This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I've been a long time weightlifter. Not professionally, but I've grown up lifting weights. I'm not a gym rat lifting everyday, but I know my way around working out. Ever since the pandemic hit I've been trying to make a better home gym. The JAXJOX adjustable kettleball is a great addition to my adjustable dumbbells and indoor cycling machine. With it being adjustable, you obviously don't need multiple kettleballs. However, the downside is that the kettleball is pretty big, even when set at the lowest weight. The app isn't required, but there are enough classes to get you started. The reason I say started: at $12.99, it's yet another subscription. For me, the kettleballs are expensive enough that I would have liked to see some free workouts (i.e. maybe a list of workouts to perform with a short video tutorial a la Bowflex's dumbbells). I just can't justify another $10+ monthly subscription right now. That's not to say the classes aren't any good, quite the opposite, much like Peloton, the instructions are great and really keep you motivated and help encourage you. But at the end of the day, you're either going to be motivated or not. No app, whether free or paid, will put on your workout clothes.
IN THE BOX AND INITIAL SETUP
The box is large and heavy. It comes with the dumbbell, the base, a USB-C cable, and obviously the weights. There are 5 weights and they all have to be stacked in the correct order. There's a handy tip sheet in the box that explains it. The plates are numbered 1-5 so you really can't mess it up. It's simple. But I did have some confusion connecting the dumbbells to the app.
When I first opened the box, I knew where I wanted the kettleball to be, but I didn't have a plug nearby. So to speed it up, I thought I would charge the base. I did. Unplugging the cable after the base was charged. But then when I stacked the weights, the screen would turn on, but nothing would happen.
I finally figured out, through trial and error, that there is a battery in the kettleball shell. I needed to put it on the stand and charge both it and the base. After I let it charge, the app quickly found it and it was working as expected. I just wish the language in the instructions (which I honestly could have overlooked) was a little more clear in that both need to be charged.
BATTERY AND CHARGING
Before I go into use and the app, I wanted to mention that it's battery powered. Of course, you could leave it plugged in all the time, but if you're like me, I don't have an outlet near the kettleball. My options are to either hall the entire 48 pounds closer to an outlet or use an extension cable. Neither are ideal, but it's not the end of the world.
I found the battery to drain pretty quickly, relatively speaking. I charged it, worked out a couple of times, and the next week the battery was low. I am not quarreling with the battery life, frankly, that type of battery length isn't bad, but again, depending on your setup, charging might prove cumbersome. You can luckily use it while it's plugged in, so unlike wireless headphones you forgot to charge, when the battery is dead you can at least plug it in and still be able to workout. Again, this is by no means a dealbreaker, just something to think about when planning where you might put the kettleball in your home workout area.
USE
Assuming it's charged, it's a breeze to use. There are only two buttons on the front screen, an arrow pointing left and an arrow pointing right. You simply push the buttons to get to the weight you want. It ranges from 12-48 pounds and goes in 6 pound increments. You will hear a beep when it's safe to lift the kettleball.
Just for clarification, the kettleball changes the weight when a "corkscrew" inside the handle turns and locks the desired weights into position (hence why the handle has a battery too).
As I mentioned earlier, the kettleball is pretty big, but that's understandable. Obviously a straight 48 pound dumbbell is pretty large in and of itself, but it feels a little jarring to be picking up a large sized 12 pound weight. I'm a 6'4" male, so I don't find the size of the kettleball to cause any issues. I'm not sure it would for smaller persons, but it's something to keep in mind. I'm confident anyone can adjust to the size, and if you've never used a kettleball before, then you won't know the difference.
JAXJOX APP
I like the app. It's very intuitive, easy to understand, and easy to navigate. Once the kettleball is charged, it's easy to add it as a device (I assume the same is true for their other products). What I really like is the schedule function. It gives you the ability to pick what classes you want to take and put them on a calendar for reminders. It's a good way to hold yourself accountable. It's much easier to make yourself workout when it's on your calendar, vs. relying on willpower alone with no schedule (at least for me).
The workouts are divided into "skills," "classes," and "programs." The skills are a nice way to introduce you to the proper form of lifting kettleballs (well, how to perform specific exercises/moves). The programs selection is pretty much nonexistent. There's one and it's a six week course. I haven't tried it, but much like why I like the calendar function, I think having a program that is 6 week long will really force you to complete it. The classes are similar to Peloton, you pick the class based on instructor or types of workouts. There aren't a ton of classes (at least when compared to say Peloton), but there's plenty there to get you started and I'm certain they'll be adding more. The types of classes are labeled SWEAT, STRONG and RESTORE. To me, that's like cardio, strength and stretching. The classes range from 20 minutes to 45 minutes. I found the instructors to be engaging and encouraging. They are great especially for beginners.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
I think a kettleball, and and adjustable one at that, is a great addition to any home gym. Kettleball workouts have tremendous benefits (I've heard you spend less time working out with them than traditional weights with the same benefits). I don't think JAXJOX is unreasonably priced. If the app was required to own them, I might pause at recommended it. I think the app definitely has value, and the classes there are great, but it's one more subscription service to pay for, and at least for me, the benefits quickly run out. Frankly, there's only so many moves you can perform with kettleballs. Although I really do like the preloading and prescheduling of classes to provide you with some structure to help ensure you meet your goals. For me, I just don't see $12.99 a month subscription for kettleball workouts to be worth it. That's not to say you wouldn't like them, even if you don't think you would subscribe and your looking at these kettleballs, I would certainly take advantage of the free month. You may ultimately find that it's worth it. Even if you don't go the app route, these kettleballs work great without it and for that reason alone, I would highly recommend them for those looking to expand their home gym, or start a new one. Just keep in mind the charging situation, you'll want a plug or an extension cord nearby.
