Tired of spending a hefty chunk of change on your commercial gym membership? Struggling to find time to commute to your center, only to find your favorite machines already occupied by other gym-goers? A dedicated home gym can be excellent for making your fitness journey more efficient and enjoyable, and there are plenty of pieces to choose from when making a shopping list of the best home gym equipment. From the best home gym machines to squat racks, weight plates, jump ropes, and more, there’s no shortage of gear in today’s home gym landscape.
With so many fitness disciplines to choose from, though, and an equal amount of supporting at-home machines, gear, and accessories, it can be difficult to know just where to start when building out your personal workout wonderland. So, our team of experts have run the gambit on home gym essentials, testing hundreds of products across varying training methods and categories. Here are our picks for the top-performing home gym equipment available today.
Our Home Gym Essentials
Squat Rack
If you’re looking to bring your strength training interests home, a high-quality squat rack can be a great starting point. These rigs can support your bench press, squats, and deadlift sessions, and many come with add-ons that facilitate exercises like pull-ups, dips, and more.
After testing more than a dozen top-tier squat racks, we recommend the REP-Fitness PR-5000 Power Rack. One of the best squat racks we’ve tried, this unit is plenty versatile, minimizing the need to buy much extra equipment — a huge, money-saving bonus. It also allows plenty of room for growth. You can progress your exercises, increase the load you’re lifting, or increase your workout frequency.
This rack features 11-gauge steel uprights that can hold up to 1,000 pounds. It can also be completely customized with two different height options, three options for the depth, your choice of 13 attachments, and even the color scheme.
Read our full REP Fitness PR-5000 Power Rack Review.
Weight Bench
Like a squat rack, weight benches can be a versatile piece of home gym equipment worth considering for your setup. Our favorite weight bench is the REP AB-4100 Adjustable Weight Bench, after testing dozens of other products. Not only can this unit allow you to perform bench presses with your squat rack but there are plenty of ways benches can stand alone.
The best weight benches are not only versatile but relatively easy to set up. They typically don’t take up a ton of space and they usually have wheels for easy portability. There are plenty of price points for weight benches, too, so you’re sure to find one that falls within your budget.
This REP Fitness adjustable bench has seven backrest positions and three seat positions, so there are plenty of angle options. This bench also has wheels and a handle for easy movement around your home.
Rowing Machine
Looking for a full-body workout that’s low impact but still plenty engaging? Rowing can be a worthwhile alternative to other cardio disciplines, putting less pressure on your joints, while giving your heart the workout it deserves. After rowing on multiple units from different brands, our testers liked the Hydrow Rower.
The best rowing machines typically come with some type of screen or console, allowing you to track your workout progress and key metrics. Some higher-end units even allow you to stream workout classes or programs.
This luxury rower is equipped with a 22-inch touchscreen display and offers automatic adjustments to the resistance based on your rowing efforts.
Read our full Hydrow Wave Review.
Treadmill
Your home gym doesn’t need to be a palace of brawn and muscle — there’s plenty of room for some cardio training, too. When thinking of cardio equipment to add to your at-home setup, odds are that a treadmill is the first product that comes to mind — and for good reason. After running, walking, and climbing plenty of treadmills over the years, our testers favored the NordicTrack Commercial 1750.
The best treadmills offer plenty of versatility, allowing you to walk, run, jog, or hike. There’s a setting that suitable for nearly all fitness levels. Plus, treadmills tend to have wide decks and higher weight capacities, making it available to more bodies.
The NordicTrack Commercial 1750 is made for the tech-loving runner. This high-tech treadmill features a touchscreen monitor that can tilt and rotate, and offers automatic incline, decline, and speed adjustments based on the workout you choose.
Read our full NordicTrack Commercial 1750 Review.
Adjustable Dumbbells
With free weights, dumbbells are typically one of the first things thought of. Like kettlebells, though, having an abundance of weights can quickly consume all your available space. Thankfully, adjustable dumbbells have become heavy hitters in terms of home gym trends. If you’re wanting to try a pair, we recommend the SMRTFT NUOBELL Adjustable Dumbbell.
With just one pair of the best adjustable dumbbells, you can replace a large number of weight pairs, making adjustable dumbbells ideal for a versatile, at-home training setting. Considering they replace so many dumbbell pairs, adjustable dumbbells typically save you some money, too.
This Swedish-designed “smart” dumbbell adjusts from 5 pounds up to 80 pounds — all you have to do is twist the handlebar. Its sleek, modern design will make a great addition to any home gym.
Read our full SMRTFT NÜOBELL Adjustable Dumbbell Review.
Adjustable Kettlebell
With their oblong shape, kettlebells can be a great tool for challenging your muscles and improving your cardiorespiratory health. (2) Having a variety of kettlebells in your home gym, though, can quickly consume your available space. Adjustable kettlebells eliminate such headaches with an all-in-one silhouette, packing dozens of different weight totals in one sleek, compact profile.
Our testers named the REP Fitness 24kg Adjustable Kettlebell as our best adjustable kettlebell overall after plenty of testing.
The best adjustable kettlebells not only save space but also help keep your wallet happy, as they’re more cost-effective than buying dozens of individual weights. Given that they go so high up in weight, adjustable kettlebells also leave you room to grow as you progress.
These competition-style adjustable kettlebells are made from cast iron and feature a powder coat. With three buying options available, there is an increased chance you can find an option that meets your requirements.
Read our full REP Fitness Adjustable Kettlebell Review.
Weight Plates
You’ll need some extra iron to go along with your setup in your efforts to achieve progressive overload. While there’s a definite debate pitting bumper plates and iron plates against one another, you’ll want to consider weight plates in general to make some serious strength gain. Different weight plates work for different folks but after testing a number of products, we liked the REP Fitness Black Bumper Plates most.
If you’re an athlete looking to improve your squat, deadlift, and bench press or just want to gain total-body strength, we recommend investing in some of the best weight plates. There are plenty of plate options on the market, too, whether you’re wanting standard cast-iron plates or bumpers.
These durable black bumper plates have steel inserts and low-bounce virgin rubber that may help reduce noise when dropped. They're ideal for traditional lifts, cross-training, and even Olympic Lifts.
Read our full REP Bumper Plates Review.
Resistance Bands
When building out your dream home gym, you shouldn’t forget about the little things. The best resistance bands, for example, can be handy accessories to have at the ready when looking for an efficient pre-workout stretch or on days where free weights are a little more laborious than you’d prefer.
For most purposes, exercise or warm-up, we recommend the Titan Fitness Loop Resistance Bands.
“They’re small and lightweight, so keeping the bands permanently in my climbing bag isn’t a pain at all,” our tester says. Resistance bands are also budget-friendly and take up practically no space at all.
This set comes with four pairs of heavy-duty resistance bands ranging in resistance from 15 pounds up to a whopping 120 pounds, making them ideal for everything from mobility work to assisted pullups.
[Related: Best Resistance Bands for Glutes of 2024]
Exercise Bike
Indoor cycling can also be an effective form of low-impact training, according to studies. (3) Now, there are plenty of stationary bikes to choose from for these needs, including cycling-style bikes, air bikes, and recumbent varieties.
For those looking to try an exercise bike, our team of testers recommend the NordicTrack Commercial S22i.
The best exercise bikes are great for just about any athlete but we definitely recommend them for folks who may have joint sensitivity or knee issues (with the approval of a doctor or medical professional, that is). Exercise bikes are lower impact than running, making them better suited to a larger variety of athletes.
The NordicTrack Commercial S22i is high-tech and high quality, featuring both advancements like a 22” touchscreen display, and solid specs like 24 levels of quiet magnetic resistance.
Read our full NordicTrack Commercial S22i Review.
Barbell
A barbell can also be a great addition to your home gym setup, as it allows for a variety of movements and weight training disciplines you can partake in. You can find a bar that caters to a specific strength sport like powerlifting or Olympic weightlifting, or you can find a versatile, multipurpose option. Our team of athletes and personal trainers has tested dozens of barbells and we recommend the REP Fitness Colorado Bar.
The best barbells enable you to gain total-body strength through compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, or chest presses. They also offer plenty room for growth, as you can easily add more weight plates to make exercises more challenging.
The REP Fitness Colorado Bar is designed for all-around use, thanks to its high weight rating and multiple coating and knurling options. For Olympic weightlifters, the composite bushings provide a smooth collar spin with just a touch of friction.
Read our full REP Fitness Colorado Bar Review.
Jump Rope
Sometimes, you just can’t beat the classics. Jumping rope can be a great full-body workout that also helps improve your coordination, endurance, and balance. (4) The best jump ropes offer intuitive rotations, comfortable grips, and a good blend of speed and efficiency with each turnover.
Jump ropes are both budget-friendly and easily portable. You can toss your jump rope into a gym bag or backpack and they don’t add much weight at all. They also don’t require a ton of space to use. After hop, skip, and jumping with plenty of jump ropes, our testers recommend you try the REP Fitness Speed Cable Jump Rope.
With lightweight handles, this rope helps provide more control for beginners. The cable can be adjusted in just seconds and does not tangle easily.
[Related: The 5 Best Jump Ropes for Beginners of 2024, Personally Tested By Our Experts]
Pros and Cons of Having a Home Gym
From always having access to your gear for worthwhile workouts to potential savings in the long run, the benefits of a home gym are aplenty. Naturally, though, as Amanda Capritto, our expert tester as well as a certified personal trainer, puts it, “The benefits to each category of home gym equipment featured in this round-up are unique.”
Pros
- A Truly Personalized Setup: When you have your own home gym equipment, you’re the curator of the setup. Every piece of your home gym setup can cater to your training interests, but you can also customize the aesthetics of your performance palace with décor as well.
- No Commute: Another big perk to having your own home gym is that there’s no traffic, crowded layouts or center hours to navigate around. Your commute shrinks from a few miles to a few steps in no time, which can make scheduling your daily workouts much easier.
- Multitasking: Think about it, who’s to say that you can’t watch dinner or tend to minor errands while also working in some working sets? These tasks would be unachievable if you were off at a brick and mortar center, doubling down on a home gym’s influence on your daily schedule.
Cons
- Pricey: Initially, building a home gym can be pretty pricey, compared to paying a couple dozen dollars for a gym membership.
- Space Constraints: Not everyone has a huge garage for their at-home workout purposes. Whereas a commercial gym offers plenty of exercise space, your at-home workout area may not be as roomy.
- Less Versatility: Chances are, your home gym won’t offer quite as much versatility as a commercial gym. This limits the number of exercises you can perform.
How to Gather Your Home Gym Essentials
When deciding on which home gym equipment to add to your space, you have plenty of options to choose from. Below are areas to consider before building a home gym and what piece of equipment will best suit your floor plan and individual fitness goals.
Training Style
One of the first items worth considering when constructing your home gym is how you prefer to train. If you enjoy lifting free weights and stressing your muscles with heavy sets, be sure to look at gear that supports this need. If you’re a dedicated runner or just want a home gym to keep your blood pumping with low-impact training, there are options for that as well.
In the end, though, remember that you’re the main client this gym should cater to — there’s no sense in adding equipment that doesn’t align with the types of strength-training and cardio routines you prefer.
Available Space
Before you begin your home gym renovation project, be sure to break out the tape measure and actually determine how much space you can afford to give up for training. If you want to have a treadmill or set of dumbbells at the ready in your living room, make sure that your chosen pick is capable of being conveniently stored during non-workout days.
Equipment Versatility
You want to make the most of your setup through versatile equipment that gets its regular use rather than a fair share of collected dust. When looking for worthwhile home gym essentials, it can be helpful to opt for picks that will accommodate multiple exercises and movements.
Yes, we appreciate single-use items like landmines and leg presses, but when just starting out, it may be more fruitful to go with items you’ll use more regularly.
Price
Home gym equipment prices can vary from category to category, so giving a range to shoot for can be quite the tall task. When thinking about your top picks and how you’d like to build out your training room, be mindful of how much you can afford and how much you’re willing to invest in your dedicated fitness space.
Best Home Gym Equipment FAQs
What equipment should be in a home gym?
There aren’t any cut and dry answers when it comes to determining which items are absolute necessities in a home gym. It all depends on your preferred training style and what you’re looking to get out of your personal fitness journey. We recommend thinking through your normal workout routines and circling which pieces you traditionally use often in a given workout, and starting from there.
What is the best home gym equipment?
The “best home gym equipment” is a subjective moniker, and with so many ways to train, we cannot give a concise answer. It all comes down to your preferred training style. If you really enjoy running, for example, we hold the NordicTrack Commercial 1750 in high regard thanks to its quality construction, embedded tech, and comfortable running surface, but we understand that this pick means virtually nothing to a dedicated powerlifter.
Use our recommendations as a guide rather than gospel, and be sure to go with the home gym equipment that creates your best workout setup possible.
What should I consider before building out my home gym?
There are three main factors to consider before building a home gym: Space, functionality, and budget.
Space: You need to know how much space you have to train. If you’re confined to a guest room, then a power rack is off the table. But dumbbells and some bands are fine. If you have a two-car garage to work with, then you have many more options.
Functionality: What are you training for? If you’re a competitive CrossFitter, you’ll need a lot more equipment than a kettlebell sport athlete.
Budget: This is vital information to know ahead of time. Figure out how much you have to spend upfront, and then figure out which essential pieces are a priority. After that, figure out what pieces you want to add next and adjust your budget accordingly.
How much does home gym equipment cost?
This is a tricky one because there isn’t a straightforward answer. Each category of equipment has its own price range, and home gym essentials, in general, can range in price widely from as low as $40 to thousands of dollars for larger pieces (like power racks, cardio machines, and weight plate sets).
We did our best to select high-quality pieces of equipment that were still cost-effective, so you can outfit your space with a variety of equipment rather than blowing your entire budget on one thing.
References
- Lauver, J. D., Cayot, T. E., & Scheuermann, B. W. (2015). Influence of bench angle on upper extremity muscular activation during bench press exercise. European Journal of Sport Science, 16(3), 309–316.
- Vancini, R. L., Andrade, M. S., Rufo-Tavares, W., Zimerer, C., Nikolaidis, P. T., & de Lira, C. A. (2019). Kettlebell exercise as an alternative to improve aerobic power and muscle strength. Journal of Human Kinetics, 66(1), 5–6.
- Chavarrias, M., Carlos-Vivas, J., Collado-Mateo, D., & Pérez-Gómez, J. (2019). Health benefits of Indoor Cycling: A Systematic Review. Medicina, 55(8), 452.
- Zhao, Q., Wang, Y., Niu, Y., & Liu, S. (2023). Jumping rope improves the physical fitness of preadolescents aged 10-12 years: A meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 367–380.
- Rizzo, N. (1970, November 2). Average gym membership cost 2021 [gym price analysis]. RunRepeat. https://runrepeat.com/gym-membership-cost
