Nike Rubber Coated Kettlebell Review: Gym Floor-Friendly Equipment for Versatile Workouts

They’re not as widely known as dumbbells and barbells, but you should consider adding a kettlebell to your home gym. Making a resurgence thanks to its utility in functional fitness and HIIT training, the humble kettlebell may be the most versatile member of the bell family.

I covered Nike’s first kettlebell in our Best Kettlebells buyers’ guide, noting its excellent grip and solid build. Nike just released the Nike Rubber Coated Kettlebell ($53-158), so I had to give it a go. It turns out, a little rubber coating goes a long way.

In short: When a company expands into a new arena (like, say, a shoe company making gym equipment), there are usually some growing pains. Nike’s Rubber Coated Kettlebell, however, offers a solid build, a pleasantly wide handle window, and a flat bottom for extra stability.

Nike Rubber Coated Kettlebell Review

Brand Background

Nike is one of the most well-known brands in the world, but it’s mostly known for its shoes and apparel. Recently, the brand has expanded into fitness equipment like dumbbells, barbells, plates, and more. And while the foray into equipment fostered some skepticism, it’s clear that they’ve put in the work to make some solid workout gear. 

How I Tested the Nike Rubber Coated Kettlebell

I used the Nike Rubber Coated Kettlebell for 2 months of training and accessory work. I tend to use heavier kettlebells when my CrossFit programming calls for it, so I added some lightweight technical kettlebell work to my routine. These workouts included the basics, such as kettlebell swings, goblet squats, and snatches, as well as more technical movements like kettlebell pushups and Turkish getups.

What’s New

The Nike Rubber Coated Kettlebell is the second iteration of Nike’s kettlebell lineup. It has the same iron ore makeup as the first and some of the features I enjoyed in the non–rubber-coated version: a wide handle window that easily fits both my hands and a flat bottom, to name a few. 

As the name suggests, this version’s body (aka “bell”) is coated in Nike’s proprietary Nike Grind rubber. Nike claims that this rubber is made up of at least 40% recycled rubber from its shoemaking process. The result is not only less waste in manufacturing but also a cool speckled design that hints at the various shoes represented in the material. 

Good Lifts

Making something that stands out from something as simple as a kettlebell (basically a lump of iron with a handle on it) requires a good amount of consideration — consideration that I’m happy to report Nike has clearly made.

You’ll notice it as soon as you pick the kettlebell up, thanks to the wide handle window. One of my biggest pet peeves with kettlebells is when their handles are too small to accommodate both hands. If you’re banging out 50 kettlebell swings at a time, feeling your hands crammed together will make it a lot less likely that you’ll do them unbroken. 

The 35-pound Nike Rubber Coated Kettlebell that I tested has a handle that’s about 5.5 inches from one top corner to the other, which is impressive for a smaller kettlebell. During swings, my hands barely touched each other, and I’m sure that with the larger kettlebells, they wouldn’t touch at all. Plus, the powder coating on the handle made it feel very grippy. 

The flat bottom has a 3.5-inch diameter, which makes it feel very sturdy during gorilla rows and kettlebell pushups. A few user reviews have reported wobbly Nike kettlebells, but that hasn’t been my experience with either the rubber or power-coated versions. 

Nike’s Grind rubber feels durable enough — after a few months of use, there’s some dirt, but no abrasions to speak of. I’ve been using it on the hardwood floor of our living room (much to my wife’s chagrin), and the rubber has yet to make a mark on the floor that I couldn’t wipe off. Also, the grippy rubber feels a lot better on the forearm than overhead movements, and it adds a ton of grip when holding the kettlebell upside down during kettlebell squats. 

No Reps

The main complaint I have about these is that they top out at 53 pounds. That’s probably fine for most people, but the uncoated version comes in weights up to 88 pounds, which is more suited to my needs. Most CrossFit workouts prescribe 53-pound kettlebells for men and 35-pound kettlebells for women, so this should be fine for most people, but my heftier brethren and I would appreciate some heavier bells. 

With a price ranging from $55 for the 9-pound kettlebell to $158 for the 55-pound kettlebell, these sit in the upper end of average for kettlebells. If you’ve ever shelled out cash for a pair of J’s, you shouldn’t be surprised.

If you’re looking for a less expensive option, Rogue’s powder-coated 53-pound kettlebell costs about two-thirds of Nike’s 53-pounder. Rogue’s kettlebell isn’t rubber-coated, but still, if you’re looking for a bargain, you may want to look elsewhere. 

Nike Rubber Coated Kettlebell: Final Thoughts

Overall, the Nike Rubber Coated Kettlebell is an excellent kettlebell for home or commercial gym use. The wide handles are roomy enough for both hands, the powder coating on the handle is nice and grippy, and the rubber coating adds a touch of comfort and grip while keeping your floors safe. 

While purists may prefer a solid block of iron, the rubber coating’s grip came in handy during sweaty kettlebell squat workouts and felt better resting against my forearm during overhead movements. But the primary benefit of the rubber coating is that it’ll minimize wear and tear on your floors. If you want a kettlebell in your home gym but aren’t laying out horse stall mats, I’d strongly consider picking up a set of Nike Rubber Coated Kettlebells.