Gear Lab
Tested, not sponsored
6 reviews across 4 categories. We buy at retail, measure in the lab, run it into the ground and publish the numbers — including the ones that make a brand look bad.
6
Products bought
at full retail price
1,240
Lab hours
logged in 2024
8,600
Test miles
road, trail & track
42
Panel testers
across four sizes
Filter by discipline
Browse the lab
5.8K owner reviews read
The verdicts
Every product, every score
Brooks
Ghost 17
The most reliable daily trainer we tested. Not the fastest, not the lightest, simply the shoe our panel reached for on the days they did not want to think.
What works
- Superb stability at easy pace
- DNA Loft v3 rides smooth on road and gravel
- Wide fit available
What does not
- Heavy at 289 g
- Midsole packs out around 350 miles
Lab scores
Saucony
Endorphin Speed 5
The tempo shoe we kept reaching for. A nylon plate in a supercritical foam gives you most of a race shoe without the punishment or the price.
What works
- Best energy return per dollar tested
- Holds pace easily at threshold
- Only 224 g
What does not
- Unstable for heavier heel strikers
- Outsole wears quickly on gravel
Lab scores
Nike
Pegasus 42
The workhorse. Two ReactX foam layers, a genuinely comfortable upper, and a price that makes the premium tier look silly for easy mileage.
What works
- Under $120
- Comfortable straight out of the box
- Wide availability in stores
What does not
- Air unit can feel firm in cold weather
- Not exciting at tempo
Lab scores
FORGE Lab
Iron Grip Band Set
Five layered latex bands that survived 400 pull-aparts, 200 face pulls and a winter in a cold garage without a single tear or a permanent stretch.
What works
- Layered latex, not cheap TPE
- Printed resistance ratings that are accurate
- Mesh carry bag included
What does not
- Only five resistance levels
- Door anchor sold separately
Lab scores
Kestrel
Aero Watch X
The most accurate wrist heart rate we have measured in a lab comparison, plus a training-load model that is actually interpretable rather than mystical.
What works
- HR accuracy within 2% of a chest strap
- 14-day battery with daily training
- Sleep staging that matched our EEG rig
What does not
- App is dense for beginners
- No offline maps
Lab scores
Forge Iron
Competition Kettlebell 24 kg
A single 24 kg bell is the most versatile piece of home equipment you can own. This one has a smooth handle that survives chalk and sweat without shredding your hands.
What works
- Single-cast steel, no seams
- 35 mm handle fits most hands
- Flat base sits stable for renegade rows
What does not
- Shipping is expensive
- No rubber base coating
Lab scores
Methodology
How we test
Five steps, no shortcuts. The same protocol runs whether the brand is a household name or a two-person startup.
- 01
We buy everything at retail
No press samples, no seeded units, no affiliate-first picks. Every product is purchased with magazine money from the same shelf you would use, then logged with its order number.
- 02
Bench testing in the FORGE Lab
We measure what marketing will not: durometer readings on midsoles, actual stack height with calipers, weight to the gram, battery drain under continuous GPS, and barbell knurl depth under a profilometer.
- 03
Field testing to destruction
Shoes run a minimum of 200 miles, wearables ride a full training block, and strength kit survives a twelve-week peaking cycle. Anything that fails early gets re-purchased and re-tested to confirm the fault.
- 04
Blinded panel scoring
At least six testers of different sizes, foot shapes and training backgrounds score each product without seeing the brand or price. Those raw scores become the labelled bars on every review card.
- 05
Publish, then re-test
We re-run the three most important tests at the six-month mark. If a score changes materially we update the review and date-stamp the revision rather than quietly deleting the original.
Instruments we use
DurometerCaliperProfilometerMetabolic cartForce platesGPS watch
Side by side
Compare every product
Sorted by category. “Top score” is the highest-scoring label on each review card, not an average — because a single fatal flaw should never be averaged away.
| Product | Category | Price | Rating | Top score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost 17Brooks | Daily Trainer | $150 | 4.8 | Comfort 95 |
| Endorphin Speed 5Saucony | Tempo | $180 | 4.7 | Speed 96 |
| Pegasus 42Nike | Daily Trainer | $110 | 4.5 | Value 97 |
| Iron Grip Band SetFORGE Lab | Strength | $59 | 4.9 | Durability 96 |
| Aero Watch XKestrel | Wearables | $399 | 4.4 | Accuracy 94 |
| Competition Kettlebell 24 kgForge Iron | Strength | $89 | 4.8 | Versatility 98 |
Reviews are re-tested at six months. If a score moves by more than five points we publish a dated revision at the top of the card.
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