The 24 Best Pieces of Home Workout Equipment to Whoop Your A** into Shape at Home

Intense booty-burning, thigh-toning, and ab-sculpting workouts don’t have to take place at the gym. With the best home workout equipment, you can raise your heart rate and burn fat in your living room, garage, or wherever you’ve got room to sweat.

This list has a little something for everyone — cardio lovers, yoga masters, weight lifters, and dedicated runners. With input from a personal trainer, we’ve compiled a list of the best home workout equipment and brands with a proven history of sculpting quarter-bouncing butts and envy-worthy biceps.

1. Best yoga mat: Gaiam Essentials Thick Yoga Mat
2. Best foam roller: AmazonBasics High-Density Foam Roller
3. Best equipment storage: Wallniture Guru Wall Mount
4. Best ankle weights: Bala Bangles
5. Best mini resistance bands: Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands
6. Best fabric resistance bands: Vergali Fabric Booty Bands
7. Best light dumbbells: BalanceFrom Dumbbell Set
8. Best heavy dumbbells: Cap Coated Dumbbell Weight
9. Best adjustable dumbbells: ATIVAFIT Adjustable Dumbbell Fitness Dial Dumbbell
10. Best budget adjustable dumbbells: Yes4All Adjustable Dumbbell
11. Best kettlebell: Kettle Gryp
12. Best suspension system: TRX GO Suspension Trainer System
13. Best folding squat rack: Rogue RML-3W Fold Back Wall Mount Rack
14. Best barbell: Rogue The Ohio Bar
15. Best weight plates: Rogue HG 2.0 Bumper Plates
16. Best weight bench: ProForm Carbon Strength Adjustable Bench
17. Best treadmill: ProForm Pro 9000 Treadmill
18. Best exercise bike: Bowflex C6 Bike
19. Best budget cardio machine: Sunny Health & Fitness Squat Assist Row-N-Ride Trainer
20. Best elliptical: NordicTrack FS10i Elliptical
21. Best jump rope: Froning SR-1F Speed Rope 2.0
22. Best punching bag: Dripex Freestanding Punching Bag
23. Best all-in-one home gym: Tonal
24. Best smart gym for bodyweight workouts: MIRROR

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We consulted Katelyn Barrons, an NASM-certified personal trainer and ACE health coach, to determine the critical criteria for choosing home workout equipment. Her suggestions were deceptively simple, from pieces that let you add resistance to basic bodyweight exercises to fun cardio equipment to help motivate you on the days you just don’t want to do it.

With her suggestions, here are the criteria we used to pick the best home workout equipment:

• Versatility. Some pieces of equipment are single-use, and that’s fine. But others can be used for a variety of workout styles.
• Space-saving. We’re all jealous of those of you who have a dedicated room for your home gym. But most of us aren’t that lucky, so we considered the equipment’s square footage and how much storage space it requires.
• Materials and quality. Home workout equipment won’t take the same beating as pro gym equipment, but you want something that will last. Since home workout equipment encompasses a wide variety of products, we consulted consumer reviews. If reviews said a resistance band broke, or an exercise bike started squeaking or falling apart after 2 months, that product didn’t make this list.
• Workout personality and style. We made sure to include products for all kinds of workout personalities and styles. Use your preferences to pick equipment that will help you stick with your workout plan even when you’d rather eat a doughnut on the couch.
• Vetted products. We put every product through a thorough vetting process that checks for unsupported health claims and shady business practices. Only products that passed made our list.

Best yoga mat

Gaiam Essentials Thick Yoga Mat

• Price: $

Yoga mats aren’t just for yoga. Sure, they’re great for a Downward-Facing Dog, but they’re also a helpful cushion for push-ups and ab work. The Gaiam Essentials Thick Yoga Mat provides a soft, thick surface so you can really dig into your poses or cushion your bod when you’re on the floor. This mat is affordable, lightweight, and portable thanks to an included carrying strap.

It gets great reviews, with tons of people saying it’s high quality, easy to clean, and the right thickness. But some say it’s not as durable as they’d hope — and others say there’s a strong off-gassing smell at first.

Best foam roller

AmazonBasics High-Density Foam Roller

• Price: $

A foam roller isn’t a complex piece of equipment, and the AmazonBasics High-Density Foam Roller gets the job done at an affordable price. It comes in lots of colors and lengths, so you can choose one that fits your space. The high-density foam digs into your muscles like a gopher, so it will work out knots and sore spots. Fair warning: The pain of that first roll will legit make you scream. 😱

A seam on one side sticks out on some of the rollers, so keep an eye out if you end up buying — reviewers say it does not feel good to roll on that seam.

Best equipment storage

Wallniture Guru Wall Mount

• Price: $

Tripping over equipment is no one’s idea of a good time. The Wallniture Guru Wall Mount makes sure there’s no more tripping or piles of workout gear at the bottom of your closet. It provides vertical storage space for yoga mats, foam rollers, jump ropes, and resistance bands. You can install it in a closet or the garage to keep all your gear organized and out of sight.

It comes with hardware, but reviewers say the hardware is the weak point. You might want to substitute sturdier versions from the local hardware store.

Best ankle weights

Bala Bangles

• Price: $$

Yesss, the ankle weights that blew up on social media.

They have a great aesthetic (with 7 stylish colors to choose from), and they’re also made from quality materials that reviewers love — recycled steel coated in super-soft silicone (no more scratchy weights, pls.). The elastic and fasteners are also designed to allow for a better fit than regular ankle weights that slide around everywhere.

They come with a handy carrying case, and you can choose from 1- or 2-pound (lb.) weights. Slip them on your wrists or ankles when you’re doing Pilates, yoga, walking your dog, or even cooking.

Reviewers say it’s super easy to move them from your ankles to your wrists during workouts. Many also say they love the fun pop of color they add to any sweat sesh.

Some say you need to practice adjusting them to avoid Velcro rubbing on your skin — but once you get the hang of it, using them is a breeze.

Best mini resistance bands

Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands

“The first pieces of equipment I recommend for my clients are a set of mini resistance bands and dumbbells,” Barrons says. The Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Bands set includes five well-marked, color-coded resistance levels, so you can intensify your workout by switching up the bands.

This set includes an instruction booklet to get you started on resistance workouts ASAP. High quality rubber and a super small drawstring storage bag round out the features we love about this simple set — not to mention that it’s affordable AF.

On the downside, rubber resistance bands like these may roll when you do certain exercises, which can def get annoying for some.

Best fabric resistance bands

Vergali Fabric Booty Bands

• Price: $

The Vergali Fabric Booty Bands are 3.16 inches (in.) wide and feature latex covered in fabric to help prevent rolling. They’re pricier than rubber resistance bands, but they’re key for peeps mostly focused on building up the lower body since they don’t roll down as much.

This set comes with four resistance levels that are clearly marked with the weight of the resistance so you’re tuned in to how much you’re actually lifting. There’s also a training guide to get you started.

The biggest con for these is that a few reviewers say the bands get stretched out prematurely.

Best light dumbbells

BalanceFrom Dumbbell Set

• Price: $$

If you prefer traditional dumbbells to an adjustable set, Barrons suggests buying a lightweight set like this one from BalanceFrom (along with a heavyweight set, which we’ve got a rec for below). This set includes 3-, 5-, and 8-lb. weights and a stand to hold ’em. The neoprene covers make the weights easy to grip and outdoor workout-friendly, since they won’t rust.

We like that this set includes a storage tree, but some reviewers say the stand is flimsy and breaks easily.

Best heavy dumbbells

Cap Coated Dumbbell Weight

• Price: $–$$$$

The Cap Coated Dumbbell Weights are high quality and come in an impressive range of weights. You can choose anywhere from 3- to 120-lb. dumbbells, depending on your fitness level and goals. The textured grip is also key for keeping good control through each move.

On the downside, you have to buy the weights individually, and the heavier the weight, the higher the price. There’s also no storage tree, so you’ll have to keep these bad boys on the floor or buy a storage rack separately.

Best adjustable dumbbells

ATIVAFIT Adjustable Dumbbell Fitness Dial Dumbbell

• Price: $$$

The ATIVAFIT Adjustable Dumbbell Fitness Dial Dumbbell offers better weight options and quality than some of the more popular adjustable dumbbells (we’re looking at you, Bowflex). The weight range alone is impressive — 5.5 to 71.5 lbs. per dumbbell. It includes a storage cradle to keep it from rolling around too.

On the downside, it’s pricey. And we do mean “it.” If you want two of these dumbbells, you’ll have to make sure to add two to the shopping cart, because they’re not sold as a set.

Best budget adjustable dumbbells

Yes4All Adjustable Dumbbell

• Price: $–$$$$

The Yes4All Adjustable Dumbbell offers lots of weight options at a price that won’t require you to donate plasma. It’s sold as a single dumbbell — which isn’t so cool — but buying two is still relatively affordable. If you’ve ever used a traditional barbell, collar, and weight plates, the design of this dumbbell will feel familiar. It also includes locking collars, so the plates won’t slam into your hand.

Best kettlebell

Kettle Gryp

• Price: $

You’re probably saying, “Hey, that’s not a kettlebell.” Just wait. Remember how it’s a good idea to save space with your home equipment? The Kettle Gryp lets you use a dumbbell as a kettlebell. It’s cheaper than a kettlebell, and you can use it with different weights to increase or decrease the difficulty.

The only downside is that it doesn’t work with every dumbbell grip.

Best suspension system

TRX GO Suspension Trainer System

• Price: $$

Suspension training has gained popularity as people have looked for new workout equipment for small spaces. The TRX Go Suspension Trainer System stands out for quality and user-friendliness, both of which are musts for a good suspension trainer. You can hang it on a tree or a door or use anchors. Locking loops and a single anchor make it easy to set up at home.

Suspension training goes easy on your joints, and you can adjust the moves to different fitness levels. Even TRX newbies can get a serious workout. You can also pack it up and take it with you on the road.

But it can take some time to figure out the exercises. Take it slow and give yourself time to learn how to use it correctly — it’ll be worth it, we promise.

Best folding squat rack

Rogue RML-3W Fold Back Wall Mount Rack

• Price: $$$$

A folding squat rack is an amazing addition to any home gym — especially if you’re looking to get into heavier-duty weightlifting.

This one from Rogue is made from high quality materials but won’t completely drain your bank account. It can hold up to 1,000 lbs. (which we can all agree is plenty).

It comes with a pull-up bar and J-hooks to hold your barbell. It’s also compatible with 88 different accessories — so you can basically use it as a starter to a fully stocked home gym.

The best part? It folds away to a less than 5-inch depth when you’re not using it.

Reviewers love how sturdy and simple the rack is. They say it shipped super quickly and is hella easy to install.

Best barbell

Rogue The Ohio Bar

• Price: $$$$

Pair your new squat rack with one of Rogue’s best-selling barbells — the Ohio Bar.

The brand manufactures this barbell in the US of A (in Ohio, if you couldn’t tell). It’s made with high quality stainless steel and has a lifetime warranty to back it up.

It’s designed for Olympic and Powerlifting, with knurling (aka rough texture) to give you a better grip.

Many reviewers say this is one of the best additions to their home gyms. They love how high quality it feels and appreciate that the knurling gives some grip without being super uncomfortable (and even painful).

Best weight plates

Rogue HG 2.0 Bumper Plates

• Price: $$$$

You have your squat rack and your barbell — now it’s time for some weight plates.

We recommend going for a pair of bumper plates for your home gym. They’re typically made from rubber and are designed to be dropped without breaking the plate (or your floors!).

These bumper plates are sold in pairs up to 1,000 lbs. They’re made from recycled rubber and have a stainless steel center. This combo helps reduce bounce and noise and increases durability.

Reviewers LOVE these plates. Many say the quality for the price is unmatched. They also love the way these look in their home gyms.

Just keep in mind that bumper plates tend to take up a lot of space. They’re great if you’ve got a designated garage gym, but they’re def not super easy to stash away when you’re not using them.

Best weight bench

ProForm Carbon Strength Adjustable Bench

• Price: $$$

Whether you’re looking to do step-ups, Bulgarian split squats, tricep dips, or incline/decline dumbbell workouts, a weight bench adds a whole lot of spice to your average workout.

We love this bench from ProForm because it’s made with high quality, durable materials for a great price.

It can hold up to 610 lbs. (you + whatever dumbbells you’re using) and has anti-slip rubber feet to keep it in place. It also has 6 adjustable seat positions and 11 adjustable back positions.

There aren’t a ton of reviews, but the few that exist say the bench is super easy to assemble. They’re also v satisfied with the quality.

Best pull-up bar

JFIT Deluxe Multi Exercise Doorway Pull-Up Bar

• Price: $

Not enough room for a full-on squat rack but want to do pull-ups at home? A doorway pull-up bar like this one could be the perf solution.

It’s way sturdier than your average doorway pull-up bar because you install it with hardware. When you don’t use it, you store away the bar and the hardware still allows you to use your doorway as usual.

It has a weight capacity of 300 lbs. and can be installed basically anywhere that it fits. Some reviewers use it in a hallway instead of a doorway.

Best treadmill

ProForm Pro 9000 Treadmill

• Price: $$$$

Barrons says, “If you live somewhere where the weather won’t be reliable for getting cardio in outside year-round, a home treadmill… would really be worth the investment.”

We’re big fans of ProForm treadmills because they bring the right balance of quality and price. This treadmill in particular has all of the smart features you love to see in a high-end treadmill — like a 22-inch touch screen, Bluetooth connectivity, and connected fitness options (helllllo iFit!) — at a reasonable price.

We also love that trainers can automatically change your speed and incline based on the class you’re taking. Pretty fricken cool, right?

To top it off, this treadmill is easy to fold up to save space when you’re not using it. It also has a great maximum weight capacity (300 lbs.), speed (12 miles per hour), and incline (-3 to 12%) making this particular model a great pick for runners at any level.

Best exercise bike

Bowflex C6 Bike

• Price: $$$$

Running isn’t for everyone. If you’re more of a cycling person, the Bowflex C6 Bike might be more your thing. “I recently invested in the Bowflex C6 Bike and am loving it,” says Barrons. That’s high praise from a pro.

The C6 brings a smooth ride with magnetic resistance. While it doesn’t have a built-in screen, the cradle fits most devices, and the bike offers Bluetooth connectivity and works with a variety of apps (including Peloton — but with limited functionality). We also love the toe clips so you can work your legs on the up and down strokes.

This bike is pricey, but it’s an investment worth making if you love indoor cycling.

Best budget cardio machine

Sunny Health & Fitness Squat Assist Row-N-Ride Trainer

• Price: $$

Get some cardio and killer buns on the same machine! Using the Sunny Health & Fitness Squat Assist Row-N-Ride is like doing squats on fat-burning steroids. This cardio workout will seriously mold and sculpt your backside, and the price is amazing.

It has great adjustability in the seat, handlebars, and squat depth for a machine at this price. That depth adjustment is particularly important, so you won’t injure your knees or hips. The Row-N-Ride includes three resistance bands to adjust the difficulty level. You have to change them manually, which we don’t love — but hey, it’s cheap.

Best elliptical

NordicTrack FS10i Elliptical

• Price: $$$$

Ellipticals are the bomb for getting a low impact workout without sacrificing intensity.

We love this one from NordicTrack because it’s got tons of awesome features. Depending on your mood, you can use it as a traditional elliptical, a stair stepper, or a treadmill (wait, what?!). The brand says all you need to do is adjust your natural motion and the machine adjusts with you.

With 24 resistance levels and up to a 10 percent incline, you’re basically guaranteed a tough workout. And with a 10-inch touch screen and tons of iFit classes to choose from, you’re less likely to get totally bored of it too.

Reviewers love how smooth it rides and say it’s an amazing low impact alternative to running. They also appreciate how motivating iFit classes are — it’s supposedly MUCH better than using any old elliptical at the gym.

Best jump rope

Froning SR-1F Speed Rope 2.0

• Price: $

Do cardio old-school with a jump rope. If you haven’t jumped rope for a while, be prepared to poop out pretty quick. The Froning SR-1F Speed Rope 2.0 is a great option for you CrossFitters who are working on your double-unders. But it’s not just for seasoned athletes — it’s got easy-to-hold handles, an adjustable cable, and smooth movement that beginners can appreciate too.

But you can’t use this jump rope on an abrasive surface like pavement, because it can wear out the cable. So, grass works, carpet works, but if you’re jumping in your garage, you’ll need a rubber mat to protect the cable.

Best punching bag

Dripex Freestanding Punching Bag

• Price: $$$

The Dripex Freestanding Punching Bag stands strong while you hit, kick, and elbow your way to a stronger body. A base that holds sand or water (sand is typically sturdier) provides the counterweight, but it’s further stabilized by 12 suction cups on the bottom. The only bummer is that the suction cups need a relatively smooth surface to maintain full suction.

A high quality leather cover, stainless steel tube-covered EPE foam, and fabric buffers make this thing durable enough to take a daily beating. Plus, shock absorbers and springs help reduce noise. You can even remove the springs to do more intense strength training if you want.

Reviewers say filling the base isn’t the easiest because of the small fill hole, but once it’s done, you’re good to get punching.

Best all-in-one home gym

Tonal

• Price: $$$$

The Tonal is a smart gym that works kind of like a cable press machine — but smarter.

The gym mounts to a wall and has two arms that you can attach different accessories to, including handles, a bar, and a rope.

It uses digital weight to adjust the tension up to 200 lbs. You can configure the arms in multiple ways to do upper body, lower body, and core exercises.

Bring the arms toward the floor and you can use the bar attachment to do back squats, bent over rows, or bicep curls. Set them toward the ceiling and you can do lat pulldowns, upright rows, or tricep pushdowns. Use the bench accessory and you can do bench presses and Bulgarian split squats.

The Tonal has tons of strength, yoga, cardio, and HIIT classes to choose from and 17 different sensors to detect your form.

Reviewers are overall obsessed with the Tonal. Some say it’s louder than they expected and definitely pricey — but most see it as an amazing investment.

Best smart gym for bodyweight workouts

MIRROR

• Price: $$$$

If you’re more into bodyweight and dumbbell workouts but still want to dive into the smart mirror world, Lululemon’s MIRROR is where it’s at.

You can choose from boxing, Pilates, Tai Chi, sculpt, stretch, bodyweight workouts, and more. And with over 10,000 classes to choose from and new live classes every day, MIRROR is great for people that crave variety.

You can either mount it directly to your wall or use it freestanding — the choice is yours. We also love that it doubles as a regular mirror when you’re not using it.

Reviewers are super satisfied. Many say it has enough variety that it works for the whole family. Others say it’s made them quit the gym completely.

Strength, cardio, or both?

First things first: Nail down what kind of workout you want to focus on at home. If you get plenty of cardio on your outdoor runs, maybe you just need to focus on strength training at home. If you attend in-studio Pilates, barre, or yoga classes, it might make sense to focus more on at-home cardio. Everyone’s needs are different.

If you’re looking to do resistance training, it’s a good idea to focus more on weights and resistance bands.

“The adjustable dumbbell sets are a great way to have lots of weight options without taking up a ton of space, but if you prefer regular dumbbells, a lighter pair (5 to 10 lbs.) and a heavier pair (15 to 30 lbs.) is a great place to start,” suggests Barrons.

Barrons also recommends using resistance bands to make exercises harder before moving up in weight.

If you’re more focused on cardio, make sure you pick an option that’ll keep you coming back for more as often as possible. “Cardio is the first thing that I might skip, so having an easy, fun option at home makes it the [less likely] that will happen!” says Barrons.

Workouts you like

Boxing, suspension training, and pull-ups aren’t for everyone. Tailor your home gym to your workout preferences — and don’t forget the battle with boredom. It pays to have a few different types of workout equipment around to spice up your routine. You’ll start skipping if your workouts become a yawn fest.

Size and storage

While there are a couple of behemoths on this list, we looked for space-optimizing equipment where we could, like a foldable treadmill, adjustable kettlebells and weights, and suspension trainers.

If you have room for bigger cardio machines, go for it! But if not, look for equipment with a smaller footprint that can still give you a killer cardio workout, like a jump rope or punching bag.

Injury prevention and comfort

Some equipment is worth having around to keep your body in working order. A foam roller, for example, can relax muscles and keep injuries at bay. A good yoga mat can cushion your joints while you’re doing floor work or stretching. Whatever helps keep your body working at its best belongs among your home workout equipment.

With home workout equipment, you can keep your body in tip-top shape without traveling to the gym to work out with 100 sweaty strangers. You can invest in larger equipment or start small with a few dumbbells and resistance bands.

No matter your workout style or budget, there’s equipment out there to keep you challenged and invested in your training routine.