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Best Grips for the 2026 | 2027 CrossFit Open
The Open finds the weak link fast. Maybe it is surprise barbell cycling. Maybe it is toes-to-bar after deadlifts. Maybe it is the final two minutes, when your forearms are cooked and every rep depends on whether you can stay on the bar. Your grips are not a fashion pick. They are competition equipment.
Why Open Grips Need To Be Different
You can absolutely use the same grips you train in all year. But when the Open starts, your standard for those grips should go up.
During a normal training week, a torn callus is annoying. During the Open, it can destroy your pacing, force you to break sets early, affect a repeat attempt, and even carry over into the following week's workout.
The bigger challenge is uncertainty. You do not know whether the next test will include pull-ups, chest-to-bar, toes-to-bar, bar muscle-ups, or some unpleasant combination of gymnastics and barbell work.
That means you need enough protection to survive volume without creating so much bulk that your grips become annoying when you transition to dumbbells, a barbell, wall balls, or another movement.
What Makes A Good Open Grip?
1. Secure Contact
Your grips should feel predictable when your hands get sweaty and the workout gets ugly. You do not want the material sliding against the bar every time you open your kip.
Control First2. Smart Coverage
Protect the high-friction portion of the palm without creating a fistful of extra material. Too much bulk can bunch, fold, and create pressure points.
Protect Without Bulk3. Secure Wrist Fit
The wrist closure should stay planted during hard kipping without cutting off circulation, pinching your skin, or forcing constant mid-workout adjustments.
Stay Locked In4. Real Durability
The Open is not one workout. Your grips need to survive practice sessions, Friday Night Lights, possible repeats, and the training that follows.
Built For VolumeGrip Security Comes First
Fresh hands can make almost any grip feel good. Competition grips prove themselves when sweat, chalk, fatigue, and high-volume kipping enter the picture.
Different pull-up bars can also completely change the feel of a grip. Powder-coated rigs, smoother bars, outdoor rigs, humidity, and chalk buildup can all affect friction. A grip that feels aggressive on one bar may feel completely different on another.
That is why you should test your Open setup on the exact bar you expect to use whenever possible. Do not test with five dead-hang pull-ups and call it good. Test kipping pull-ups, chest-to-bar, toes-to-bar, and transitions while fatigued.
What Matters Most Under Open Fatigue
Fit Matters More Than Athletes Think
A grip that moves around your wrist or leaves excessive slack in your palm will shift every time you swing. Under high volume, tiny movement becomes friction. Friction becomes hot spots. Hot spots become torn hands.
Your grip should cover the working area of the palm without folding excessively. Too long can create bunching. Too small can leave important skin exposed.
Always follow the manufacturer's sizing instructions rather than guessing. If you are comparing grip styles, you can also read our guide on fingerless grips vs. finger-hole grips .
Your setup should feel secure enough that once the countdown hits 3...2...1...GO, you stop thinking about your grips entirely.
Match Your Grips To Your Gymnastics Level
Beginner
Prioritize comfort, secure wrist placement, and predictable palm coverage. You still need to feel the bar while learning kipping rhythm and hand position.
Intermediate
Look for versatility. Your grips should handle pull-ups and toes-to-bar while allowing fast transitions back to dumbbells, wall balls, or a barbell.
Advanced
Reliability at speed matters most. Large chest-to-bar sets and bar muscle-ups create aggressive force, so the grip must stay planted and predictable.
Do Not Debut New Grips On Open Day
Brand-new grips may look incredible sitting in your gym bag. That does not mean they belong in your scored workout yet.
You need time to learn how much wrist tension feels right, where the material naturally sits in your palm, and how the grip reacts with the bars at your gym.
Start With Small Sets
Hit controlled sets of pull-ups, toes-to-bar, and the gymnastics movement that usually gives your hands the most trouble.
Practice Your Setup
If you use a folded grip or specific hand position, practice getting into that setup quickly. Open workouts punish wasted transitions.
Test Them Under Fatigue
Put the grips into a conditioning workout. The real test happens when your forearms are pumped, breathing is high, and you still have reps left.
Hand Care Is Part Of Your Grip System
Even the best grips cannot completely save poorly maintained hands. Raised, rough calluses can catch against the bar and tear underneath your grip.
Keep your palms smooth and manage thick callus edges before competition day. Do not aggressively file them down immediately before your attempt. The goal is smooth skin, not tender skin.
Sweat management also matters. Some athletes perform better with chalk. Others find that excessive chalk creates a dry layer that changes how their grip material interacts with the bar.
Test your chalk routine before the Open. Do not completely change your setup because the athlete in the next lane dumped half the chalk bucket onto their hands.
If a hot spot starts developing earlier in the week, deal with it immediately. Protect the skin, adjust your training volume if necessary, and give yourself the best chance to start your scored workout with healthy hands.
Competition-Day Setup
Your Grips Cannot Fix Bad Pacing
Secure grips give you options. They do not give you unlimited forearms.
In a long gymnastics workout, one giant opening set can feel impressive right until you spend the next minute staring at the pull-up bar. Controlled sets with intentional short breaks often beat an opening sprint followed by a complete grip and forearm blowup.
Think about your hands the same way you think about your engine. You want enough protection to stay working, but you still have to manage the workload.
And if the Open workout has no gymnastics or pull-up bar work? Leave the grips in your bag. Competition gear is not about wearing everything you own. It is about using the right tool when the workout earns it.
Where RBST Grips Fit
RBST Gear Co. grips are built around the exact problems Open athletes deal with: maintaining bar contact, protecting the palm, and staying secure when volume and fatigue increase.
Athletes who want a more forgiving, confidence-focused setup may prefer a grip designed for strong control and dependable protection. Athletes attacking larger unbroken sets and higher-level gymnastics may prefer a thinner, more aggressive connection to the bar.
The important part is matching the grip to the athlete instead of simply buying the most aggressive option available.
You can compare more grip options in our Best CrossFit Grips comparison guide .
The Clock Does Not Care About Your Hands
Prepare before the workout. Choose grips you trust, take care of your skin, know your pacing, and make your setup automatic before the countdown begins.
Shop RBST GearCrossFit Open Grip FAQ
Should I wear grips during the CrossFit Open?
If the workout includes high-volume pull-ups, chest-to-bar, toes-to-bar, or bar muscle-ups, grips can help protect the palm and provide more consistent bar contact.
What are the best grips for the CrossFit Open?
The best grip is one that fits your hand correctly, stays secure under fatigue, protects the high-friction area of the palm, and works well with your preferred bar and gymnastics style.
Should I use thick or thin grips?
It depends on your preference and gymnastics level. Thicker grips can offer more material between your palm and the bar, while thinner grips often provide a more direct connection and easier transitions.
Should beginners use grips in the Open?
Yes, beginners can benefit from grips. The priority should be comfortable protection, predictable bar contact, and a secure fit rather than choosing the most aggressive grip available.
Should I break in grips before the Open?
Absolutely. Use them during several training sessions and at least one conditioning workout before relying on them during a scored attempt.
Can grips completely prevent hand tears?
No grip can guarantee that you will never tear. Proper sizing, smart pacing, callus maintenance, sweat management, and good bar technique all play a role.
Should I use chalk with grips?
That depends on the grip material and pull-up bar. Test your preferred chalk amount during training instead of experimenting during your Open attempt.
How tight should my grip wrist straps be?
Secure enough that the grip stays in position but not so tight that you experience numbness, tingling, restricted movement, or discomfort during kipping.
Can I use the same grips for pull-ups and bar muscle-ups?
Yes. Many athletes use one pair for pull-ups, chest-to-bar, toes-to-bar, and bar muscle-ups as long as the grip remains secure across each movement.
Should I use brand-new grips for Friday Night Lights?
Avoid it when possible. Competition day is not the time to discover that the sizing, wrist tension, or bar feel is different from what you expected.
What should I do if my hands start getting hot during the workout?
Adjust your set sizes before the hot spot becomes a tear. Smaller planned sets and short controlled breaks can preserve both grip strength and skin.
Are fingerless grips good for the CrossFit Open?
Yes. Fingerless grips are popular because they allow fast transitions, easy hand placement, and freedom to move between gymnastics and other exercises.
Do I need grips if the Open workout only has a few pull-ups?
Not necessarily. Use the equipment that improves your performance without adding unnecessary transition time or distraction.
How should I prepare my hands before an Open workout?
Keep calluses smooth, avoid aggressive filing immediately before the workout, make sure your grips are dry, and test your chalk and sweat-management setup in advance.
What matters more: grip protection or grip security?
Both matter, but security usually comes first in competition. A heavily padded grip that slides on the bar can cost more reps than a thinner grip that stays predictable.
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