Get the best home gym equipment and you'll end up with the best home gym and by extension be able to execute the best home workout. This shouldn't come as a surprise. As everyone scrabbles to avoid weight gain at home, the best home gym equipment is in demand like never before. There is a LOT of equipment to choose from, in theory, and it requires research to know which machines, weights and whatnot are the best. That's why many people give up before even making the first steps.
Even here on T3, we have dozens of home gym buying guides which could take hours to pore over. So to save you from staring at the screen for hours reading them all, we decided to create one, ultimate guide that lists ALL the best home gym equipment, from all categories, giving you the very best and most affordable models in each.
So, a lot of whats in the guides below is currently sold out. For the UK, we have compiled a couple of listswhere we included all the best deals on home weights and cardio machines:
Where to buy weights online: the best kettlebell, dumbbells and resistance training equipment deals
Where to buy treadmills online: the best exercise bike, rowing machine and fitness equipment deals with home delivery
Those are a curated lists, but you can also browse our favourite retailers of the best home gym gear.
Shop home gym at Fitness Superstore (UK)
Shop home gym at Wolverson (UK)
Shop home gym at Amazon (UK)
Shop home gym at Dick's Sporting Goods (USA)
What sort of home gym equipment you should buy first depends on your fitness goals and of course, the available floor space. If your aim is to build muscle and haven't got much space, you'd better get a weights bench and a dumbbell set. Same goal but more space? Get a barbell and a multi gym as well.
If you are into cardio but have limited space and limited budget, you might want to consider getting a foldable indoor rowing machine. Have a bit more space? Get an indoor exercise bike. Got even more money and space and also couldn't care less about the downstairs neighbour? Get a treadmill.
If you are really on the budget and live in a small rented apartment, you can still build a home gym by getting an ab roller, a door pull-up bar and a set of resistance bands. No budget is too short and no home is too small to build the best home gym!
Garage indoor cycling gym, aka pain cave
(Image credit: Wattbike)
Your personal fitness goal will determine what is the best home gym equipment for you. We all have different goals, let it be the need to lose weight fast or to tone up, maybe both. You shouldn't get a pull up bar if your aim is to lose belly fat and no need to invest in a treadmill if you want to build muscle mass.
If you have some money to burn on home gym equipment and your aim is to build functional muscles, get the Assault AirRunner Curve Treadmill. It might be an investment at the beginning, but this wonder-machine can help you lose fat and build muscle too. It has a commercial grade belt and doesn't require any electricity either.
Should you want to build muscle mass at home, get the Bowflex SelectTech 1090 dumbbells. Dumbbells are the single most versatile home weights you can have and with them, you can work out your whole body. The Bowflex SelectTech range is said to provide best-in-class dumbbell workout experience, a pair of them replacing more than 20 dumbbells.
(Image credit: Bowflex)
The best home weights, but cost as much as some fitness machines
Weight spread: 2-22.5kg or 4-41kg
+Space saving design+Feel like regular dumbbells+High quality
-Premium price tag
Modular dumbbells have a lot of advantages over regular, single-weight dumbbells, in a home gym environment. They take up much less space and it is also more convenient to switch between weights. And when it comes to modular dumbbells, nothing compares to the Bowflex SelectTech dumbbells, being one of the most coveted home gym equipment in general.
These beasts from Bowflex pack 2-24 or 4-41kg in each dumbbell, depending on the model you go for, with weight selection as easy as spinning a dial. When paired with a simple weights bench, they offer an effective alternative to a gym floor, yet don't require an entire rack to house.
Read our Bowflex Selecttech review
There are other modular dumbbell brands and models, of course, but Bowflex's SelectTech range wins by offering an experience similar to classic dumbbells and merging this experience with the convenience of the dial switch. the different weights are not colour coded, though, so pay attention which setting the dial is on before you try to lift the dumbbells of the plastic holding tray.
Overall, a great solution for those who like to push on with intensive 'drop set' workouts or for those who are tight on space. In fact, our only real reservation is the price, which will make you sweat before you even try to lift them.
Buy the Bowflex 2-24 Kg SelectTech Dumbbells (Pair) at Fitness Superstore
(Image credit: Mirafit)
Get one pair at the time as you progress
+Rubber coating for less floor impact and noise+Great value for money+Knurled steel grip
-There is no option to buy a range, only in pairs
If you prefer and have space for storing multiple dumbbells, opt in for the Mirafit Rubber Dumbbell Set. You can buy them as you go along and the weight range is pretty good so it will see you through many years of home exercising. You can go from 5 kilo all the the way up to 35 kilo per dumbbell in 2.5 kg increments.
Needless to say, to buy all the different weights would not only take up significant amount of space but it would also cost quite lot, too, so be considerate before you decide to buy another set. It's best to check what weight range you use in a gym most often and get the corresponding weights for your home gym.
The Mirafit Rubber Dumbbell Set as the name suggests has a rubber cover on the plates so they make less sound as you throw them down on the hard floor in the living room (please don't throw weights around). The rubber coating also helps the dumbbells stay in place once they are on the floor. The handles are knurled, making them easier to hold without the weights spinning as you perform your barbell curls. Which is pretty much the only exercise you will do with these weights, let's face it.
Buy the Mirafit Rubber Dumbbell Set at Amazon
(Image credit: TRX)
The best kettlebells you can get
Weight range: 4kg to 28kg
+Top quality+Comfortable handle
-Heavier versions are expensive
Buy TRX Training Gravity Cast Kettlebells at Amazon
Kettlebells are probably almost as versatile as dumbbells and even better, most kettlebell exercises are less stationary, helping you build functional muscles as a result. Just like Bowflex with modular dumbbells, TRX is the household name in the world of kettlebells.
Its premium line of kettlebells are all beautifully finished and each one has been put through a "premium gravity cast moulding process", which is said to increase durability. It also results in that lovely, flat bottom, which makes its easier to rest the kettlebell on the floor when switching hands during an arduous squat push press routine.
The different weights have colour coded handles, making it easier to distinguish them and pick up the correct one, even if the side with numbers on facing away from you. The available weight range is between 4-24 kg, although for anything heavier than 16 kilos, you will have contact TRX directly. Not like a 16 kilo kettlebell is not enough for most two handed kettlebell exercises.
TRX kettlebells are the best we've ever used for full-body workouts
(Image credit: Opti/Argos)
Best cheap kettlebell for beginners
Weight range available: 2kg to 10kg
+Gets the basics right+Bargain price
-Only go up to 10 kg
Buy Opti Kettlebells at Argos
The Opti Kettlebell range manages to offer decent quality for a very reasonable price: the lightest, 2 kilo Opti Vinyl Kettlebell costs as little as 5.99 at Argos. Granted, not many people will be able to have a proper workout using a single 2 kg kettlebell, but still, it can give you an idea just how well priced Opti kettlebells are.
On the downside, the heaviest Opti kettlebell you can get is the 10 kg variety and if you are planning on doing some demanding kettlebell swing sessions, a single 10 kilo kettlebell might not cut it. You can, of course, do more reps with smaller weights and eventually get a 12 or even 16 kg kettlebell if you think you can't possibly do more than a 100 reps with the 10 kg Opti Vinyl Kettelebell.
The Opti Kettlebells are compact and quiet and the different weights have different colours too. Not just the handles, the whole kettlebell has been coated with coloured vinyl, making them striking looking and the handles a bit slippery when your palms are sweaty. For the price, though, we are not complaining.
Two in one: best AND most affordable weight bench for home
Max load: 260kg (incl. user)
Dimensions: 125x55x43 (Flat) to 117cm (Highest Position) cm
Foldable: No
Adjustable: Yes
+Gym-grade equipment for less than a membership+Adjustable
-Cushion on the thin side
Despite the reasonable asking price, the Mirafit Heavy Duty 260kg FID Weight Bench still packs a solid frame, constructed from 7cm x 5cm steel tubing. It also boasts premium extras such as the small wheels at the back and grab handle at the front for easy manoeuvrability around the sofa or the debris on the garage floor.
Working your pecs from all the different angles won't come easier than this. The Mirafit Heavy Duty 260kg FID Weight Bench has six backrest angles and four individual seat angles that allow a great selection of positions from which to perform gun-busting routines.
As versatile as the Mirafit Heavy Duty 260kg FID Weight Bench is, it doesn't come with a weights rack, so unless you add one the bench is more suitable for use with a dumbbells and other one handed weights.
Buy Mirafit Heavy Duty 260kg FID Weight Bench at Amazon
55 different exercises all on one machine
Weight stack: Dual, 160lb (73kg) each
Type of movement: Cable motion/User defined motion
Bench: Optional
+Massive weight stack+Gym-grade home equipment
-Bench is extra 500
Life Fitness G7 Multi Gym is STILL available at Fitness Superstore for 2,995 but they cannot install it for you at this time
The Life Fitness G7 multi-gym is a professional-grade setup for private use, featuring hefty dual weight stacks, fully adjustable twin pulleys and a chin-up bar, making it one of the most all-encompassing system that you can own and giving you the ability to workout almost every conceivable muscle group in the body.
With the Life Fitness G7 multi-gym, you can perform 55 different exercises but you will need definitely need some floor space to house this gargantuan beast of a home gym equipment. It measures over two-metres tall, around two-metres wide and the same depth, which is quite a lot of floor space to take up. It's not cheap either.
In fact, buying a Life Fitness G7 multi-gym will set you back 2500/$2999 and that price doesn't include the optional weight bench, adding that on will cost an extra 500/$500.
However, the US-built contraption is designed and constructed to last for many years and that hefty initial outlay does include free installation, a training DVD with two workout routines, an exercise book with over 60 exercises and a bunch of pulley attachments to ensure you hit every muscle that counts. Also, it removes the need to workout near people. Money well spent, then.
Full upper body workout
Weight stack: Single, 57 kg
Max. capacity (high pulley): 65kg
Max. capacity (low pulley): 145kg
Maximum user weight: 135kg
+Solid build+Integrated preacher pad
-Supports only one type of leg exercise
With a 57kg weight stack and a pulley system that equates to a maximum resistance of 150kg on the leg developer pads, the Weider 8700 home multi-gym offers great bang for the buck and is great for anyone looking to pile on the mass at home.
A chunky construction and comfortable pads make up for the fact that the amount of adjustability on the back pad is limited (no flat press here), but it's still possible to conduct all manner of exercises without the space typically required by free weights and barbells.
The Weider 8700 home multi-gym is best for upper body workouts since there is really only one leg exercise you can do with it: seated leg extensions. Given the low price tag, cutting some corners are to be expected, so we are not all disappointed after all.
Buy the Weider 8700 home multi-gym at Amazon
(Image credit: Garmin)
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Best home gym equipment: all you need to work out at home - T3
