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32 of 32 found the following review helpful:
 Very Well Made Jan 05, 2009
By New England Yankee
I have Perform Better's First Place kettlebells in 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 kilograms, all plain cast (not vinyl coated). These are very well made, with a smoother finish than shown in the product pictures, particularly on the handles. These are probably older pictures. My understanding is that Anthony Diluglio of the Art of Strength and the Punch Kettlebell Gym chain worked with Perform Better in improving these bells. (see artofstrength dot com for information on Anthony)
The kettlebells still have typical casting imperfections, but are better finished than most of the other cast iron kettlebells on the market (I've seen about three quarters of what's available). The handles on mine came out of the box smooth with the exception of the 16, which needed some minor sanding.
Weight markings are on one of the side flats in both kilograms and pounds. Numbers & letters are depressed, not raised, which is important for comfort.
Bottoms are rubber, secured by a long hex bolt - more than long enough that it will not drop off even if it manages to work loose. The rubber is fairly hard. It's soft enough to protect your floors, however, and hard enough to provide support for push-ups and renegade rows. I.e., the rubber does not give easily. The rubber covers the full diameter of the bottom. Perform Better is coming out with an add-on 2 kilogram weight ("Kettlebell Buddy") that will also screw into the hole in the bottom, should you want to work with in-between weight increments between kettlebells.
The handles are well-shaped, with a defined horn and comfortable curve into the straight portion of the handle at the top. The lateral space inside the top of the handle is "normal" kettlebell width, meaning that a 2-handed grip will leave your pinkys outside of the handle, unless you have small hands.
Perform Better's vinyl coated kettlebells are 100% identical to the plain cast. The difference is mostly preference and the price difference is relatively minor. Advantages of the vinyl coated include quick identification (different colors for different weights) and a bit of extra bump protection. Stay away from the vinyl if you have hairy arms, as the vinyl will pull the hair.
Some measurements are as follows. The numbers are in inches, and are the diameter of the handle, followed by the space between the top of the ball and inside bottom of the handle. The vertical inside handle space (the 2nd number) is such that, in conjunction with the curvature of the ball, the kettlebell rests on the lower portion of your forearm, rather than on the wrist. The larger kettlebells rest about 2 inches above my wrist bone.
4kg - 1.25, 2
8kg - 1.5, 2.25
12kg - 1.75, 2.375
16kg - 1.75, 2.5
20kg - 1.75, 2.5
24kg - 1.75, 2.5
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Excellent Quality Nov 03, 2009
By S. Burke
"Bathyscaph"
These are very good quality kettle bells. The handles are smooth and without any type of noticeable seam which could tear up your hands. The shape is perfect. Also, it is very helpful that these models have a threaded hole on the bottom to accept an additional weight (i.e. Kettlebell Buddy). Some brands don't offer this feature.
I bought the vinyl version of these from Perform Better and ended up cutting off the vinyl since it was antagonistic to arm hair. For heavier weights the non-vinyl models seem more practical.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Kettlebell Worth its Weight and More; Love It! May 29, 2009
By A. F. SLATER
I started using kettlebells earlier this year and I began with the Go Fit brand. They are good, but I REALLY like the First Place bells even though they are more expensive. I purchased one 8 Kilo bell last week because I felt I could get better form and practice with my snatches than I was getting with my 20 pound Go Fit bell; I was right! I ordered a second 8 kilo bell today because I've been anxious to try kettlebell moves that require the use of two identical bells, particularly in Anthony Diluglio's "Firepower" and Amy Bento's "Kettlebell Dynamics". I love Kettlebells!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Great quality kettlebells made affordable Feb 04, 2012
By R. Nakahata
These First Place (Perform Better) kettlebells are the third brand of kettlebells I own. They look and feel just as good as my more expensive bells (Hampton and Dragon Door).
The 8kg is one-piece cast construction with a durable great textured coating and wide handle. These also come with a 1/4" rubber base that can help protect hardwood floors from scratching. The base is attached via 8mm hex allen head 5/8" bolt, which can also accept threads for a 'Kettlebell Buddy' add on weight.
Overall, these are one of the cheapest brand kettlebells per-pound (or per-kilogram) out there. Can't go wrong with the quality and price.
The only two issues I had with my purchase was the inadequate packing for shipping and the terrible chemical smell of the rubber base part.
Shipping was quick, but my bell was only packaged with a single layer of cardboard (other companies had double-boxed or reinforced the packaging). The box had dents and even holes upon arrival, which resulted with a few light scratches on the bell part. I got free shipping on my order, so I'm not going to complain over it.
The rubber base smells of a strong chemical odor which lingers on any hands and other equipment the bell touches. I let the base soak in some warm soapy water for a day which did help to reduce (but not eliminate) the odor. I only own one of these, so I can't imagine what a gym full of these bells would smell like.
Without these two problems, I would have easily given a 5/5 star rating.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
44kg bell what else to say? Nov 26, 2010
By gripper joe
its rock solid with a smooth handle. Ive dropped it many times and it never even looked like it could break. for the price its great.
See all 9 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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