GripGenies - looking for honest opinions

[Alex K]

Hello guys!

Recently I have thought about checking out GripGenies, and decided to browse and find information on them, but it feels like there's very little detail on them. So I wanted to ask your honest opinion on those points:

• Knurlung: What can it be compared to? CoC, GHP, Beefs or cheaper slippery chinese grippers.
• Spring: Is it the exact same black plastic coated spring used on Heavy Grips and other mass produced chinese grippers, or is it different from a Material/Quality standpoint? How much resistance does it loose over time (in terms of rating or handle spread)
• Subjective opinion: On a scale from the ultra-cheap chinese grippers with slippery non-existent knurling and the cheapest springs you can find to great top-tier grippers like GHP, CPW Standard or Beefs, where would you place them?

Since they're rather pricy but look pretty much exactly as grippers you can find for under 10$, I really would love to know, if they're worth the payoff  

I've also heard they varied a lot from the first release to the newer ones. Also very curious about that.

Edited July 30, 2021 by Alexander Koss

[Vinnie]

I like them but I do not consider them "real" lol.  So I have a Grip Genie 5 rated 155.  It is way easier than my COC 3 rated 152.  More comparable in difficulty to my COC 3 rated 145.  I don't think the rating is off - both are CPW, and his ratings are very consistent.  I think it is because the spread is a little narrower and the handles are a little thinner, and this makes them much easier to set and thus there is a little more left for the close, from a better position.  The knurling is probably not as good as COC, certainly not GHP.

If I were looking for an alternative to COC or GHP in a range I could not find in COC/GHP, I would look to Standard before Grip Genie, because Standard seems to be a much more similar gripper to a COC.  But I actually like that the GG is easy to set and a little smaller in the hand, as far as enjoyment of working with them.  I just don't think they give you the same feeling as COC et al, and if I am training for a better COC close, silver bullet, whatnot, I would rather have a more comparable gripper.  

I think the quality is better than HG and my "problem" with them is that they do not feel like a valid gripper.  I still like them, just like I still like a McDonald's burger even though it does not taste like a real hamburger.

Edited July 30, 2021 by Vinnie

[Alex K]

Thank you for your opinions. Really getting the idea of what they must be (pretty much as expected). Still would be pretty interesting to see one with my own eyes, I just don't think it's worth the money and especially the delivery costs to Germany.  

Edited July 30, 2021 by Alexander Koss

[devinhoo]

There was a big thread from when they first launched that had some good insight about various brands of grippers. @Cannon even did a segment reviewing them on his blog, which is a pretty big endorsement if you ask me as literally thousands and thousands of grippers have passed through his shop.

 

 

[Alex K]

47 minutes ago, devinhoo said:

There was a big thread from when they first launched that had some good insight about various brands of grippers. @Cannon even did a segment reviewing them on his blog, which is a pretty big endorsement if you ask me as literally thousands and thousands of grippers have passed through his shop.

Although I do find this research done by Cannon extremely informative regarding training with grippers of such geometry (narrower handles mainly), there's less focus on the quality and characteristics of the product itself (at least not directly). 

Below is a gripper from china sold for a fraction of the price in comparison to a GripGenie. Technically, the handle size matches the 18mm, so the same benefits would still be valid. That's why it got me wondering, if GG isn't just a re-labeled and highly overpriced version of something similar . I would love to train with a gripper with narrower handles, I agree with Cannon on all of the points mentioned. It does allow you to focus on the "owvercrush" a little more, adding a new refreshing option to gripper routines. However, training with grippers with totally non-functional (I'd call it decorative) knurling and springs which loose 1lbs rating on every 3 closes is the main issue I've experienced with chinese grippers. I've tried a bunch when I first got into grip and as soon as my hand touched a CoC I sold them all immediately  

If, however, GGs have legit knurling and a high quality spring (like for example Cannon's new SG line, it's super solid with sharp knurling and the grippers loose virtually no resistance with time), I'd wish to own one for sure.

Edited July 30, 2021 by Alexander Koss

[Fist of Fury]

1 hour ago, Alexander Koss said:

Thank you for your opinions. Really getting the idea of what they must be (pretty much as expected). Still would be pretty interesting to see one with my own eyes, I just don't think it's worth the money and especially the delivery costs to Germany.  

If you're looking for a gripper with narrower spread (around 60-65 mm) and with slightly thinner handles. You can try Grip & Bend Italia. His grippers are like that. G5 is like an easy #3. G6 is like the average #3.5 in difficulty.

[Busa]

The Knurling is not what I would call sharp. Slightly more aggressive than my Heavy Grips but they are old and a bit worn.  I don't mind them for warming up or if I have sore hands. Not noticed a drop in rating yet

The quality control is not great as the spreads do differ greatly.  They do have a similar feel and look to the Arm Lifting Greece (ALG) grippers

Measuring a GG5 against ALG 300lb both 7.5mm spring each weigh 242g the spread more constant and slightly less for the ALG gripper.

I would say the UK Gods of Grip are around the same not purchased any yet.

To sum up I don't mind them but feel the quality control is lacking in them. If after other options have you thought on Russian grippers like XBAT 19mm handles knurling more aggressive than a Standard slightly less than a GHP spreads around 63 - 65mm

 

[Cannon]

I would be happy to hit your questions directly. One preface is that before CPW carried Grip Genie, I had only seen a few through Rate and Return. These were very early, maybe 1st generation. They were not that impressive BUT Grip Genie has made a concerted effort to improve the grippers every batch and deliver a quality product. I fully believe they have achieved that:

• Knurling: It has gotten sharper. I find their current knurling to be very nice. It is on par with IronMind and in the instances that it varies, it's sharper. My only beef with the knurling is the handle anodization but nothing can be done about that. From a training aspect, I wouldn't care if the color was easily scuffed during usage. But from a business standpoint, it's difficult to handle them and ship them and keep them perfect. I have found the anodization to be much more durable than our Spectrum grippers, for example. Those were impossible to keep pristine. 
• Spring: They are made in China. They are essentially the same black coated springs. Spreads do vary by batch, but on average I would say they are about 2.5 to 2.75". Which I think is fantastic. Sometimes there are gaps in the spring coils and it's hard to convince people this does not matter. It doesn't.. at all. 
• Subjective opinion: We are proud to carry them. I personally like a few things about them: 1) The colors are fun. 2) I like the smaller handle diameter and more narrow spreads. I don't have huge hands and these are a nice fit. 3) They have been landing in ranges that are tough to service. I always say this, but it's a GOOD thing when grippers vary. That is the lifeblood of assembling a useful training set. These Genies cover a lot of area. 4) The price is a nice compromise between Heavy Grips and COC because they do have some bells and whistles like anodization (that ain't cheap) and consistent knurling. 

I have spoken out in favor of Heavy Grips in the past as well. In terms of value, Both HG and GG deliver on the sticker price. They are approachable workhorses that last as long as any other gripper. There is no reason to discount them except personal preference for the specifications. If you like wide grippers or chonky handles, they might not be for you. But that can't be a knock against their offering; it's just a matter of preference. Just buy what you like 

[Alex K]

17 minutes ago, Cannon said:

I would be happy to hit your questions directly. One preface is that before CPW carried Grip Genie, I had only seen a few through Rate and Return. These were very early, maybe 1st generation. They were not that impressive BUT Grip Genie has made a concerted effort to improve the grippers every batch and deliver a quality product. I fully believe they have achieved that:

• Knurling: It has gotten sharper. I find their current knurling to be very nice. It is on par with IronMind and in the instances that it varies, it's sharper. My only beef with the knurling is the handle anodization but nothing can be done about that. From a training aspect, I wouldn't care if the color was easily scuffed during usage. But from a business standpoint, it's difficult to handle them and ship them and keep them perfect. I have found the anodization to be much more durable than our Spectrum grippers, for example. Those were impossible to keep pristine. 
• Spring: They are made in China. They are essentially the same black coated springs. Spreads do vary by batch, but on average I would say they are about 2.5 to 2.75". Which I think is fantastic. Sometimes there are gaps in the spring coils and it's hard to convince people this does not matter. It doesn't.. at all. 
• Subjective opinion: We are proud to carry them. I personally like a few things about them: 1) The colors are fun. 2) I like the smaller handle diameter and more narrow spreads. I don't have huge hands and these are a nice fit. 3) They have been landing in ranges that are tough to service. I always say this, but it's a GOOD thing when grippers vary. That is the lifeblood of assembling a useful training set. These Genies cover a lot of area. 4) The price is a nice compromise between Heavy Grips and COC because they do have some bells and whistles like anodization (that ain't cheap) and consistent knurling. 

I have spoken out in favor of Heavy Grips in the past as well. In terms of value, Both HG and GG deliver on the sticker price. They are approachable workhorses that last as long as any other gripper. There is no reason to discount them except personal preference for the specifications. If you like wide grippers or chonky handles, they might not be for you. But that can't be a knock against their offering; it's just a matter of preference. Just buy what you like 

Thank you very much @Cannon, that's probably the most detailed insight on those Grippers I've seen so far.  The fact that there have been changes since the first batch does put a big smile on my face. It's nice to see a brand evolve in response to customer feedback. When it comes to grippers, I value knurling that feels good and has good grip a lot, and CoC's do fall in that category for me. The fact that it's on par with them (or even sharper) is great to know and does awaken my interest in trying one out myself.

Thanks again everyone for sharing your experiences!

Edited July 30, 2021 by Alexander Koss