Best hand grippers, short answer: IronMind Captains of Crush are the best hand grippers for building crushing grip: a ladder of fixed grippers from the 60 lb Guide and 80 lb Sport to the 100 lb Trainer and the 140 lb No. 1, so you can step up in small, known jumps. If you only want one gripper for the desk or a stocking, FitBeast’s adjustable gripper covers 22 to 132 lb.
Start lighter than you think. Most people who lift but have never trained grip do best starting at the Sport (80 lb) or Trainer (100 lb). Starting too heavy means partial reps and sore hands, and it is the most common gripper mistake. Check Captains of Crush at Amazon
One adjustable tool? FitBeast. Fingers and rehab style work? Prohands Gripmaster. Budget fixed set? Heavy Grips or Gripzilla.
Quick answers
What is the best hand gripper?
IronMind Captains of Crush for serious grip training, because the rated ladder runs from 60 lb up to 365 lb in steady steps. Heavy Grips and Gripzilla are cheaper fixed grippers, FitBeast is the adjustable all in one, and Prohands Gripmaster trains each finger separately.
What gripper should a beginner buy?
A light fixed gripper you can close for sets of 8 to 15. For Captains of Crush that is usually the Guide (60 lb), Sport (80 lb) or Trainer (100 lb). Gripzilla suggests 50 or 100 lb for people new to grippers and 150 lb for regular lifters.
Our 3 quick picks
Compared and ranked from published specs and current listings. Prices change, so check today’s price before you buy.
Black Friday 2026: home gym deals
We track real, verified Black Friday and Cyber Monday prices on home gym gear in one place, updated daily through Cyber Monday.
Grip is usually the first thing to fail on deadlifts, rows, pull-ups and carries, and a hand gripper is the cheapest way to train it directly. Grippers build crushing grip, the strength to close your hand hard, and they are small enough to use at a desk, on the couch or between sets. That also makes them a popular gift for lifters.
We compared five gripper options: IronMind Captains of Crush, Heavy Grips, Gripzilla, the FitBeast adjustable gripper and the Prohands Gripmaster. Ratings and ranges below come from each maker’s page or official listing, read in November 2026. Gripper ratings are approximate and not comparable across brands, so treat them as a guide to the steps within one brand. On heavy lifting days, grip tools pair with lifting chalk and straps.
Hand grippers compared
Here is what each maker lists. A fixed gripper has one strength; an adjustable gripper changes tension with a dial or slider.
| Gripper | Type | Rated range | Steps | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IronMind Captains of Crush Check price on Amazon | Fixed | Guide 60 lb to No. 4 365 lb | Guide 60, Sport 80, Trainer 100, No. 1 140, No. 2 195, No. 3 280 | Serious grip training |
| Heavy Grips Check price on Amazon | Fixed | HG100 to HG350 | 50 lb steps | Budget fixed ladder |
| Gripzilla Check price on Amazon | Fixed | 100 to 250 lb (and more) | 50 lb steps | Kits and gifts |
| FitBeast Adjustable Check price on Amazon | Adjustable | 22 to 132 lb (5 to 60 kg) | Dial | One tool for all levels |
| Prohands Gripmaster Check price on Amazon | Finger keys | About 4 to 5 lb light up to 9 lb heavy per finger (by model) | By colour | Finger strength, guitar, rehab style work |
Which one should you buy?
- You want real grip strength: Captains of Crush, starting at the Sport or Trainer.
- You want a cheaper fixed set: Heavy Grips or Gripzilla.
- You want one tool you can turn up: FitBeast Adjustable.
- You want to train each finger: Prohands Gripmaster.
- You are buying a gift: A Captains of Crush Trainer or a FitBeast; both suit most adults.
The 5 best hand grippers, ranked
1. IronMind Captains of Crush: best overall
Captains of Crush are the gripper serious grip trainers measure themselves against. IronMind introduced its approximate poundage ratings in 1993, and the ladder is well known: Guide 60 lb, Sport 80 lb, Trainer 100 lb, No. 1 140 lb, No. 2 195 lb, No. 3 280 lb and No. 4 365 lb, with half sizes such as No. 1.5 at 167.5 lb in between.
The steps are what make them so useful. You can work with one gripper until sets of reps feel easy, then move up a known amount instead of guessing. IronMind says it uses premium materials and precision manufacturing, and the handles are knurled aluminium, so the grippers last for years.
Closing the No. 3 is a famous feat; most lifters will spend a long time between the Trainer and the No. 2, and that is where the strength comes from.
Check the Captains of Crush at Amazon
2. Heavy Grips: best budget fixed set
Heavy Grips sells fixed grippers from HG100 to HG350. The seller describes the HG100 as the beginner gripper and the HG150 as an intermediate gripper that most strong people can rep.
They are a lower cost way to build a small ladder at home. Their ratings are their own and do not line up with Captains of Crush numbers, so compare only within the brand.
Good for someone who wants two or three fixed grippers without the premium price.
Check the Heavy Grips at Amazon
3. Gripzilla Hand Grippers: best for kits and gifts
Gripzilla sells individual grippers and kits rated at 100, 150, 200 and 250 lb and higher. Its own guidance is simple: start at 50 or 100 lb if you are new to grippers, 150 lb if you lift regularly and 200 lb or more if you already train grip.
The kits, which add things like finger bands and forearm tools, make Gripzilla an easy gift. As with Heavy Grips, the ratings are the brand’s own.
A friendly entry point for someone just getting into grip work.
Check the Gripzilla grippers at Amazon
4. FitBeast Adjustable Hand Grip Strengthener: best adjustable
FitBeast’s adjustable gripper lists a range of 22 to 132 lb, or 5 to 60 kg, on a single handle that you dial up or down. FitBeast also sells a 6 in 1 kit rated 10 to 160 lb with extra grip tools.
One adjustable gripper means you never outgrow it quickly, and it suits a household where people of different strength share one tool. The tradeoff is feel: a plastic adjustable gripper is not as solid as a steel fixed gripper, and the top setting is lighter than the heavy fixed ladders.
For general hand strength and a desk drawer, it is the most flexible choice.
Check the FitBeast adjustable gripper at Amazon
5. Prohands Gripmaster: best for finger strength
The Gripmaster trains each finger on its own spring loaded key rather than the whole hand at once. Prohands sells it in tensions by colour and suggests the light models, around 4 to 5 lb, for average strength hands, with heavier models such as the 9 lb black version for stronger hands.
It is popular with climbers and musicians and for light, high rep finger work. It will not build the crushing strength a heavy gripper does, but it is a useful companion and easy on the hands.
Pick it if you want finger control and endurance rather than maximum squeeze.
Check the Gripmaster at Amazon
How to train with a hand gripper
Set the gripper deep in your hand with the bottom handle across your palm, then close until the handles touch. Two or three short sessions a week is plenty for most people: a few sets of 5 to 15 reps with a gripper you can fully close, plus a few harder attempts with the next gripper up. Rest your hands if your fingers or elbows ache, and do not train grip to failure every day.
Fixed vs adjustable grippers
- Fixed: one strength each, steel springs, consistent and durable. Buy two or three to build a ladder.
- Adjustable: one tool, many settings, cheaper overall, less solid feel and lower top end.
Buying checklist for hand grippers
- Starting strength: Pick a gripper you can close for reps; too heavy wastes sessions.
- Steps: Small, known jumps make progress easier to track.
- Fixed or adjustable: Fixed for serious training, adjustable for one tool for everyone.
- Handle: Knurled aluminium handles grip best; plastic is more comfortable for light work.
- Ratings: Brand ratings are approximate and not comparable across brands.
- Use: Crushing grip, finger strength or rehab style work need different tools.
Related guides
How we ranked these hand grippers
We compared and ranked grippers using each maker’s published ratings, ranges and guidance, plus the step sizes between models. We did not use these grippers ourselves. We weighted usefulness for steady progress first, then build quality, range and value.
Ratings were read in November 2026 from IronMind and its published history, Heavy Grips, Gripzilla, FitBeast and Prohands listings. See how we rank gear.
Frequently asked questions
Do hand grippers actually work?
They train crushing grip directly, and most people get stronger at closing them with regular practice. How much that carries over to deadlifts and pull-ups varies.
What Captains of Crush should I start with?
Most lifters new to grippers start with the Sport (80 lb) or Trainer (100 lb). The Guide (60 lb) is for complete beginners.
How much is the Captains of Crush No. 1?
IronMind rates the No. 1 at about 140 lb. The No. 2 is about 195 lb and the No. 3 about 280 lb.
Can you use a hand gripper every day?
Light work can be done often, but hard sessions need rest. Two or three hard sessions a week is common. Not medical advice.
Are adjustable hand grippers good?
They are good for general hand strength and for sharing, but fixed steel grippers feel more solid and go heavier.
Is a hand gripper a good gift for a lifter?
Yes. A Captains of Crush Trainer or an adjustable gripper is a small, useful gift most lifters will use.
Do grippers help deadlift grip?
They train crushing grip; deadlift grip is mostly a support grip. Heavy holds and carries help more directly, and straps or chalk help on the day.
Bottom line
For real grip strength, buy a Captains of Crush ladder starting at the Sport or Trainer and step up as reps get easy. For a cheaper fixed set, Heavy Grips or Gripzilla. For one tool that adjusts, FitBeast. For individual finger strength, the Prohands Gripmaster.
Grip training takes weeks, but chalk and straps help today; see our lifting straps guide. Not medical advice.
Follow Strong Saga
New home gym guides, compared and ranked. Short video versions of every guide are on our channels.
5 Home Gym Buys Ranked