Victory Grips X2 Freedom Grips – Our Review

When it comes to opinions on CrossFit gear, there are really two main groups of people:

• People who haven’t been doing CrossFit for very long, don’t have experience with kipping movements, don’t think of, yet alone mention grips when asked
• People who got the worst blisters of their life minutes after “getting” butterfly pull-ups and now never leave home without their grips

If you fall into that second group you’ve probably heard all about the big names in the grips game (and if you happen to be in that first group, don’t worry…your time is coming…)

Bear Komplex. Picsil. Victory Grips…

Victory Grips…yeah…

Besides being one of the more popular CrossFit grips companies, Victory Grips is also the company that might draw the most extreme, and polarizing, opinions.

Some people (like me!) love their grips; some people…don’t love them. These feelings extend to the X2 Freedom grips (today, we’re just going with “X2”), today’s test subjects.

I’m not going to try to sell you on the X2s today, but I do want to set the record straight on what you are and what you are not getting with these bad boys. Hopefully you already have halfway decent grip strength and don’t mind when your grips get a little scuffed up…

Fabric

The X2 grips’ fabric is interesting. That is probably the best way to describe it.

Interesting in a, to me at least, good way.

I never really thought about how much I generally try to avoid using grips whenever possible until I slipped the X2s on. Instead of that somewhat weird feeling of carbon fiber and other overly artificial materials, Victory Grips feel a lot more natural.

Don’t get me wrong, the material is still synthetic (there may be some traditional gymnastics grips that are comprised of more natural materials, but these are few and far between in CrossFit), but it doesn’t feel as synthetic as others.

To me, this is a good thing, to others, this is a major downside to these grips.

By far, the most substantive adjective associated with the “best” CrossFit grips is “grippy”. If the meaning of this isn’t obvious to you, this equates to the degree to which your grips stick to, or at least partially adhere to, the bar or rings (independent of your own grip on these implements).

…and the X2s don’t really have this. Because of this, you’re left on your own to hold onto that bar or those rings.

To me, this isn’t a big deal. The main reason why I wear grips is to protect my hands from blistering, chaffing, etc. My grip isn’t the strongest, but it’s good enough to keep cooking during medium-to-big sets.

However, if you need (or at least prefer) a “grippy” grip, you’re probably going to feel a bit let down by these.

One last thing I’ll mention in this section is sizing (it’s related…enough). I purchased the smallest men’s size (ironically, a medium) and think that the grips are only a little too small for my hands.

I don’t mind that the material doesn’t completely cover the tops of my fingers on the bar, but I do know that others prefer full coverage.

All of this being said, my hands are pretty small (I have the same sized hands as my 5’2″ wife) so most men are probably going to want to go with at least a large and even bigger if you want full coverage.

Fabric: 90

Coverage

“Measuring” grip coverage is a pretty objective process, although coverage preferences are much more subjective.

Some people like to cover only as much as they absolutely have to while others essentially want to wear a couple of catcher’s mits for pull-ups.

If you’re in the former category, you might not rate the X2s all that highly because they do cover a lot of the hand. Just take my number and reverse it (and probably set your sights on some alternative grips!)

That context out of the way, this version of fingerless Victory Grips covers just about all of the areas most people would want their grips to cover: the vast majority of the palm, the base of the fingers (extending to at or the middle knuckle, depending on your hand size relative to your grips) and the outer edge of the hand.

As you can see, there is a little bit of space between the base of the thumb and the main palm that isn’t covered. This is pretty standard on most grips as this area is less likely to actually be in contact with, yet alone chaffing against the pull-up bar, rings, etc.

Some would prefer that that space be covered a bit more (extending closer to the thumb) and those preferring “fingered” grips probably appreciate the extra bit of material surrounding each finger, but overall, not too much to complain about, even for “glove grip” enthusiasts.

Coverage: 90

Comfort

Despite the company’s claims of “vegan materials” and things of this nature, the thing that probably sets Victory Grips/the X2 Grips apart from others is the lack of metal in their products.

(Don’t get me wrong; I love metal. I mean, just look at my website’s logo!)

However, what I don’t “love” is metal digging into my wrist if I don’t set my grips just right on my hands when I’m first putting them on (and even when I’m adjusting them throughout the workout). With the X2s, you don’t get this feeling…

…and it’s awesome.

To be honest, because I am so used to using grips that do fasten with the classic metal/velcro strap combination, the X2s didn’t feel overly secure during my first few wears. It also took me a little while of messing around with the fabric/velcro strap combo to find the ideal fastening configuration.

But once I did…man are these comfy.

Besides the lack of metal jabbing into my hand, the synthetic material/fabric itself is softer and less sticky (some, as we’ll discuss later on would say “less grippy”) that other grips. Usually if I get to the point in the workout where I don’t need my grips at all anymore, I’ll take a second to remove them entirely. I don’t feel that need with these.

When the X2s are actually in use (I exclusively use mine for performing kipping chest-to-bar and regular pull-ups as well as bar muscle-ups…nothing else) I have found that they provide enough comfort so that my hands don’t feel like they’re chaffing against the bar, but not so much that I feel completely disconnected from it.

Even when they are attached at a “tighter” setting, they are easy to turn (and easy to turn quickly at that). Again, not having to carefully adjust them to account for the metal piece makes transitioning the grips a more seamless and comfortable process.

I can pretty comfortably (ha!) say that the Victory Grip X2s are the most comfortable grips (in each and every phase (enclosure, fabric, on the bar, transitioning)) that I have ever worn…and it’s not really even a close call.

Comfort: 95

Maintenance

Good news and bad news here, but as you gazed at the multiple pictures if those white, white grips, you probably were expecting the worst (or at least you should have been).

To be honest, I cannot care less if my grips get blackened, scuffed, etc. I would go so far as to say that if you’re seriously considering these grips, you should feel the same. While it is certainly possible to wash them (the Victory Grips website includes a good amount of information on how to do this very thing), if you want to keep them pristine, prepare to do this after every workout.

If you’re not too keen on doing this (and, to be real, who is?) you can reduce many of the lasting effects of “black pull-up bar on white grip” by taking a wet wipe to them for a few seconds one you’ve finished up for the day. Again, if I’m being honest, this is something I…rarely do, however, it is an effective option for keeping them clean.

Now the good news

If you’re used to just about any type of CrossFit grips, you’re probably used to the post-training “curl up”. You know…when you leave your wet/sweaty grips to their own devices and they begin to curl into themselves at they dry out.

Well, there is something about the X2s’ fabric (possibly in conjunction with the lack of the metal portion, as strange as it sounds) that greatly reduces this effect. I have (lazily) kept mine in my gym bag post workout, dreading what I would find prior to my next session. To my surprise, this curl up was greatly limited, lessening my need to do the whole “place your grips in between some heavy plates” gag.

Ultimately, you could rate the X2s in a couple of different extremes (with more upside than downside, but extremes, nonetheless) depending on how anal you are about keeping your grips perfectly white and clean. If you care, maintenance is going to be a thing, but not that big of a thing. If you don’t care…you’re in luck!

We’ll split the difference here and call it a cool eighty-five.

Maintenance: 85

Price

The good news is, it’s pretty hard to find grips that fall outside of the price range of about $20-60.

The bad new is, the Victory Grips X2s are in the higher end of that price range. No matter where you go, you’re likely to find them retailing for $52.

To piggyback off the first point, if you really want and/or like the grips, you’re only looking at paying between $7 and maybe $20 more than other grips of similar quality from reputable companies. This is a lot different than paying $400 for a name-brand barbell when there are plenty of $250-$275 options.

However, we rate gear by how it stacks up against other items in its class.

You can certainly find grips that are more expensive than just about any of Victory Grips offerings (although the women’s “V Series” grips are tough to beat at $68 a pop), but you’re going to find a lot more than run less than they do.

Price: 70

Customer Reviews

Victory Grips are pretty polarizing in general and the X2 Freedoms are no exception. While it isn’t easy finding places with a lot of customer reviews and experiences with the grips, where you can find them (like on the official Victory Grips website), you tend to see things like this:

Mostly ecstatic “haves”, nothing really in the middle, and a few equally ecstatic “have nots”.

If you click over to Rogue, this polarization is much more one sided. Granted there are only two reviews (at the time of this writing), but neither of them are very good:

“Zero Grip”

“Not grippy on the bars at our gym”

What’s especially interesting is that both reviews decry the lack of grip that the X2’s possess; this is understandable, particularly if you’re used to carbon-fiber grips.

Going back to the Victory Grips main page, the whole “lack of grip” thing seems to be a running theme in the negative reviews. It is mentioned enough that I would advise heeding these reviews; if you prefer the extra “grippiness” that certain CrossFit grips provide (as opposed to more basic, but superior hand protection), you probably want to pass on these.

Customer Reviews: 81

Customer Service

I haven’t had too much interaction with Victory Grips personnel, but the interactions I have had have been…mixed.

I will say that they are really good at responding quickly to initial inquiries. I had a couple of different emails responded to by two different people within 24 hours (which was especially impressive as this took place during the Hurricane Helene storm situation).

Unfortunately, in one case, my inquiries weren’t at all addressed, while in the second a follow-up inquiry was not responded to at all.

To be fair, these inquiries were not in relation to “typical” grip questions (ex. returns, sizing issues, etc.), but were still rather straightforward questions that I would have liked a response to.

Customer Service: 80

Who are Victory Grips X2s really for?

If you couldn’t tell by now, there is a large group of people who would probably appreciate the X2s and another large group of people who would definitely not like them.

Let’s take a more direct look at who these people are:

CrossFitters who want a “natural” feel

With no metal, “vegan” fabric, and adhering materials kept to a minimum, Victory Grips in general (and the X2s in particular) have a much less “synthetic” feel than any other CrossFit grips I have tried. If you prefer something that’s protective, but doesn’t make you feel like a terminator (in a bad way, of course) they’re worth a look.

Those who don’t mind getting dirty

You got white grips, black pull-up bars, and a lot of sweat…what do you think is going to happen?

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the X2s attract scuff marks and blackening, but you are going to notice the effects of your workouts a bit more if you’re not vigilant about cleaning yours.

The best case scenario? You just don’t care about how dirty they look!

Not for those who want “grippy” grips

A lot of CrossFit grips these days are comprised of certain types of synthetic or “carbon fiber” material that is incredibly “grippy”, especially when first purchased. If you’ve grown accustomed to this type of material and associated feelings of “grippiness” or if you think that this is the direction you’re going to want to go with your grips, the X2 Grips…well…I think Obi-wan was actually talking about “grips” here:

How we reviewed the X2 Victory Grips

Truth be told, I probably don’t have nearly as many opportunities to test out grips as other CrossFit athletes might have. I never use grips for ring work, strict work, or for toes-to-bars only really leaving workouts with (kipping) pull-ups, chest-to-bar pull-ups, and bar muscle-ups as “use cases”.

Thankfully, I not only had a few workouts with these movements scheduled over the span of a few weeks, but I also knew how I felt about the X2s pretty quickly. As such, I didn’t need quite as much testing as I do for most other products.

For the sake of the review, I also tried some random, “fresh” sets of these exercises with the grips and also put them through the rigors of cleaning and general maintenance.

X2 Alternatives

As I’ve mentioned a few times now, Victory Grips are pretty polarizing and there is a decent chance that they may not be your cup of chowder. If this happens to be the case, I’ve assembled a few alternative options; one of these should fit the bill:

Frequently Asked Questions

Will you like ’em or hate ’em? Here’s your last chance to get a question or two in about the X2s:

Victory Grips X2 Grips…you’ll immediately “know”

It took a while for me to come around to Victory Grips.

A lot of people rave about them. A lot of people have a very high level of disdain for them.

I’m certainly glad that I did come around to them, although there is something about them that I think that all people, lovers and haters, will at least appreciate about them.

You pretty much immediately know how you’re going to feel about them.

That first wear for me was kinda a throwaway, but by that first actual metcon with my X2s, I was sold. My wife on the other hand (zing!)….was not.

If you have the opportunity to get your hands on (or, more appropriately, get your hands in) a pair of X2s, I suggest you do so. You’ll either have instantly found your new favorite pair of CrossFit grips or you’ll instantly be able to cross them off the list of contenders.

If you can’t easily get a hold of a pair, just take a gamble, bite the bullet and order a pair. Worst case, some guy at the gym will worship you for selling him yours at a (hopefully slight) discount!