the vest and how close against the body you can position it, exercises like pull-ups are challenging because of the weight…you’re not getting worn out because you’re trying to manage yourself in the vest, because it’s moving around, or is otherwise “unwieldy”.

(I mean, maybe you’re into the extra challenge of an “unruly” weight vest. If this is the case, Amazon has a lot of better options for you to choose from!)

Also, there is something to be said about increasing the overall load to 60(!) pounds and/or evenly splitting the total load between the front and back of the torso (which I think is why many people opt for a weighted vest over a ruck in the first place).

With its 60-pound capacity, the GORUCK weight vest, like many other accessories of its kind, can creatively be used as an implement itself. The top handle, although it isn’t overly wide, makes it easier to grasp for things like swings and especially for suitcase carries.

One thing to keep in mind is that the plate pocket is pretty wide so getting the vest through your legs can be a little tricky, especially for narrower people. You also have to be sure to really cinch up the vest prior to using it for these types of exercises.

It should look something like how I have it here:

…as opposed to loose and annoying like this:

No big deal to do so, but it is one extra step.

To be honest, I’m rarely working with more than 20 pounds of added weight in vests or vest-like accessories (ex. plate carriers) so using something like the GORUCK Plate Carrier for this type of work works fine for me. I know that things can feel slightly unbalanced, only carrying weight in the back, put this is preferable to me than having a plate against my chest.

Personal preference, I know; if you prefer a balanced approach, you probably prefer weight vests.

With that being said, I can definitely see the potential in this vest for these activities, but I don’t think I (or most people using it, to be frank) are going to be loading it up with that much weight, especially not on a regular basis.

Definitely give it points for trying, but I think many of the additional components actually detract from the functionality that most people want/need.

Dynamic Rucking: 85

Load Capacity

The GORUCK Weight Vest occupies an interesting position where it boasts a significantly higher load capacity than most “standard” weight vests (these often top out in the 20-40-pound range) while also not coming close to what some of the more niche, specialized vests can handle (many easily exceeding the 100-pound mark).

Truth be told, I don’t understand the people who put a lot of weight into their vests (since most of them inevitably move like snails), but if this is your thing (sorry about the snail comment, btw!) you may find that the 60-pound capacity of the GORUCK vest is a little underwhelming.

For everyone else, you pretty much have the following load options:

• 10 pounds (front or back only)
• 20 pounds (20-pound plate in the front or back; a 10-pound plate in the front and back)
• 30 pounds (30-pound plate in the front or back; a 10-pound plate in the front or back combined with a 20-pound plate in the front or back)
• 40 pounds…
• 60 pounds (30-pound plate in the front and back)

(sorry I got lazy in the middle section, but you should be able to do the math)

Ultimately, you still get a relatively good load capacity with this vest. It just can’t keep up with monstrosities like this:

Yes, it’s real…and yes…it is ridiculous.

Load Capacity: 90**

Materials and Construction

Like most of GORUCK’s products (well, their bags, at least, and their Ballistic Trainer shoes), you can expect to find a lot of Cordura on/in their weight vest. Besides a little bit of “Ballistic Nylon” (which is similar to Cordura) laced into the plate carrier portion of the vest, we’re talking about pretty much all Cordura, all the time.

If you’ve ever used a basic nylon vest or something made of similar material, you’ll probably immediately notice the difference in how the composition of an all-Cordura vest holds up. I know you probably don’t have intentions of throwing your vest around (other than when you peel it off after the last rep or run), but it definitely feels like it will hold up for the long haul.

An important, but probably oft-overlooked component is the inclusion of 210D Cordura on the “Interior Materials”. What this translates to is that, while still a very resilient material, these areas (which are the most likely to rub against your exposed body) are much less abrasive, less likely to irritate, etc. If you have any aspirations to go shirtless in your vest, you’ll really appreciate this underrated touch.

Just a heads up; as there is no real “dedicated” lumbar support area to the vest, you won’t find anything discussing such support on the vest’s materials profile. If this support (which I find rather important in a ruck, less important in a weight vest) is important to you, check out the GORUCK Plate Carrier, instead.

Materials and Construction: 100

Price

We previously mentioned that the vest “suffers” a bit from its somewhat diminutive weight capacity, but this capacity is only really limited in relation to the more niche, 100-plus-pound capacity weight vests. We still subtracted a few points there, but making that comparison actually helps GORUCK’s offering here.

…somewhat.

As crazy as it may seem, you can spend a lot of money on a weight vest, with some models easily stretching into the $300-plus range.

The GORUCK Weight Vest doesn’t crack the $200 price point…but it just barely misses this milestone, clocking in at $195.

Many of the training weight vests you’ll come across are likely going to be less expensive than this; GORUCK’s offering is definitely on the higher end of this market.

I get that it only has one ruck plate pocket, but the company’s plate carrier is a much more affordable option and, to be honest, the vast majority of people can get by just fine with 30 pounds (or even 45 pounds, if you go with the long option) of resistance.

Price: 75

Customer Reviews

Despite what you have read throughout this review and my somewhat “luke warm” reaction to the GORUCK Weight Vest (except, of course, in the materials area), the vast majority of customers are raving about it. With close to 380 reviews on the company’s official website, it currently sports a 4.7 (out of 5) cumulative rating.

Granted, the reviews are slightly more critical on Rogue (the only other place where you can find a few review of the vest), but with a cumulative rating of 4.3 against only 4 reviews, the overall very high impression stays the same.

It honestly appears as though the most common critical reviews are people mad about ordering the vest and realizing that it doesn’t come with any weights. I mean…I get how that would be annoying, but I’ve never ordered a weight vest that came with weights…so…maybe chalk it up to the game…?

Then you got guys like “Samuel K”. He can’t breathe in in, but the bigger problem is that he looks “too dorky” in it.

I don’t know what Sam is expecting…are you supposed to turn into John Wick when you slip on a weight vest? My spider senses are telling me that poor Sam might look dorky, vest or not.

(please don’t “Summer of Sam” me, Samuel!)

Customer Reviews Score: 94

Customer Service

Interestingly enough, my first few interactions with GORUCK were probably my worst…and by “worst” I mean that I experienced some minor annoyances, having to replace a shopping cart’s worth of stuff due to making an error on my shipping address form.

When I have had questions or needed to facilitate something (ex. a return for the wrong shoe size), GORUCK personnel have gotten back to me in a timely manner (I actually think I usually deal with the same person every time…hopefully they’re not getting sick of me!)

I am also rather confident that I am always dealing with an actual human. Not an AI chatbot. I get that these can be useful (and can save on costs) for many inquiries, but as soon as a question is slightly out of the box…well…you know…

Additionally, their Scars Lifetime Guarantee (“you break it, we fix it”) policy is both interesting and useful. Essentially, if your gear breaks during normal use (don’t drop it off the Statue of Liberty and expect it to be covered!) GORUCK craftsman will fix it and return it (they’ll also cover the shipping costs). If the item just can’t be salvaged, they’ll actually replace it.

I don’t know what you gotta be using your weight vest for to beat it up badly enough that it has to go to Scars, but it’s nice to know you’re covered, nevertheless.

Customer Service Score: 95

Who is the GORUCK Weight Vest really for?

I hope I didn’t scare too many people away with my take on the GORUCK Weight Vest. That being said, I’m sure there a lot of people waiting in the wings who the vest would be perfect for.

If you like working with GORUCK plates

You can try to stick non-GORUCK plates into the weight vest, but they really aren’t an ideal fit. On the other hand, if you have GORUCK plates, and better yet, if you like these plates, you’re good to go. They fit the vest like a glove.

If you really need that extra weight

Consider that most CrossFit workouts requiring a vest top out at 30 pounds (although this is rare; almost all of them call for 20 pounds of weight). I understand that there are some niche ruck training challenges that call for absurd amounts of weight…but they’re not normal.

With that being said, if you really see yourself regularly hauling around more than 45 pounds, go for it!

Not for those who want to throw their vest around

While this vest does have a top handle, it’s a bit cramped for normal-sized hands (even for my child hands it’s too small). Additionally, you need to cinch up the velcro sides really tight or else the one side is going to be flapping/moving quite a bit…making you wish you were using…anything else to perform swing and suitcase carry variations.

How we reviewed the GORUCK Weight Vest

I’ve had fun over the last two months incorporating my vest into workouts where you might normally expect someone to wear one (runs, common bodyweight movements, etc.) those that are a bit more niche (ex. adding a extra degree of challenge to handstand push-ups) and even using it for activities that I would have never used it for before (rucking).

Additionally, I have intentionally mixed up how I have distributed weights into the vest to determine how it accommodates (or does not accommodate) different combinations and even when non-GORUCK plates (or at least plates that aren’t of the same dimensions) are placed in it (note: it’s not advised!)

GORUCK Weight Vest Alternatives

It seems like weight vests are a dime a dozen on large retail sites. Some of these are even exceptionally inexpensive. In most cases, I can assure you, you’re getting what you pay for. As such, let’s look at some alternatives that are on a same or similar level of quality and utility:

Frequently Asked Questions

The GORUCK weight vest is actually one of the company’s most popular products. As such, there are a lot of questions about it; here are some of the most common ones:

The GORUCK Weight Vest…a solid option for those who want to go heavy

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of messing around with weighted vests. I mean, I’m certainly not opposed to weight vest work…I just think that there is a lot of good that can be done with unweighted work, particularly for those who aren’t quite cheetahs (yet!) or who struggle with unloaded bodyweight exercises.

I also understand that the GORUCK weight vest isn’t the most affordable weighted vest option. If you’re on a budget and don’t really care about having a high-quality vest (which you probably won’t use with too much regularity), you can safely pass on it.

All of this being said, for those who do (often!) enjoy a good weighted-vest workout, GORUCK’s offering should certainly give you a lot to think about.

I would go so far as to say that those who are looking to work with exceptionally large loads (over ~45 pounds) almost need to shortlist it; a lot of those vest boasting larger capacities leave a bit to be desired…whether in the form of quality or in price.

The GORUCK weight vest certainly isn’t necessary for everyone, but just about anyone should be able to appreciate its unique capabilities.

Thank goodness for Facebook Marketplace!

As we finish things up, I encourage you to check out our definitive guide to GORUCK backpacks, bags, and vests. If the weight vest turns out not to be the item for you, maybe one of the other 9 in our review will work out for you!

In closing, if you’re interested in GORUCK footwear offerings, check out our definitive guides on the GORUCK boots and GORUCK shoe lines!