The best aqua bags: water-filled weights for fitness

• Who should get this?
• Why water-filled weights?
• Our best water filled weight picks
• Aquabag by Ultimate Instability
• Fluid X
• Hydrocore Bag by Onnit
• Tidal Tank
• Winner of the Best Water Filled Weights 

 

I love working out, and one of my favorite workouts is strength. There is something about lifting weights that makes one feel powerful. The problem I tend to have is as much as I love weights, I don’t love knocking myself in the head or knees with kettlebells or dumbells. 

Lucky for me, the world has now created aqua bags! A way for me to lift weights and not necessarily injure myself in the process. I’m sure my downstairs neighbor is grateful, too, since the aqua bags barely make a sound. 

In this blog, we are going to explore what is the best water filled weight. I will explain the options available depending on your needs and general fitness level. Hopefully, you’ll know which aqua bag to go for once you finish reading.

Who should get this?

Water filled weights workouts are for everyone, regardless of whether you are training at home or the gym. Or if you’re a beginner or seasoned athlete, there is something to be gained by including water filled weights into your workout routine. 

 

It allows a piece of workout equipment with an adjustable weight, is portable, and is safe and friendly to use thanks to its flexible and bouncy nature. It will add a dynamic element to your training.  

Why water-filled weights?

Water filled weights have the very special advantage that in every move, you work on your balance and stability. By working with live weight, the constant motion of the water pushes your body to engage your core and stabilizing muscles. This training can result in reduced injury and better balance in everyday situations.

 

So let’s do a breakdown of the best water filled weights.

Aquabag by Ultimate Instability 

 

The Aquabag and Aquaball by Ultimate Instability are solid options. The company behind the concept offers a course to explain the principles of instability training for an extra cost (52 USD). Be warned that the content is very technical, and you better drink some strong coffee before watching. That being said, they are the only ones who offer the Hydrovest(164 USD) accessory to be purchased separately to use the water weight in a hands-free manner. However, it’s currently out of stock. 

Features

• Weight range: 15 kg - 45 kg
• Price: most products are in the 125 USD range
• Variety of Shapes: Aquabag (cylinder) & Aquaball (sphere)
• Color: Carbon & Blue

 

Benefits

• Includes free pump
• Three months of access to the UItimate Instability app, which has a library of exercises.

 

 

Drawbacks

This product has one big downfall for me, and it’s the fact that it’s not made of transparent material, which doesn’t allow me to see the water splashing around. It also doesn’t have any visible weight indicators, which makes it more difficult to gauge your progress. 

Fluid X

Fluid X has done a great job making their products pop up. They look fun and vibrant; just by looking at them, I want to try them. Attractive and fun products have a bigger likelihood of getting used. They are made of highly durable PVC material tested to be 100% leak and burst-proof. The handles are made of double-stitched neoprene, making them comfortable for various exercises. 

Features

• Weight range: 7 kg - 20 kg
• Price: from 45 USD to 65 USD
• Variety of Shapes: Tank(cylinder), Boba (sphere), & Cube  
• Color: Transparent

 

Benefits

• Includes free pump
• YouTube channel packed full of workouts featuring the FX water-filled weights
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• Maintenance care guide on their website
• Good money for value 

 

Their unique selling point is that they cater to everyone; some of the other offerings on the page are exclusively for athletes, whereas Fluid X wants everyone to gain from training with the water-filled weights. In the battle of the best filled water weights, they’re coming on top.

Also, Fluid X is the only product on the list that mentions a sustainability pledge—starting with the packaging, which is a recyclable carton. They strive to create the most durable product for long-lasting reuse to avoid the need for disposal or renewal. Finally, you can mail back the equipment for recycling. 

Drawbacks

Compared to Ultimate Instability and Tidal Tank, their highest weight range falls on the lighter side at 20 kg, whereas the competitors go up to 40 kg. However, having used the 20 kg range, as a fitness enthusiast, I don’t think I would go any heavier than that, so it’s not necessary. 

 

Hydrocore Bag by Onnit

This aqua bag has a pretty cool shape that, at the moment, is exclusive to Onnit. They got inspired by the Bulgarian Sand Bag. You can fit it comfortably to do a variety of exercises. As cool as the shape is, it can be very intimidating for beginners, as it’s not so obvious exactly what you can do with it.  So, it’s taking a hit in the race to be the best water filled weight.

Features

• Variety of Shapes: Hydrocore
• Color: Transparent
• Price: from 109 USD

 

Benefits

• Unique shape and handle

 

Drawbacks

The Hydrocore doesn’t come with a pump, and there aren’t any weight indicators on the product. There is a lack of support for users, as they don’t provide workouts in an app or any other platform without an additional purchase. In the end, the coolness factor doesn’t compensate for shortcomings in their non-user-friendly experience. 

 

Tidal Tank

This water filled weight claims to be the “first” of its kind. They are currently available at Amazon. They have a good variety of products, and they include weight indicators in their tank equipment which gives solid points to be the best water filled weight. Tidal Tank boasts that they include free app access with purchase, although there are reported problems with accessing the app. 

Features

• Weight range: 5 kg - 35 kg
• Price: from 55 USD to 92 USD
• Variety of Shapes: Tank & Kettle(cylinder), Sphere 
• Color: Transparent

 

Benefits

• Includes free pump
• In-app video library
• Good variety of sizes
• 1 year warranty

Drawbacks

We report from user reviews that there is a lack of exercise and maintenance instructions. They reported the bag would grow mildew, and they would just throw it out. As well as having some trouble to access their the app and tutorials. 

 

There is also some feedback regarding the bag's durability, with several incidents regarding tears or air leaks.

Winner of the Best Water Filled Weights

Keep in mind all the water filled weights that we mentioned above will:

• Be portable
• Have adjustable weight
• Work on your stability and balance

 

So it comes down to the details. After all our research, we have to conclude the best overall water filled weight goes to Fluid X thanks to the following:

• the support they present to the user
• most easily accessible database of workouts through their YouTube channel, where you can find plenty of workouts for yoga, core, full body, and much more
• Being inclusive of all population

 

Considering that water filled weights are relatively new, it is important to have support to know which exercises to perform and how to perform them. 

 

Regarding uniqueness, Onnit’s sandbag shape takes the prize as long as you are familiar with sandbags and know how to use them properly, thus don’t need much support. 

We love that Fluid X has catered to the majority of the public and not just elite athletes by creating options that let us use a lighter weight and they are easy on the eye with those purple handles and the colorful water splashing around, so they get the crown for best water filled weight.