Review: Spri 2lb Wrist Weights w/ Thumb Lock

Spri 2lb Pair Wrist Weights
31 Oct

Want to add more strength to your cardio workouts? The Spri 2lb wrist weights gave me quite a surprise when playing games on the Xbox Kinect and other bodyweight exercises. They are easily among my favorite pieces of workout equipment today.

They efficiently turn a regular workout into a sweat-inducing experience and are worth the money, in my opinion.

The reason why I added them to my workout, in the first place, was to add more strength training to various physical movements.

What Are the Spri 2lb Wrist Weights?

The Spri 2lb wrist weights come in packages of two, one for each arm. By sliding your thumb into the “locking hole” of the Spri wrist weights, you wrap them around your wrist, which is fastened by velcro. At that point, you have two pounds of weight on each arm ready for your workouts.

The locking thumb hole and the no-slide fabric keep the weight from slipping off of your arm while keeping the equipment comfortable to wear. That way, you can rest easy knowing that they will remain attached to your body during the most rigorous of exercises.

Why Add Wrist Weights?

The idea behind adding wrist weights to any workout is to increase the amount of energy your muscles need to use in order to move your arms. Essentially, it’s resistance training much like you’d experience while lifting weights at the gym.

Most people will use the Spri 2lb wrist weights to help develop lean muscle mass instead of adding bulk. Because your body has to adjust to movements with increased weight, it’ll adapt and develop muscle groups to help you move more efficiently over time.

This additional energy use also results in burning more calories. Now, this doesn’t mean you’ll instantly shed the pounds immediately. However, the wrist weights will contribute to increasing your calorie and fat burn while working out. This is especially true if you’re sticking to a low-carb diet plan such as Keto.

Speaking from experience, after about three weeks of using these while playing Virtual Smash, I discovered that I was much faster without the weights than I was in the past. That’s because my body grew accustomed to the extra weight. Once the weight was removed, my speed increased since the 2lbs were no longer present.

To make a long story short, you become faster over time while firming up a few key muscles.

What Muscles Do the Wrist Weights Target?

The muscles that are worked out while wearing the Spri 2lb wrist weights depend on the activity. For the most part, though, you’ll be working out your biceps, triceps, lats, and shoulders through basic movements.

However, I found that I can “feel the burn” in my chest, abs, and obliques while playing Virtual Smash as my body has to make adjustments for the increased weight while playing that specific game. For reference, Virtual Smash requires a lot of twisting and punching to break blocks. With 2 lbs extra on each wrist, the difficulty of the game is increased quite a bit.

What Can You Expect from the Spri 2lb Wrist Weights?

Spri Wrist Weights

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Easy to attach
  • Secure fit for most people
  • Improves speed and stamina

Cons

  • Can get messy when the fabric finally deteriorates from use
  • Lasts about seven to eight months of frequent, daily use

Affordably Priced

As opposed to some fitness gear out there, the Spri 2lb wrist weights aren’t all that expensive for what you get from them. In most locations, they run around $10 to $15 and will have a massive impact on your exercise routines. It’s one of the few things I’ve bought over the years that definitely delivered its money’s worth.

So far, I’ve seen them at Walmart and Amazon.

Easy to Attach to Your Wrist

It’s not overly difficult to attach the Spri wrist weights. Just slide your thumb into the hole, wrap it around your wrist, and attach it with the built-in velcro.

Because of how well they fit, I can also wear these while playing the Oculus. The safety string from the hand controllers of the VR unit has no impact on how the weights fit around your wrist. And you still have full function of your hand and fingers while playing.

Secure Fit While Playing

When I play games on the Xbox or Oculus, I really get into them. In other words, I jump around swinging my arms like an idiot and fully submerse myself into the game. As such, I need wearables that won’t fly off if I am playing something like tennis or Fruit Ninja.

The Spri 2lb wrist weights are securely fastened to the wrist, preventing them from sliding off and smashing into the television. In the several years I’ve been using this product, I’ve never had a single pair come off while exercising regardless of the intense physical activity I put them through.

At one point, I was wearing the Fila one-pound gloves while wearing the Spri wrist weights at the same time. If you want a hellish workout, step it up to three pounds on each hand.

Fitness Improvements

I was truly impressed with how much of an impact the wrist weights made on my natural physique. I burned more calories, improved muscle development, boosted stamina, and increased overall speed within a matter of a couple of months.

For $15, it was truly a good use of my money for what I was trying to accomplish.

Now, using the wrist weights doesn’t mean you’ll Hulk out after a few months of using them. But if you’re looking to develop lean muscle mass while losing weight, then you might want to consider picking up a pair of these.

Tossing “Sand” When Fabric Wears Out

The only negative I can think of is when the fabric of the wrist weights finally gave out. After rigorous use, the velcro on one end started fraying a bit of the fabric on the other. Eventually, little bits of what I call “sand” came tumbling out of a frayed stitching.

However, I’m not absolutely sure what the wrist weights are truly filled with to give them their weight.

The second time this happened, I used a bit of Gorilla tape to cover and protect the small hole to prevent further damage. It’s worked thus far, and I’ve been using this particular set of Spri wrist weights for more than a couple of years with the tape.

So far, the Spri 2lb wrist weights last me about an average of seven months or so of daily, vigorous usage. Nonetheless, I’ve had the second set of these weights for a considerable amount of time.

My Experience with the Spri 2lb Wrist Weights

Me with Wrist and Glove Weights
Wrist weights and gloves

When I first tried the wrist weights, I played my Xbox for about 30 minutes. The next day, I could feel DOMS set in throughout my arms, chest, shoulders, and upper back. This meant that the muscles experienced a greater workout than when I was just playing while wearing the weighted gloves.

Another aspect I noticed was how much sooner I worked up a sweat compared to playing without the wrist weights. In fact, it also took a lot more effort on my part to play the same amount of time I normally do simply because the extra weight had that much of an impact on my ability to throw a punch.

I was getting tired much quicker than before.

This goes to show that simply adding an additional 2 lbs to each arm can have a profound impact on your workouts. And as I mentioned earlier, my natural speed and endurance have increased dramatically after using the wrist weights for about a month or so.

The only real drawback is that they don’t last longer than a bit more than half of a year. Then again, I also play hard and frequently while wearing these wrist weights. Perhaps if there was a different method for attaching them to your wrist, they might last longer.

In any case, I have no problem buying another set when one finally gives up the ghost. They’re not overly expensive, and I believe the physical benefits are worth the money.

I have no doubt that the Spri 2lb wrist weights would last longer for someone who had a more “normal” workout routine. Remember, I used these primarily to drive a case study of playing the Xbox twice per day for about three months straight.

7 Exercise Ideas for Using the Wrist Weights

Essentially, any activity that involves moving your arms about is great for using wrist weights. However, some activities are better suited. For instance, you probably don’t want to clean the tub while using the weights.

Here are a few ideas on how to maximize the use of the Spri 2lb wrist weights:

  • Jumping Jacks – You might think jumping jacks are easy until you try them while wearing weights. I found that it greatly affects the shoulders and upper back more than anything.
  • Yoga – Depending on the position you pose, wrist weights increase the effort to hold in place while improving your balance.
  • Dancing – You don’t have to be at a nightclub to bust a move (now, I’m dating myself). Strap on the weights and grind out a song or two.
  • Squats – If you position your hands correctly, you can perform a goblet squat while using the wrist weights. It’s actually quite effective, even with just two pounds.
  • Burpee – The burpee is an exercise that activates a lot of different muscle groups in the body. Adding the wrist weights would increase its difficulty and effectiveness.
  • Playing the Oculus Quest 2 – The Oculus has a slew of VR games that can work up a sweat. Imagine adding weight to the experience.
  • Playing the Xbox Kinect – I know the Kinect is an old technology, but I still use it today to power most of my daily cardio workouts.

You probably get the idea. It’s all about finding activities that involve moving your arms. The possibilities are great with what you can do while wearing the wrist weights.

Would I Suggest the Spri 2lb Wrist Weights?

Despite the fact that the fabric gave out on me twice with two different pairs of wrist weights, I still feel the Spri 2lb set is worth the money. The effects it had on my arms, chest, back, triceps, and shoulders are incredible and they are a permanent staple for when I play certain games on the Xbox or Oculus.

However, I do want to put it out there that I was using 1lb gloves before upgrading to this product. So, from a beginner’s viewpoint, you might want to reel back the activity a bit until you get used to them. As I pointed out earlier, I still felt the effects of DOMS for several days after trying them for the first time.

The bottom line is that I would easily suggest the 2lb wrist weights from Spri. The benefits were simply greater than the cost, in my opinion. They’ve been a part of my home gym equipment since 2018 and I have enjoyed every minute spent using them.

Wrist Weights Are Quite Flexible

There are a lot of things you can do with the Spri 2lb wrist weights. Although I talked a lot about wearing them when playing games, the truth is that you can wear them for any reason during any activity. The amount of expenditure your body needs to keep the extra weight moving and balanced improves any physical exercise.

They are truly one of my favorite pieces of home exercise equipment.