HandBand Pro® Review

The GBC girls love to lift heavy things. An annoying side effect of this is hand calluses, blisters and tears. Having taught Body Pump™ for years and now doing old school weight training, I have tried gloves of every brand and style, but never really found one I liked. Most of the lifting gloves I tried were too bulky, hard to put on/take off, and made the grip harder rather than easier. Additionally, being someone with smaller hands, small sizes were tough to come by and lifting bare handed just tore up my hands. My blog partner in crime originally came across this company and was excited about the opportunity to try this unique product.

HandBand Pro® markets more to the Crossfit community, touting as "the revolutionary functional fitness grip - for increased grip, reduced friction, total hand freedom and protection from blisters and rips. Designed for high rep pulling/pushing WOD’s and created for today’s athlete.” Although we do not do cross fit, we lift Olympic bars, use heavy weights, do pushes and pulls, kettle bell swings, and frequently have blisters, calluses, and grip issues.

When they arrived, I laughed. It seemed the HandBand Pro rep picked the perfect pairs for us: skulls (no surrender) for Theresa and animal print (coco blue) ones for me.

My first observation was that the bands are light weight, sewn well, and have a simple but effective design. HandBand Pro provides an explanation in the packaging of how to wear the bands as well as a YouTube video that explains different ways to wear the bands, which was helpful.
The first time I tried them on I got a little wrapped up, but Theresa put them on easily. The more I use the bands, the easier they are to put on. I tried both grip options with the modifications presented and found that you can switch quickly and easily between grip options to accommodate the exercise you are doing. Another added benefit is the freedom of movement for your fingers without compromising your grip.

We tried them during all of our weight training sessions over two weeks and I even tried them with suspended rings and a trapeze bar for higher rep pull ups. While they don't appear to completely prevent calluses they do seem to lessen them. They also appear to reduce the peeling and ripping we previously experienced.
Final verdict: Theresa and I found HandBand Pro to be versatile and compact, and to perform exactly as they claim. We loved the freedom they give our fingers and hands and their minimalistic feel. The price is comparable to any weight lifting gloves ranging from $24.95 to $31.95. It is offered in a variety of colors and prints allowing lifters to express their individual personality. Furthermore, they work for all size hands.

HandBand Pro has become a staple for the GBC Duo. We would definitely buy this product and encourage anyone that lifts to look into this innovative tool.

For more information on HandBand Pro please follow the following links:

Online: http://www.handbandpro.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handbandpro
Twitter: https://twitter.com/handbandpro

Love, Cindy!