Rogue Kettlebells Review and Info
Overall
User Review
( votes) Summary
Rogue Kettlebells are constructed from a single cast and feature premium iron ore. The kettlebells use Rogue’s powder coat system and offer a machine cut base for added stability.
Pros
- Strong build from a single cast.
- Machine cut bottom for a flat holding surface.
- Brightly color-coded weight markers.
Cons
- Powder Coat is poorly applied.
- Prone to easy chipping, scratching, and rusting.
- Pricey for the quality provided.
Rogue Kettlebells are a single-cast product that offers excellent balance, a solid grip, and nicely appointed weight markings.
We’ve been using the kettlebells for the past nine months and while they swing with even balance and are comfortable in the hand,
Rogue Kettlebells are made from a single piece of cast iron and Rogue says that the single cast is meant to create a flaw-free surface. That claim would likely be true if not for a poor powder coat that quickly scratches, chips, and rusts.
Within several weeks our bells started looking like they’d lived a full life and had been through some stuff. A friend who ordered the same kettlebells received a package of already rusted kettlebells that required an exchange.
Take a close look at the picture at the top of this post, and you’ll notice immediate flaws in our Rogue Kettlebells. It’s clear on one of our handles that the powder coat was sprayed unevenly, and near the 12KG marker, there’s another obvious surface imperfection.
The obvious flaws were not a one-off case with our Rogue kettlebells.
The problem with poor powder coating is two-fold. When it occurs on a handle it creates an uneven holding surface, and it can lead to easier chipping which leads to rusting.
Keep in mind, kettlebells are used far less than other products in our gym and most of the rusting occurred within just a few weeks.
Rogue claims to provide a “void-free” surface, and that’s not what we’ve seen with their standard kettlebells. We actually expect some imperfections over time with kettlebells but these were some of the worst we’ve tested in terms of holding out for a while before chipping and rusting.
You may also notice that the blue powder coat on the handles is roughly applied. That said, we love that finding the weight we want is easy, thanks to the vivid coloring that Rogue Fitness has chosen to apply.
Important note: When our kettlebells arrived, we documented and provided the issues to Rogue. They provided us with a partial refund, which we took as store credit because we’re addicted to buying gym equipment and almost every other Rogue Fitness product catalog has been awesome.
We do really like the embedded Rogue logo and the weight markers which are cut nicely into the kettlebell which makes them relatively easy to spot.
The base on the Rogue Kettlebells is also nice, and there appear to be no imperfections in the leveling of the product since it’s machine cut, making it easy to place the bells down without any rolling. The base is so flat that we often use them for pushups and other balance movements.
While we have had many issues with the powder coat Rogue has applied, we admit that the surface does an incredible job of holding chalk.
We use our kettlebells in the middle of CrossFit workouts which means a lot of sweat that lends itself to sweaty hands. We’ve never had an issue gripping these kettlebells. Even without chalk, the slightly abrasive surface makes keeping a grip on the product simple.
Speaking of the handles, they feature varying diameters based on weight. We currently use the 26-pound weights regularly, and at 1.4″ they feel great in our hands in terms of diameter. We’ve also swung a few Rogue Monster Kettlebells, and at 1.58″, they still feel good but definitely require more focus on our grip strength.
Here are the handle diameters for all of the Rogue Kettlebell options in pounds:
- 9LB – 18LB – 1.2″
- 26LB – 1.4″
- 35LB – 88LB – 1.5″
- 97LB – 203LB – 1.58″
The balance on the Rogue Kettlebell is about as close to perfect as possible. Rogue doesn’t use scrap iron, and the single cast ensures each unit is properly constructed.
While we have issues with the overall quality of the powder coat, we still love swinging these bells during our strength training sessions, especially at higher weights.
Rogue promises a weight tolerance between +/- 3%, and our kettlebells were within 1% of their promised weight. Maintaining a solid weight tolerance isn’t a surprise since each kettlebell is built from a single cast.
Overall, we like the Rogue Kettlebells from a balance and strength of build position and they do an awesome job at providing a solid trip.
Check out the Rogue Kettlebells product page for many positive user reviews and more info.
