Review on Portzon Adjustable Weighted Vest by Ryan Lindstrom

Usually I would write this review as a list of pros and cons, but what might be a con to me could be no big deal to someone else, so instead I'll just give bullet point facts and let you determine their importance to your purchasing decision. Allow me to note that I've been a personal trainer for over 20 years, so I've seen and used A LOT of gym equipment.• Arrived inside another Ebay box, which was good bc the original box was a bit beaten up with tape holding it's sides together.• The vest itself was just folded up, wrapped in plastic, and taped closed• It's black neoprene with long, thin pockets sewn into it, a heavy duty zipper runs down the front, and 2 Velcro straps on each side (4 total) to adjust tightness• The "weights" are thin, flat bars of metal, each approx 1/2 lb• There are no instructions or warranty or any paper work of any kind• But it doesn't take a protractor or compass to figure out that you simply slip the metal bars into the little pockets• On my vest, btw the only indication of size was a little round sticker (smaller than a dime) on that plastic wrapping showing the letter "M" so I'm assuming it's a medium, there are 10 pockets on the front right panel, 10 on the front left panel, and 22 on the back. If you do the math, those 42 pockets holding 1/2 lb bars would give a max weight of 21 lbs• I elected to only put in 14 lbs worth of bars for now bc I've been using a 10 lb vest during my workouts• The bars slip right in, then I used another bar to flip the little envelope-type flap of neoprene over the top edge of each bar so they are securely held in. Don't want little metal bars flying out while I'm doing jumping jacks or 8-count bodybuilders, especially since I workout without shoes on and a half pound of falling metal is enough to break a toe or metatarsal bone• So as I said, my medium(?) sized vest has a total of 42 pockets, but I have 45 bars. So I guess I also have 3 new paperweights, or 3 hammers for very small nails, or maybe I've got 3 weights that should have gone in with someone else's vest. (If you buy one of these and find that you're missing 3 bars, it's cuz I've got them 😁)• After slipping in 14 lbs of bars into the pockets, I un-Velcroed the side straps, put on the vest and zipped it up. Then I adjusted the side straps so that the vest is snug around my waist and chest so it's not bouncing around and chafing my skin• I did some jumping jacks and burpees and plyo squats to test things out and everything stayed where I needed it, no bars fell out, the straps and zipper kept things in place• Now, I'm a 5'5" woman and the length of the presumably medium sized vest fit alright, not too long or too short. If you're closer to 5'10" or taller, I suggest going with a large. As for girth, the side straps allow for a good amount of adjustment for bigger sized people. However, if you're very slim go with a small.Overall, while it's original presentation of a beat up, plain, brown cardboard box held together with tape, no exact size information or instructions wasn't great, the vest itself does seem to be well-made and sturdy. I like that it gives me the option to increase weight as my workouts progress (my other vest maxed out at 10 lbs) and my husband likes that it fits him as well with adjustments to the Velcro straps (though it's a bit short in length since he's 6ft tall, not that it'll stop him from stealing this from me for his workouts).