The best home gym gear

Nike 90kg barbell and plate set

These quality grind plates are made of at least 30 per cent leftover materials from Nike’s footwear manufacturing process, creating a multi-colour design where no two plates are alike.

Les Mills barbell set

This bar system is a relatively compact 131cm long with a maximum load of 45kg. It’s nifty for adding or removing weights – slide them on and click into place. Once finished, pull the grip to easily slide them off again. The weight plates can be used comfortably for exercises independently of the bar, which also comes with a 12-month free subscription to Les Mills+, providing access to 2,000 online workouts including strength, cardio, yoga, HIIT, Pilates, dance and martial arts.

Primal Pro Series hex bar

Rich Birkett, the professional rugby player-turned-strength and mobility coach (who is also a cycling buddy) highly recommends this trap bar for deadlifts. By shifting more of the load to the legs rather than the lower back, it’s a safer alternative to traditional barbells, while highly effective for building strength. It is also compact (at 144 cm in length) but can accommodate around three plates on each side, making it a good choice if you’re short on space at home.

Hydrow Wave Rower

Working nine different muscle groups, rowing is one of the best all-in-one strength and cardio low-impact workouts. This rowing machine is a smaller, lighter and more affordable version of the brand’s Pro model, and perfect for home use, but the spec is impressive: the 16in HD touchscreen streams more than 5,000 live or on-demand classes. The rowing feel is very smooth and near silent due to electromagnetic resistance, and the machine can be stowed upright against a wall to free-up space.

Lululemon double roller

This is two rollers in one. Use the softer exterior tube for working arms and legs (as well as sore muscles), then slide out the firmer interior roller for your back.

Again Faster Rival Series half rack

If you’ve got the wall space, a rack will supercharge a home gym setup enabling exercises such as bench press, squats and pull ups. This one is very sturdy with integrated weight-storage pegs.

Mirafit M350 adjustable weight bench

A flat, incline and decline bench (known as a “FID”) is the most versatile bench choice, and this one is highly adjustable, sturdy and stable.

TRX strength bands

Lightweight, portable and excellent for warm-ups, rehab or adding resistance to bodyweight exercises.

Wattbike Proton

This bike is competitively priced but equipped with the same internal workings as the brand’s premium Atom model (a bike that I’ve used for years). There’s a lot to like: a compact footprint means it tucks discreetly into the corner of a room, and it has a very solid construction, with smooth pedal action. It’s also relatively quiet and when in ERG mode works with Zwift and other training apps – but also pairs with the brand’s “hub” classes, which are free.

Echelon Stride-6 Auto-Fold connected treadmill

A good-sized, affordable running deck that is nicely cushioned, reasonably quiet and folds down to a height of just 25cm (allowing it to slip under a bed, or you can store it against a wall relatively discreetly). The downside is that there’s no integrated screen – you’ll need your own tablet to stream when working out.

Concept2 SkiErg

This space-saving SkiErg machine replicates the movements of Nordic skiing delivering a brilliant full-body, low-impact workout. The SkiErg is part of the kit used for the fitness craze Hyrox: a competition alternating 8km of running between eight functional workouts, pitting competitors against each other in an indoor setting.

Altrafit rubber-coated kettlebell

Kettlebells target several muscle groups at once in short bursts, and these ones are comfortable to handle and rubber coated, helping to protect home flooring. If you are unsure what set to get, a good selection for men would be 8kg, 12kg and 16kg – and 4kg, 8kg and 16kg for women.

Technogym Connected Dumbbells+

Two dumbbells take the place of 24 with a twist of the handle. Select a  desired weight from 2kg to 24kg in 2kg increments. The dumbbells have a built-in sensor that tracks movement and reps and, when paired with the brand’s app, an AI coach can suggest personalised exercises and weights best suited to your needs.

Monk Smart Ice Bath

Available from March 2025, this new self-cleaning (via ozone) ice bath cools water down to 3°C via the control panel or the Monk app. It’s fairly compact too at 160cm long by 70cm wide and 85cm high.

Withings Body Scan scales

An accurate set of scales with a 90-second scan that provides a detailed health analysis for up to eight users including fat and muscle-mass composition (segmented into the legs, torso and arms), nerve health assessment, cardiovascular health, and ECG. The data syncs with a Withings app that offers further insights, trends and (with a paid subscription) AI support.

KEFL 3 in 1 Soft Plyo jump box

This jump box is covered in non-slip PVC and filled to varying heights on three sides for a soft landing.