With all the various brands of resistance bands online, it can be hard to make a decision on which resistance bands to buy.
Now, assuming you are looking for the best resistance bands in the online market, not just the cheapest, we have the answer for you, and we are also going to tell you exactly why.
So, without further ado…the Best Resistance Bands goes to SET FOR SET.
…Yes, that’s us.
Of course, we’d say that we have the best resistance bands, right?
Well, we actually stand by this with full conviction, and here is why…
Quality + Price = Value.
For our high-quality loop resistance bands, you won’t find better value for the price.
Our bands are made to last a long time, unlike many brands of resistance bands that tear and break after they get put to work for some time.
We have customers that have had their SET FOR SET resistance bands for years, and they are still in perfect working condition.
This is just one of many aspects that make certain resistance bands (and brands) “the best”.
Below we are going to talk more in-depth about what to look for when shopping for resistance bands.
In this post, we are going to cover the following:
- The types of resistance bands and which are best
- What makes a resistance band high quality and a good value
- Why you should choose SET FOR SET bands
- Reviews on SET FOR SET resistance bands from our customers
- Sizes and resistance levels & best uses for each size
- Resistance band workouts and exercises (our resources)
- Resistance bands price
- Where to buy the best resistance bands online at the best price
Types of Resistance Bands and Which are Best?
There are continuous loop resistance bands, resistance bands with handles, booty bands, therapy bands, and various other types of bands.
We’ve already done a post on the different kinds of resistance bands and which are best, so we won’t go into this much here.
However, we will say the essential conclusion, which is, “loop resistance bands are best, and they are best because they have the best ratio of versatility and effectiveness.”
The Most Versatile Type of Resistance Bands
With heavy-duty loop resistance bands, which is what we sell, you can do literally everything you can with all the other types of bands plus much more.
Note: Bands with handles are good for upper body pressing and pulling exercises, maybe more so than loop bands, but if you know what you are doing with loop bands, you can get the same effect and effectiveness. Plus, you’ll have the ability to do so much more with the loop bands beyond just pressing and pulling exercises. As we will run through quickly now…
Loop resistance bands are used for warm-up, mobility, stretching, workout, recovery, and they are the only bands you will want to use with barbell lifts (like banded barbell heavy squats) AND for assistance exercises (like pull up assistance). What’s more, we find loop resistance bands to be the most effective for building muscle, burning fat, gaining mobility and flexibility, and boosting strength.
Here are the Top 7 benefits of loop resistance bands and their applications.
What makes a resistance band high quality or not?
Now that we have established that loop resistance bands are the best in terms of overall versatility and effectiveness, here is what you should look for when buying resistance bands.
1. Continuous Layering
You want to make sure the bands you are buying have continuous layering (at least 5 layers).
The process for continuous layering is similar to that of a car tire.
If the bands in question are single layer, they will be much, much easier to break, tear, and wear out.
Some brands and manufacturers don’t use continuous layering, as to save on production costs and to get a cheaper product to market.
However, in the end, it doesn’t make sense because those bands won’t last long.
For 15-20% more in production cost, you can get 300x more durability and resilience with continuous layering bands. The value is well worth it.
Molded bands
Another thing to look out for is molded bands. Molded bands are also less durable than layered bands.
If you aren’t sure, ask the brand if they have layered bands or molded bands. If they aren’t sure, don’t bother with that company. If they truly care about the quality of their resistance bands, they will know, and moreover, they will have layered bands, not molded or single layer bands.
2. Natural latex
Some resistance bands use synthetic latex. Synthetic latex gives off a much stronger odor (either chemical or rubber) than natural latex as there are different ingredients involved in the manufacturing process for the two.
Moreover, synthetic latex is typically less resilient and elastic than natural latex.
Natural latex comes from the milky sap of rubber trees in South East Asia. Overall, it is more comfortable, durable, elastic and less smelly than synthetic latex.
3. Stretchability
If you have both continuous layering and natural latex, your bands should be able to stretch up to 2 times their length. See if the manufacturer/brand can tell you how much the bands can stretch. If it’s less than 2 times the length, then steer clear of those bands as they will be much more likely to break, since some exercises with bands end up stretching the band to around 2 times the length. Ideally, you want more than 2 times just to play it safe, so you never reach maximum stretchability. If you continually reach max stretch, it will slowly wear down the resistance band.
That said, if you follow point number 1 and 2, you should be good here on point 3.
4. 41 Inches Length
The loop resistance bands will vary in width, depending on the resistance level. But the length should be 41 inches in length. 41" Resistance bands will allow you to have the most versatility in uses.
Where to buy the best resistance bands online?
At SET FOR SET, we take great pride in providing the highest quality resistance bands at an affordable price.
Our bands are made from all natural Malaysian latex, so the smell of rubber is very minimal and after some time non-existent.
Our bands are made with a continuous layering process to ensure they are durable, elastic, the right tension, and very long lasting.
Our bands are 41” in length and due to our stringent production process and top notch quality, they can stretch up to 2 1/2 times their original resting length of 41 inches.
We’ve had hundreds and hundreds of customers and we have 0 returns, and we've also never had anyone report a breakage yet. We’ve been in business and selling bands for close to 3 years as of writing this (2019).
Attachment Points
As a warning, to prevent any breakage that isn’t a manufacturing issue, be careful of how you anchor the bands. If you are continually anchoring them on abrasive surfaces, we believe it is likely they would break. It’s similar to rubbing a rope on something abrasive, with enough friction and time, it’ll snap.
SET FOR SET Resistance Band Size
All of our bands are 41” in length.
Here are the widths and resistance levels:
- #1 Yellow Resistance Band: 0.5” - 10-30lbs of resistance (our lightest band)
- #2 Black Resistance Band: 0.75” - 30-60lbs of resistance
- #3 Blue Resistance Band: 1.25” - 40-80lbs of resistance
- #4 Green Resistance Band: 1.75” - 50-125lbs of resistance
- #5 Gray Resistance Band: 2.5” - 65-170lbs of resistance (our biggest band)
General Uses of Resistance Bands
Yellow Band:
- Stretching & mobility
- Explosive exercises like banded box jumps
- Good for strength training small muscle groups (i.e. shoulders)
- Very light assistance for pull-ups
- Pairing with barbell lifts like bench press and squats.
- Perfect for rehab/prehab
- Perfect for warming up.
Black Band:
- Stretching & mobility
- Jumping/explosive exercises
- Good for strength training small to medium-sized muscle groups
- Light assistance for pull ups and other exercises like dips
- Good for adding resistance and changing the strength curve for barbell exercises.
- Good for rehab/prehab
- Good for warming up.
Blue Band:
- Mobility (shoulders and hips)
- Full body strength training
- Best size for assisted pull ups, strict or kipping.
- Good for advanced users looking to add resistance and eliminate strength curve during barbell exercises, especially squats and deadlifts.
Green Band:
- Good for training large muscle groups for strength and hypertrophy
- Hip mobility
- Great size for those who need more assistance during pull ups
- Good for more advanced users looking to add resistance and eliminate strength curve during barbell exercises, especially squats and deadlifts.
- Great for adding resistance to exercises like bear crawls
Gray Band:
- Strength and hypertrophy training for large muscle groups (mainly legs)
- Hip mobility
- Pull up assist for those who need a lot of assistance
- Good for very advanced users who want to combine bands with barbell lifts or even leg presses.
- Great for a lot of resistance to exercises like bear crawls.
- Best for heavier body types
SET FOR SET Resistance Bands Reviews From Our Customers
Samuel Wright said: Great value and quality.
Love these bands. They are build to last. Perfect for the home gym. I'm able to get a full body workout with these. I alternate between the bands in the macebell and feel my resistance training workouts are compete.
James B said: Great quality bands
I bought set for set bands last year and again a couple of weeks ago. My set for set bands from last year are still in perfect condition. These are some of the best bands I've used. They are definitely made to last.
david boyce said: Great Bands
I love these bands ...top quality and a fair price.
David Robertson said: Power Bands bundle
Great set of bands. Excellent quality. Nice feel to these bands when performing exercises.
Shawn A. said: Great quality, great price, amazing customer service!
Been searching for quality bands that won't break the bank for a long time. Came across Set for Set and really glad I chose them. My order was short when I received it so I sent an email and got an immediate response and apology. They shipped out my missing items the next day and included a free gift. That's amazing customer service that you do not see anymore today. I will continue to support the company! Great quality, great price, amazing customer service!
Audrey M. said: Love these!
The bands are amazing. I bring them to the gym with me everyday to work on pull-ups (I'm currently awful at them, but now getting better!). They are so well made, I never worry about them while doing the exercises. Super easy to put in my bag. Highly recommend!
Anthony Sims-Hall said: Great
I am always skeptical about exercise equipment because I am 250 lbs. and I was afraid I may break these bands. They are awesome and can take my body weight with no problem.
Definitely a quality item.
See the rest of our resistance band reviews.
Band Workouts & Exercise Resources
Another important thing to considering when choosing a resistance band company to buy from is if they provide education and resources for learning how to use the resistance bands.
At SET FOR SET, we have tons of education and videos on resistance band training. And we plan to continue pumping out resistance band training and rehabilitation content, we have some awesome stuff in the pipeline.
Here is what we have released thus far:
- 24 Best Resistance Band Exercises
- Resistance band shoulder workout
- 7 rotator cuff exercises for rehab and prehab of shoulders
- Top 11 resistance band chest exercises
- How to pair resistance bands with big lifts
- 7 resistance band full body exercises
- 6 resistance band knee exercises for rehab and pain management
- 4 explosive resistance band exercises (partner needed)
- 6 resistance band stretching and mobility exercises
- 4 ways to pair resistance bands with weightlifting chest exercises
- 19 psoas muscle exercises and stretches
- Boost your athletism with resistance bands
- How to add resistance bands to kettlebell and steel mace exercises
- How to upgrade your steel mace 360s and 10 to 2s with resistance bands
- 10 anti-rotation exercises (many using bands)
- Isometric resistance band exercises for bodyweight strength gains
- 21 minute full body bodyweight and resistance band workout
Here is our Youtube Channel where we pump out resistance band videos as often as we can, among other training modalities.
How much are Resistance Bands? SET FOR SET Resistance Bands PRICE
At SET FOR SET, it’s not just about great quality and a good price, it is also about providing the best customer service in the game…and that is exactly what we do.
Our heavy duty resistance bands can be a great supplement to your normal training program. The high quality power bands can easily transport...
What size resistance bands should I buy?
Get yourself some bands! We appreciate your support in our young and growing business.
Sam Coleman
Author