The Best Home Gym Equipment

Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about The Best Home Gym Equipment and hope the blog can help you.

More popular than ever, working out at home is a convenient and affordable alternative when you can’t make it to the gym.

To avoid paying a monthly membership fee, consider creating a workout space in your home. With little cost after the initial investment in your home workout equipment, you’ll be able to eliminate that monthly expenditure from your list of bills.

Working out from home can save you not only money but time, too. The convenience of waking up and walking downstairs to exercise is a major perk. The only drawback is you won’t be able to find an excuse to skip a workout once you outfit your home gym.

Keep reading to learn about what to consider when selecting some of the best home gym equipment, how to set it up properly, and to learn more about our top recommendations:

1. BEST OVERALL: Bowflex Xceed Home Gym
2. BEST BUDGET: Synergee Dual Sided Use Core Sliders
3. BEST TREADMILL: NordicTrack T Series Treadmill (6.5S)
4. BEST STATIONARY BIKE: Exerpeutic Folding Recumbent Bike
5. BEST DUMBELLS: ATIVAFIT Adjustable Dumbbell
6. BEST RESISTANCE BANDS: Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands
7. BEST TRAINING STRAPS: TRX GO Suspension Training
8. BEST JUMP ROPE: Sonic Boom M2 High Speed Jump Rope
9. BEST PULL UP BAR: Garren Fitness Maximiza Pull Up Bar

What to Consider When Choosing the Best Home Gym Equipment

One way to create a home gym is to start small and build it out over time. Fitness enthusiasts can still get a great workout with very little equipment. If you’re not ready to invest in a multi-use or cardio machine, consider streaming online exercises and using free weights, training straps, or resistance bands. From big to small and splurges to steals, you’ll want to keep in mind the following factors when shopping for and using the best home gym equipment:

Type

Home gym equipment spans a wide range of products, from simple free weights to robust full-body fitness machines. It’s advantageous to have a few types of equipment for a good workout as well as to mix up your fitness routine. Common types of home gym equipment include:

• Treadmill: Made for walking, jogging, and running indoors, a treadmill is a home gym staple for cardio workouts.
• Elliptical: Ellipticals are an excellent low-impact cardio machine that is easier on your joints than running on the treadmill while offering a full-body workout.
• Stationary bike: Strengthen your legs with a stationary bike, which will provide low-impact cardio and engage your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves.
• Stair climber: A stair climber mimics climbing a flight (or endless flights) of stairs to improve cardio, core, and lower-body fitness.
  Rowing machine: It might not look like it at first, but a rowing machine provides a full-body workout and is suitable for all fitness levels.
• Dumbbells: Dumbbells are a versatile must-have in most home gyms. These free weights can be used for a range of exercises, from bicep curls to weighted lunges.
• Barbells: With a middle bar and a weight on each end, barbells are a popular piece of equipment for compound lift exercises that require a higher weight than dumbbells.
• Kettlebells: Their large spherical weight and top handle make kettlebells an excellent weight type for functional movements that involve swinging or explosive movements.
• Exercise or yoga mat: Some type of exercise mat is an essential piece of home workout gear, giving you a soft and secure nonslip surface for stretching, yoga, weight lifting, and more. Exercise mats tend to be thicker, while yoga mats tend to be thinner and feature a nonslip surface for holding yoga poses.

Available Space 

The best home gyms aren’t necessarily packed with equipment—instead, they make great use of the available space. Get creative when thinking about where it might fit; consider giving a second life to an unused garage or an unfinished basement. If your only space is the corner of your bedroom, you still have options—you may just have to get a little more inventive.

There are equipment choices for mostly every size space, but plan accordingly. According to the American Council on Exercise, a multistation gym needs 50 to 200 square feet, treadmills necessitate about 30 square feet, and free weights require 20 to 50 square feet of space for proper use.

In a more compact area, focus on smaller equipment like weights and bands, and choose machines that will fold up or tuck away easily. You might also consider spending a bit more on one of the best full-body workout machine options to maximize your use of the small space. For larger spaces, consider multiuse or cardio machines that will offer a real gym experience. See below for more on how to properly set up your home gym.

Safety 

When shopping for home fitness equipment, take note of each item’s safety features. For instance, treadmills will usually include an emergency shut-off key that you can clip to your clothing. This way, if you should fall, it automatically turns off the machine.

For weights and other handheld equipment, a textured safety grip will help prevent slipping. With doorway equipment, the mounting hardware should be heavy-duty and able to hold plenty of weight. When anchoring straps, look for ones that lock when looped to prevent them from slipping off, and make sure those bands and straps are sturdy enough to avoid snapping or tearing.

Intense routines will make you sweat, so it’s important to have proper ventilation, ideally with air conditioning. A ceiling fan can help with air circulation.

Accessories

If you want to set up an all-in-one home gym that replicates the fitness club experience, you have an endless choice of workout accessories available. Consider your needs and desires when shopping for smaller items. Here, think again about your local gym, where you may find towels to wipe sweat as your workout heats up, a good water bottle to help you stay hydrated, and mats to offer padding for stretching and other floor activities.

As you consider what to buy beyond the basic home gym essentials, keep in mind accessories that will amp up your workout. These include resistance bands, stability balls, medicine balls, kettlebells, jump ropes, and foam rollers. These items are also worth considering if you have limited space, as they can easily be stored away.

And don’t forget your technology, like music players and other items for entertainment while working out, as well as pedometers and heart rate monitors to track your stats.

Our Top Picks

Whether you’re shopping for larger exercise machines or just the essential workout equipment for home use, this guide showcases some of the best home exercise equipment for most budgets and setups.

Best Overall

Bowflex Xceed Home Gym

Unique to Bowflex, the company’s Power Rod system features a resistance of up to 210 pounds, with the option to upgrade to 310 or 410 pounds. Top and chest-level pulleys and a lat bar provide tools for an upper-body workout. A seated leg press featuring detachable upholstered roller cushions and a squat bar accommodate leg and lower-body exercises. The quick-release seat is adjustable with a thick polyurethane high-density foam cushion, and the handles feature rubberized grips for comfort and safety.

Overall, the Bowflex is the ideal home gym machine for a versatile, powerful workout that suits almost any space. With a fairly compact footprint, the Xceed measures 53 inches long by 49 inches wide and 82 inches high. Though this home gym is an investment, it still comes in at a lower price than many competitors.

Product Specs

• Best for: Strength training
• Weight Range: 5 to 210 pounds
• Dimensions: 53 by 49 by 82 inches

Pros

• Accommodates over 65 exercises
• Suitable for a full-body strength-training workout
• Wide weight resistance range of 5 to 210 pounds (upgradeable to up to 410 pounds)

Cons

• May require several adjustments when switching between exercises

Get the Boxflex Xceed home gym equipment on Amazon.

Best Budget

Synergee Dual Sided Use Core Sliders

Looking for some at-home gym equipment that doesn’t break the bank (or your back)? Sliders are a compact gym accessory used to amp up exercises like lunges, planks, and bridges by adding balance and stability challenges that force you to engage your core muscles. Each disk is 7 inches in diameter and is accompanied by a manual featuring five different exercises to try with them.

The sliders include two sides for different surfaces—a foam side for hard, smooth surfaces like hardwood floors and a plastic side for softer surfaces, like carpet or turf. For safety, start slow as you get used to the feel of your sliders underfoot.

Product Specs

• Best for: Strength training
• Weight Range: Body weight
• Dimensions: 7 by 7 by 0.5 inches each

Pros

• Safe for hard and soft flooring
• Affordable
• Easy to store

Cons

• Slippery surface means new users need to be careful to avoid injury

Get the Synergee core sliders on Amazon and at Walmart.

Best Treadmill

NordicTrack T Series Treadmill

The treadmill is a staple in any lineup of the best gym equipment for home gyms. Well suited for those looking for a cardio challenge, this NordicTrack treadmill comes with a 1-month trial period with the iFit app, which includes thousands of at-home workouts that can be streamed to your device and synced with your machine. If you choose the app’s personal coaching option, a trainer can control your treadmill to match the duration, speed, and incline of your workout. A safety key allows for a quick shutoff in case of a fall or other emergency.

One-touch controls eliminate scrolling by, allowing you to tap a number for easy adjustment of speed and incline. If space is of concern, an easy lift assist allows you to fold the base upright when not in use. When lifted, the machine measures 38 inches long by 36 inches wide and 54 inches high.

Product Specs

• Best for: Cardio
• Control Range: 0 to 10 percent incline control, 0 to 10 miles per hour speed control
• Dimensions: 73 by 35.8 by 67.5 inches

Pros

• Space-saving fold-up design for storage
• 1-touch controls
• Includes 30-day iFIT membership

Cons

• Unclear process to bypass iFIT subscription prompts for those who prefer to opt out

Get the NordicTrack T Series treadmill on Amazon and at Walmart.

Best Stationary Bike

Exerpeutic Folding Recumbent Bike

Featuring a semi-recumbent (or slightly reclined) design, this option includes comfort and safety features such as a large seat cushion and backrest and an easy mount and dismount experience. A precision-balanced flywheel—the weighted metal disk in place of a wheel—also facilitates a smooth and safe ride. If you’re focused on improving heart health, hand-pulse sensors on the handlebars can help target your heart rate zone.

Find your desired difficulty with an eight-level magnetic tension control system and track distance ridden, calories burned, time, speed, and pulse on an LCD (liquid crystal display). The Exerpeutic 400 XL has a 300-pound weight capacity.

Product Specs

• Best for: Cardio
• Control Range: 8 levels
• Dimensions: 20 by 17 by 54 inches

Pros

• Comfortable and beginner-friendly
• Affordable
• Foldable design

Cons

• Not great for those over 6 feet tall

Get the Exerpeutic recumbent bike on Amazon and at Walmart.

Best Dumbbells

ATIVAFIT Adjustable Dumbbell

Instead of a set of dumbbells, this option allows the user to change weights by using a push and slide mechanism. For safety, the company warns not to adjust the dumbbell weight unless it is securely housed in the tray provided. For comfort, while lifting, the handle is contoured with a soft textured grip.

If you like to work out with a weight in each hand, order two of these. This adjustable dumbbell sells at a higher price point than others, but its compact design will save plenty of storage space when compared to other weight sets.

Product Specs

• Best for: Strength training
• Weight Range: 5.5 to 27.5 pounds
• Dimensions: 13.39 by 7.87 by 5.91 inches each

Pros

• Adjustable weight
• Straightforward weight plate changing process
• Comfortable handle

Cons

• Pricier than basic dumbbells

Get the ATIVAFIT adjustable dumbells on Amazon.

Best Resistance Bands

Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands

Resistance bands are a home gym favorite; they’re compact, versatile, and budget-friendly. These five bands from Fit Simplify are ideal for complete beginners up to expert workout enthusiasts. The set includes a storage bag and an instruction guide for even more bang for your buck.

Made of natural tear-resistant latex, the five resistance bands have increasing resistance levels and can offer a full-body workout at an affordable cost. Each measures 12 inches by 2 inches for comfortable use. Since each band is a loop, it eliminates the need to knot the resistance band. Resistance levels range from extra-light to extra-heavy, so you can use the bands for a range of activities, including light stretching, physiotherapy exercises, or to boost a high-intensity workout.

Product Specs

• Best for: Strength training, flexibility
• Weight Range: 5 resistance levels
• Dimensions: 12 by 2 inches each

Pros

• Tear-resistant latex material
• Affordable
• Versatile and easy to store (storage bag included)

Cons

• Not suitable for those with latex allergies

Get the Fit Simplify resistance bands on Amazon and at Walmart.

Best Training Straps

TRX GO Suspension Training

Unlike resistance bands, which target specific areas, suspension training will help you exercise large muscle groups. These bands can be anchored to a door, a rafter, a beam, a tree, a pole, or a post at a single anchor point with one of the two anchoring solutions (included). A locking loop provides an added safety feature to prevent slipping after you secure the strap around your anchor point.

Integrated handles and foot cradles aim at providing a comfortable workout for both standing and floor-based exercises. For those new to suspension training, the set includes a 35-page workout guide, a poster with posture suggestions, and 6 months free to the TRX app that offers over 1,000 workouts. Because it weighs only 1 pound, you can take it with you or easily store it away after your exercises.

Product Specs

• Best for: Strength training
• Weight Range: Body weight
• Dimensions: 50 by 1.97 by 0.1 inches (adjustable length)

Pros

• Very lightweight and portable
• Locking loop prevents slipping
• Comfortable handles and foot cradles

Cons

• To increase portability, straps have a thinner design than other TRX products

Get the TRX GO home gym equipment on Amazon.

Best Jump Rope

Sonic Boom M2 High Speed Jump Rope

Another option for small spaces, this jump rope can be used for a great warm-up or a full workout. The ball-bearing system offers a 360-degree rotation, while the polymer-coated cables provide speed and durability. The price is higher than some, but this version includes features made for fitness enthusiasts (not the neighborhood kids).

A patent-pending, self-locking, screw-free design allows you to adjust the cable’s length to suit your needs, with any excess stored inside the handles. No-slip silicone grips aim at providing comfort and slip-free safety.

Product Specs

• Best for: Cardio
• Weight Range: Body weight
• Dimensions: 10-foot length

Pros

• Affordable
• Adjustable length
• Screw-free design
• Ball-bearing system for smooth 360-degree rotation

Cons

• Prone to kinking

Get the Sonic Boom jump rope on Amazon and at Walmart.

Best Pull Up Bar

Garren Fitness Maximiza Pull Up Bar

For an upper-body workout without weights, this pull-up bar is an affordable, compact alternative. The bar has nonslip extra-long foam grips that are aimed at comfort while carrying out exer