Hand Grippers Compared: CoC vs Heavy Grips vs Adjustable
If you have spent any time researching hand grippers, you have run into three names: Captains of Crush, Heavy Grips, and adjustable grippers. They all do the same basic job (give your hand a spring to close against), but they are built differently, priced differently, and suit different goals.
This article is for anyone trying to figure out which gripper to actually buy, whether you are a lifter researching your first purchase, an arm wrestler comparing options, or someone who already owns one gripper and wants to know what comes next. Each format has a real use case. The one that is right for you depends on what you are training for, your budget, and how you like to measure progress. For background on grip training as a whole, the Grip Training Encyclopedia is the full reference.
The Short Answer (For People Who Just Want a Recommendation)
For most lifters, climbers, grapplers, and general athletes: buy two fixed grippers. A working gripper you can close for 8 to 10 clean reps, and a goal gripper one step heavier that you cannot close yet. Captains of Crush and Heavy Grips both work for this. CoC is the benchmark the whole sport uses and the only line with official certification; Heavy Grips is the value pick with simple, pound-based numbering. Adjustable grippers look efficient on paper, but calibration and spring consistency vary a lot between models, which makes progress harder to trust. They make sense in a few specific situations, covered below.
How Hand Grippers Actually Work
A hand gripper is a spring-loaded tool: two handles connected by a coiled steel spring. You close it by squeezing your fingers toward your palm against the spring. Resistance is rated in pounds of closing force, meaning the force needed to bring the handles together until they touch.
The spring gets stiffer as it closes, so the hardest point is the last inch, not the start. That is why the final close is the real test of finger flexor and forearm strength. Hand position changes which muscles take the most load, but for most training you start in the standard position: all four fingers on the lower handle, thumb over the top. For a full breakdown of grip types and gripper training, see the Grip Training Encyclopedia.
Captains of Crush (CoC): The Standard
Captains of Crush grippers are made by IronMind and have been the reference standard for hand grippers since the early 1990s. When coaches and programs name gripper levels, they almost always use CoC numbers. Closing a CoC No. 3 is a recognized achievement in strength sports, and closing the No. 4 is rare. That reputation comes from decades of use by serious lifters, arm wrestlers, and grip sport athletes.
Resistance Levels
The CoC line runs from the Guide (about 60 lb) through the No. 4 (about 365 lb). The key benchmarks: the Trainer (about 100 lb) is the standard beginner starting point; the No. 1 (about 140 lb) is an intermediate milestone most consistent trainees reach; the No. 2 (about 195 lb) marks the advanced threshold; and the No. 3 (about 280 lb) is elite. Half-steps (No. 0.5, No. 1.5, No. 2.5, No. 3.5) fill the bigger gaps. IronMind also runs an official certification program for closing the heaviest levels under witnessed rules, with a specific set position and an approved referee. The full ladder with realistic timelines is in the Captains of Crush Progression Ladder.
What CoC Does Well
Knurled aluminum handles give a consistent, slip-free feel. Spring quality is reliable, so a No. 2 feels like a No. 2 every session. They are extremely durable. And the standard is real: grip athletes worldwide train toward the same numbers, and many arm wrestling coaches program around them, so owning the relevant CoC levels keeps you on the same page as your coach and training partners.
What to Know Before You Buy
Each CoC closes at one resistance, so you move up the ladder by buying the next level. That is not as costly as it sounds, because you only ever need two at a time: the one you train with and the one you are chasing. When the goal gripper becomes your working gripper, you buy the next goal. The half-step models also mean the jump between levels is manageable if you pick them in the right order.
Best for: Anyone who wants the benchmark tool. Arm wrestlers and grip sport athletes whose programs reference CoC numbers. Lifters who want clear, community-recognized milestones. Anyone who might chase a certified close someday.
Heavy Grips: The Value Fixed Option
Heavy Grips are fixed-resistance grippers with the same basic design as CoC: a steel spring, knurled handles, and a similar closing arc. They are named by their rating in pounds, from the HG100 through the HG350 in 50 lb steps (HG100, HG150, HG200, HG250, HG300, HG350). That naming makes them easy to understand at a glance, and the price per gripper is lower than CoC.
What Heavy Grips Does Well
You get the full fixed-gripper training experience at a lower cost per unit. The numbering tells you exactly what you are closing, which beginners appreciate. For a working and goal pair, Heavy Grips is an easy way to start the two-gripper method without spending much. Plenty of people train on Heavy Grips for years before ever adding a CoC.
What to Know Before You Buy
The steps are 50 lb apart, which is a bigger jump than the CoC half-steps. That is fine for most beginners, but intermediate trainees sometimes spend longer between levels. The fix is simple: use negatives and partial closes on the goal gripper, or mix brands (for example, a Heavy Grips working gripper with a CoC half-step as the goal). Heavy Grips does not have an official certification program, so if a certified close is the dream, that part lives with CoC.
Best for: Budget-conscious buyers who want calibrated fixed grippers. Beginners who like clear pound ratings. Anyone building a working and goal pair on a tighter budget.
Adjustable Grippers: One Tool, Many Settings
Adjustable grippers use a dial, screw, or pin that changes the spring preload, giving you several resistance settings in one unit. Instead of buying a new gripper as you progress, you turn the dial.
Where They Make Sense
An adjustable can be handy for light rehab work under a clinician's guidance, for travel when you only want to pack one small tool, or for someone who wants general hand activity and has no interest in tracking numbers. In those cases, convenience matters more than precision.
Where They Fall Short
The trouble is consistency. The settings on many adjustable models are not calibrated to a standard, the resistance between settings can be uneven, and the closing feel often does not match a quality fixed spring. Springs on budget models can also lose tension over time. All of that makes it hard to know whether you actually got stronger or the gripper just feels different today. Adjustables are also not eligible for CoC certification. And on price, a pair of fixed grippers from CoC or Heavy Grips often costs about the same as one decent adjustable, while giving you calibrated resistance you can trust and a clear goal in front of you.
Best for: Light rehab, travel, and casual hand activity. Not the recommendation if your goal is measurable strength progress.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | CoC (Fixed) | Heavy Grips (Fixed) | Adjustable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resistance per unit | 1 calibrated level | 1 calibrated level | Several settings, calibration varies by model |
| Range | Guide (about 60 lb) to No. 4 (about 365 lb) | HG100 to HG350 in 50 lb steps | Varies by model |
| How you progress | Working + goal gripper; buy the next goal when ready | Working + goal gripper; buy the next goal when ready | Turn the dial |
| Consistency session to session | Very high | High | Depends on model; often uneven |
| Certification eligible | Yes (IronMind program) | No official program | No |
| Best for | Benchmark training, arm wrestling, grip sport | Value-focused fixed training, beginners | Rehab, travel, casual use |
Which One Is Right for You?
If you want the benchmark, or might chase a certified close someday: get CoC grippers. The standard, the milestones, and the certification program all live with CoC. The Captains of Crush Progression Ladder maps the path.
If you are a lifter, climber, or grappler training grip as a support skill: get a working and goal pair from either line. You will always know exactly what you are closing, and you will always have a clear next step. Browse both lines in the hand grippers collection.
If price is the main factor: Heavy Grips is the honest budget recommendation. Start with a pair, and add a level when the goal gripper becomes easy.
If you only need something light for rehab or travel: an adjustable can do the job. Just treat the settings as rough guides, not measurements.
How to Pick the Right Resistance When You Buy
Buying at the wrong resistance is the most common first-purchase mistake. Too easy and you get no training effect; too hard and your form breaks down, which risks tendon strain. Use these starting points, and if you are between categories, go lighter and build from there. The full framework is in Choosing the Right Gripper Resistance.
- Untrained adult male: a working gripper around 100 lb (CoC Trainer or HG100), with a goal gripper one step up: the CoC No. 0.5 (about 120 lb) for a smaller jump, or the CoC No. 1 or HG150 for a bigger one.
- Untrained adult female: a working gripper around 60 to 80 lb (CoC Guide or Sport), with the CoC Trainer or HG100 as the goal.
- Trained lifter with no dedicated grip work: many can already close a CoC Trainer or HG100 for reps. Start with a No. 1 or HG150 as the working gripper and a No. 1.5 or HG200 as the goal.
- Experienced grip athlete: you probably already know where you sit on the CoC ladder. If not, the grip strength standards article has benchmarks by population.
The practical rule: if you can close a gripper for more than 10 clean, full reps from a legal set position, it has become a warm-up tool. Your working gripper should feel challenging in the last few reps of each set.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are adjustable grippers as good as Captains of Crush?
For light or casual training, an adjustable can provide a useful stimulus. For measurable progress, a calibrated fixed gripper is the better tool because you know exactly what you are closing every session, and a clear goal gripper keeps you honest. Certification also requires the actual CoC gripper.
What is the difference between CoC and Heavy Grips numbering?
CoC uses names and numbers (Trainer, No. 1, No. 2, and so on) tied to specific resistances. Heavy Grips uses the rating in pounds (HG100, HG200, and so on). Roughly: the HG100 is close to a CoC Trainer, the HG150 is close to a No. 1, and the HG200 sits between a No. 1.5 and a No. 2. The two systems do not line up perfectly, but that mapping is accurate enough for planning a purchase.
Can I get certified on an adjustable gripper?
No. IronMind's certification requires the actual CoC gripper at the specified level, set and closed under official rules. If certification is your goal, you need CoC grippers.
How long does a quality gripper last?
A quality fixed gripper from CoC or Heavy Grips will last many years with normal training, and the springs hold their resistance well. Keep it dry and wipe off chalk and sweat. Cheap unbranded grippers are a different story: springs lose tension faster and handles can flex under load.
Are cheap Amazon grippers worth it?
Generally no. Resistance ratings on budget grippers are often inaccurate (a gripper labeled 200 lb may close at far less), and the springs fade quickly. If budget is tight, a Heavy Grips pair gives you a much better cost-to-quality ratio than generics.
Should I get a gripper or a hand exerciser ball?
They do different jobs. A gripper trains crushing strength against a measurable resistance you can progress. A squeeze ball is fine for warm-ups or light recovery work but gives too little resistance to build real strength on its own. Use a gripper for training; the ball can supplement it.
Your Next Step
If you have read this far, the choice is probably clear. Pick a working gripper and a goal gripper from CoC or Heavy Grips, train them two or three times a week, and buy the next level when the goal gripper becomes your working gripper. The CoC Progression Ladder shows which levels to train and when.
Both gripper lines are in the hand grippers collection. If forearm and wrist work is on your list alongside gripper training, the wrist and forearm trainers collection has the tools for that, including extensor bands to keep your elbows healthy.
For a deeper look at the adjustable versus fixed question on its own, see our companion article, Adjustable vs Fixed Grippers. And for every other tool that belongs in a complete grip setup, the Complete Guide to Grip Training Equipment is the full index.