Customer Reviews

Kettlestack Adjustable Kettlebell Handle Weight Not Included !

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I know this item is made by a small company so I was reluctant to post a negative review. However, I'm doing so to be fair to other people who want to order.

What you get for your 57 bucks is: a plastic handle on a metal strip, 2 bolts, an axle the bolts screw into, an allen wrench to screw the bolts, one page of instructions, and a brochure extolling kettlebells. Oh, and two washers. The hardware looks kind of grubby, like it was made in a back alley in some 3rd world country, and has an unpleasant-smelling lubrication on it. It is not something you will want to let out of the garage.

So why is it 57 bucks? I guess because kettlebells are "hot" right now so everything about them is overpriced. If you saw this little kit in a store, you might be willing to pay 25 bucks for it.

I've had this product for over 3 years and finally ordered another one.

Pros:
Sturdy construction
Simple design
Customizable

Cons:
Overpriced for what you get
Swapping out weights isn't easy

I just purchased a second one of these due to the difficulty of swapping out the weights. I purchased again because I can change out the weights and I don't think buying standard kettle bells for varying weights is a sensible solution.

If this were offered at $30 it would be a great buy, which is why I can only offer 3 stars.

If you are interested in working out with kettlebells (which you really should be, they are one of the best workouts on the planet) then you have most likely noticed that a solid cast iron kettlebell is a pricey investment, and it was honestly too much money for me to fork over for something that I had never used before.

After searching the web, I purchased a pair of kettlestack handles and am very impressed with the product, and highly recommend them to anyone interested in trying out kettlebells.

The main advantage of the kettle stack has been its value. For about 100 dollars, I have two kettlebell handles. I purchased about 30 dollars worth of standard weights. Now, for a total of 130 dollars I have a 35 pound "kettlebell" and a 50 pound bell. When I am ready, I can up the weights with out any problem and have a 50 pount bell and a 70, or two 50's. Compare that with spending 130 dollars to get one cast iron kettle bell with a set weight!

I have been doing the exercises in Pavel's book and the kettlestacks have been working great. They feel real solid on the swings. I have been snatching them a little from a swing and from the floor, and once more they feel solid.

For get ups, I was having a little discomfort from the weight resting on the forearm. I tweaked the shape, put on a sweatshirt, and put a beanie over the bell (2.50 at Target.) Feels great now.

Actually, the concept of tweaking should be mentioned. I am not a mechanic. I do not build things on my own. I had no trouble figuring out how to set up the kettlebell. However, it did take me some time to figure out the best arrangement for say, 35 pounds, or 45 pounds, and then a little more time to tweak the shape and make it comfortable. All told, I probably spent forty five minutes selecting the plates I wanted to use, setting them up, tweaking their shape, etc, and that is for both, my first time. Now that they are set up, and I have learned to set them up, I would probably be able to change the weight and tweak them in five minutes, max.

The other thing I would like to mention is that it is possible to use standard and olympic plates (After the 45 minutes of setting them up and experimenting, I find that I prefer standard plates.) If you have a lot of plates at home, you are set. If you do not have any, then do not worry, for 30 dollars you can get 60lbs worth of standard plates.

All in all, I am highly imppressed with this product. It is by far the best kettlebell value on the market, and a the quality is excellent.

The 'standard' kettlebell does not change weight, yet it is being promoted as a great value. The other side of the story: You already have varying strength-abilities; the amount of weight that you can clean, (for it's own sake or for positioning to squat), is not only already more than you'll be swinging, (and you'll swing more than you'll press, and so on...), but also is less than you'll be using after a few weeks of added strength and skill. Depending on how many moves you prefer in their two-handed versions, taking full advantage of progression may well require as many as eight kettlebells. Now go check the prices and shipping costs,(there's a 35lb kb on Amazon for $90). also imagine the space that this collection of 'cannonballs with handles' will take. If you've got lots of space and money, and know that kettlebells will be your main tool for a while,it'll be great to never change plates, but if you're checking the concept out, or want a kettlebell as part of a more diverse set of bells, you're better off digging up your old plates,or buying some used, and putting them on this device.

I was looking for a book about exercising with dumbells when I ran across Pavel's "The Russian Kettlebell Challenge". Buying a set of kettlebells was not practical, so the Kettlestack provided the perfect solution. Due to nagging old injuries I have to use rather light weights and again found the Kettlestack to be excellent. Wish I'd heard about kettlebells back in High School!

I was pretty excited when I purchased this, trying to save money on buying different size kettle bells but this is not a suitable replacement. With this every time you change weights you have to take off your weights, put on spacers just perfectly, do your exercise, and then find a way to make it less destructive to your body. The biggest problem I found when you finally got it put together is when you're doing cleans or any exercise where it ends up against your forearm, especially when swinging, it would end up making it extremely sore, from all the weight essentially of the bell on your forearm essentially in one small point, where the center weight is solely touching your arm. I tried putting numerous weights together to distribute that weight, especially for cleans which was the worst of the exercises, but it did not work. Also, when you do a military press or like exercise above your shoulder the weight slips across your forearm as you push up. Unlike a normal bell that slips smoothly as you push, helping your core compensate, this jars you when it finally slips and then swings outward and then to its new resting point. I tried wrapping a small towel around it to help with this but that was garbage. I understand people trying to save money but you just can't beat a real bell.

So glad I stumbled on to this. For someone just starting out and not knowing the proper weight to buy this solves your problem. Also, as you get stronger you can add weight without having to drop a bunch of money. Yes, you have to buy the weights to add, but it's still cheaper than buying a whole new kettlebell.
Great workout - especially for Tabata routines. Very similar to Olympic lifting without needing space for the bar. Highly recommend it.

I took a kettlebell class and it was the hardest (read: best) workout I had ever experienced! It's an amazing whole-body workout --VERY aerobic! I bought a pair of Kettlestacks and they are a brilliant innovation. I sold my Gazelle and my treadmill and I'm a kettlebell convert totally! The Kettlestack handles are well built and well designed. Put those weight plates to good use and get Kettlestacked!

I purchased the kettlestack based on the good reviews here on Amazon. They were delivered extremely promptly. As the other reviewers have mentioned, they do take some time to play around with the shapes and bolt arrangements. Once you get the idea on how to combine the plates and patterns, it takes a few minutes to change them around. The best feature of these stacks is that you have an adjustable kettlebell for half the price of one traditional bell. On the downside, as others have noted, they are not as smooth as real kettlebells. The jaggedness of the weights sometimes catch on your forearms, at least for me, when doing clean and presses and getups. Otherwise snatches and swings have no noticeable differences. Overall great alternative to kettlebells without the exorbitant cost of real bells and their associated shipping prices.

This fitness tool is 100% functional. For one price, I have the kettlebell functionality of several common kettlebell weight configurations. I started off with 35lbs, progressed to 40lbs, and now am at 45lbs. I'm following Pavel's ETB Program Minimum, and have reached 115 reps in 12 minutes, a far cry from what I started out with. I feel good with the kettlestacks in that I know I don't have to spend more money as I get stronger .... the kettlestack will meet all my needs up to 70lbs. If I had went with kettlebells from the start, by now I would have easily spent at least $240, and needed a place to store the extra equipment, and would be planning for my next purchase. No thanks! I don't see why anyone would go with a fixed weight other than novelty reasons. If you really need another KB, get another kettlestack!