Rogue Echo Weight Vest – Our Review

I know I normally start these off with some sarcastic and/or goofy comments before launching into some basic, background information about the product in question…

…but when you’re dealing with the best of the best, it just makes sense to get right to the good stuff.

Straight up, the Rogue Echo Weight Vest is the best weighted vest on the market today. It combines superior primary functionality (for most people, we assume this involves Murph-like workouts) and secondary functionality (it’s quasi-load-bearing belt makes it a better rucking vest option than other options) with excellent build quality.

It’s somewhat non-Rogue price (as in it isn’t too expensive relative to most other options) makes it particularly appealing, especially when considering the above average warranty and customer support (when and if necessary) and social proof that come along with this vest.

My main gripe with this vest? No…it’s not that it “only” handles ~40 pounds.

I know I have a lot of beasts reading these reviews, but chances are, you’re not one of them. As such, the Echo Weight Vest’s top-end load capacity should be just fine for your purposes.

Nah…my issue is that I don’t use a vest that often so I’m not really maximizing what this one has to offer.

The good news? If you do use a vest on the reg, you have the potential to get the most bang for your buck of just about any piece of workout gear you’ve added to your “armory” for quite some time…

Without further ado, let’s get to our main discussion of this bad boy!

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 I swear I’m not on any “Most Wanted” lists).

Rucking

I know a lot of people probably don’t consider their “vanilla” walks (or even light runs/”shuffles”) in weighted vests to be proper rucking. If you consider that you’re moving under load (sometimes, a pretty heavy load at that), be aware that’s pretty much exactly what you’re doing.

The bad news is, a dedicated rucksack/bag is pretty much always going to be better for this type of activity than weighted vest is.

The good news is, the Rogue Echo Weight Vest possesses a couple of features that make it one of the better ones for this type of activity.

While the vest’s shoulder straps aren’t the widest (may be a personal preference, but I find wider straps to be a bit more comfortable), they do have slightly more robust padding than most other weight vests, particularly those that are more “economical” options (these small, but significant additions are generally what you’re paying for with the premium gear).

However, the most significant “gamechanger” with this vest is the tightening belt itself. Of course, just about every weighted vest has this feature (in most cases, it is a necessary addition for tightening/securing the vest to the body), but Rogue’s belt can be secured in a way that it can actually serve as a quasi-hip belt, “absorbing” some of the added load.

I don’t personally use a hip belt when I ruck (with an actual rucksack, that is), but I know that a lot of people swear by them. If you’re a hip belt enthusiast and want to give weighted vest rucking a try, the belt on Rogue’s vest and the GORUCK Weight Vest‘s belt are your best bets.

Other than these aspects, I’d argue that this vest’s general adjustability makes it a solid, albeit not necessarily “remarkable” option for rucking. It’s easy to get a fit where the plates (whether you load front and back or only one side…which isn’t as awkward as you might expect) sit high and tight…just where you want them for rucking ventures.

The vest’s main limitation (something that we’ll expand upon later on) is that with a 40-pound top-end load capacity, you can ruck with a decent amount of weight…but nothing too special. I generally top out at 30 pounds so this doesn’t affect me, but if you prefer to use loads that are heavier than “average”, the Echo Weight Vest isn’t going to be able to keep up.

Finally, unlike vests like the 5.11 Tactical TacTec Trainer Weight Vest, Rogue’s offering has zero additional (outside of the plate pockets themselves) storage areas. As such, if you’re looking to go on an extended ruck outing…well…you’re gonna want to ensure you’re really well fed and hydrated before leaving the house because you ain’t gonna be able to take anything with you.

(To that last point, like all of life’s major problems, rucking fast fixes it!)

Rucking: 90

“Dynamic” Activity

The manner in which we discussed the last section, particularly some of the language used, probably came as somewhat of a surprise to many people. Without realizing it, you’re actually “rucking” when you’re going on your walks in the your weighted vests.

Welcome to the club!

However, I’m not naive enough to think that the majority of people who go searching for the Rogue Echo Weight Vest are primarily interested in using theirs to go on a leisurely stroll.

You want a vest you can run in, do pull-ups in, climb ropes in…whatever…

…and this is an excellent vest for this type of activity.

For starters, we have covered a fair number of vests that are different levels of “adjustable”. Truth be told, this can come as quite the perk…being able to fiddle with your vest enough to get it to fit as close to perfect as the amount of time you’re willing to put in messing with it.

However, the fact that the Echo Weight Vest comes in three distinct sizes by default ensures a better/closer fit. I’m able to adjust mine further by loosening or tightening the hip belt with the end results being:

• Probably the best-fitting weight vest I’ve used (particularly in the upper back and chest regions)
• By far the easiest and fastest vest to get into, adjust, and get out of

If you’ve trained in a weight vest more than…I don’t know…once a year for Murph, you understand that former of these results makes all of your dynamic activity/movement better while the latter goes a long way in keeping you sane.

Everything I do in this vest is easier (assuming the same movements and weights) than in other vests; everything is more comfortable in this vest than in other vests.

There really isn’t too much special about the vest plate pockets themselves (no special “internal plate retention straps” like you get with 5.11 Tactical vests), but with the right Rogue plates tucked in, there is little, if any jostling…which also makes things easier and more comfortable.

Ultimately, the Rogue Echo Vest itself is like a good football ref…you don’t notice it with the challenge it presents coming directly from the added load…not from some awkward shape or design that screws up your movement patterns.

Speaking of which, the somewhat shorter design of this vast ensures that when I squat, it isn’t coming into contact with any part of my inner legs. As such, I don’t have to assume an overly wide stance to accommodate (if you’ve done high-rep squats in most vests, you’ll understand what I’m referring to hear). In the types of workouts with 300 air squats…this is appreciated!

To finish things off in this section, I understand that there are some people who actually like to use their vest as a weighted implement to be handled for things like “weight vest swings” and “weight vest farmer carries” and other things like. This really ain’t the vest for that kind of stuff (I’d suggest checking out GORUCK’s Weight Vest or Plate Carrier options for this), but because this is pretty niche activity, I’m not deducting any points/holding it against the Echo Vest.

Maybe I’m biased in that a vest that scores so highly in the realm of “‘Dynamic’ Activity” also happens to be rated as the “best weight vest” on the market right now. However, a vest that gets this kind of movement right deserves all the praise it gets.

“Dynamic” Activity: 100

Load Capacity

I know that there is a market for seriously heavy weight vests.

I don’t really see the utility in these vests for most people (outside of making the second event of the 2025 Ruck Race League a little easier to manage), but I understand that some just want to train with 60, 80, or 100 (-plus) pounds.

If you’re one of these intrepid individuals, my apologies but the Rogue Echo Weight Vest ain’t the product for you. However, if you’re more inclined to train with more…reasonable weight totals (up to and including 40 pounds), it’s top-end capacity will be sufficient for your needs.

All of that being said, a 40-pound load capacity for a weight vest isn’t anything to sneeze at, but it isn’t really anything to get excited about, either. It’s not all that difficult to find vests with higher load capacities and even if you prefer the plate-loaded design like Rogue’s offering, the GORUCK Weight Vest’s 60-pound top-end capacity may be more up your alley.

Just a head’s up: you may be able to find heavier (i.e. 30-plus pounds) plates that fit this, but GORUCK plates don’t work nearly as well as Rogue’s proprietary plates…

Load Capacity: 80

Materials and Construction

As you can probably imagine, Rogue’s premier weight vest offering is constructed of pretty legit materials and its general engineering has the needs of those engaged in dynamic movement/activity pretty well in mind. The only real “weakness” it “suffers” from is that most of the premium vests on the market today share similar qualities, resulting in less separation.

In the Rogue Echo Weight Vest, you have a blend of robust 500D Cordura and especially robust 1000D Cordura. Now, I’m of the mind that this highly durable material isn’t quite as necessary with weight vests as it is for bags, rucks, and other items that, in my experience, tend to take heavier beatings. However, it is nice to know that it won’t bust after the post-workout “plop”.

The Cordura is distributed in a way that ensures that the areas that are most likely to come into contact with exposed skin are constructed of the less abrasive 500D Cordura, although I would have preferred if Rogue went the way of GORUCK and instead used 210D Cordura (which isn’t really at all abrasive) in these areas.

The back reflectors go from being “nice to have” to “must have” additions if you plan to train in low-light conditions and are very unique and welcome additions to this vest.

As I mentioned in a previous section, I don’t find the shoulder straps to be “uncomfortable”, but they are a bit narrow and even with the “integrated shoulder pads”, I’d prefer a slightly wider, slightly thicker strap. The Echo Weight Vest almost redeems itself here with its thick and load-reducing belt; for some trainees who appreciate a hip belt, this trade may be more than fair.

Overall, outside of a few minor gripes (which are mostly related to personal preferences), the engineering of Rogue’s flagship weight vest upholds its namesake’s high quality standards.

Materials and Construction: 95

Price

Rogue isn’t exactly known for offering the most affordable gear and, indeed, it’s not difficult to find more affordable weighted vest options. However, considering the build quality and the Rogue name/social proof, it’s $145 price tag seems pretty reasonable…especially when competing brands’ offerings are oftentimes priced closer to $200.

Assessing the Rogue Echo Weight Vest’s price in relation to its load capacity isn’t difficult to do and even when judging it on this metric, it holds up pretty well, particularly among “premium” brands’ weight vests and/or plate carriers.

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: 85

Customer Reviews

Currently, the Rogue Echo Weight Vest “only” has 86 reviews on the company’s official website. This isn’t the biggest sample size, but it is more than enough for our purposes and I think it’s more than sufficient for getting an idea of how actual customers feel about the product.

Out of these 86 reviews, only 7 are 3-star reviews or lower and the vest enjoys a collective review score of 4.7 out of 5. This is actually slightly lower than it was (4.9/5) when it topped our list of the best weighted vests, but maintaining such a high score is never going to be easy.

As it is, the masses are happy with this item and even those who weren’t so happy were as likely to complain about shipment packaging or the fact that weights aren’t included as much as things such as sizing or comfort.

Interestingly enough, Rogue doesn’t shy away from responding to reviews and has actually offered to assistance and even compensation to those who expressed dissatisfaction with their vests.

(TLDR: Rogue’s response: “Thank you for sharing your feedback about delivery. We’re sorry to see the Echo Vest arrived in rough shape, and have reached out via email to make sure no damage was sustained to the vest itself.”)

We didn’t even plan things this way, but this willingness to sift through comments and to ultimately help customers is a pretty good segue way into the next section…

Customer Reviews: 94

Customer Service

The last time I wrote a review of a Rogue item, I had a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. When that specific item had been delivered, I had just dealt with some logistical issues/delivery issues that seemed to have only been addressed immediately after I messaged the company (I didn’t receive an immediate e-mail response from the company, but there was a delivery updated…).

I’m a firm believer that my most recent experiences are the most important experiences, but this shouldn’t discount my other very good customer service experiences with Rogue. Experiences that have included reps going outside of their stated/written company policies in order to cancel unwanted orders and issuing almost instant refunds.

That is good customer service.

Reps, whether from the main, U.S. branch or the more-robust-than-you-would-think EU branch are good at responding to emails and, as we saw in the previous section, actually responding to and addressing issues customers have mentioned in their product reviews.

I wouldn’t say that either of these Rogue experiences is the norm (or is not) the norm, but between these and the company’s pretty decent, albeit somewhat complex warranty and return policy add up to a solidly above average customer experience.

Customer Service: 95

Who is the Rogue Echo Weight Vest really for?

Unlike a lot of gear we cover, this vest has a bit more of a universal pull to it. I think a lot of people could put it to good use in one way or another. However, there are a few groups who would especially appreciate it (and one group who probably wouldn’t):

If you like working with Rogue plates

The Rogue Echo Weight Vest isn’t the most compatible vest on the market and it certainly doesn’t fit any old ruck plate.

Thankfully, Rogue has a few different weight vest plate options (to include the Rogue Echo Weight Vest Plates…the best ruck plates on the market today) that fit this vest perfectly.

Those who want a more exact fit

With most weight vests your size options are limited…as in “one size fits all”. Echo Weight Vest offers a bit more selection and, ultimately, size optionality. This almost makes too much sense as it’s a bit silly to think that most other vests expect me and Hafþór Björnsson to wear the exact same weight vest!

I doubt Thor would fit that well in even the Echo Weight Vest’s largest size offering, but it would have to be better than squeezing into a “standard”-sized option.

Not for those who want to go really heavy

I think that 40 pounds of additional load is more than enough for most people to work with. I mean, some of the most brutal CrossFit workouts out there (to include Murph) require a 20-pound vest…not a vest with double that weight!

With that being said, some people just like to go really heavy. If this is you…God bless you…but you’re going to have to look at one of the more niche vest options to get your kicks in.

How we reviewed the Rogue Echo Weight Vest

As I mentioned way back at the beginning of this article, I don’t use weighted vests in my training that much. When I ruck I almost always use…a ruck and my Sentinel Training programming rarely calls for weighted vests.

In the weeks leading up to Murph 2025, I began to incorporate more weighted vest training into my workouts and rucks to grow more accustomed to the unique rigors of this workout and mainly rotated between using the Echo Weight Vest and 5.11 Tactical’s TacTec Trainer Weight Vest (which I used for the event itself) and their TacTec Plate Carrier.

Besides the standard rucking, running, pull-ups, push-ups, and squats, I’ve worn this vest during more complex movements (ex. rope climbs, muscle-ups) to get a better idea of what its limits are.

Rogue Echo Weight Vest Alternatives

It’s hard to do better than the best weight vest on the market today, but in case you’d like to “play the field” a bit, here are a few options that are most likely to give you the “Echo Weight Vest experience” without being official Rogue Gear.

Frequently Asked Questions

You probably have some questions before pulling the trigger on your first (next?) weight vest. Let’s cover some of the most common ones we got in relation to Rogue’s offering:

The Rogue Echo Weight Vest…the best weighted vest…

I started off this article by unabashedly sharing the merits of the Rogue Echo Weight Vest and as I’ve gone through each of these sections, I’m reminded why it has earned such a high, overall/collective review score.

It really does do well in the majority of our scored categories and is truly one of those items that just about any fitness enthusiast, whether you’re into rucking, CrossFit, trail running, or general training, can find legitimate value in.

It’s about as far from being a niche fitness product as you can find.

Maybe I would have set a PR if I had used it for my 2025 crack at Murph or maybe I wouldn’t. Moving forward, though, I definitely want to find more ways to work it into my regular training.

(Be sure to hold me to that the next time you see me unweighted running, squatting, or climbing!)