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Kettlebell Kettlebells USA Metrixx Elite vs Kettlebell Kings Powder Coat ?

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Brian_F

Brian_F

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Hello everyone,

I'm new here and looking forward to start my S&S journey. I'm realizing that as I get older, flexibility and power are being compromised - and I can't let that happen! I want to use this foundational training to carry over into surfing, which is my favorite sport - and also to help pick up my daughter without having to think twice about back pain...

That being said, I need to start my kettlebell collection. I'm going to start with a 16kg and a 24kg, but not 100% sure which company to buy from. I read someone say, "let it hurt once in the beginning" in reference to buying quality. That seems to make sense to me.

My 2 top choices are Kettlebells USA Metrixx Elite and Kettlebell Kings kg Powder Coat's. I am hearing that the Metrixx E-Coat finish is longer lasting, that the bell has an excellent shape, finish, grip, and feel. I've also read and heard that the Kings kettlebell's powdercoat finish is awesome, very high quality and maybe an even nicer grip and feel (the color touches are real nice too). I keep hearing though people complain about powdercoat chipping and rusting with time (although Kings seems to be the best PC out there), even within a few weeks, so I may be leaning to the much pricier Metrixx bell.

I would love to get anyone's input that may have experience with these bells to guide this newbie into the right direction!

All the best and thank you for any help!
 
If you can wait for them, I have already sold almost all my non-StrongFirst bells because the StrongFirst bells are the best I've ever used. Like many things, they're on backorder, but IMO, they're worth the wait if you can. My own choice is that I've bought a few Rep Fitness kettlebells because they seem good enough and they're relatively inexpensive, and I'll sell them once the StrongFirst ones are in stock again.

-S-
 
Steve Freides said:
the StrongFirst bells are the best I've ever used
Click to expand...
Thank you Steve! - I will definitely consider the StrongFirst bells too. I just didn't mention them since, like you said, they're not in stock at moment - I would love to wait! But the training bug has me itching!!! ?
(thank you for the Rep Fitness recommendation too; they're also out of stock at moment)

All the Best!!!
 
Brian you may want to look at the Kettlebell Kings adjustable comp bell. It will give you one bell that will do everything from 12 to 32, except 13, hahaha. I've got a couple of them now and they are the only bells I keep in my workout area now. I wish they had been around when I started and I would have a lot less bells now.
 
Brian_F said:
Hello everyone,

I'm new here and looking forward to start my S&S journey. I'm realizing that as I get older, flexibility and power are being compromised - and I can't let that happen! I want to use this foundational training to carry over into surfing, which is my favorite sport - and also to help pick up my daughter without having to think twice about back pain...

That being said, I need to start my kettlebell collection. I'm going to start with a 16kg and a 24kg, but not 100% sure which company to buy from. I read someone say, "let it hurt once in the beginning" in reference to buying quality. That seems to make sense to me.

My 2 top choices are Kettlebells USA Metrixx Elite and Kettlebell Kings kg Powder Coat's. I am hearing that the Metrixx E-Coat finish is longer lasting, that the bell has an excellent shape, finish, grip, and feel. I've also read and heard that the Kings kettlebell's powdercoat finish is awesome, very high quality and maybe an even nicer grip and feel (the color touches are real nice too). I keep hearing though people complain about powdercoat chipping and rusting with time (although Kings seems to be the best PC out there), even within a few weeks, so I may be leaning to the much pricier Metrixx bell.

I would love to get anyone's input that may have experience with these bells to guide this newbie into the right direction!

All the best and thank you for any help!
Click to expand...
Hi Brian - I can't speak to to the KK powder coat bells, but I do have a 32k KB USA Metrixx Elite and love it. It feels very high quality. I also have Great Lakes Girya bells (12k, 20k and 24k), which I also love (see my review here). As far as I can tell, GLG e-coat bells are comparable to KB USA Metrixx Elite.
 
I have a ton (not quite literally, but not that much of an exaggeration) of cast iron bells -- mostly DragonDoor e-coat of various generations, starting from the very first productions run close to 20 years ago, but also some Rogue powder coat and Perform Better. E-coat is definitely more durable than powder coat and I would choose it every time, all else being equal. Powder coat can feel nice, but the powder coat comes off my Rogue bells in big patches if you give them a stern look.

However, I've become a convert to competition style bells, and by far my favorites are the Kettlebells USA Paradigm Pro Elites. I also have some Kettlebell Kings comp bells, but I like finish of the handles on the KBUSA bells better (it has a little grain to it without being rough and works well with and without chalk; the KK finish is smoother and more slippery), and the paint on the KBUSA bells is more durable (but they both chip when they clink together when using doubles).
 
@Steve W.

All I own are KB USA Cast Iron elites (they are awesome btw). These have been used a lot over the past 4 years and look brand new.

However, I'm getting into doubles programs and I'm shopping for a pair of 20s. I've never used competition bells. I'll be doing a lot of clean and press and I don't want the weight to rest on my wrists, I truly hate that. I need the weight further down on the forearm.

Can you compare a comp bell vs cast iron bell on that factor?

Thanks
 
@ShawnyUT
I find competition bells very comfortable in the catch position with the bell resting on the forearm, in the rack and overhead. And with comp bells, if one weight rests in a comfortable position, all weights will. But the only bell, comp or cast, that I've had a problem with is a DragonDoor cast 12kg. That thing is torture no matter how I try to positition it. So I suspect it's less about comp vs cast and more about a match (or mismatch) between your dimensions and the dimensions of a particular bell.

There is some variation among competition designs. 33mm used to be the standard handle diameter, but 35mm is more common now (I'm not really clued into actual GS competition standards, just going by what manufacturers are offering). I really like 35mm, which is a little smaller than most cast iron bells. To me, it's "right sized." Big enough to be comfortable for my average sized hands, but grip is less of a limiting factor than cast bells. The window and handle geometry also varies a bit. KBUSA has a straight handle and seemingly a little taller window. KB Kings has a slightly curved handle and seemingly a little shorter window. Both are comfortable for me.

And contrary to popular belief, the space under the handles for both brands of comp bells is wider than all my cast bells, and has more space for the little fingers on two-arm swings because the horns don't curve inward (although I dislike two-arm swings in general). However, I have seen other brands of comp bells that did have narrower handles.

For hardstyle snatches, smaller cast bells, up to about 24kg, seem to "turn over" a little faster since the bells are shorter. The comp bells in those sizes turn over a little slower, but also feel smoother to me. The difference is less obvious with bigger sizes.

The two things I prefer cast iron bells for are goblet squats and bottom up presses. The curved horns of the cast bells are more comfortable for goblet squats and the cast bell balance easier for bottom up work.
 
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Steve W. said:
@ShawnyUT
I find competition bells very comfortable in the catch position with the bell resting on the forearm, in the rack and overhead. And with comp bells, if one weight rests in a comfortable position, all weights will. But the only bell, comp or cast, that I've had a problem with is a DragonDoor cast 12kg. That thing is torture no matter how I try to positition it. So I suspect it's less about comp vs cast and more about a match (or mismatch) between your dimensions and the dimensions of a particular bell.

There is some variation among competition designs. 33mm used to be the standard handle diameter, but 35mm is more common now (I'm not really clued into actual GS competition standards, just going by what manufacturers are offering). I really like 35mm, which is a little smaller than most cast iron bells. To me, it's "right sized." Big enough to be comfortable for my average sized hands, but grip is less of a limiting factor than cast bells. The window and handle geometry also varies a bit. KBUSA has a straight handle and seemingly a little taller window. KB Kings has a slightly curved handle and seemingly a little shorter window. Both are comfortable for me.

And contrary to popular belief, the space under the handles for both brands of comp bells is wider than all my cast bells, and has more space for the little fingers on two-arm swings because the horns don't curve inward (although I dislike two-arm swings in general). However, I have seen other brands of comp bells that did have narrower handles.

For hardstyle snatches, smaller cast bells, up to about 24kg, seem to "turn over" a little faster since the bells are shorter. The comp bells in those sizes turn over a little slower, but also feel smoother to me. The difference is less obvious with bigger sizes.

The two things I prefer cast iron bells for are goblet squats and bottom up presses. The curved horns of the cast bells are more comfortable for goblet squats and the cast bell balance easier for bottom up work.
Click to expand...
@Steve W.
thanks for taking the time to write this out for me. I really appreciate it.
 
Steve Freides said:
If you can wait for them, I have already sold almost all my non-StrongFirst bells because the StrongFirst bells are the best I've ever used. Like many things, they're on backorder, but IMO, they're worth the wait if you can. My own choice is that I've bought a few Rep Fitness kettlebells because they seem good enough and they're relatively inexpensive, and I'll sell them once the StrongFirst ones are in stock again.

-S-
Click to expand...
Do you know when the StrongFirst kettlebells will be available for order??

Thank you
Jake
 
I didn’t think I could like anything better than my metrixx elite KB, but I “needed” a 20 kg bell and they didn’t have any in stock. Ordered a 20 kg from strong first and have to say they are legit.
 
You could also check your Craigslist and FB Marketplace. You'll be surprised at what turns up. I have multiple sellers locally that buy shipping containers full weights retuned or damaged in shipping (usually nothing but the packaging or a light scuff on the bell). Sellers get from $1 - $2 per pound. Got a 53 lb / 24k Strong First like new for $60. Got a nice Bells of Steel 35/16 and Fringe 70 / 32 for $1.50 per pound. Took a while of watching to assemble my current set and I bought and resold a few more budget ones along the way. Recently I assembled a set of 10, 20, and 30 pound maces for $1.25 a pound. Scored a 35 lb Thor's Hammer for $45. The hunt is part of the thrill and it's a budget friendly way to get started. They are really easy to flip if you decide to upgrade later. Easy with bells under 80 lbs that is. Those heavier have a much smaller market and tend to sit for quite a while. I'm a heretic in that I wrap my handles with gaffers tape and put it on the bottoms to protect my floor. The finish on the Strong First is by far the best of all I have seen. I'm hoping to score a 24 and 32. Good luck and happy swinging!
 
Hi everyone, I just replaced some Rogue bells with very ‘square’ handles with KB kings bells. I was disappointed with KB Kings, the premium is not worth it in my opinion. One of them has a very smooth round handle and the others are OK but not as good. They seem to have quality control issues. They gave me some money back and one really bad one has been exchanged, but I would say don’t bother. It seems that previously their quality has been good and perhaps production has ramped up and quality control gone down.
 
Not an expert like many of the others here but have been perfectly happy with my Rogue powder coats for years. Some of them are five years old with minimal wear. Good consistent finish on the handles, significantly cheaper than Kettlebell Kings, and in stock. If you buy from any of the manufacturers reviewed here you will likely be happy and hard pressed to notice the differences. One thing you could do is book some training sessions with an SF trainer (I did not for until a year after starting and I wish I had worked with a trainer from day 1). They will have some bells you could try out and perhaps some insight about where to get them locally.
 
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