While your immediate thought of at-home fitness can conjure up images of the best treadmills and exercise bikes, there are plenty of equipment options for strength training enthusiasts, too. “Strength or resistance training can be helpful in burning fat and managing weight through built muscle,” adds Dr. Christopher Mohr, PhD, RD. The best home gyms offer up convenient profiles and silhouettes capable of challenging your muscle groups and generating better performance, all without an annoying commute to your local gym or fitness center.
Like any high-quality piece of exercise equipment, you want to ensure your home gym of choice is right for your specific needs. Today’s market includes products loaded with on-demand workout programs, adaptive accessories, and more, so finding an ideal setup does call for some pre-purchase research. To make your quest easier, we’ve gotten hands-on with dozens of the best home gyms available today and tested each silhouettes in accordance with our equipment testing methodology. These trials, along with insight from our pool of fitness experts, led to rankings in categories such as the following:
- Versatility: Do these machines cater to a specific workout discipline or movement? How many exercises can you comfortably perform across the singular silhouette?
- Durability: Can the home gym withstand regular use day in and day out? Do the components feature effective integrity, or will they likely falter after just a few training sessions?
- Functionality: Does the home gym function as intended? Are the available exercises easy to master and set up, or does it require a more involved knowledge for proper use?
- Value: Does the home gym machine’s performance capabilities justify the price tag? Are there any additional costs to be aware of such as a subscription to a compatible fitness app?
The BarBend team has helped connect over 1.2 million athletes with high-quality strength and conditioning equipment over the years. If you’re looking to upgrade your space with a home gym system of your own, we’re confident that the following details can lead you in the right direction.
The 13 Best Home Gyms of 2025
- Best Home Gym Overall: REP Fitness Arcadia Functional Trainer
- Best Home Gym for Streaming: Speediance Gym Monster
- Best Home Gym for Bodybuilding: Force USA G12 All-in-One Trainer
- Best Smart Home Gym: Tonal 2
- Best Budget Home Gym: Bells of Steel Plate Loaded Cable Tower
- Best Cable Machine for Home Gym: Titan Fitness Functional Trainer
- Best Home Gym for Powerlifting: Giant Lifting GGPR 2.0 with Lat/Low Row
- Best Home Gym for Full-Body Workouts: Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE
- Best Home Gym Design: GMWD Multi Gym Station with Weight Stack HGS
- Best Home Gym for CrossFit: MAJOR Fitness All-In-One Home Gym Power Rack F22
- Best Portable Home Gym: TRX Training Pro4
- Best Home Gym for Beginners: WalkingPad KingSmith Tone Up Workout Station
- Best Home Gym for Small Spaces: Beyond Power Voltra I
Best Home Gym Overall: REP Fitness Arcadia Functional Trainer
Best Home Gym for Streaming: Speediance Gym Monster
Best Home Gym for Bodybuilding: Force USA G12 All-In-One Trainer
Best Smart Home Gym: Tonal 2
Best Budget Home Gym: Bells of Steel Plate Loaded Cable Tower
Best Cable Machine for Home Gym: Titan Fitness Functional Trainer
Best Home Gym for Powerlifting: Giant Lifting GGPR 2.0 with Lat/Low Row
Best Home Gym for Full-Body Workouts: Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE
Best Home Gym Design: GMWD Multi Gym Station with Weight Stack HGS
Best Home Gym for CrossFit: Major Fitness All-in-One Home Gym Power Rack F22
Best Portable Home Gym: TRX Training Pro4
Best Home Gym for Beginners: WalkingPad KingSmith Tone Up Workout Station
Best Home Gym for Small Spaces: Beyond Power Voltra I
How We Tested and Chose the Best Home Gyms
The BarBend team is composed of competitive athletes, certified personal trainers, nutrition coaches, and lifelong fitness enthusiasts. To compile this round-up of the best home gyms, we tested over 20 different pieces of workout equipment from some of the industry’s most reputable brands. With guidance from our equipment testing methodology and insight from our panel of experts, we rated each selected silhouette on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) in a range of categories, including:
- Versatility: Generally, you’re not going to have unlimited space in your home, which means each piece of home gym equipment has to do double duty (or more). That’s why we tried each home gym with a number of different exercises that different athletes may prefer.
- Value: Outfitting a full home gym can be expensive, which is why we place a premium on products that offer the most bang for your buck. The value a piece of equipment offers is also weighted heavily here and stems quite often from the quality and durability of a product. As such, you’ll find samples of the best budget home gym equipment and most expensive home gym machines throughout this guide.
- Durability: If you’re going to spend hundreds of dollars on a piece of gym equipment, you want durable, high-quality materials. As we tried different machines, we made sure to look at the various parts and components, prioritizing sturdy, steel materials, as opposed to plastic.
- Functionality: The functionality of your equipment is essential to setting up a space that works for your training needs. In order for us to recommend something, it has to do what it is intended to and do it exceptionally well.
Benefits of the Best Home Gyms
Not sold on shelling out for your own iron paradise? Aside from the fact that building strength can help improve your body composition and help increase bone density (and fight age-related bone loss), there are quite a few benefits of a home gym. (1)
- Convenience: You’ll never have to wait for the curl bro to get out of the squat rack, nor will you have to wipe another person’s sweat off the rower. Because of this convenience factor, it’s safe to assume that you’ll be more dedicated to your workout program.
- Customizable: “I’d say the greatest benefit in this category of equipment is the incredible breadth,” says BarBend expert contributor and certified personal trainer Amanda Capritto. “There are so many options to suit so many different needs and budgets, and I think that exemplifies what’s so great about having a home gym: It’s yours, and you get to choose what you want in it so that it is affordable for you and leads you to your goals.”
- Cheaper in the Long Run: Home gym equipment’s price can be high, but it’s an investment. Over a long period of time, owning your own equipment can save you money, whether that’s the cost of your gym membership or the cost of driving 20 minutes to the gym. “You also don’t need to get every piece at once,” adds Capritto. “You can parcel out purchases as you grow your home gym, so there’s no wasted equipment or space.”
How to Pick the Best Home Gym Machine for You
As with any large fitness purchase — from selecting one of the best exercise bikes to deciding on a new barbell, weight set, and more — there are factors worth considering as you finalize your online cart. Below are some recommended areas to ponder over as you comb through the interwebs and decide on the best home gym for your needs and wants.
Goals
“The best place to start is with your needs and fitness goals. What are you trying to accomplish? How will you use your home gym machine? Are you looking for a monstrous all-in-one trainer with every imaginable attachment, or something simple and portable you can take with you when you travel,” says Amanda Capritto, CPT, CES, CNC, CF-L1, CSNC. “Your answers to these questions will drive you to the right purchase.”
Before you buy just any home gym machine, consider your personal fitness and/or cardio goals. Look for a unit that accommodates all the exercises you might need, leaving some room for growth.
Space
This question should help guide you to what equipment will be best for not only your goals but your lifestyle, too. If you’re living in a one-bedroom apartment, then maybe an option like a smart home gym or suspension trainer is better for now. On the other hand, a two-car garage or large basement affords you a lot more space to build a complete set-up. The vertical height is also a big consideration. It depends on your height and goals, but generally, you’ll want at least 92 inches from floor to ceiling to allow for pull-ups or movements like overhead presses.
Budget
This question is simple and can vary from person to person. Before investing in home gyms, we recommend realistically calculating your current gym expenses, considering the price of equipment and how much you’re willing to put into a home gym. Of course, you don’t need to buy everything at once.
You can start with a squat stand, barbell, some weights, and a weight bench, and then go from there. Heck, you can start out with just a pair of dumbbells and grow as you go. Rewarding yourself with new pieces of equipment for important milestones is a great way to stay on track.
Versatility
With a home gym, you want as much versatility as you might find in a typical commercial gym (or, at least, enough versatility for your personal fitness goals). Capritto notes, “Consider your exercise priorities and look for a silhouette that accommodates those best. Do you want to focus on strength training, or are you more of a cardio enthusiast? Do you need a workout machine with multiple available weights, or can you afford some extra weight plates for creating your own setups? Once you’ve narrowed down your interests, you can start to look for a versatile machine.”
Warranty
Home gym machines can be some of the most expensive pieces of fitness equipment, so protecting your investments with brand-backed coverages should also be top of mind. While warranties can vary in length, depending on the brand and product, you should aim for multi-year support across key areas of importance such as the frame and pulley system, if applicable.
How Much Do the Best Home Gyms Cost?
For the home gyms on this list, you’ll see a fairly wide range from around $300 to $500 on the lower end to between $2,000 and $5,000 on the high end. More comprehensive equipment that serves multiple purposes or can act as a home gym on its own — like one of the best functional trainers — tends to be more expensive, while simpler pieces that require additional equipment to make use of them — such as squat racks — may be cheaper. Check out our chart below to compare the prices of our top picks.
Best Home Gym Overall | REP Fitness Arcadia Functional Trainer | $2,199.99 |
Best Home Gym for Streaming | Speediance Gym Monster | Starting at $3,269 |
Best Home Gym for Bodybuilding | Force USA G12 All-In-One Trainer | $4,499 |
Best Smart Home Gym | Tonal 2 | $4,295 |
Best Budget Home Gym | Bells of Steel Plate Loaded Cable Tower | $389.99 |
Best Cable Machine for Home Gym | Titan Fitness Functional Trainer | $2,749.99 |
Best Home Gym for Powerlifting | Giant Lifting GGPR 2.0 with Lat/Low Row | $729.98 |
Best Home Gym for Full-Body Workouts | Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE | $1,499 |
Best Home Gym Design | GMWD Multi Gym Station with Weight Stack HGS | $899.99 |
Best Home Gym for CrossFit | Major Fitness All-in-One Home Gym Power Rack F22 | Starting at $929.99 |
Best Portable Home Gym | TRX Training Pro4 | $289.95 |
Best Home Gym for Beginners | WalkingPad KingSmith Tone Up Workout Station | $699 |
Best Home Gym for Small Spaces | Beyond Power Voltra I | $2,099 |
Best Home Gym Machines FAQs
Who can benefit from a home gym?
There’s no denying that home gyms are convenient, but at the same time, they’re not ideal for everyone. A few populations that can truly benefit from investing in home gym equipment are fitness enthusiasts that…
-Prefer working out at home.
-Want to save money on a monthly basis.
-Have adequate space for equipment.
-Want to fill a space in their home with equipment.
-Find themselves limited on time and can’t make it to the gym regularly.
-Need equipment at home for additional/supplemental training.
Is it cheaper to build a home gym or purchase a gym membership?
We might get flack for saying this, but it’s probably cheaper to purchase a gym membership for most people because you won’t really save money for a few years. If your gym membership is $40 per month and you spend $2,000 on a home gym setup, you won’t break even for over four years.
That’s not the whole story though since home gyms provide a lot more than monetary value. When you factor in not driving in traffic or having to work around gym hours along with having the exact machines and setup you want, home gyms start really showing their value.
Are home gyms worth it for beginners?
Yes! However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that not every home gym will be great for beginners. Before investing on a whim, it’s important to acknowledge how you want to use the home gym and how often you think you will. This can help you from throwing money at a piece of equipment that you might not need yet.
What is the best home gym?
The best home gym will depend greatly on your goals, space, and budget, so it’s difficult to say what the best option is for everyone. In our opinion, though, the REP Fitness Arcadia Functional Trainer can be excellent for home workouts thanks to its impressive durability, dual integrated 170-pound weight stacks, and compatibility with popular cable tower attachments.
References
- Thomas MH, Burns SP. Increasing Lean Mass and Strength: A Comparison of High Frequency Strength Training to Lower Frequency Strength Training. Int J Exerc Sci. 2016 Apr 1;9(2):159-167. PMID: 27182422; PMCID: PMC4836564.
- Jaramillo, C. (2022, August 11). A guide to sofa dimensions & sizes – seatup, LLC. SeatUp, LLC. https://seatup.com/blog/guide-to-sofa-dimensions/
- Signorile, J. F., Rendos, N. K., Heredia Vargas, H. H., Alipio, T. C., Regis, R. C., Eltoukhy, M. M., Nargund, R. S., & Romero, M. A. (2017). Differences in muscle activation and kinematics between cable-based and selectorized weight training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 31(2), 313–322. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28129277/
- Btiernay. (2024, March 5). Sheet Metal Gauge Chart. Metal Supermarkets. https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/sheet-metal-gauge-chart/