Work out without leaving the house with our pick of the best home gym equipment…
Looking for the best home gym equipment? In the past few years we’ve got used to not going to the gym for our fitness fix. Whether is was because of gym closures over lockdown or cancelling expensive gym memberships during the cost of living crisis, many of us have set ourselves up to work out purely from home. In fact, the decline in gym visits has even seen the rise of companies like Athlo, which enable once regular gym-goers to rent out their memberships.
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And even if you do still structure you training week around regular gym visits, it’s still worth buying equipment to use at home. Having weight training or mobility gear to hand can help you plan regular pre-work sessions or squeeze in ad-hoc workouts between work and family commitments.
What home gym equipment do you need?
Whatever your focus – strength training, CrossFit and cardio or mobility, or keeping in shape for outdoor pursuits such as athletics, cycling or team sports – it pays to have regular access to weights or resistance bands, as well as exercise balls, skipping ropes and exercise mats. Recovery kit like foam rollers and massage guns are useful, too, particularly after heavy sessions.
Of course high-end equipment such as air bikes, exercise bikes, rowers, treadmills and weights benches, traditionally the preserve of high-street gyms, are useful investments and are making their way into more and more homes and garages.
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The key to any effective training routine is regularity, and that means easy access. As long as you tailor your home gym kit to focus on your goals, the only thing that’s stopping you from achieving them is you. Not having time to get to the gym is no longer an excuse. You’re much more accountable for your training with a well kitted-out home gym, and that can only be a good thing.
If you’re looking to enhance your arsenal of home gym equipment, read on to discover our top picks. If you’re working to a tight budget we’ve also picked out the best cheap home gym equipment.
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Our pick of the best home gym equipment
- Resistance bands – Gorilla Bow Travel ($248.99 / £199.99)
- Adjustable dumbbell sets – Primal Strength Personal Series 34kg (£499 – not available in the US)
- Skipping ropes – Crossrope Speed Performance Set ($159 / £149)
- Exercise bikes – Wattbike Atom ($3,399 / £2,399)
- Treadmills – Peloton Tread ($3,495 / £3,345 plus membership)
- Air bikes – Assault Bike Classic (£749 – not available in the US)
- Gym balls – Technogym Wellness Ball Active Sitting ($305 / £230)
- Massage guns – Theragun Elite ($399 / £375)
- Exercise mats – the Lululemon (Big) Mat ($124 / £108)
BEST RESISTANCE BAND
Gorilla Bow Travel
BUY IT NOW:
From $248.99 / £199.99, amazon.co.uk
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Resistance: Up to 350lb (158.8kg) | Colours: Black with coloured bands | Number of bands: 9 or 11 | Features: 3-piece bow / simultaneous band use / carry case
The Gorilla Bow Travel will appeal to those who likes the idea of investing in a system that covers full-body fitness. With two different sets available offering 9 or 11 bands and up to 330lb (149.7kg) or 350lb (158.8kg) or resistance respectively, you can dial in the right intensity for a highly effective workout.
You can load the bow with up to four bands, giving you four resistance strengths to choose from when you use one band at a time. Or you can use multiple bands simultaneously to layer resistance. That means it’s easy to quickly drop the weight when you fatigue – perfect for drop sets.
Roughly 55in (140cm) tall when assembled, the Gorilla Bow is a pretty bulky and imposing fitness band system. In its travel version, though, it detaches into three elements that help it fit easily in a large bag or small suitcase.
Read our full Gorilla Bow Travel review
BEST ADJUSTABLE DUMBBELLS
Primal Strength Personal Series 34kg
BUY IT NOW:
£499, primalstrength.com (not available in the US)
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Weight range: 5kg – 34kg | Increments: 21 | Dimensions: 542 x 216 x 183mm
If you’re looking for the best home gym equipment, a pair of dumbbells is a great place to start. The Primal Strength 34kg adjustable dumbbells are a high-quality, versatile investment for any home gym user. You get a whopping 21 different weights to work with, over nearly a 30kg range. That should satisfy even the most experienced weight trainer.
They’re longer than most adjustable dumbbells, but the slider selection system is simple and intuitive to use and the textured-grip handles stay comfortable throughout long workouts.
Read our full Primal Strength Personal Series 34kg review
BEST SKIPPING ROPE
Crossrope Speed Performance Set
BUY IT NOW:
$159 / £149, crossrope.com
OVERALL: 5/5
Materials: Wire inner, PVC coating | Rope weights: 85g / 170g / 255g | Length: 2.45m / 2.6m / 2.75m / 2.9m | Features: Fast Clip connection system | Included: 30 days free membership using the Crossrope app, lifetime handle warranty
Weighted speed ropes are the best way to take your double-unders to the next level, and Crossrope’s Speed Performance Set gives you three weights to choose from. Swapping between the 3oz, 6oz and 9oz rope between workouts is speedy, too, with its Fast Clip connection system.
The handles rotate well and they’re comfortable to hold, so there’s no hand chafing to worry about. Not many ropes come with a lifetime warranty, and this alone justifies the price tag. There’s a subscription-based app with more than a thousand workouts to inspire you, too.
Read our full Crossrope Speed Performance Set review
BEST EXERCISE BIKE
Wattbike Atom
BUY IT NOW:
$3,399 / £2,399, wattbike.com
OVERALL: 4.5/5
The latest version of the Wattbike Atom has improved what has already become the industry standard for exercise bikes, with an electromagnetic resistance monitor for a quieter and smoother ride, especially when shifting gears. Data points are now read 1,000 times a second (it doesn’t get more real-time than that) with accuracy levels of +/- 1%.
The bike automatically reacts with increased resistance to elevation changes, bringing unparalleled realism to virtual mountain stages. With great connectivity and plenty of custom set-up options, as well as free trails to partner apps including Zwift, Rouvy and Strava, it’s a worthwhile investment for anyone who’s serious about their cycling and a great all-round choice if you’re looking for the best home gym equipment.
BEST TREADMILL
Peloton Tread
BUY IT NOW:
$3,495 / £3,345 (for the treadmill) plus $44 / £39 a month all-access membership / onepeloton.co.uk
OVERALL: 4.5/5
With membership giving you access to thousands of Peloton classes, you’ll never get tired of the Peloton Tread. It has speeds of up to 12.5mph (20kpm) and can replicate gradients up to 12.5%, providing enormous variety to walking, hiking and running exercises – as well as providing yoga or lifting exercises for a thorough all-body workout.
The 23.8in (60cm) HD touchscreen operation is intuitive and features all the on-screen metrics you need. The carbon steel platform will withstand the rigours of regular use, and Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity means it’ll play nicely with any heart rate monitor or other smart kit. If you’re looking for an alternative to gym membership, the Peloton Tread might just be it.
Read our full Peloton Tread review
BEST AIR BIKE
AssaultBike Classic
BUY IT NOW:
£749, assault-fitness.co.uk (international shipping available)
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Frame: High tensile steel | Details: 6-way adjustable seat / 25in (63.5cm) steel fan | Warranty: 5 years frame / 2 years replaceable parts
If you’re looking to invest in some of the best home gym equipment, why not try an air bike? Pro athletes, CrossFitters and regular gym-goers alike test their stamina on this no-nonsense machine, and it’s easy to see why. Now seen as industry standard in both enthusiast and elite fitness spaces, even this cheapest version in the range has everything you need for calorie-torching workouts.
With almost all moving parts available as aftermarket spares, the AssaultBike Classic is a sound investment that’ll provide years of cardio training. Assault Fitness has got all the basics right, with a robust design, good ergonomics, easy-to-access workouts and comfortable and adjustable contact points. It’s also protected by a five-year warrant, for extra peace of mind, and comes in two other versions with upgraded connectivity.
Read our full AssaultBike Classic review
BEST GYM BALL
Technogym Wellness Ball Active Sitting
BUY IT NOW:
$305 / £230, technogym.com
OVERALL: 5/5
Sizes: 55cm | Pump included: No | Weight limit: 353lb (160kg) | Colour: Black
There’s no getting away from that eye-watering price but the Italian-made Techogym Wellness Ball Active Sitting could be your exercise ball for life. It also doubles up as an robust, ergonomic office chair. However, there are cheaper versions with lower specs if you really can’t justify the price.
Sitting on the Wellness Ball involves constant micro-movements, which improves the spine-stabilising action of your abdominal and lumbar muscles. A denser lower half improves stability and ensures it won’t roll away mid-exercise. That’s helped by a removeable multi-layered fabric, which improves support, cushioning and grip and has a handle for easy transportation.
Read our full Technogym Wellness Ball Active Sitting review
BEST MASSAGE GUN
Theragun Elite
BUY IT NOW:
$399 / £375, theragun.com
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Battery life: 120 minutes | Details: Smart app integration with Bluetooth / OLED screen with force meter | Colours: Black / White
If you’re looking to buy the best home gym equipment, you’ll probably be focusing on strength and cardio kit. However, it’s important to also prioritise recovery. The Theragun Elite has a pummelling head with an amplitude of 16mm that gets deep into muscles and sees off knots and tight spots with 40 percussions per second and up to 40lb of force.
With older models it wasn’t easy to know when you were using them right, but this latest generation Elite is a whole lot smarter, with an OLED screen and a force sensor. It also syncs to a smartphone app that tells you if you’re applying the right pressure and serves up real-time move-by-move guides for everything from easing tight hamstrings to unstiffening shoulders.
The new Elite is much, quieter and more customisable than older models, too. It comes with five built-in speeds, but you can also use the app to set the percussions per minute anywhere within the 1750-2400 range.
You get 120-minute massage time on a single charge and just two minutes’ attention to each muscle group can help stifle post-workout soreness.
BEST EXERCISE MAT
The Lululemon (Big) Mat
BUY IT NOW:
$124 / £108, lululemon.co.uk
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Materials: FSC-certified natural rubber | Dimensions: 83.9 x 27.9in (213 x 71cm) | Features: Reversible / antimicrobial additive | Colour: Six multi-coloured designs
The Lululemon (Big) Mat may seem on the pricey side but its FSC-certified rubber construction has such a long-lasting, quality feel that it could easily be your mat for life. Its top layer absorbs moisture and an antimicrobial layer keeps mould, mildew and bad smells at bay. This means it feels shop-fresh each time you use it.
It’s called the (Big) Mat for a reason, as it’s around 10cm wider and a whopping 30cm longer than regular mats. It’s reversible too, so you can swap between smooth and grippy surfaces depending on your workout. The Lululemon is available in six eye-catching marble designs, too.
