The first weighted vest I owned looked like something Liam Neeson might wear to confront the people who had kidnapped his daughter. Blocky, heavy, and stuffed with weights, I managed to wear it for around a month’s worth of workouts before ultimately shoving it on Facebook Marketplace. I couldn’t have foreseen then that weighted vests—once reserved for CrossFitters—would shortly become key to the fit-girl content that floods my TikTok. That Facebook Marketplace shopper’s gain. Now, a weighted vest is being touted as a ticket to better cardio ability, increased bone density, and increased muscle mass. Naturally, I wanted to try again.

After picking up my much sleeker 5-pound weighted vest from Omorpho, my first challenge was to get it home. The very obvious solution of just wearing it eluded me at the time, so I transferred the cumbersome box from shoulder to shoulder, instead. Once home, I committed to walking in it at least three times a week, keen to see if it would change how I felt. At the very least, I suspected it would add a little spice to my standard walk—something Holly Haywood, lead instructor at Third Space Soho, confirmed.

“Walking in a weighted vest adds additional resistance and increases the intensity of your workout without needing to change the pace or length of your walk,” she tells Vogue. So more bang for the same buck? I’m listening. “This can help improve cardiovascular fitness as well as muscular endurance,” she continues. “It can also have positive effects on bone density (similar to resistance training), which is especially important as we get older.”

What does it feel like to walk in a weighted vest?

Heavy, obviously. But fairly badass—like you’re Lara Croft, if Lara Croft liked to get her steps in before heading to work. The fact that it’s a vest means the weight is distributed evenly, and it leaves your hands free for, eg, Spotify-shuffling, firing off emails, or taking pictures of trees.

It’s sort of similar to carrying a heavy backpack, but less bulky, and with more comfortable padding. At 5 pounds, mine’s heavy enough to stop me slacking off, but not so heavy I’d be tempted to consider abandoning it mid-walk.

How to choose the right weight of a weighted vest

This will come down to a few factors: your base level of fitness, how much you weigh, and what you’re looking to get out of wearing one. “The general recommendation, as with most resistance training, is to start lighter and gradually build up as your strength and comfort with the vest improves,” explains Haywood. “A good starting point is around five per cent of your body weight.”