Esther Sedgwick and Cortney Bigelow’s idea for their Seattle-based fitness equipment brand, The Carry, came from a simple frustration: they couldn’t find a weighted vest that worked for them.

“We fell in love with the workout,” Sedgwick explains of the duo’s experience with rucking, which is, in its simplest terms, putting some weight on your back and going for a stroll. “Weighted walking and training made us feel stronger, calmer, and more capable. But every vest we tried came with the same problems: uncomfortable fit, limited adjustability, uneven weight distribution, materials that didn’t hold up, and design choices that felt either overly tactical or, honestly, just not made for women.”

Beyond the products’ physical flaws, Sedgwick and Bigelow felt that the existing brands didn’t speak to women and their reality of juggling careers, motherhood, self-care, and continually changing bodies.

That void in the market sparked the idea of creating something better. The athletic duo, who both have backgrounds in business and branding, soon created their flagship product, the Carry Vest, a modular weighted vest designed specifically for women’s bodies and real life.

“We decided to build what we wished existed,” Bigelow says. “A vest women would actually want to wear, reach for consistently, and grow stronger with over time.”

The vest is created with the female body in mind. Comfort, biomechanics, and real-life case studies are what make The Carry’s version stand apart, recognizing that no two women are built alike.

“We built it to accommodate a wide range of bodies, including larger chests, and to feel stable with evenly distributed weight—no bounce, no constant re-adjusting,” Sedgwick says. “It moves and breathes with you.”

Knowing that women will use the vest for different reasons, the system lets customers scale and customize the load and its placement. The material used to make it is also nontoxic and machine washable.

“The result is a vest that’s simply more likely to be used consistently,” Sedgwick says.

Today, The Carry has built an audience of more than 15,000 across its owned channels, and when the brand announced pre-orders online, 100 vests sold in the first five minutes. With customers in 48 states and Canada, the team is actively looking for opportunities to scale successfully.

Esther Sedgwick (left) and Cortney Bigelow

Photo COURTESY OF THE CARRY

“Watching the momentum build through word of mouth, events, and our growing community has been really exciting,” Bigelow says. “Seeing women show up, try the vest, and move together has been one of the most rewarding parts of building the brand.”

Today, The Carry has moved from pre-orders to orders, with new purchases expected to ship in July and August.  While direct-to-consumer purchasing through the brand’s website is the primary sales method, The Carry is exploring partnership-led expansion with select retail and distribution partners. Sedgwick and Bigelow are also looking at ways to place the product in environments where women can try it on, including in wellness studios, boutique retail spaces, or hospitality spots. The company has also built a loyal community called The Carry Rucking Club, hosting in-person meet-ups around Seattle and other cities where the founders travel. Weighted workout programming is also broadcast across the brand’s online channels, so women can follow from anywhere.

“At the core, we’re riding a shift that’s already happening,” Sedgwick says. “Women prioritizing strength, bone health, and long-term vitality—and finally expecting products designed with the same care and precision the industry has long reserved for men.”