I had the previous version of the Kinta Weight Vest, having put a lot of hours into that rig. After upgrading to the K2, I noticed some improvements over the old model immediately. The shoulder strap / velcro combination is excellent compared to the old wire system that the previous vest had. This allowed me to quickly size the height of the vest to my preferences, and after a first hit out with some hill sprints, the straps didn’t budge, and there was minimal bouncing from the vest as I ran. The vest has been shortened in length at the bottom of the plate carrier, which is another huge win. It doesn’t obstruct your lower torso nearly as much, and the plates fit snugly inside the revised front and back panels. Great improvements there. Also love the newly added front pocket, which can fit some smaller smart phones, however it doesn’t fit my S24 inside the velcro. It does allow you to store your phone in there for runs without fear of it bouncing out, as even my phone was snug inside the pocket during my sprints. One thing I am a touch sceptical about, is the new cummerbund system on the side. Love the idea of the zip pockets on either side, but it seems like there should have been an extra inch of elastic on the straps so there was more availability for adjustment. The elastic panels don’t seem to stretch a great deal, and doesn’t seem to offer the same breathability that the old skeletal cummerbund had. This is currently my only concern with the vest as a unit, that this elastic may break its stitching to the Velcro pads on either side. Overall after a first use, 4/5 stars. I’ll upload a second review next year after I’ve used the rig some more.
