OK, so I had planned on writing a comparison article between the Art of Strength’s (AOS) newest kettlebell and Dragondoor’s (DD) kettlebell.  But after thinking about it some more, I realized that the comparison might not be valid, as I only had a 24 kg Russian Red and its dimensions are just a bit different than the black DD kettlebells.

However, I decided to go forward anyways for two reasons:

First, the AOS kettlebell is made in the United States, specifically, Rhode Island.  (Dragondoor recently shifted their kettlebell production to China.)

Second, the AOS kettlebell costs less than the DD kettlebell, by about $20.00 after shipping costs.

So with that in mind, I pre-ordered a 24 kilo kettlebell from AOS and waited several weeks for it to arrive.

I was a little disappointed when the box arrived, as it was torn open and leaking foam packing all over my front porch.  It was certainly a step down from the foam “casings” that are most often used to ship kettlebells.  However, this may be where AOS is shaving a few dollars off the shipping cost.

Nevertheless, I didn’t buy the box I bought the ‘bell.  And let’s just say that I wasn’t disappointed.

The AOS kettlebell is a thing of beauty.  At least the version I got.  Apparently the newer versions have a more painted appearance instead of the clear coat version I was lucky to get.

My initial thoughts were that the AOS kettlebell was the same size as the 24 kilo DD Russian Red kettlebell I have.  After putting my new AOS kettlebell side-by-side with my refurbished Russian Red, you’ll note that they’re very nearly the same size.

The AOS kettlebell has a bit more room in the handle, but overall, they’re nearly the same.

The finish is a slightly rough texture with a matte coating over it and there’s no need to sand down ridges or high spots.  This kettlebell is ready to go straight out of the box.

I’ve been using both kettlebells with the Return of The Kettlebell program, and other than having a good portion of my new DD paintjob chipped off (no marks at all on the Punch ‘bell), I can’t say that there’s that much difference between them.  In fact, I found out recently that the Punch kettlebell design is taken from the very first American-made DD kettlebells, which are highly sought after by those looking for used kettlebells.

So yes, I know this isn’t really a fair comparison as I didn’t test the AOS kettlebell against one of the new DD models.  But with my wallet being a bit thin these days, I didn’t have the luxury of buying a new DD kettlebell to compare the two.

And speaking of thin wallets, I made a quick price comparison of the AOS and Dragondoor 24 kilogram kettlebells.  Here’s how they fared:

AOS:   24kg 88.95 + 32.00 shipping, for $120.95 (Made in USA) AOS Online Store

DD:     24kg 96.95 + 44.50 shipping, for $141.45  (Made in China) Dragondoor Kettlebells

So take this comparison for what it’s worth.  I know there are “Buy American” folks, Dragondoor purists who only purchase DD products, and bargain hunters who will make they’re spending decisions based on the size of their bank account.  For those in the latter category, make sure to keep an eye on ebay and Craigslist, as there are many bargains to be had.  However, if you want a made-in-America kettlebell with the same design of the original American-made DD kettlebells, with a handle that is as close to perfect as you can get, you’ll be happy to know that the Punch kettlebell has improved on the “original”.

Remember, if you don’t drop your kettlebells on hard surfaces or play dodgebell with them, they’ll probably last longer than you.  Practice safe.  Practice hard.

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