Recommendations/Reviews/FS/WTB Rogue/Kettlebell Kings

[Deleted member 6651]

Hello,

Just decided to ask this as a separate thread to keep it specifically to these 2 brands.

1: How much difference is there between Rogue and Kettlebell Kings?

Price wise... the KK are just under double the cost of Rogues.

2: If money was no object... do KK offer a better quality (even slightly) over rogue for all that extra $? - Some reviews I found on youtube claim that KK quality is better - but I did read someone on this forum somewhere say that the KK finish is not durable at all and comes off very easy. - So thought I would clarify as it may have been an old post and things can change over the years I guess.

3: Handle thickness. -

For rogue it states:

• 9 - 18lbs (4 - 8kg) - 1.2" (3.05cm)
• 26lbs (12kg) - 1.4" (3.55cm)
• 35 - 88lbs (16 - 40kg) - 1.5" (3.8cm)
• 97 - 203lbs (44 - 92kg) - 1.58" (4cm)

For KK it states:

Kilograms	Pounds	Diameter
4 KG - 6 KG	9 LB	30 mm
8, 10,14 KG	18,22,31 LB	32 mm
12,16, 18 KG	26, 35, 40 LB	33 mm
20 KG	44 LB	37.5 mm
24, 28 KG	53, 62 LB	38.5 mm
32 KG	70 LB	38 mm
36 KG - 48 KG	80, 88, 97, 106 LB	39 mm
56 KG - 68 KG	88 - 96 LB	41 mm

-
Just comparing the 2 thicknesses the KK are all over the place compare to rogue.

Which handle thicknesses are ideal above? (more conventional to what has been used since forever)? - Which will result in a better over-all experience/muscle/grip development?

4: Handle gap - Between rogue and KK which ones have more room to hold for 2 hand swings etc... and what is better, more room or less room for single handed work? Just trying to gauge who got 'that' right between the two.

 

[Steve Freides]

I think Rogue are quite good and want nothing better, but it's worth noting that Rogue is out of stock on most sizes, and I think a lot of places are out of stock on kettlebells.

-S-

 

[musicsherlock]

The Truth Behind the Great Kettlebell Shortage of 2020

They’re sold out everywhere. How complicated could it be to just make some more? Turns out, very.

www.gq.com

 

[Papa Georgio]

The Truth Behind the Great Kettlebell Shortage of 2020

They’re sold out everywhere. How complicated could it be to just make some more? Turns out, very.

www.gq.com

What may or may get talked about will be lower quality bells due to the shortage.

I've lived through various types of part shortage in another industries, but one thing is constant: WORSE QUALITY

Current foundries always have a certain percentage of parts that don't conform, and they are usually scrapped. These suppliers will now be pressured to dip into the nonconforming parts to keep up with demand.

New foundries are going to pressured into getting new castings poured with new tooling. Many steps of the quality validation will be skipped.

The companies who are marketing and selling the bells will be more apt to accepting these poor quality nonconforming bells to meet orders.

Get ready for:
* gnarly handles
* Higher variability in handle size & geometry within the same model / same company
* Higher variability in weight within the same model / same company
* rougher & poorer quality finishes

What's scarier is the defects that you can't see. Some of these castings can develop internal porosity/shrinkage that will not be visible externally. You may found out the hard way when you knock a couple bells together and the handle breaks off.

Not trying to be a Debbie-downer, just trying to inform people to be on the look out for these types of issues and hold the companies accountable as consumers. I'm sure there will be some companies manage this better than others.

 

[Steve A]

Having had the opportunity to use both brands in the same week, I definitely preferred the KK, largely because of the handles. However I don't believe that chart - the 32 handle was definitely fatter than the 24 handle. No idea about finish, as they were different ages.

 

[kurt perham]

I have a lot of bells. I have Rogue, KK and Rep. IMHO the Rep have the nicest hand feel for snatches etc.

 

[Deleted member 6651]

Having had the opportunity to use both brands in the same week, I definitely preferred the KK, largely because of the handles. However I don't believe that chart - the 32 handle was definitely fatter than the 24 handle. No idea about finish, as they were different ages.

What made you prefer the KK over the rogue? - Can you describe it?

I have a lot of bells. I have Rogue, KK and Rep. IMHO the Rep have the nicest hand feel for snatches etc.

I can't get Rep. What do you think between the Rogue and KK? - Handle thickness etc? Are they the same, are rogue thicker... etc..

 

[kurt perham]

id have to measure handles. the KK finish is nicer. I have 3 Rogue bells and it;s more "rough" so tends to tear up my hands on snatches etc

 

[Coyote]

I know this is not what you asked(I am sorry, but have not used either), but you mentioned KK was more expensive. I think Kettlebell Kings includes shipping in the price. Rogue does not, and I am betting the prices will be close.

 

[Deleted member 6651]

Thanks Coyote, the whole reason I asked the other stuff was because Rogue's factory/supplier/dealer whatever you call it, is in my town so I can drive down and pick everything up without paying for shipping.

I watched some youtube reviews but that is pointless. Everyone thats reviewed the KK - state the same stuff that could be stated for almost all other brand. Colour coded handles, 1 piece cast iron... yeah that makes them awesome, but pretty much all kettlebells I have seen have the same stuff, even no name brands I found here are 1 piece cast iron with colour coded handles. So that doesn't tell me KK is awesome for those reasons.

They all stated KK is slightly better quality than Rogue, more consistent, the smoother finish, less imperfections and lifetime warranty. To me this sounds like a sponsored review. Nothing is actually detailed or explained.

Nobody has talked about the stuff that mattered to me in the reviews/comparisons. Handle dimensions, the space inside the handle... do KK have more/less space inside to grab... 24kg+ (guess 16kg does not really matter because eventually I would be strong enough to not need the 16). Are the handles thinner, do the angles inside the KK make it less desirable for 2 hand swings than Rogues... what about the height of the handles... so space between your fingers and the ball... is there more or less space that way between KK/Rogue... this would also determine where the weights sit, a 24kg rogue vs a 24kg KK... which one sits further down on the forearm (due to the higher handles)...

This is the information I can't find anywhere.

Also what about stated weight? Rogue have put up +/- 3% accurate. KK Don't have any figure yet reviwers said if they are not within the stated weight they will send you another one. What is the stated weight?

So as you see, my Q lie at the

Handle dimensions between both, which have more room to grab 2 hands, which have taller handles (space between fingers/ball) and which ones are actually more accurate to the weight specified - KK or Rogue?

 

[Anna C]

Nobody has talked about the stuff that mattered to me in the reviews/comparisons. Handle dimensions, the space inside the handle... do KK have more/less space inside to grab... 24kg+ (guess 16kg does not really matter because eventually I would be strong enough to not need the 16). Are the handles thinner, do the angles inside the KK make it less desirable for 2 hand swings than Rogues... what about the height of the handles... so space between your fingers and the ball... is there more or less space that way between KK/Rogue... this would also determine where the weights sit, a 24kg rogue vs a 24kg KK... which one sits further down on the forearm (due to the higher handles)...

This is the information I can't find anywhere.

I have Rogue (8, 12, 20, 24 comp, 32, 40, 48), but I visited @Holly Myers and @Arryn Grogan for a short training session last November, and used their Kettlebell Kings bells. I could hardly tell the difference -- the handles, weight, height, space... all the same. I could see that perhaps they are slightly better quality - better finish, more consistent, less imperfections... but none of that enough to make a difference IMO. I would still buy Rogue, and would be happy with either one.

 

[Tirofijo]

Couple of things...

*I'm sure there are containers of kettlebells on the slow boats from China right now. Some may be at the dock waiting to be driven to Rogue, Diamond Pro, Kettlebell Kings, etc. I'm curious how much of a premium the sellers will be able to charge now that demand has gone throw the roof.

*I buy Diamond Pro because they are cheaper. I have other brands but my last few purchases have been Diamond Pro from Wal-mart. My Rep Fitness was the most expensive and it flakes and chips worse than the others.

Every night I take a cloth diaper made of extra long staple Egyptian Pima cotton and polish all my kettlebells with with carnuba wax. Just kidding. I hang my bells from chains and bang them together. They are chipped and rusted. I store them outside. I don't care.

*I'm not even sure if they are still made and sold, but my preferred is the finish on the old DD bells. It's something other than powdercoat. I like it.

*My only issue is I have a couple of pairs that are slightly mismatched. I bought one of the sized, and a year or more later decided I needed a second for double kettlebell lifts, and didn't go with the same brand. It bugs me that the bells have slightly different dimensions and feel every so slightly different. I'm not normally OCD but its annoying in the rack position that they feel slightly different. Buy a brand that you hope you can find an exact replica later. Not some random brand on Ebay that might not be around in a few years, or even if it's the same brand its now comes from a different supplier and the dimensions are different. Because eventually you will want to use double kettlebells.

 

[Deleted member 6651]

Since I only need a 8kg and 16kg at the moment.... would it be worth just buying x2 of both. And later when I need the 12/24kg to buy 2 of those, and that way over time ill end up with 2x of each or would there be a lot of them that I won't need 2x of... so better to not do that.

 

[Anna C]

Since I only need a 8kg and 16kg at the moment.... would it be worth just buying x2 of both. And later when I need the 12/24kg to buy 2 of those, and that way over time ill end up with 2x of each or would there be a lot of them that I won't need 2x of... so better to not do that.

I've only ever had, and regularly used for doubles work, doubles of my "test size" by SFG standards, 16kg. At the gym I've had access to others and occasionally used 20s and 24s for doubles (front squats, mostly), but rare.

 

[Tirofijo]

Since I only need a 8kg and 16kg at the moment.... would it be worth just buying x2 of both. And later when I need the 12/24kg to buy 2 of those, and that way over time ill end up with 2x of each or would there be a lot of them that I won't need 2x of... so better to not do that.

8kg is pretty light. I don’t know your age or sex, but do you need one that light?

 

[Deleted member 6651]

8kg is pretty light. I don’t know your age or sex, but do you need one that light?

No I don't need 8 but my wife might.

I found this:

This seems like a really detailed comparison - but the thread is 3+years old.

Anyone known if Rogue has changed anything in their finish/casting since then... or is it still the same?

 

[Anna C]

No I don't need 8 but my wife might.

I found this:

This seems like a really detailed comparison - but the thread is 3+years old.

Anyone known if Rogue has changed anything in their finish/casting since then... or is it still the same?

I bought some Rogue kettlebells in 2014, some in 2019, and some in between. The finish seems the same.

I can see what the author in the review above is saying, but honestly that level of detail and perfection doesn't seem that significant to me. The Rogues are fine quality. But if you're very... particular, go for the KK and you won't be disappointed.

 

[Tim Randolph]

Kettlebell recommendations are always tough, because people's preferences and even physical geometry are so different, and also because it's hard to get much experiences with different brands. Having said that this review is fairly comprehensive and lines up with my experience at least:

The Ultimate Kettlebell Comparison Review - 2021 Edition

Every Major Brand of Kettlebells - Tested, Rated, and Reviewed. The best kettlebells for home gym use.

fitnesstestlab.com

 

[Michael Perry]

Looking at that review, FWIW... I have some of the Kettlebells USA Metrixx E-coat, and also a couple of Rogue powder coat (including a newly added one) and there's not a two-star difference, if even one, IMHO. The handle on my new Rogue seems a little rougher; other than that, about the same.

Thanks for posting the review. You don't see many good side by side bell reviews. (Btw, @Mike Torres shared this one on another thread.)

4 Kettlebell Brands: Which Is Best for You? - Breaking Muscle

There seem to be quite a few reviews of individual kettlebells. However, we wanted to compare some of the best ones against each other. I have purchased many different types of kettlebells over the years and I still can’t say that one brand is better than all of the others. Comparison...

breakingmuscle.com

 

[Steve Freides]

I found this:

G-man, as a matter of Internet etiquette, please don't post such long things from another site - post a link to their site. A short excerpt is OK, but a complete article is not.

Thanks very much.

-S-