Richmond, Victoria, Australia
The vision for Evolve Grips was to design an ergonomic thick grip that would fit comfortably against a user’s palms, ensuring that their hands and wrists are correctly aligned when lifting weights. They provide all the benefits of conventional thick grips, such as increased muscle activation and grip strength; however the patented ergonomic design also improves a user’s form in weight training, preventing wrist strain and associated injuries.
Ergonomic Gym Grips by Evolve Grips, won a 2025 Good Design Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design, and Urban Studies.
The fundamental obstacle in creating a truly ergonomic grip lies in the vast diversity of hand shapes and sizes. Another challenge was to develop a material and textural surface that would provide optimal density, comfort and grip.
The design process began with analysing male and female hand anatomy, and understanding their movements. This involved identifying pressure points on the palms and fingers, to engineer a grip that provides support where it’s most needed.
In developing our proprietary silicone compound, we considered characteristics such as tactile feel, coefficient of friction, compression set and optical properties, to achieve optimal density and durability.
The unique textured surface features hemispherical dimples to maximise frictional force, and undulating curves to reduce rotational force, with each textural element positioned for ultimate comfort and grip.
During the design process, it was essential for the final product to be both ergonomic and visually appealing. The grips needed to adequately support the palmar region of the hand during lifting, but without unnecessary weight and visual bulk.
From a design perspective, Evolve Grips uncovers an emerging design paradigm that integrates measurement and form-finding into a unified and iterative prototyping process. The traditional one-size-fits-all approach proved inadequate for catering to a diverse spectrum of individual sizes. By employing both Parametric and Generative computational methods, we explored and converged upon specific manifolds within the topological space, allowing for a design that accommodates the unique dimensions and needs of each user.
The grip surface’s natural curvature coupled with our laissez-faire approach to freedom and play, was critical in ensuring stability under load conditions where the joints and muscles are most vulnerable. The result is an adaptive, deformable grip that is compatible across various scales and dimensions, harmoniously integrating the user’s abilities and intentions.
As a product, Evolve Grips marks an ergonomic innovation in weight training, challenging the design of fitness equipment. Standard cylindrical dumbbell and barbell handles fail to optimise user form during lifting, leading to poor hand alignment and insufficient wrist support. Our patented ergonomic design molds to the user’s hands, improving form and alignment.
A common issue with conventional thick grips is they can be difficult to pry open. Evolve Grips feature rounded edges at the opening, facilitating easier placement and removal. The beveled rims on the sides of the grips enhance their versatility, making them compatible with a wider range of dumbbells, EZ bars, and equipment handles.
The impact to end-users of incorporating Evolve Grips into their weight training workouts is significant and immediate. Their ergonomic design instantly improves form, ensuring that hands and wrists are correctly aligned when holding weights, thus reducing wrist strain and associated injuries.
Being constructed from a highly durable material, Evolve Grips are designed for longevity and will not wear out or need replacing, minimising the negative impacts on the environment from excessive landfill waste.
Designers: Jason Tan, Evolve Grips and Daniel Dobrogorsky, SOS Product Design, Evolve Grips
Manufacturer: Evolve Grips
