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Home fitness

Home fitness and outdoor gear, chosen by the job

Most home fitness purchases are decided by three things: the space the equipment takes, the time it takes to set up, and whether the parts that wear can be replaced. This site sorts the useful options by that job, and by how they behave on the days you train outside.

See the shortlistRead the guides

Every pick below is described by what it is good at and what to check before buying. We do not publish prices or ratings: those change, and the retailer's page is the honest place to read them.

Shortlist

Six things worth starting with

All 10 picks
Dumbbells and weight plates on a rack

Strength training

Bowflex adjustable dumbbells, 5–50 lb

One pair of dumbbells that stands in for a rack of fixed pairs, with a dial to change the load.

Best for
Small flats, and anyone who trains alone with dumbbells and has nowhere to store a rack.
Watch out for
The shell around the plates is plastic and does not enjoy being dropped; these are set down, not thrown.
Check price and availability
Flat weight bench in a home gym

Strength training

REP Fitness flat utility bench

A flat bench with a narrow pad and a wide base, so your shoulders and your feet stay where you put them.

Best for
Pressing with dumbbells or a barbell in a room where the bench stays out of the way.
Watch out for
It is flat only. Anyone who wants incline work needs a different bench, and a heavier one.
Check price and availability
Barbell loaded with weight plates

Strength training

Rogue Olympic barbell, 20 kg

A straight 20 kg bar with a knurl that grips without tearing and sleeves that turn.

Best for
A garage or ground-floor room with a rack, plates and space to set the bar down.
Watch out for
A bar is useless on its own: plates, a rack and floor clearance come first, and all of them take room.
Check price and availability
Treadmill in a training room

Cardio at home

NordicTrack folding treadmill with incline

A treadmill that folds upright, which is the feature that decides whether it stays in the room.

Best for
Walking or running indoors in a room with a spare power point and a hard floor.
Watch out for
Deck length is what makes a run comfortable; a short deck changes how you land.
Check price and availability
Elliptical training machine in a home gym

Cardio at home

Bowflex stepper and elliptical hybrid

A compact machine that mixes a stepper with an elliptical, so the arms and the legs work together.

Best for
Small rooms where a treadmill will not fit, and short sessions at a high effort.
Watch out for
The motion is fixed. It is not a substitute for a treadmill if you want to run.
Check price and availability
Percussion massager on a table next to a mat

Recovery and mobility

Theragun percussion massager

A handheld percussion device: a motor in a handle, an arm, and a set of interchangeable heads.

Best for
Anyone who prefers a small handheld unit to a larger one and will keep it charged.
Watch out for
Amplitude and stall force decide what the device can do; extra speed settings on their own mean little.
Check price and availability

Guides

Before you buy home fitness gear

How this site works

Written by a person, checked against the retailer's own page

We describe categories, trade-offs and the questions that decide a purchase in this niche. Where we link out, the link is marked as an affiliate link and the price is read on the retailer's page — never copied here where it would go stale within days.

If a product stops being worth recommending, it is removed rather than left in place for the click. Nothing on this site is sponsored by a brand, and no brand pays for placement.

How we choose