If you’re trying to hit your personal fitness goals for 2026, the best home gym equipment can certainly help you get there. Whether you’re a die-hard home workout advocate or like to mix it up with full-body workouts both at home and cardio in the gym, a few pieces of equipment can be beneficial.
For many, it was the pandemic that really showed us how useful home gym equipment like treadmills, exercise bikes, weight plates and adjustable dumbbells can be, with some choosing to keep their workouts permanently at home. It was also the time when hundreds of new fitness trainers and brands like Courtney Black and Form created their own online plans and apps that have made home workouts more attractive than ever and changed the way millions of us exercise.
“Expensive gym memberships can seem outdated in the wake of lockdown when people realised how fit you can get at home,” says Venetia Cowie, a personal trainer based in South West London. “I encourage anybody who doesn’t want to fork out for the gym to, instead, embark on what can be a life-changing experience by working out at home.”
But what types of equipment should you buy to reap the greatest rewards? Here are the best pieces of home gym equipment that will help you improve your strength, mobility, and cardiovascular fitness. Plus, answers to common home workout FAQs.
How we test the best home gym equipment
The best home gym equipment should be good quality, safe to use, and versatile enough to use in a number of different workouts. It should also be good value for money, even if it’s a more expensive investment. For instance, a treadmill or indoor bike might be a big up-front cost, but if it lasts for years, allows you to progress in fitness, and saves hundreds of pounds in gym memberships, it’s money well spent.
Ahead of writing this round-up, we spoke to numerous fitness experts to pinpoint the key specifications to look for when shopping for the best home gym equipment whether you are a beginner or seasoned pro.
When reviewing each style, we rated them against the following criteria:
| Price point | How much use will I get out of the equipment vs the cost? |
| Versatility | Can I use the equipment for a variety of workouts? |
| Space and storage | Do I have room for the equipment in my space at home? |
| Safety | Is it safe to use when working out at home alone? |
For those we haven’t yet tested, we asked industry experts whether the equipment selected would get their stamp of approval, and read countless customer reviews.
Why you can trust me: Freelance contributor, Cat Hufton
I’m an experienced lifestyle journalist who has tested hundreds of products in my quest to find those worthy of your hard-earned money. I became particularly interested in wellness and health after having children seven years ago, and I needed a little extra helping hand in feeling my best. Yoga, Pilates and strength training has become a personal passion of mine over the past few years – not only because of its physical benefits but its huge impact on my overall wellbeing and mental health.
As such, I’ve spoken to countless industry experts, tested a wide variety of wellness products, and become pretty astute at knowing what really makes a difference to that all-important fitness routine.
Gritin Resistance Bands
Materials: Polyester and elastane.
Colours: Various.
Comes with: Five different strengths of band, including light, medium, heavy, X-heavy and XX-heavy.
Ideal for yoga, home HIIT workouts, and taking to the gym, these resistance bands exert force on your muscles when stretched. They can increase mobility and flexibility. In this pack, you get a carry bag for easy storage and five bands of different resistance levels.
Pros
- Set includes a range of resistances — from light to extra heavy.
- Five colourways to choose from.
- Relatively low cost and very versatile.
Cons
- Bands can twist during workouts.
VAHA X Fitness Mirror
Materials: Glass, brushed aluminium black.
Colours: Black.
Comes with: Personalised workout plan, monthly progress call with your personal trainer, and 24/7 access to hundreds of classes.
Mirror workout mirrors are now officially a thing. Stream live and on-demand fitness classes and take things an interactive step forward with workout tips from a virtual instructor. What’s more, your VAHA membership will also get you a personalised workout plan and monthly progress call with your personal trainer to ensure you’re hitting your goals and PBs. This is the ultimate futuristic-feeling fitness experience.
Pros
- Comes with a personalised workout plan and monthly progress call with your personal trainer.
- VAHA membership comes with hundreds of online fitness classes.
- 43 inch Full HD touchscreen.
Cons
- It’s a big investment.
Fitbit Versa 2 Health & Fitness Smartwatch
Materials: Carbon Aluminium.
Colours: Various.
Comes with: Classic wristband, charging cable, and quick start guide.
There are so many great features in the Fitbit Versa 2, including its heart rate monitor, second-to-none battery life (it lasts up to 6 days!) and sleek design. The large screen means you can easily see your text notifications, sleep stats, music, heart rate, steps and more. Whatever workout style you prefer (from running to spin or HIIT classes), this watch clocks your steps, distance, calories burned, hourly activity, active daily minutes and floors climbed. Read: everything you could ever need to know. Not yet convinced? You’ll be pleased to know you can also download the Fitbit app, which allows you to set yourself goals and see even more stats. So. Good.
Pros
- Great battery life.
- Large screen with easy-to-read text and numbers.
Cons
- Slashproof, but not waterproof.
Technogym Bench
Materials: Not specified.
Colours: Steel grey.
Comes with: 5 pairs of dumbbells (2.5 kg |5 lbs – 3.5 kg |7.5 lbs – 5 kg | 10 lbs – 7.5 kg | 15 lbs – 10 kg | 20 lbs), and a workout mat.
Featuring five pairs of hexagon dumbbells, weighted knuckles, resistance bands and a workout mat, this training bench really does have everything you need for a home strength and conditioning session. It’s also ideal for adding progressive overload in your resistance workouts and getting closer to your strength goals.
Pros
- Ideal for increasing strength over time.
- Bench adds further versatility.
Cons
- Takes up a fair amount of space.
ROMIX Foam Roller
Materials: Ethylene Vinyl Acetate.
Colours: Pink or purple.
Comes with: Nothing additional.
Foam rolling helps release tension in the muscles, relieve muscle soreness, and improve flexibility and range of motion. This eco-friendly foam roller is available in five different colours, and it’s made up of different angled areas to massage your muscles in different ways. Use it to support rehabilitation, performance and stability.
Pros
- Idea for recovering from wide range of exercises.
- Fairly low cost and very versatile.
Cons
- None that we can think of.
JTX Club-Pro Commercial Treadmill
Materials: Commercial-grade CushionStep-Pro™ deck and heavy-gauge steel frame.
Colours: Black.
Comes with: Free installation by an engineer.
This professional treadmill is perfect for high specification home gyms and fitness facilities. Its console features 36 Workout programs, three heart rate programs, three custom user programs and a body fat function to calculate your BMI, plus it can be connected with lots of popular fitness apps too. Built to withstand intense use of four to seven hours per day, the JTX Club-Pro will be the perfect fit for your home workouts.
Pros
- Commercial grade
- Features a bullet-proof 4hp AC motor.
- Can be connected to a range of popular training apps.
Cons
- A big investment to make and you need adequate space.
Viavito 500kg Studio Anti-Burst Gym Ball
Materials: Phthalate-free PVC.
Colours: Champagne or dusty pink.
Comes with: hand pump, inflation instructions and a tape measure.
An extremely versatile (and relatively inexpensive) piece of home-gym equipment, a Swiss ball can make a huge difference to your workouts. Great for core strengthening, stability exercises, yoga, pilates and weight training this piece of kit also doubles as a great work chair for working from home. It’s a must-have as far as we’re concerned.
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Pros
- Versatile piece of equipment.
- Great for strengthening the core.
Cons
- Can be annoying to store away.
Hex Anti Roll Dumbbell Weights
Materials: Neoprene.
Colours: Various.
Comes with: 2 x 5kg weights.
Available in varying weights and of excellent quality, these dumbbells add an extra bit of resistance to your workouts to increase strength and muscle tone. Made from neoprene with a cast iron core, these weights also won’t damage your bedroom/living room/kitchen floor if they get dropped — ideal for home sweat sessions.
Pros
- They have an anti-rolling design that’s also easy to grip.
- Versatile and can be used in range of workouts from resistance exercises to Pilates.
Cons
- You’ll need to buy a range of weights for progression which can be hard to store.
Gritin Skipping Rope
Materials: Plastic and PVC-coated steel wire.
Colours: Black and neon green.
Comes with: Nothing additional.
Take it back to your primary school days and invest in a skipping rope. This adult’s skipping rope is SO GOOD if you want a fun cardio workout. This widely cited study actually found that skipping with a rope is one of the most effective cardio exercises out there – and you only need a small back garden to partake!
Pros
- Comes with a length adjuster to suit all heights.
- Low price.
- Great for at-home cardio workouts.
Cons
- Skipping quickly can take some practise.
RDX Fitness Sandbag
Materials: Cordura Nylon-coated fabric sandbag.
Colours: Black, red, green and yellow.
Comes with: Each bag comes with the right number of sandbags to achieve your desired weight.
Available in a whole host of different weights, these sandbags are a great alternative to dumbbells or barbells and will seriously intensify your workout. Fantastic for fat burning, strength training and endurance, the sand is wrapped in high-tech foam padding so you can safely use this bit of kit with peace of mind.
Pros
- Great alternative to dumbbells and weights.
- Versatile and can be used in many different ways.
Cons
- You may need a range of the bags for progressive overload.
P.volve P.ball
Materials: PVC skin, rubber air valve.
Colours: Black.
Comes with: 5cm Elastic Strap, 8cm Elastic Strap W/3 Lines Of Silicone Waves, 5cm Velcro, 8cm Metal Hooks And Loops.
Take squats, side leg lifts and glute bridges to an all-new intensity, with P.volve’s P.ball. Simply strap the elastic band around your legs and position the ball in between your thighs and strengthen your lower body and pelvic floor. This is a great piece of equipment for those wanting to get a serious burn while keeping things low-impact.
Pros
- Great for engaging the pelvic floor, thighs and glutes.
- Can also be used alone like a Pilates ball.
- Ideal for low-impact workouts.
Cons
- Some users say the corresponding app isn’t that user friendly.
Home gym equipment FAQs, answered:
What’s the best home gym equipment?
Resistance bands are a great place to start – this seemingly simple piece of equipment can make your muscles stand to attention like no other. A pair of boxing gloves to build lean muscle, dumbbells for strength and joint mobility and a skipping rope are other pieces that may be small, but will make a big difference.
If you’ve got a little more money to spend, you might like to invest in a spinning bike, treadmill or rowing machine. Otherwise, VAHA X Fitness Mirror allows you to stream thousands of on-demand and live workouts rivalling those of high-end boutique studios.
Do I need expensive equipment to get great results when working out at home?
“The short answer is no, absolutely not,” says El-Ansary. “Weight exercises are a full workout that work on strength, flexibility, mobility and cardiovascular health. Exercises like lunges, squats, burpees, jumping jacks, marching on the spot, Pilates, and yoga all need no to very little equipment.”
EL-Ansary adds that you can purchase a few inexpensive tools like a resistance band, adjustable dumb bells and an exercise mat: “Those items do not cost much but can help vary up your exercises. Rather than expensive equipment, what you need is a good plan, good form and consistency for great results.”
Venetia Cowie, a personal trainer, agrees: “People kept their bodies strong and conditioned for centuries before we created the gym. Using your own weights for squats, press ups and countless other exercises is an extremely effective way to stay strong and fit.”
She suggests thinking outside of the box and using stairs, chairs and the great outdoors to aid your workouts. “Even in the most well equipped gyms in the world you will see people doing exercises that are body weight alone.”
Is at-home gym equipment as effective as commercial gym equipment?
El-Ansary says that although gyms have more variety in regards to machines and classes, home equipment can be just as effective as gym equipment, if used with consistency and good form. “The best way to make home workouts effective is by progressively overloading your body through exercise, varying up your exercises and having a consistent exercise regimen that is challenging (yet accessible) for your body,” she says. “Another thing to keep in mind is to be specific about your goals – is it strength training, weight loss, flexibility you are after? Tailor your plan accordingly and you can most certainly achieve your goals through home equipment.”
“If using your own body weight is an effective way of gaining strength and condition, it goes without saying that home equipment is just as effective as equipment in the gym,” adds Cowie. “Of course you have fewer options but with persistence and commitment, you can work out just as effectively. I tell my PT clients that all they need is a set of dumbbells and the world of exercise is their oyster.”
“You don’t need a treadmill because you can run outside. You don’t need a step because you can use a park bench, or a chair,” she adds. “Your weights may not be as heavy but instead you can up your reps. With a bit of research you can swap out anything from the gym with a home equivalent.”
Is it safe to use gym equipment alone?
“Yes, it is safe to use gym equipment alone and solo workouts are very common,” explains El-Ansary. “There are, however, important points to keep in mind here like making sure you understand how the equipment works and loading machines with the appropriate amount of weights. It is always recommended to start at a lighter weight and add on later, to ensure you are loading safely.”
She also recommends an appropriate warmup before using weight machines to ensure that your body is ready for exercise. You could start slow on a cardio machine, for instance, and add on when you feel ready: “When exercising solo, ensure that your phone is nearby in case of an emergency and move with intention. Try not to exercise when you are exhausted to avoid injury.”
Cowie also recommends using online resources for this such as YouTube as well as fitness apps and investing in personal training. “Another great way to kickstart and at home exercise routine and learn to use your equipment safely is to use a personal trainer who comes to your home,” she adds.