Let’s face it: Ever since the coronavirus pandemic hit the globe like a ton of bricks in March, working out at home has been the one option that everyone has in terms of staying fit. Different states in the U.S. and countries around the world are at different stages of dealing with the crisis and reopening gyms, but if one thing’s for certain, it’s a good investment to bolster your own home training arsenal.
By now, you’ve probably got the basics — resistance bands, maybe a few dumbbells, a yoga mat, and so on. But if you’re serious about making progress in quarantine and beyond, it’s worth going beyond that. That’s why we’ve put together a selection of some of our favorite home workout tools. From cardio machines and strength-training equipment to headphones and recovery tools, these items will enhance your workouts and save you space.
Read on for our current home gym must-haves.
1 of 11
Courtesy Bowflex
Bowflex SelectTech 840 Kettlebells
If you’re a fan of the convenience and utility that a set of selectable weight dumbbells can give you, check out the new Bowflex SelectTech 840 Kettlebells. They offer 8 to 40 lbs, all easily clicked in with the chunky rubberized dial on top, and replace six standard bells.
We loved that the weights are all hidden inside the tough plastic shell and never felt or heard any rattling around when doing dynamic moves like swings—they feel solid as a regular kettlebell and the thick, smooth handle fits your hand just as you’d expect. For basically the same price as six kettlebells in the same weights, you get a space-saving solution that’s a home gym must (definitely spring for a set, you’re gonna want two).
The Jaybird Vista True Wireless Earbuds are meant to withstand any conditions. They’re sweatproof, waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof, which sound like adjectives to describe combat boots rather than cutting-edge audio technology. But what we find most incredible is how comfortable and stable they are — and how great these little buds sound. And unless you want your neighbors to bump along to your workout jams, earbuds are a must.
Some true wireless earbuds look bulky or feel as though they’re teetering on the edge of your ears even as you’re just standing still. But these aren’t going anywhere, and they’re so lightweight that you might forget you even had them in if music weren’t blaring in your ears. Speaking of which, you can create a custom EQ that’s personalized to your ears (or choose from a selection of presets) in the Jaybird app. For tiny earbuds, the range of sound is seriously impressive no matter what your go-to genre is.
The buds themselves boast a 6-hour battery life, and the incredibly compact carrying case holds 10 hours of charge. The case and buds take two hours to fully charge, but popping the buds into the case for 5 minutes will give you an hour of playtime. Overall, they’re definitely worth the price tag.
A sandbag is a great multi-purpose tool to have in a home gym. It’s versatile, lending itself to everything from deadlifts to overhead presses and everything in between. A well-made sandbag like those from Brute force has plenty of handles to grip no matter what movement you’re doing, and they have options ranging from bags that can be filled with as between 5 to 25 pounds of sand to bags that hold between 50 and 125 pounds of sand.
Our favorite is the Athlete Sandbag, which can be filled with anywhere from 25 to 75 pounds. If that sounds light, you’ll be surprised how heavy even a 25-pound bag feels when you’re first starting out.
If you’re not prioritizing your pre- and post-workout routine to avoid injury and prep your body to train and recovery better, what the hell are you waiting for? Hyperice’s Hypervolt is a Bluetooth-equipped massage gun that removes the guesswork out of your warm-up, recovery, and maintenance routines by allowing you to follow along with video tutorials that range anywhere from five to 20+ minutes via Hyperice’s app.
One oversight we found was that the app tells you which of the five massage heads to use before starting the routine, but you’re not prompted to change heads during the routine. So for those of us who have the attention span of a gnat, it’s an annoying oversight. (For those who want to do their own thing, the device comes with a one-pager that explains which head is best for which body parts.)
Still, the app’s usefulness, three-hour battery life, three operating speeds, and the relatively quiet operation makes it a solid pickup.
A non-motorized curved treadmill — a machine powered by the runner’s movement — is a big purchase for a home gym, but for runners who want more HIIT workouts, it’s a less soul-sucking option that comes with added training benefits compared to motorized varieties. Studies have shown that curved manual treadmills do a better job of getting your heart rate up and boosting the intensity compared to traditional treadmills.
However, the tradeoff is that manual treadmills can also place more stress on the joint. So if you’re planning to go all Prefontaine in your home gym, consider running outside and skipping this purchase.
This model from Xebex is one we tested and have used regularly for the better part of a year. It’s easy to set up and is on par with Assault’s manual treadmill in terms of price and features — you can connect a device via Bluetooth, there is a cup holder and a smartphone clip, and you can monitor stats such as speed, distance, pace, and calories — and costs a few grand less than Woodway’s model.
It may not be workout equipment, but the Dara scale by FitTrack makes this list because it can help you keep tabs on your progress in far more detail than a regular scale. With four electrodes that send low-level, safe electrical signals through your body, the scale tracks 17 health measurements. From weight to body fat and muscle mass percentage, it’s all stored in a connected phone app.
The app displays all 17 stats each time you weigh yourself, but it also lets you look at charts for each individual measure to see your daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly progress.
Want to take your bodyweight workouts to the next level? POWERHANDZ, an athletic training and rehabilitation company, have created a weighted bodysuit and gloves to help intensify whatever training session you’re working through.
The suit, which comes in all sizes, puts an additional 10 pounds on your frame, and the gloves improves strength in the hand and arm muscles — helping you get even more out of your lifting sessions.
This exercise bike might not come with all the bells and whistles that some of the premium brands have, but that’s exactly why we like it. LeikeFitness’ X-Bike model is simple and easy to assemble — and it’s compact so it fits in the largest home gym as well as inside any tiny urban apartment.
Another amazing feature of this bike is that it’s quiet — you don’t get the foot trample that you experience on so many other models once you start really pedaling. The LCD screen is a bit simple, and the heart rate monitor isn’t the best but those are features we can overlook since it’s so effective at letting us get in a quick cardio session from the comfort of our living room.
If you’re looking for an all-over workout and to hone in on your conditioning, look no further than the TechnoGym SkillRow. TechnoGym has been the fitness equipment supplier for six Olympic Games, so you know you’re getting quality here.
The built-in MultiDrive technology also allows for a higher resistance workout, switching the workout from a cardio session to a power training one with just the click of a button.
Although you might get sticker shock at its $3,080 listing price, keep in mind that includes shipping and installation, and a two-year warranty.
Many smart gyms require expensive in-home setups — that’s not the case with HyFit. This resistance band system comes with sensors that track your workout via an app to keep you on track with your weight loss or muscle-building goals, and it can be brought anywhere for a workout on the go thanks to the sturdy anchor included in the package.
Don’t just take our word for it though — with an average 4.8 star rating, HyFit has been enjoyed by fitness buffs everywhere.
Looking to keep your gym space tidy? Just like you did with Bowflex’s adjustable dumbbells, you can now ditch preloaded barbells and curl bars with the purchase of their hybrid option that features SelectTech adjustable weights up to 120 pounds.
The rack is easy to assemble, durable, and has a relatively small footprint (59.3” length x 11.7” width x 12.7” height). Reracking or swapping bars is effortless — just dial the weight down to the lowest setting and swap out one bar for the other. When you’re ready for your set, you have an option to boost or lower the weights by increments of 10 pounds, with max of 120 pounds.
There’s also a media rack for you to stash your iPad or smartphone, so there’s no need to prop it up with whatever you have laying around if you want to follow a video workout routine.
