I Tried These Halle Berry-Approved Fitness Tools & They’re Now Staples In My Routine

Halle Berry is well known for her love of fitness, and she’s turned that into a full-blown brand with her digital content and commerce platform, rē•spin. The site now offers a wealth of tips on health and nutrition, as well as workouts and fitness advice, but the actor and entrepreneur didn’t stop there when putting together its offerings. To complement the content, rē•spin also offers a full fitness collection — and given Berry’s passion for the category, I was intrigued enough to put the line to the test.

I got the chance to do that when the brand sent me a small selection of its tools, which ranged from items such as ankle weights to a simple foam roller. Over the following weeks, I added each one into my various workouts to compare them to pieces I already had in my arsenal, and to try some things I’d never used before.

Though I wasn’t really sure what to expect at the outset — much of the rē•spin equipment appeared pretty basic at first glance, while some of it just seemed downright odd — I was pleasantly surprised by my experience overall. In fact, most of these products have become a regular part of my daily workout routine, allowing me to say goodbye to some equipment I was previously using that I just didn’t love. Here, my full review.

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rē•spin Fitness Collection Review: Yoga Blocks

I don’t practice a ton of yoga, but when I do, I find that I always need yoga blocks. That said, I’m not a fan of most cork versions — the texture is vaguely unsettling to me, and they’re often uncomfortably heavy, which can make moving them around while in compromising positions a bit tricky. So when I tried these, I was thrilled; rē•spin’s blocks are smooth and extremely light, making them enjoyable to use during any workout. I’ve even seen Berry use them as touch points between sprints, which I fully plan to try soon.

rē•spin Fitness Collection Review: Ankle Weights

I actually own quite a few ankle and wrist weights, so I was doubtful as to what additional benefits I’d get from these. I was pleasantly surprised. First, because they’re two pounds, which I actually found to be the perfect in-between weight for ankles — one pound is way too light, and three is just torture. These are also a lot more comfortable and easier to put on than most I’ve tried, which is especially nice when I’m trying to hurriedly attach them in between moves. (Plus, at $14, they’re a steal.)

rē•spin Fitness Collection Review: Booty Bands

After using those plastic, uncomfortable bands for years, I was excited to replace them with rē•spin’s Booty Bands. Again, these didn’t disappoint. My favorite part is that they’re thick and made of a soft, stretchy fabric, so they haven’t once rolled up while in use and they never hurt my bare legs. (Yes, you can actually use these bands with your biker shorts and not end up with pinched skin.) My only qualm was that they have a different kind of “give” than plastic versions, so I couldn’t, say, do a sumo squat in one without feeling like it was going to break.

rē•spin Fitness Collection Review: Full-Body Resistance Loop

I was initially unsure how to use this, so to make sure I did it correctly, I watched this rē•spin workout with trainer Rocky Horsford. In the end, I loved it — and to my surprise, it ended up being a lot different than a regular band. Due to its material, it provides way more resistance than average. It’s also versatile; if you watch the video, you’ll see how many unique ways you can put it to use. My only complaint is that it’s so thick and rubbery, it sometimes hurts my hands if I pull too hard. (Though that could easily be solved with some workout gloves, I’m sure.)

rē•spin Fitness Collection Review: Foam Roller

I’ve been using a pressure-point roller with the 3-D massage zones for a while now, so I was excited to test a different style. To be completely honest, I didn’t fall in love with this one, but I think that just comes down to personal preference: I like something with more texture that’s not quite as hard. Plus, for $33 (a pretty average price for foam rollers of this size), I would have loved to see a more exciting design on the product itself — many others on the market at this price had a cute pattern or more modern colors, in my opinion.

rē•spin Fitness Collection Review: Weighted Jump Rope

OK, so I’m not a jump-rope person. That said, I wanted to use at least one rē•spin item in my cardio workouts, and since Berry is such a huge fan, I thought I’d try this. My favorite part was the material on the handles — it’s soft and spongy, unlike most I’ve tried that are plastic and end up sweaty and slick. I also love the weights in the handles; that made a workout I find boring and easy a little tougher. (Bonus: They’re removable if your arms start to ache.) While this won’t convince me to start jumping rope every day, I have started using it as a warm-up for my routines.