When pull-ups start to become a regular fixture in your weekly WODs, you quickly learn that your grip needs a little help. This is where hand grips come in… handy. (See what we did there?) But how do you know what the best grips for pull-ups are? What should you look for and importantly, what should you avoid? Let’s discuss!

How Do Grips Help with Pull-ups?

In a nutshell, hand grips are like a second skin. They provide an extra barrier between you and the bar so that there’s not as much friction directly on your skin. This is why grips can help significantly reduce the occurence of rips, tears, and blisters.

Why Kinds of Hand Grips Work Best?

While some of this does come down to personal preference, there are a few key factors we recommend you look out for.

1. Go for Fingerless Hand Grips

A lot of athletes wonder if two-hole or three-hole grips are better. We’ll encourage you to go for fingerless grips.

First of all, fingerless grips are far easier to size. If the size of the finger holes and the distance between them isn’t perfect, your grips won’t fit properly. They’re either going to slide around or they’re going to feel tight and restricting. With fingerless grips, this isn’t an issue.

Second, consider pull-ups in the grand scheme of your workout. Odds are there are other movements involved that don’t require grips. Removing and putting on grips multiple times throughout a workout is a major pain and wastes time.

With fingerless grips, though, you can simply flip them over so they’re laying across your arm and out of the way. Flipping them back into place is just as easy. They’re much more versatile — perfect for those workouts that require you to be versatile.

2. Opt for Full Coverage

Tip #2 is sort of an extension of the first.

When shopping for hand grips, you might notice that some are a simple thin strip of material that goes down the center of your hand. Other grips look more like gloves, which can present their own unique challenges.

We argue that there’s a happy medium between the two. When you opt for fingerless grips, it’s easier to get the exact coverage you need. This is because the only “sizing” matter that you have to determine is how close toward the tips of your fingers you want the grip to go. So, getting the coverage that you want is a lot easier.

Depending on where you tend to get rips and calluses, you might consider trying grips that cover a good majority of your fingers. This helps keep your hands in one piece.

3. Try Carbon Grips

Grips are made of various materials. However, we say that carbon reigns supreme. It’s thin enough that it doesn’t get in the way of your grip but thick enough that it won’t fall apart, wear out, or tear. Plus, it’s easy to keep clean. All around, carbon is the best material for grips.

We know that finding the best grips for pull-ups can take some trial and error. Remember, though, that not all grips are created equal. Opt for a fingerless design that offers near-complete coverage (or gives you the flexibility to choose the coverage that you want), and go for quality carbon over other less durable materials.

If you’re ready to grab a pair, check out our full selection of hand grips, available in OD Green, Venom Black, and Power Pink!😎