Resistance-based exercise is famed for its many benefits: it helps to build and maintain muscle mass, protects bones, improves the health of our heart, and helps with posture, overall mood and weight loss.
But of course, not everyone has the time, money or inclination to go to a gym and lift weights, so I've done a Bala Bangles review to see if it's an easy way to add resistance into everyday life.
If you were to check out Bala, the American brand behind Bala Bangles, on Instagram, you’d find a sleek, gen-z-friendly brand.
However, behind the glossy and modern Instagram feed, Bala Bangles do seem like a convenient, practical tool that anybody can incorporate into everyday life.
As a personal trainer and health journalist, I rave endlessly about the importance of weights. So I was keen to give the Bala Bangles a go over several weeks, to see if they’re worth the £40 (or $55) price tag…
- UK: Bala Bangles, 1 lb, £40 (saving £10) from House of Fraser – buy here
- US: Bala Bangles, 1 lb, $55 from Bala – buy here
Rating: 4/5
Pros
- Easy way to add resistance
- Look great
- Available in a range of colours
- Fit on the wrists and ankles easily
- Versatile — work for wrists and ankles
Cons
- Can look bulky
- Could lead to injury
- Not practical if you wear a fitness tracker
Bala Bangles review: quick summary
For an easy, practical and fuss-free way to add resistance to workouts, the Bala Bangles offer a sleek solution.
What stands out is their versatility; they can be worn for workouts, or just during general day-to-day life. I found them to be comfortable; they’re easy to get on and the velcro fastening is strong and doesn’t come loose over time.
Although a little clunky, they aren’t screamingly obvious, and could potentially just look like large bangles (as the name suggests). On the ankles, they look less obvious, especially if you wear the black pair over a pair of dark leggings.
Wearing the Bala Bangles is noticeable at first; after all, you’re carrying an extra pound of weight (there's also a 2 lb version for people who want something more intense). Even picking up a coffee or lifting something out of the fridge feels more like a slog. But, over an hour or two, this became less obvious and I got quite comfortable wearing them.
Generally, these are a really practical addition to your day and are good for anyone wanting to subtly add a little bit of extra resistance.
They won’t replace a proper lifting session at the gym, but they certainly can help to make muscles work a little harder. Every little helps, as they say!
- UK: Bala Bangles, 1 lb, £40 (saving £10) from House of Fraser – buy here
- US: Bala Bangles, 1 lb, $55 from Bala – buy here
Bala Bangles review: full review
First, a quick health disclaimer: I did a little bit of research into wrist and ankle weights, and it turns out they can cause some problems.
While there is scientific research which included that "resistance exercise using either dumbbells or ankle-wrist weights produced significant improvements in certain components of body composition", there is also research by Harvard that says there’s a chance that wearing ankle weights can cause ankle joint pain, which in turn could lead to pain in the knees, hips and back.
So if you’re someone who does suffer from back or hip pain already, it might be worth checking with your GP before wearing these.
When I wore them, I didn’t notice any pain though so this could depend on the person so I can’t speak for everyone.
First impressions
Ankle and wrist weights have been around for several years; the concept of them is nothing new. However, attractive ankle and wrist weights are another kettle of fish. The Bala Bangles help to tick the ‘attractive’ box; they look really good.
They look sleek with no added frills, weighing 1lb each (just under half a kilo). They're made from recycled steel and smooth silicone and come in a neat mesh carry case.
It’s easy to ensure Bala Bangles fit in with your everyday style. The bangles are available in a range of colours from charcoal to baby pink, blue and white — there's even a Pride design available in John Lewis.
I tried the pink ones, which aren’t really my colour, but I can imagine the black pair would have fitted in seamlessly with my usual wardrobe choices.
The bangles fit well and are very easy to slide onto the wrists and ankles. Each bangle is elastic with an elasticated velcro fastening, ensuring the weight fits snugly, with no slippage. (On one particularly sweaty run, they did start to wriggle around on my wrists, but this wasn’t common.)
Wearing both of the bangles (this is the correct way to wear them so that the weight is balanced) means adding nearly 1kg to your usual weight. It might not seem much, but it does certainly add an extra level of intensity.
- UK: Bala Bangles, 1 lb, £40 (saving £10) from House of Fraser – buy here
- US: Bala Bangles, 1 lb, $55 from Bala – buy here
Bala Bangles worn as wrist weights
Now, I’m aware that this is a bit of a 2022-tech problem, but the Bala Bangles weren’t as comfortable when I kept my Apple Watch on.
As a self-confessed fitness tracker slave, this wasn’t ideal. I like to track my steps, everyday movement and calorie burn each day, which is still possible by wearing the bangle a little higher up the wrist, but not ideal. This was pretty much the only (minor) pitfall though.
I wore these wrist weights whilst doing the housework, on a long walk (pumping the arms was noticeably harder with these wrist weights), and when cooking dinner.
Wearing the Bala Bangles while completing a number of chores was easy; the bangles don’t budge and I didn’t have to adjust them at any point. The beauty of them is that they’re light, yet continuous use really did make my upper body muscles feel like they were firing up.
I also wore the Bala Bangles during a boxing workout. Boxing is already a brutal upper-body attack, so the extra weight (despite being small) made it far harder. In fact, I would highly recommend wearing these during any form of upper-body workout.
Bala Bangles worn as ankle weights
A big perk of the Bala Bangles is that they can be worn around the ankles too.
Wearing them around the ankles adds extra resistance to the lower body, working the quads, hamstrings, calves and glutes (the muscles in our butt).
I wore these around the ankles while walking, as well as during a lower body workout at the gym, and then for several hours in the day while running errands.
They fitted well and didn’t budge. In fact, it wasn’t long before I forgot I was even wearing them.
The Bala Bangles worn around the ankles are also useful for adding extra resistance to simple bodyweight movements. This includes leg lifts and lunges (give these moves a search on Youtube).
Research has also found that wearing ankle weights whilst on the treadmill could help improve cardiovascular fitness and boost weight loss.
As for keeping the Bala Bangles clean (after all, they do get covered in sweat and general dirt), they are easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth or wipe.
- UK: Bala Bangles, 1 lb, £40 (saving £10) from House of Fraser – buy here
- US: Bala Bangles, 1 lb, $55 from Bala – buy here
How much do Bala Bangles cost?
In the UK you can find Bala Bangles for around £40 a pair (although their RRP is £50), which I don’t think is too bad. In the US, they retail for around $55.
Admittedly, it isn’t cheap as a set of hand weights, which come in at around £10/$12, but you can’t carry hand weights around all day. Instead, the Bala Bangles offer a simple way to add resistance without you even realising it.
It’s also worth noting that gym memberships, which often go unused, cost far more than £40. In fact, they often rack up more than that per month.
Research by Natwest found that unused gym memberships are the most common unused outgoing for Brits.
Suddenly, £40 on a set of ankle/wrist weights doesn’t seem so bad, and they’re likely to rack up more use due to their practicality.
Where to buy Bala Bangles
In the UK, Bala Bangles are carried by a number of high-street retailers, and they're well stocked online, too. The cheapest price I could find online was £30 for this sparkly set, thanks to a 50% discount on Luisaviaroma.
You can also get them from:
- House of Fraser
- Amazon
- Sports Direct
- John Lewis
- Cult Beauty
- Urban Outfitters
If you're situated in the US, the best place to shop Bala Bangles is probably Bala's official site, where you can find the majority of colours and styles available. You can also find them at:
- CurrentBody
- SSENSE
- Dick's Sporting Goods
- Free People
Bala bangles review: the verdict
Overall, I would recommend the Bala Bangles for people who simply want to add some basic resistance into their life, without having to go to the gym.
Of course, for muscle growth, you want to ideally be building up your weight over time, which isn’t possible with these wrist weights, but they can help to engage muscles, keep them active and also maintain muscle mass. In a world where many of us are inactive or are simply not using our muscles, these could offer a nice solution.
For seniors, I’d also say that these are a useful tool to incorporate resistance into everyday life; it is seniors who often suffer from a loss of muscle mass, as muscle mass deteriorates as we age, and the older population may be more likely to reduce their day to day movement.
Yes, these do cost, but they’re practical and usable, can be worn at home or on the go, and might even encourage you to want to move more or start incorporating more exercise into your day.
Anyway, I’m off for a walk with my Bala Bangles…
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