6 Best Grips For Barbell and Dumbbell in 2024

Working out with thick barbells and fat dumbbells can help you develop your grip strength and forearm strength, which will, in turn, help the rest of your body gain more muscle and power. To take your exercise to the next level and get the most out of it, let’s take a look at how the best grips for barbell and dumbbell can help you improve your training.

Top 6 Best Grips for Barbell and Dumbbell Reviewed

1. Fat Gripz Pro – Top Pick
2. Iron Bull Strength Alpha Grips 2.0 – Runner Up
3. Yes4All Thick Rubber Grips
4. Steelgrip Thick Bar Grips
5. DMoose Thick Fat Bar Grips 
6. Core Prodigy Fit Grips

In this article, I will show you some popular plain protein powder on the market. I have compared all options by the most important characteristics: package, taste, ingredients, blending, and price-quality ratio. Find a brief summary in the table below and scroll down for the most interesting part!

Product	Total	Price/ Quality	Design	Versatility	Durability	Comfort	Material	Package
Fat Gripz Pro	68.5	10	9	10	10	10	9.5	10
Iron Bull Strength Alpha Grips 2.0	66	9	9	8.5	10	10	9.5	10
Yes4All Thick Rubber Grips	63.5	10	8.5	8.5	9.5	9	9	9
Steelgrip Thick Bar Grips	61.5	10	8	8.5	9	8	9	9
DMoose Thick Fat Bar Grips	60.5	9.5	9	8	8.5	8.5	8	9
Core Prodigy Fit Grips	59.5	8.5	8.5	8	9	8.5	9	8

1. Fat Gripz Pro – Top Pick

• Color: Black, Blue, Orange, Pink
• Weight: 1.1 lbs
• Length: 2.36 in
• Material: Rubber
• Outer Diameter: 1.75 in, 2.25 in, and 2.75 in
• Inner Diameter: 1.1 in
• Suitable for: barbells, dumbbells, cable equipment

The first of its kind and the one who initiated everything. Numerous weightlifters, as well as professional athletes, fitness athletes, expert bodybuilders, and a wide variety of other fitness enthusiasts are using Fat Gripz.

They can be used for pull-ups, for farmer’s walks, deadlifts and so on; regardless of what your goals are at the gym, these bar thickeners will help you achieve them.

These are offered for purchase by Fat Gripz in three different sizes, ranging from 1.75″ to the extreme-level 2.75″ Gripz, which are intended for top lifters who already have a big set of mitts.

This particular thick grip for barbell has a texturing that is analogous to the knurling that is found on barbells. You will have a thicker, more secure fat grip bench press and overall training experience with Fat Gripz since they attach to the bar through a clip and provide you loads of bar stability while also preventing sliding and slippage.

2. Iron Bull Strength Alpha Grips 2.0 - Runner Up

• Color: Black
• Weight: 0.95 lb
• Length: 5.16
• Outer Diameter: 2 in, 2.5 in, and 3 in
• Suitable for: barbells, dumbbells, cable equipment

Although thick grips are intended to give a no-slip grip, some products will make your hands more likely to sweat and slip than others. When it comes to non-slip grip, Iron Bull Strength Alpha grips are the best. The Iron Bull thick grip dumbbells will stick to the bar and your hand like no other.

These thick grips are composed of a premium rubber composition that provides for a more stable grip and has a more matte surface than silicone. Each grip also has embossed logos and indentations that help prevent slipping.

Despite having a cylindrical appearance, these grips stand out from similar goods because of their ergonomic construction. This enables a more suitable hand location, which may improve the comfort of your fat grip exercise.

The Iron Bull Alpha Grips are a solid choice for most lifters and one of the best dumbbell grips because of its 2" diameter. Since they aren't overly thick and have an ergonomic design, even some novices in fat grip training may use them without discomfort.

They work nicely with hex dumbbells with rounded handles and barbells with diameters of 25mm and 28mm. They cannot be used with PowerBlock dumbbells because they are too lengthy.

3. Yes4All Thick Rubber Grips

• Color: Black, Blue
• Weight: 1.1 lb
• Length: 5 in
• Outer Diameter: 2.5 in
• Inner Diameter: 1 in
• Suitable for: barbells, dumbbells

One of the best fat grips on the market are the Yes4All Xtreme Grips because they're composed of sturdy, non-compressible rubber and they're easy to put on and take off the barbel.

These fat grips lack texture in comparison to other fat grips. However, it may not be a disadvantage because some people hands slide a lot less with them than with other products that do feature grooves and diamond-shaped patterns.

The grips include two embossed logos that make them simple to grab onto. Because they don't have as many grooves, they're less likely to aggravate your calluses.

These grips are 2.5" in diameter and they're ergonomically formed, which makes them much more comfortable for your hands.

It's a bit tricky to separate them and get them on a barbell or dumbbell, but once they're on, they stay there. The most significant disadvantage is that they do not fit on PowerBlock dumbbells, which may be a disadvantage for home gym owners who do not have round or hex dumbbells.

4. Steelgrip Thick Bar Grips

• Color: Black, Red
• Weight: 0.8 lbs
• Length: 4.33 in
• Outer Diameter: 1.9 in
• Inner Diameter: 0.9 in
• Suitable for: barbells, dumbbells, cable equipment

The Steelgrips are made of a premium high-density material and as a result, the grips are more durable when compared to less expensive, generic counterparts. They are also less likely to distort or compress while being used.

The diameter of ordinary bars and dumbbells is more than doubled by these fat grips, allowing you to conduct thick bar training for a fraction of the price. For use in any bodybuilding activity, it simply clips on to any standard-sized bars, equipment, and cable attachments. Just stretch the seal open, then position them around the selected piece of equipment.

To make sure you get the most out of your new grips, you receive a complimentary copy of the SteelGrip Thick Bar Training Guide with every purchase of the SteelGrips.

Because the manufacturer is so confident in the product, you can easily contact them and get a full refund if you are not entirely pleased with your Steelgrips for any reason.

5. DMoose Thick Fat Bar Grips

• Color: Black, Red
• Weight: 1.2 lb
• Length: 5.25 in
• Outer Diameter: 2 in
• Suitable for: barbells, dumbbells

The DMoose Thick Fat Bar Grips are a great option for lifters with large hands or for those who have a lot of fat grip training experience and looking to advance it.

The DMoose is most likely the toughest fat grip on our list. Although they are constructed of the same silicone as other items, they are less flexible and more robust.

They are a little challenging to attach to the barbell since the silicone isn't very flexible, but once they are, they stay there and don’t slip. To further enhance the design and grip, there are horizontal grooves and an embossed logo that prevent slippage.

The DMoose fat grips' major flaw, like the Yes4All Xtreme Grips', is that they won't fit on adjustable PowerBlock dumbbells. You will be limited to utilizing just these fat grips on your barbell and pull-up bar if you use a home gym and don't have any sets of round or hex dumbbells.

6. Core Prodigy Fit Grips

• Color: Black, Pink, Yellow
• Weight: 0.7 lbs
• Length: 4.6 in
• Outer Diameter: 1.75 in, 2 in
• Inner Diameter: 1 in
• Suitable for: dumbbells, barbells

These thick, non-slip Core Prodigy barbell grips made of military-grade silicone are resistant to a lot of wear and tear. Additionally, they have a distinctive raised edge design that makes it possible for a secure grip which is exactly what makes them one of the best barbell grips on the market.

When you perform hammer curls and reverse grip barbell curls, these are excellent and work well to activate your biceps more than usual.

They are also useful if the very narrow bar on your weights forces you to squeeze too firmly, inflicting wrist pain.

You receive a lifetime warranty when you purchase this item, which is another noteworthy benefit. Bring it to them if you ever have a problem with it, and they will repair it or replace it.

What are the Benefits of Grips for Barbell and Dumbbell?

✅ Better Grip and Forearm Strength

Training with a grip for dumbbells or barbells mostly helps one develop stronger grip and forearm muscles. Holding a weight with a greater diameter requires more effort from the hands, especially your forearms.

Training with a grip engages the tiny stabilizer muscles in the hands and wrists, which are underutilized when using a conventionally sized weight. Using grips for training has also been proven to improve electromyography muscle activity (the activation of skeletal muscles) in the forearms and shoulders.

✅ Muscle Endurance

Your grip can frequently give out before the rest of your body in sports like fitness where you're performing many repetitions of movements like deadlifts and pull-ups.

By strengthening your grip with a fat grip, you can increase your capacity to hold onto the barbell or pull-up bar for longer. This will enable you to work out faster by cutting down on the time you need to take breaks.

✅ Better Hypertrophy in Your Forearms

Training with a grip will help you increase forearm muscle which is great for bodybuilders and anybody else looking to achieve a well-rounded physique.

This is due to the fact that your hands and forearms are put under more strain for a longer length of time, and more time under tension is good for building muscle.

✅ Portability

The mobility of grippers is one of the most significant advantages of using them. Your forearms and grip can be worked out everywhere as long as you don’t forget to pack these compact grips.

When Do You Need Grips?

You need grips when you want to stimulate more muscle fibers in your forearms, upper arms, fingers and hands when using dumbbells and barbells. Grips are also needed when you want to get a maximal contraction when training your biceps because when your grip is soft you can’t contract your biceps to the maximum. 

What to Look for in Grips?

When choosing a fat bar grip for your workouts, you must exercise extreme caution. The last thing you want is to get a grip which isn't durable and tears quickly or it's uncomfortable because of the material used to make it. The main features you need to take a look at are listed below.

1. Material

The material of the grip should be comfortable to your skin as well as durable enough to withstand certain wear and tear. You also want the material to be able to absorb shock and not cause any additional sweating of your palm.

2. Size

The grip you pick should be suitable with the size of your hand. Getting too big or too small of a grip might not produce the results you expected. The total length is simply the sum of the lengths of each fat grip.

A typical fat grip is 4-5" long and it is unquestionably long enough to fit on the handles of most dumbbells and barbells. The 5" ones, however, might not fit on some models of adjustable dumbbells, such PowerBlock dumbbells.

Each grip's thickness is determined by its outside diameter. The majority of fat grips available have an exterior diameter of between 1.75 and 2.25 inches. Depending on your level of experience and how difficult you want your grip training to be, you should adjust the thickness of your fat grips.

The width of the interior of the grip is referred to as the inner diameter. Generally speaking, you don't want this to be larger than 1" since it wouldn't fit snugly on a barbell.

3. Comfort

Depending on the design of the grip there are some that are more comfortable and some that are less comfortable. If it’s an ergonomic design which fits your hand perfectly then that type of grip is the right one for you. 

4. Versatility

It’s very important to make sure that the grips you get will be able to fit the dumbbells or barbells you have at your gym. That’s why it’s crucial for the grip you pick to be versatile and easily fit more types of dumbbells and barbells. 

5. Durability

One of the more important things you should take a look at is the durability of the fat grip. You need a fat grip that will be able to handle the weight you are lifting as well as not tear easily because of the pattern on the barbell or dumbbell. 

6. Design

The majority of fat grips have a cylindrical design, but others have an up-and-down or contoured shape for a more comfortable grip. Although less often, certain fat grips can also be spherical in form, which is advantageous for grappling athletes like MMA fighters, rock climbers, and baseball players.

The outside of fat dumbbell handle grips can be smooth or textured. However, some also feature horizontal grooves that are as helpful. The textured ones often have diamond-shaped patterns that allow you to obtain a stronger grip. However, excessive texture might result in calluses, which can be aggravating if you already have rough skin regions from the barbell.

7. Price/Quality

The price versus quality is basically up to you and your budget. Usually the price reflects the quality of the item so if you’re not on a budget it’s best to go for a renowned brand to make sure you get the right fat grip.

FAQ

Are Dumbbell Grips Worth It?

Absolutely, these are quite cheap training items that won't break the bank but offer several advantages. Regular use of grippers will enhance your forearm endurance, enable you to lift heavier weights, and avoid injuries when lifting heavy things.

How Can I Make My Dumbbells More Grippy?

You can make the dumbbells more grippy by getting dumbbell grips as part of your gym equipment.

Conclusion

Getting one of the best grips for barbell and dumbbell for your next training sessions is definitely worth the investment because you will be able to increase the intensity of your training as well as the amount of muscle fibers involved in each exercise.

When you consider the benefits of getting fat grips against the cost of them, the benefits far outweigh the price, making them a great addition to your gym gear. So don’t hesitate to order your Fat Gripz Pro today and start training like the top athlete you are!

Let us know what you think about fat grips for lifting and share your experience with us using the comment section below!

Also read:

• Best Weight Lifting Gloves With Wrist Support
• Best Weight Lifting Hooks
• Fat Gripz Review
• Best Weightlifting Gloves

References:

1. How to Increase Grip Strength for Weightlifting // Verywell Fit:
   https://cutt.ly/h1Q6Gv1.
2. Impact of Fat Grip Attachments on Muscular Strength and Neuromuscular Activation During Resistance Exercise // PubMed:
   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30694963/.
3. Resistance training with slow speed of movement is better for hypertrophy and muscle strength gains than fast speed of movement // Unifesp:
   https://repositorio.unifesp.br/handle/11600/57564.