The best home gym equipment can be as big and expensive or as small and budget-friendly as you want. It doesn't matter if you live in a spacious home or a small city apartment, you can always build out a home gym that works for your needs.
Any space can benefit from choosing the best home gym equipment to suit your budget and needs because it allows you to access workouts cost-effectively from your home. Although home gyms initially feel like a big spend, they save money and travel over the years, and give you access to much more flexible workouts. All you need to pair your picks with are the best workout apps.
We've tried and tested many brands and products across the years, installing them in our homes where possible, or testing them in our dedicated test center, to bring you only the best products we believe are worth purchasing. Bank the essentials on a budget and build your gym over time with the best home gym equipment.
The quick list
Here's the best gym equipment you can buy right now based on our testing. Scroll down for in-depth reviews.
Best home gym equipment dumbbells
Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.
NordicTrack's Select-a-Weights are the best adjustable dumbbells for most people, according to our review. With 15 total weight loads to choose from, ranging from 10 to 55 pounds, and adjustments possible in both 5 and 2.5-pound increments, this is a weight set you can grow with.
Made of steel and hardened plastic, the NordicTrack Select-a-Weights feel well-constructed and solid in hand. They come with a plastic storage tray that's also well-made though unlikely to survive a dropped weight.
The handles of these adjustable weights have a decent amount of knurling, making them plenty grippy, even for the sweatiest hands. That said, the addition of rubber grips might make them a bit more comfy.
The weight-adjusting pins can be temperamental to set into place but overall, they work as they should.
NordicTrack's Select-a-Weight Dumbells come with a 30-day free trial of the iFit app which is bursting at the seams with on-demand workout routines and at-home training sessions. However, you only get a 3-month warranty.
Best home gym equipment ankle weights
These ankle weights have a lot going for them — the trademarked contour-foam that encircles your ankles when you strap these on makes the All Pro variety among the most comfortable of the styles we tested. The padding keeps the weights away from all seven of your ankle bones, so you don’t feel any rubbing from the 10 iron bars encased in each weight.
If you put the weights on according to the enclosed instructions with the All Pro logo facing front, they have an ingenious little notch right above the heel in the back so they don’t clank into your Achilles tendon while you work out. This is a major bonus if you wear these while doing anything more cardio-centric like aerobics or kickboxing.
The heavy-duty Velcro almost all the way across the weights helps keep them securely in place. However, if you have particularly thin ankles, you may still struggle to get these quite as tight as you’d like, which could lead to some shifting of the iron bars.
Speaking of which, the iron bars are removable and allow you to customize the ankle weights. The 5-lb. pair we reviewed (2 ½ lbs. on each ankle), had 10 iron bars in each weight. That means each bar comes in at ¼ lb. You can remove bars if you want to make the weights lighter. The heavier All Pro ankle weights (5-20 lbs.) follow the same principle, but each individual iron bar weighs more. This versatility makes it like you’re getting several weights in one.
Originally created by an occupational therapist, these ankle weights are intelligently designed and heavy on the function. As for the aesthetic, these aren’t horrible looking — they’re just extremely utilitarian in nature. But quite frankly, that’s a good thing — especially if you’re looking for ankle weights you’re really going to use a lot for rehab or functional fitness.
Verdict: If you want a high quality, comfortable ankle weight with good flexibility for a decent price point, you just can’t go wrong with the All Pro brand.
Take a look at our best ankle weights guide here.
Best home gym equipment yoga mat
Lululemon’s 'The Mat' 5mm is extremely versatile but a little heavier than others of its kind.
The rubber base is made from natural rubber and the polyurethane top layer is super grippy while absorbing moisture and sweat. Plus, the mat has an antimicrobial additive to prevent mold. You get 5mm of plush cushioning and beautiful pastel colors to choose from (typical, Lulu).
It's quite heavy-duty at 5.25 lbs but stays put once rolled out and feels seriously luxurious to use.
Check out our picks for the best yoga mats.
Best home gym equipment resistance bands
The best resistance bands for full-body fitness are the Bodylastics resistance bands. This kit has it all: in addition to the exercise bands themselves, it comes with a variety of useful attachments, including handles, ankle straps and a door anchor.
The durable, anti-snap latex bands range in resistance from 3 to 30 pounds and can be used together for a total resistance of 404 pounds, depending on which kit you buy. Everything comes in a tidy carrying pouch; the whole package weighs less than 5 pounds total, and it’s easy to toss the kit in a backpack, lickety-split.
The best thing about these bands is the patented anti-snap technology, designed to prevent overstretching and snapping during those more intense workouts; in the case of any nasty snaps, the internal cord prevents that dreaded “whipping” effect across your body or face.
For more, here's our guide to the best resistance bands.
Best home gym equipment jump rope
The innovative design and integrated app are what make the Crossrope Get Lean the best jump rope. The Get Lean comes with two interchangeable ropes, weighing 4 and 8 ounces respectively, which click firmly into the handles and allow you to easily diversify your routine. The handles are another big highlight — slim enough to fit in smaller hands, but big enough to get a firm grip.
But beyond the great design, the Crossrope’s biggest plus is the app, available for iOS and Android. You can spend a bit more money for a premium membership ($79.99 annually or $9.99 per month), but there’s plenty of content offered in the free version. You’ll find tutorials, challenge groups, and lots of workout programs using various combinations of ropes.
See more of the best weighted jump ropes.
Best home gym equipment foam roller
The Lululemon Double Roller is the best foam roller on our list, as it’s one of the most versatile foam rollers on the market. Its interlocking design is made up of a softer exterior roller that provides appropriate pressure to overworked muscles in the arms and legs, and a denser interior roller that digs into tougher-to-treat spots in the back.
While plenty of foam rollers can be used on thicker tissues in the hips and lower body, it’s not so often you’re able to find a great roller for the upper body. That’s where the slightly grooved, moderately dense outer roller really shines.
The wavy texture of the inner roller is great for targeting stiff muscles in your back, but it’s also a useful tool to address tense spots in your quadriceps and hamstrings. All in all, it's a brilliant two-in-one product that can help you target all the different areas of your body.
Best home gym equipment kettlebell
The best kettlebells allow you to adopt strength and conditioning workouts from home. You can use them during technical workouts, mastering the basics, or as a tool for cardio and strength training, depending on how you like to exercise.
We enjoyed using this kettlebell and it's a staple for CrossFit. Bulldog Gear’s Box kettlebells top the charts across most buying guides for the most versatile kettlebells on the market.
During testing, this kettlebell marked well against pretty much all criteria, ticking boxes for CrossFit-style workouts, strength and cardio training.
With a weight range spanning 4-40kg, there’s something for all abilities. You get plenty of tacky grip on this model due to the matte black finish, but chalk holds well on the bell if you prefer using it.
The Box kettlebell range includes sturdy, durable bells with a great size base for lifting from the ground. Each model also has a color-coded band on the handle so you can quickly spot and change weights during workouts and there's an embossed weight identification in lbs/kgs.
This model should be a staple in any home gym or hybrid class setting and it’s one of our top recommendations for the best kettlebells on the market. But it's worth noting the bell scuffs and chips easily.
Best home gym equipment fitness tracker
The Fitbit Charge 6 is Fitbit's flagship fitness tracker and the best fitness tracker for most people. Easy to use thanks to a haptic side button, the Charge 6 also adds compatibility for NordicTrack, Peloton and Tonal gym equipment. It additionally supports handy apps like Google Maps, YouTube Music and Google Wallet. However, Charge 6 users will need a Google Account now.
Built-in GPS lets users accurately track runs, hikes and bike rides outside. It also offers support for more nuanced activities, like kickboxing, kayaking, snowboarding and rollerblading, allowing you to mix up your training.
During testing, we were impressed by how comfortable the Charge 6 is around the wrist and how easy it is to read in the bright sunlight. Simply put, the Fitbit Charge 6 is one of our favorite trackers not just for its capabilities but also for its comfort.
That said, Fitbit locks some metrics behind its monthly Fitbit Premium paywall, unlike other options from Garmin.
Read our Fitbit Charge 6 review here.
How we test the best home gym equipment
We personally house equipment in our test center or in our homes and get to work across months and years of testing. Each item is put through its paces during a range of workouts, depending on what the item is, and accessed for pros, cons, materials, value, price points and usability. We note what we love and dislike and what details we think users might want to think about before parting with cash.
You can rest assured every piece of kit on the list has been in our homes and our hands, so we only recommend what we would use ourselves.
How to choose the best home gym equipment
When buying the best home gym equipment, the main factors to consider are the type of workout, space size, equipment size and price.
Size is something to think about since you might not have a lot of space for home gym equipment. Think about equipment that can store, fold, or roll away, if you share your workout space with others or it doubles as a living area.
Price plays a huge role in what kind of home gym equipment you get. Luckily, there are choices out there whether you're on a budget or can afford to splurge. Cheap items like a yoga mat and a jump rope are versatile and useful in all kinds of workouts.
FAQ
What home gym equipment is the most effective?
It depends on your goals.
For most people, maintaining a small calorie deficit can help you lose weight (burning off more energy than you consume), but the good news is that you can still tear through energy lifting heavy weights and doing cardio, so this actually gives you more freedom with how you exercise.
We recommend looking at how you most enjoy exercise and investing in the best gym equipment for that style of workout.
What equipment do I need for a full home gym?
Again, this depends on how you like to train. If you enjoy strength training and have plenty of space, you might decide on a range of gym machines, calorie machines, dumbbells, TRX, or kettlebells. An exercise mat is a staple as is an adjustable workout bench.
Think about accessories you might use, like resistance bands, jump ropes and ankle weights. Pilates kits often come with a Pilates ring and a stability ball, while yogis may need straps and blocks.
If you can house a barbell and some plates, you'll open up a whole wealth of workouts you can do, but adjustable weights are a great option if you are on a budget and need to save space.
How do I build a perfect home gym?
It's entirely dependent on how you train, but anything that allows you to be functional and train the major muscle groups will be the most effective and efficient. A workout bench, pull-up bars and free weights like barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells are brilliant go-to's, but if you have more space, a machine like a treadmill, rower, spin bike, or ski-erg will allow you to improve cardio and work most muscle groups.
Smaller accessories like bands, jump ropes and balls are great to have on standby and work well for rehab, Pilates and yoga-style workouts.
Start with a few affordable pieces if you're unsure and explore various workout styles. As you begin to find what you enjoy, then you can invest accordingly.
