'Weighted Clothes Claim to Boost Strength. I Tried Them for 14 Days

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As a scientist and total physiology nerd, I tend to approach wellness trends with a healthy dose of skepticism. From protein-ifying everything to hot girl walks with weighted vests, I’ve seen lots of products with bold claims that don’t quite hold up to scientific scrutiny. So when I started seeing ads for weighted clothes, I had the same reaction: Really? Clothes that make you stronger just by wearing them?

At the same time, this one intrigued me. Unlike weighted vests or rucksacks, which concentrate resistance in one or two spots, weighted clothing distributes a subtle load across the body. The idea is that this turns everyday movement into micro-resistance training. The garments look and feel like normal activewear, but they add a few pounds of weight to your routine.

It’s worth noting that the science behind weighted activewear is still in its infancy. We can look at the early work done on weighted vests, which suggests they may help improve muscular strength, bone health, and reduce heart health risk factors; but, the rigor of these studies doesn’t match the hype. With the evidence still limited, I decided to do a little experiment of my own: wearing weighted activewear for two weeks during my normal routine to see how it really feels. I chose OMORPHO’s new G-Tights and G-Tank.

Weighted clothes are designed to subtly increase training demand without changing your routine.

To learn more about the ‘why’ behind weighted clothes, I spoke with Natalie Candrian, Lead Designer at OMORPHO. Candrian shared that OMORPHO was launched with one key question in mind: “What if what you wear could actually make you stronger?” She noted that “today’s athletes, whether everyday or elite, want more out of their workout. They want efficiency, multifunctionality, and gear that elevates the work they’re already doing.”

The idea, then, is that well-designed weighted clothing can subtly increase training demand without requiring athletes to change their routines. OMORPHO’s products offer “wearable resistance you barely notice, until you take it off and realize how much stronger, lighter, and sharper you feel,” explains Candrian. OMORPHO even works with Dr. Erin Feser, a biomechanist, to pinpoint how to evenly distribute small “pliable fabric stacks” to create resistance that “feels natural, allowing you to move the way you’re supposed to move, but with just enough added challenge to make every rep more effective,” says Candrian.

Weighted clothing hasn’t been extensively researched yet.

To understand whether micro-loaded clothing adds value, it’s worth remembering that decades of research on resistance training show clear, consistent health and performance benefits, like: improved bone health, increased muscle strength and power, and better quality of life (aka healthspan). And lifting heavy is not the only way to see skeletal muscle adaptations that lead to these benefits; lifting lighter weights to the point of fatigue can also drive adaptation.

Where the evidence becomes less clear is in the role of weighted clothing specifically. Existing research focuses on weighted vests, making it difficult to extrapolate those findings to significantly lighter loads.

Prodigen Running Weight Vest

An affordable starting point to determine if you like using a vest. It’s nonadjustable, so you’ll have to stick with the weight you pick at check-out.

$9.99 at amazon.com

Omorpho G-Vest

It’s designed for a woman’s frame, with adjustable shoulder straps for torso length as well as cords that allow you to tighten or loosen the sides to fit your unique curvature.

$289.00 at omorpho.com

TRX HexGrip™ Weight Vest

Worth the investment if you want to build strength during workouts beyond walking. It comes in 20 and 40 pounds, a noticeable increase in load during any exercise.

$202.46 at trxtraining.com

I put OMORPHO’s G-Line to the test for 2 weeks—and the results surprised me.

Candrian shared that user experience is top of mind for her team, noting “real-world feedback reveals whether the gear ‘disappears’ on the body while delivering the benefits it’s designed for.” With that in mind, I tested OMORPHO’s G-wear clothing line during my regular workouts for two weeks. That included taking two Pure Barre classes each week, teaching multiple Pure Barre classes, one to two Peloton run-walks paired with strength training, and lots of real-world activity from keeping up with two young kids.

foot resting on car floor with a view of the steering wheel and gear shift — The G-Tight with small weighted orbs that I tried. Rachelle Reed

If you haven’t taken a barre class before, think muscular endurance training meets ballet, so adding resistance from OMORPHO’s G-tight made a noticeable difference in some of the movements. Certain exercises that challenge balance and endurance at the same time, like single-legged lower-body work and jump squats, did feel tougher during class. I also felt a subtle increase in the difficulty of core work (especially planks!). But I didn’t notice any major changes in my during-class performance or post-workout soreness.

That said, I found the pieces surprisingly easy to integrate into my routine. The fit was secure enough that I wasn’t adjusting them while teaching barre, training, or even carrying my kids around—a huge win! In fact, wearing the pieces while playing with my kids felt completely normal. Squatting, lifting, carrying, and chasing them without feeling restricted was a plus.

One more unexpected benefit I noticed was the added motivation I felt to show up and work hard while wearing weighted activewear. A new outfit plus the challenge of switching up one small thing brought a sense of enjoyment that helped me push just a little harder during workouts.

Who might weighted clothes be good for?

The performance and health benefits of weighted clothing are likely very small, but anything that supports more movement is a win. Weighted clothing may be worth considering if you are:

Looking to add a small challenge to bodyweight workouts or group classes where heavier weights aren’t always practical (think: barre or mat Pilates)
Seeking variety in your routine, especially if it helps you stay consistent with exercise over time
Solid with movement mechanics and exercise form, since even small loads can influence your coordination and balance
Looking for a performance edge and training for a specific purpose, sport, or competition

The Bottom Line: As a scientist, I’d like to see more rigorous research measuring the impact of weighted clothing (micro-loading) on health and performance outcomes. My hunch is that a lot of the claims I’m seeing online are overstated and conflate wearing micro-loads with the benefits we see from simply moving more.

Overall, while the performance boost wasn’t obvious, the ease of wear and the micro-loading during normal activities were silver linings. My verdict: weighted clothing isn’t a magic bullet, but it is a wellness tool you could explore to add a little extra challenge to your daily routine. If you’re after strength gains or body recomposition, traditional strength training is your best bet—but, this subtle boost won’t hurt either.