These $17 looped resistance bands add an extra level intensity to your leg workouts - here's what they're like to use

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• I've been working out with Sport2People's Exercise Loop Bands ($29.99), which promise to deliver as much as seven the resistance of a typical band.
• The bands are designed for leg exercises and come in three sizes to cater to different workout intensities.
• I liked them in hip, glutes, and thigh exercises because they offered greater intensity, and I loved the non-slip material, but I'd recommend a set of traditional resistance bands if you're looking for an option that caters more to full-body workouts.
• Find the Insider Picks buying guide to the best resistance bands you can buy here.

Resistance bands are to workouts what the humble screwdriver is to home improvement: understated and unbeatably handy. They add resistance to your movements without dead weight, and the tension makes muscles contract and strengthen over time. In other words, they make workouts more efficient without adding much risk. The more you pull, the greater the tension and the tougher the exercise.

Recently, Sport2People - a brand on Amazon that makes popular resistance bands and a patented running belt - sent a set of resistance bands for Insider Picks to test out.

The Sport2People Exercise Loop Bands ($29.99 for a three-piece set) are designed to deliver up to seven times more resistance than traditional resistance bands. They're built specifically for glutes, hips, and leg exercises, and they're made with a non-slip layer to keep the bands from rolling, snapping, or stretching out. For added customization, they come in three sizes: the large is 17 inches and under-100 pounds of resistance, the medium is 14 inches and has 100-200 pounds of resistance, and the small is 12 inches and has over 200 pounds of resistance.

Why people love resistance bands:

Resistance bands are a great exercise tool for a lot of reasons, but everything comes back to their convenience. They're cheap, versatile, and accessible. Both an amateur and professional can use them for a great workout, meaning there's no real learning curve or opportunity to "outgrow" them in the future. You can work out at home since they require very little space to use, which means you can skip a gym membership and still torch calories.

I also find that they're easier on my body, and this is a general sentiment I think a lot of people share. The motions are inherently more natural than lifting, and the exercises don't require the dead weight of kettlebells and other weights that can contribute to a higher risk of injury.

My experience using the new Sport2People Exercise Loop Band:

The biggest perks to the Sport2People Exercise Loop Bands are the material and intensity. The no-slip construction doesn't dig into or irritate the skin, and it prevents the bands from twisting and rolling down. Simply put, they're comfortable.

In terms of intensity, they made my leg workouts much harder - I could do fewer reps, and felt sorer the next day than average. Using the smallest band on my upper thighs felt similar to the pressure created by a comfortable setting on the thigh abductor machine in a gym. As I and other team members noticed while testing, it was an especially powerful addition to squats, lunges, hip thrusts, and bridge exercises. I even used the middle and smallest band (most intensity) under my desk during the workday. (The largest band with the lowest intensity was too wide).

Some cons to consider are that, while the varying lengths for different intensities is a good idea in theory, you may not want to switch out bands every time you move to a new exercise. I also found the bands too wide for me to do lateral band walks (basically crab-walking) effectively and needed either the medium or smallest band for hip bridge pulses. However, the trade-off is that they do offer much more intense resistance in the exercises they work for - and $17 isn't a huge investment if you're considering picking up these and a traditional pack for ankle and arm exercises.

If you're here looking for a resistance tool that can target multiple parts of the body easily, you'd be better served by a multi-pack of stretchy resistance bands (this set is our first overall pick in our Insider Picks Buying Guide). These are specifically made to target your legs. If you're looking for something to maximize hip, glute, and thigh workouts with up to 200 pounds of push-back, then you may really like them.

The bottom line:

The Sport2People Exercise Loop Bands are a solid tool for getting more bang for your buck out of resistance bands in leg workouts. If you want to maximize your glute, thigh, and hip workouts, you should consider them. The non-slip material is also a big bonus. However, they are only made for leg workouts, and they won't be as versatile as regular resistance bands. If you only want to buy one pair, and you want a full body workout, you should opt for a multi-pack of stretchy resistance bands instead.

Sport2People Exercise Loop Band, available on Amazon in three sizes, from $16.99

Sport2People Exercise Loop Band Set, 3-Piece, available on Amazon, $29.99