Dank air. Someone else’s sweat on the machine. Forgetting your headphones. That’s often the reality of working out in a public gym. If you’re looking to cut back on travel time and get in a solid session without having to use the same bench as three other guys, building your own home gym is an excellent solution. That’s why we found the best budget home gym equipment to make your workouts more convenient and efficient—and save money in the process.
“The key to seeing progress and achieving your goals lies in consistency and proper technique with a well-rounded routine,” says John Gallucci, MS, doctor of physical therapy, and CEO at JAG Physical Therapy. “High-end equipment may offer better durability, comfort, or additional features, but budget options can still provide the necessary functionality.” Read on to see our picks for the best budget home gym equipment in the game.
Our Best Budget Home Gym Equipment Pick
If you’re going to spend your hard-earned cash on one piece of budget home gym equipment, let it be the Bells of Steel All-in-One Trainer. You can get a lot of use out of this versatile machine. With the help of a few attachments, it can easily transition from cable machine to barbell rack. Plus, the X-style frame tucks into any corner for a space-saving footprint. The weight stack is included, so you can switch between 10 to 210 pounds of cable resistance.
Best Budget Home Gym Equipment: At a Glance
These are the best-quality, cheap workout equipment picks you need to spruce up your home gym, according to the experts.
How We Chose the Best Budget Home Gym Equipment
Our fitness crew of certified trainers and testers ran, squatted, lifted, and stretched using every piece of equipment on this list. Our testers have extensive experience testing budget and high-end equipment, so we made sure each piece was up to our strict fitness testing standards.
Our Tester’s Take
The Bells of Steel All-in-One Trainer is our reigning champion for anyone looking to stretch their dollar and maximize space. It has side and center pulleys for cable workouts, or you can add attachments to the uprights for barbell training. The weight stack option includes up to 210 pounds for cable resistance, but you’ll need to purchase weight plates separately if you want to use it as a barbell rack. Just make sure you buy some Tapcon+ screws or other mounting hardware to secure this trainer to the wall for your safety.
Our Tester’s Take
Kudos if you have room in your home gym for a commercial-grade dumbbell rack. But if you’re looking for something a bit more compact, the NordicTrack Select-a-Weight Adjustable Dumbbell set saves spaces without limiting your workout. One set, ranging from 10 to 55 pounds per dumbbell, is equivalent to 15 pairs of dumbbells. Our tester says swapping between weights with the sliding pin is a no-brainer, and the dumbbells adjust in 2.5-pound increments for strategic progressive overload. We also recommend taking advantage of the iFit program, an interactive fitness app that’s compatible with NordicTrack equipment (and an extra $33 per month), to follow along with world-class, trainer-led workouts.
Our Tester’s Take
If you’re looking to bring your powerlifting routine to the comfort of your home, the Titan T-2 Series Rack is a heavy-hitter. Use it for squats, pull-ups, bench presses, deadlifts, shoulder presses, and more, but our testers liked it best as a squat rack because of the high weight capacity, adjustable height, and sturdiness—which also makes it a solid option for pressing and benching if you want more of a complete workhorse of a machine. The rack holds up to 850 pounds of bar weight; you’ll just have to shop around for the barbell and weight plates.
Our Tester’s Take
The Rep Fitness AB-3100 is everything you’d want in a weight bench—a budget buy or otherwise. The back inclines up to 90 degrees to hit arms, chest, legs, or back, and the wheels make it easy to move around or combine with a functional trainer. The bench also has three legs instead of the standard four to limit floor real estate. We think the ladder adjustments are much more secure and user friendly than a pop-pin adjustment. Plus, it comes in four colors to add a bit of personality to your home gym.
Our Tester’s Take
Rep Fitness’s Iron Plates are amazing for pumping, well, iron. You can shop in pairs from 2.5 to 45 pounds, or mix the pairs up into a set between 175 and 455 pounds. A smooth, outer ring and six holes within the center of the plates make them easier to handle, transport, and rerack. They’re extremely durable, but being cast iron, they’ll damage your floor, the barbell, or your feet if they’re dropped or not handled with care.
Our Tester’s Take
The Horizon Fitness T101 treadmill is a great addition to any home gym. The running belt is the star of the show with strategically designed cushioning to provide soft, medium, and firm support based on where your feet make contact and need it most. The console has preset programs, or you can roll the dial on the handlebar to adjust the speed up to 10 mph (on the right) and the elevation up to 10% incline (on the left). You’ll also get Bluetooth connectivity and a spot to securely place your cell phone, whether you’re jamming to a cardio playlist or catching up on your favorite show.
Our Tester’s Take
Lululemon isn’t just an athletic wear shop with a dedicated following. You can also find tools for recovery, especially the Double Roller. The foam roller is basically two pieces for the price of one thanks to a clever nested design. Wavy ridges on the outer roller knead your tight muscles and are optimal for your arms and legs, while the interior ringed roller releases tension in your back with targeted pressure. Note: You can use the smaller, interior roller on its own, but you’ll need to nest them together to use the waved, larger roller.
Our Tester’s Take
Look, you’re not going to win any CrossFit competitions with Bala Bangles, but if you’re dealing with a slow-and-steady modality like Pilates, don’t underestimate adding three pounds to your eight-count movements. Bala Bangles add an extra challenge to your leg (or arm) workouts with one-, two-, and three-pound weight options. Adjust the snugness and secure the weights with their hook and loop fastener. Our tester used them in a variety of settings (e.g. Pilates, cycling, and outdoor walks) and attested to the tension they add—with the shaky legs to prove it.
Our Tester’s Take
Trideer’s extra-thick yoga exercise ball is a low-impact must-have, whether you use it for yoga, stretching, or core exercises—or you just want a more ergonomic seat for your desk. It comes in five sizes (we’d recommend the small or medium for hip mobility exercises). Best of all, the ball is encased in an anti-burst, heavy-duty PVC material to further the ball’s durability.
Our Tester’s Take
The Living.Fit 20kg Chrome Barbell is functional for leg, arm, and back day with or without added weight plates. Our tester notes that the knurling is comfortable enough for beginners, but more experienced powerlifters will probably want a deeper, more aggressive knurl, along with center knurling, which you won’t find here. The barbell also comes in a cerakote ceramic coating for an extra $25 to prevent scratches and maintain smoothness, but our tester notes it doesn’t make a huge difference because it still got scratched up after a few sessions.
Our Tester’s Take
When you hop on the Titan Fitness Fan Bike, it’s you versus air, literally. The bike uses wind as resistance, so the harder you pedal, the more the opposition builds. A fan guard on the flywheel prevents air from blasting on your face and legs, but it’s removable. Our tester points out that this is a chain-driven fan bike, so you might have to do a bit of routine lubricating and tightening to maintain a smooth ride. The console also isn’t the most comprehensive, but you can always dock your phone to follow along with an on-demand exercise bike workout.
Our Tester’s Take
When you’re all in on a serious ab-shredding core workout, grab a pair of Lululemon Workout Sliders. The double-sided sliders feature a fabric material to glide on hard floors on one side and a smooth plastic to use on carpet on the other. They’re only seven inches in diameter, but they aren’t very thick, so tender knees might prefer more cushion. You can use this duo for pretty much anything in your routine from abdominal strengthening to balance training.
Our Tester’s Take
From lower-body strength routines to pre-run warm-ups, the Iron Bull Strength Mini Bands are a versatile, portable home gym tool. They wrap securely anywhere from your quads to your hips for a targeted workout. The set of six ranges between an extra-light resistance to extra-extra heavy, so you can progress at a pace that works for you. Use them for strength training, isolation warm ups, or muscle rehab.
Our Tester’s Take
The Iron Bull Strength Kettlebells are handy weights for any workout split or conditioning day. They range from 9 pounds to 88 pounds, and the powder coating makes them easy to maneuver for exercises like snatches, with or without chalk. The grip thickness also ranges from 30mm to 40mm, depending on the weight, for a better in-hand feel. If you own multiple, you can easily reach for the one you need, thanks to the color-coded handles.
Our Tester’s Take
The Torque Tank M1 Push Sled combines cardio with strength training in one all-encompassing machine. It has three magnetic resistance levels—Speed Power, Acceleration Power, and Explosive Power—that adjust the faster you move. You can use it indoors or outdoors, and if you want to increase the difficulty, it holds a pair of dumbbells up to 25 pounds for added traction. The sled is also pretty versatile because you can add attachments, remove or adjust the handlebar, or fold and store it upright to act as an anchor for battle rope or resistance bands.
How We Tested the Best Budget Home Gym Equipment
If you’re building a home gym, you don’t want to eat up valuable real estate by picking equipment at random that you may never use. That’s where our extensive testing criteria comes in. This along with the help of certified personal trainers and athletes helped us determine which best budget home gym equipment is actually worth the investment. Each piece of equipment is judged based on three main factors: purpose, price, and value. Our fitness team rigorously assesses each machine, weight, and accessory to make sure the quality is up to par to meet your fitness needs.
While they’re doing the heavy lifting, we also analyze the nitty-gritty details like warranty, weight capacity, safety features, and specs so that you know what you’re signing up for. There’s a lot to consider when building your home gym, and if you want to read up on our equipment standards, check out our fitness testing methodology.
What to Look for in Budget Home Gym Equipment
Take that money you spent on an expensive gym membership and invest it in the best budget home gym equipment instead. Consider these factors to get the most out of your purchases.
Are you trying to beat a benching PR? Training for a marathon? Looking to increase mobility? Prioritize your fitness goals to figure out which home gym equipment can get you across the finish line.
You might not have the space for a fully stocked, 20-piece home gym, but with the right investments, you won’t need one. Look for equipment that will maximize your space, such as adjustable dumbbells or a multipurpose functional trainer.
Similar to space-saving equipment, you’ll want to buy equipment that spreads across sessions and muscle groups. For example, a weight bench or kettlebells are powerful tools for nearly every muscle group for both strength and conditioning, while a treadmill is generally viewed as a cardio-centered machine.
There’s a difference between price and value. Even if you’re on a budget, you don’t have to sacrifice durable materials, high-quality craftsmanship, and reasonable warranties.
Why Should You Build a Home Gym?
Even if you’re content with your local gym or fitness classes, a home gym is beneficial in ways you may not even realize. For one, it’s convenient to be able to work out anytime you’d like without a big commute. You don’t have to cough up a monthly membership fee unless you opt for accompanying fitness app subscriptions. At home, you’re not surrounded by the person taking up more space than they need or taking too much time on a certain cardio machine. There’s no intimidation factor, and you just can’t argue with the cleanliness of it all.
Start with This Home Gym Equipment
Eventually you might make your way to a luxurious home gym, but for now, start with the budget-friendly basics.
Adjustable Dumbbells and Kettlebells
Handheld weights come in pretty much every weight from two to 60 pounds. Dr. Gallucci recommends them for dynamic exercises, such as swings, squats, and presses.
Having a yoga or floor mat doesn’t just give you a soft cushion beneath your feet, it can also protect your floors from the impact of your weights. Choose one with a non-slip surface to add a safety element.
A pull-up bar is another versatile piece of budget home gym equipment if you’re not ready to commit to a functional trainer. “They’re perfect for upper body strength, particularly in the back, shoulders, and arms,” Dr. Gallucci says. For a faux cable machine, add resistance bands to the bar for pull-downs.
Dr. Gallucci also recommends resistance bands to work on strength training, mobility work, and injury prevention. They’re probably the most cost-effective tool you can buy, plus they’re portable and easy to store.
FAQ
What is the first thing to buy for a home gym?
Start with a set of dumbbells or kettlebells as the first addition to your home gym. These weights are versatile to use when targeting multiple muscle groups.
Is it cheaper to build a home gym than to have a gym membership?
Some gyms are relatively affordable at $10 a month, but that’s $120 per year (and that number only goes up for more expensive memberships). Buying a few quality pieces of home gym equipment that you’ll actually use can lead to long-term savings.
What gym equipment is best for home?
If you have a small workout space, dumbbells, kettlebells, or other small equipment is best for home. If you have more space, a cardio machine, power rack, or sled are all versatile options.
Is a home gym a good investment?
A home gym can be a great investment because it’s more convenient than commuting to a public gym, there’s more privacy, and you can customize your gym to align with your goals.
About the Expert
John Gallucci, MS, is a certified personal and athletic trainer and the CEO of JAG Physical Therapy. He also served as the Medical Coordinator for Major League Soccer (MLS), Head Trainer of the New York Red Bulls, and Sports Medicine consultant for the NHL, NBA, and MLB.
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