Building muscle and losing weight is all about consistency, whether you train at home or in the gym.
If you struggle to find time to go to the gym, the best home gym equipment can help you crush your fitness goals in 2026.
2
It’s easier to stick to a fitness plan when the barrier to starting is low, so turning a spare corner into a home gym training nook removes excuses and saves time.
Whether you want to build strength, boost cardio or lose fat, the right fitness equipment should help you turn good intentions into a routine you will keep.
Think adjustable dumbbells, smart bikes, a fitness mirror, and recovery tools that are compact or well-designed and aesthetically pleasing, so they fit into your home without dominating your space.
The fitness enthusiasts in the talkSPORT.com shopping team turned our own homes into test spaces and lifted, squatted and lunged our way to find the best buys.
How we tested
To test home gym equipment properly, we turned living rooms, spare rooms and garages into real training spaces and followed each product’s guidance.
2
Dripex steel adjustable dumbbells 5kg – 25kg, £149.99
We followed the instructions provided with each item to shape our workouts, alternating between quick 15-minute segments and longer, endurance-testing workouts to assess whether the equipment could help us improve fitness over time.
We noted setup time, clarity of manuals and videos, equipment size and how easily we could pack it away afterwards.
During use, we assessed stability, noise, comfort and ergonomics, resistance accuracy, smoothness of motion, and safety features of dumbbells and machines.
For smart gear, we checked app reliability, tracking accuracy, class quality and how motivating the coaching felt after a long day.
Best home gym equipment at a glance
Best home gym equipment 2026
Gymproluxe band and bar set 2.0
Gymproluxe band and bar set 2.0, £99.99 (was £175)
Pros:
- Compact
- Includes travel bag
- Variety of classes / workouts on the Gymproluxe app
- Adjustable for different strength / fitness levels
Cons:
- Only goes up to 90kg of resistance
Rating: 5/5
| Equipment weight: | 2.5kg |
| Dimensions: | 17.6 x 55.9 x 8.2 cm |
| Materials: | Steel, latex, nylon |
| Cost at time of writing: | £99 |
| Included: | Free Access To The Gymproluxe App, bar, padded exercise belt, six resistance tubes, carry bag |
If you want to work all your muscles but don’t have the space for a squat rack, a weight bench, and barbells, the Gymproluxe band and bar set 2.0 will soon be your new best friend.
I was sceptical before I tried it, having used resistance bands in lockdown with limited success, but Gymproluxe has developed a complete system designed to help you get the most out of your workouts and progressively load your muscles up to 90kg.
In terms of hardware, my set arrived in a relatively small box, with the bands, the two-piece bar and a fabric carry case.
In the box, you get 2 x 22lb / 10kg white bands, 2 x 33lb / 15kg green bands and 2 x 44lb / 20kg black bands.
That means if you use all the bands, you’re getting up to 90kg / 200lb of resistance.
Struggling to know what to do with it, I opened the Gymproluxe app, which offers lifetime free access after purchasing Gymproluxe equipment.
To say the app content blew me away was an understatement.
I spent more than 30 minutes browsing the app, saving videos I liked and putting together a weekly workout plan.
As I’m not a powerlifter, I found 90kg more than enough for my needs, and I felt genuinely challenged when using it for deadlifts, squats, donkey kicks, and hip thrusts.
For upper-body workouts, it was ideal for chest flies, biceps curls, and bench presses.
As an alternative to the gym, it’s a no-brainer: I could squeeze in a challenging strength workout in 30 minutes without waiting for gym equipment, cleaning down stations, or adjusting weights on machines or barbells.
If I only had the budget for one piece of home fitness equipment in 2026, it’d be the Gymproluxe band and bar set 2.0.
Zwift Ride with Kickr Core 2
Zwift Ride with Kickr Core 2, £899.99 (was £1,099.99)
Pros:
- Incredible and immersive workout,
- Challenging for all levels
- Easy set-up
- Great community
Cons:
- Tough learning curve at the start
- Subscription-based (but worth it)
Rating: 5/5
| Equipment weight: | 19.7 kg |
| Dimensions: | 59.7 x 52 x 47 cm |
| Materials: | Steel |
| Cost at time of writing: | £899.99 |
| Included: | Zwift Ride smart frame, Wahoo KICKR CORE 2 with Zwift Cog |
Having owned a multitude of home fitness equipment in the past, nothing has impressed me quite as much as the Zwift Ride with Kickr Core 2.
This smart bit of kit combines a formidable cycling challenge with an interactive and immersive live game where you can race others and even conquer real-world courses from your very home.
Despite what looks to be a difficult set-up, the Zwift Ride and Kickr Core are very easy to assemble, taking me less than an hour to get up and running.
From there, it’s simply a case of choosing your preferred workout and diving into the interactive world.
No matter whether you’re a newer cyclist like me or an experienced rider, Zwift has an incredible number of courses and tracks to choose from.
This means, no matter your ability level, you’ll always be able to challenge yourself and track your results.
There’s a lot more to be said about Zwift, so for the full rundown, be sure to check out my Zwift Ride review.
Review by Jack Strong
Echelon Reflect 50″ smart fitness mirror
Echelon Reflect 50″ smart fitness mirror, £699 (was £1,799)
Pros:
- Great variety of live and on-demand classes
- Easy to install and set-up
- Options for quick classes lasting 15 minutes
- Works as a regular mirror when not in use
Cons:
- Some classes require other equipment like dumbbells
- Quite expensive
Rating: 4.5/5
| Equipment weight: | 24 kg |
| Dimensions: | 127 x 50.8 x 5.1 cm |
| Materials: | Nano crystal coated, fingerprint-resistant glass |
| Cost at time of writing: | £699 |
| Included: | Echelon Reflect smart mirror, 30 days free access to Echelon Premier app |
The Echelon Reflect 50″ smart fitness mirror looks like a regular mirror at first glance, but this unobtrusive, slimline device is a gateway to a world of workout classes.
Thanks to a 32 inch 1080p touch screen, you can swipe through thousands of live and on-demand workout classes until you find something motivating and enjoyable.
For each class, the instructor appears on the glass while your reflection appears alongside, allowing you to copy the instructor’s form and check alignment in real time.
It’s an investment buy, even though it’s currently reduced by more than £1,000 from £1,799 to £699, but if you use it five times a week for a year, it works out to £2.69 per use, which is a fraction of the cost of a PAYG fitness class or a monthly gym membership.
I was a little disappointed that there was no feedback on my form, given the cost, but I was impressed by the quality of the classes.
HIIT, strength and kickboxing had a variety of class lengths and intensities, plus adaptations were made in the class for beginners and advanced users.
After doing HIIT classes five times a week for two weeks, I started to actually look forward to taking 20 minutes out to move my body, and I noticed that I felt more alert and focused during the day if I did a class in the morning.
However, I found the Echelon Reflect most useful for yoga, Pilates and mobility, which I don’t always make time for.
Seeing the mirror on my wall meant I couldn’t use the excuse of time or the cost of a class preventing me from stretching.
I mostly did this in the evening, which meant I used the mirror twice a day, and the effect on my sleep was remarkable.
My Garmin watch started giving me sleep scores in the 90s when I’d done an evening Pilates, yoga or barre workout, compared to around 85 on the days where I hadn’t.
As it takes up hardly any room, it’s simple to install and there are options for users with different types of goals and fitness levels, I think the mirror is definitely worth the cost – especially if you get it now while it’s on sale at £699 on the Echelon website.
Read my full Echelon Reflect 50″ smart mirror review here
Dripex steel adjustable dumbbells 5kg – 25kg
Dripex steel adjustable dumbbell pair 5kg – 25kg, £149.99
Pros:
- Easy to adjust weights
- Attractive stainless steel design
- Easier to store than individual dumbbells
Cons:
Rating: 4.5/5
| Equipment weight: | Up to 50 kg ( 2 x 25 kg) |
| Dimensions: | 25.5 x 8cm x 8cm |
| Materials: | Stainless steel |
| Cost at time of writing: | £171.99 |
| Included: | Two 25kg dumbbells, each with 2.5kg X 6, 4.5kg X 2 plates and 1kg handle |
My problem with using dumbbells at home is that once you get comfortable with a specific weight, you have to upgrade to a heavier set.
The Dripex adjustable dumbbell lets you do this space-savingly by adjusting the weight of one dumbbell, rather than buying and storing multiple dumbbells of different weights.
Made from stainless steel, I thought these looked just as good as the weights I’d find in the gym – no neoprene or plastic builds here.
The weights can be adjusted in 2.5kg increments, meaning I had between 5kg to 25kg of weight (with 10kg, 15kg or 20kg as other options).
Admittedly, this is not enough for lower body strength training work on the glutes, quads and hamstrings, but it’s great for strength and conditioning workouts if you’re trying to build strength to complement another hobby, like running.
Using the 20kg was more than enough for walking lunges and step-ups, helping me develop the muscles that I use for running so that I’m less likely to pick up injuries through imbalances and weakness.
As I’m not that strong in my upper body, these dumbbells were also useful for bicep and tricep curls, shoulder presses and reverse rows.
I also liked that the dumbbell handle is grooved, making it easy and quite comfortable to grip and I never needed to stop and adjust my grip or noticed friction marks on my palms.
It was simple to switch between different weights and I thought the shiny silver colour looked so smart that I often left them on display in the corner (as a motivation to use them), even though they would have easily fitted into any cupboard.
CORENGTH cast iron kettlebell 12kg
CORENGTH cast iron kettlebell 12kg, £29.99
Pros:
- Use the freeletics app for training inspiration
- Rubber base protects impacts on floors
- Ergonomic handle for easy grip
- Can be used for a variety of workouts
Cons:
- You’re likely to need more than one weight
- Bulkier than dumbbells
| Equipment weight: | 12 kg |
| Dimensions: | 22.3 x 22.3 x 14.2 cm |
| Materials: | Cast iron, rubber |
| Cost at time of writing: | £29.99 |
| Included: | One 12kg kettlebell, Freeletics app access |
Rating: 4.3/5
A classic cast iron kettlebell is a versatile staple for strength and cardio.
This 12kg CORENGTH kettlebell balances well with a flat base and a handle that has decent clearance.
I put it through swings, goblet squats, cleans and Turkish get-ups and it felt steady with a grippy finish that did not chew up my hands.
Short, punchy sessions slotted neatly into busy days and using it for swings raised my heart rate fast.
At the start, I used it to follow YouTube tutorials, where it was quite easy to find free programs to follow to improve fitness if you follow them for a set period like 28 days.
My one dislike is that it is fairly bulky for a single weight and, at only 12kg, you will likely need lighter options for arm work and heavier bells for leg strength to progress.
At £30, it’s a decent-quality, affordable strength-training option, but if you’re looking for a long-term way of sculpting muscle, I recommend paying more for adjustable dumbbells that adapt as you improve without taking up much space.
FitBeast doorway pull-up bar
FitBeast doorway pull-up bar, £39.99
Pros:
- Easy to install (no drilling required)
- Great for mobility micro-sets while WFH
- Offers multiple grip options
Cons:
- Fiddly to take down in tighter frames
| Equipment weight: | 2.13 kg |
| Dimensions: | 71 x 9 x 6.2 cm |
| Materials: | Steel alloy, metal, plastic |
| Cost at time of writing: | £39.99 |
| Included: | Pull-up bar, non-slip foam to aid grip |
Rating: 4.2/5
A doorway pull-up bar is a simple way to build upper-body strength at home without drilling into walls, and the FitBeast slots into a standard frame to give multiple grip options.
I set it up in minutes in the doorway of my home office and planned to use it to relieve the tension in my lats and shoulders during the working day, hoping that this would leave me less stiff in the evening.
However, it was so much more useful than I imagined it would be, as I enjoyed the feeling of hanging around and started to explore other things to do with it.
I ended up doing strict pull-ups and chin-ups (with the help of a resistance band to take my weight), neutral-grip pulls and hanging knee raises.
Using it made me feel like I was a kid playing on the monkey bars in the playground, so it never felt like a chore.
It was something I wanted to use, rather than something I felt I had to use, which meant I used it more often.
After a few weeks, I could see more definition in my shoulders and upper back and even some core improvements.
Having it in the doorway nudged me to add small sets throughout the day, which was ideal for loosening stiff shoulders during working from home days hunched over a laptop.
My one dislike is that getting it down can be a bit fiddly in a tight frame, as you need to angle and wiggle it out to avoid scuffing paint.
However, at £39.99, it is excellent value if you want convenient strength work and shoulder mobility in a small space.
CORENGTH weight training band
CORENGTH weight training band, £4.99
Pros:
- Low-cost
- Adds scalable resistance to bodyweight moves
- Easy to store out of sight
- Portable and travel-friendly
Cons:
- Limited max resistance versus free weights
- Tension feels different to dumbbells/barbells
Rating: 4/5
| Equipment weight: | 0.35 kg |
| Dimensions: | 104 x 1 x 0.6 cm |
| Materials: | Latex rubber, synthetic rubber |
| Cost at time of writing: | £4.99 |
| Included: | Pull-up bar, non-slip foam to aid grip |
If you’re short on cash for home gym equipment, this is the most affordable buy.
You cannot get much for £5 these days, but you can get this genuinely useful CORENGTH weight training band.
Using a band adds resistance beyond bodyweight, which helps tone and build muscle.
I tried the 5kg band across a variety of exercises, including shoulder presses, rows, face pulls and banded pull-aparts.
The lighter resistance is ideal for activating the shoulders and upper back before a run or weights session, and for ironing out desk-induced stiffness.
For rows and presses, the band felt smooth with a consistent pull, and I liked that I could easily change the challenge by stepping further away or shortening my grip.
It’s kind on the joints, too, making it a handy option for rehabbing niggles or adding time under tension without loading heavy.
I stored it under my desk, to prompt me to use it during screen breaks, which massively reduced the shoulder pain that I suffer from at night.
After two weeks of pull-aparts and presses, I no longer needed to shift around as much in bed to find a comfortable position for my neck and shoulders.
The trade-off is progression.
At 5kg it is brilliant for activation, mobility and higher rep work, but you will need heavier bands for lower body moves, assisted pull-ups or tougher rows, and buying multiple resistances does bump up the overall cost.
Bodi by Beachbody app
Bodi by Beachbody app, 14-day free trial then £89 for 3 months
Pros:
- Huge programme library
- Can answer a questionnaire for a free personalised plan
- Lots of 10‑minute classes for low‑motivation days
- Trainers are inspiring
Cons:
- US coaching style won’t suit everyone
- Subscription is pricey if you don’t use it frequently
Rating: 4/5
| Equipment weight: | Depends on smart phone you’re using it with |
| Dimensions: | n/a |
| Materials: | n/a |
| Cost at time of writing: | £89.99 every 3 months |
| Included: | Unlimited access to 1000s of classes, personalised workout plan |
Bodi is a training app built around named programmes and studio-style classes, so there is always a clear next step.
The library includes classics like Insanity for HIIT, P90X for strength and conditioning, T25 for short high intensity sessions, 21 Day Fix for simple strength with portion guidance, Barre Blend for low impact and MBF and MBFA for dumbbell strength.
There are also BODi Blocks and Super Blocks, which are four week calendars that refresh popular plans.
Honestly, it’s tougher and more sweat-inducing than any workout I’ve ever done in the gym and I needed serious willpower not to stop midway through and give up.
One thing that kept me going was looking at the beautiful bodies of the trainers on screen and telling myself that would be me if I kept going.
Another was that there are hundreds of 10-minute workouts.
When motivation was low, I clicked on a 10-minute workout, got in the mood and then decided to stay for a longer one.
The trainers, although very American, are also very funny in a cliched way, shouting out motivational phrases to get you through when you can’t manage another burpee.
I was proud of myself when I finished 28 days of Insanity workouts and my smartwatch patted me on the back too, notifying me that my VO2 max had gone up by a point – a clear indication that the program had boosted my cardio fitness.
If you commit to a programme, the subscription offers good value for guided training that’s motivating and something you’re likely to stick to.
YogiFi Smart Mat Gen3
YogiFi Smart Mat Gen3, £200.10 (was £250.38)
Pros:
- Real-time yoga tracking
- Helpful app with guides
- Well-padded
- Easy to track progress
Cons:
- Hard to roll back up
- Expensive
- AI search feature seems a touch pointless
Rating: 3.9/5
| Equipment weight: | 1.5 kg |
| Dimensions: | 182 x 66 x 0.6 cm |
| Materials: | Thermoplastic Elastomers |
| Cost at time of writing: | £200.10 |
| Included: | Yoga mat, smart sensor, connectivity with the YogiFi app |
As someone who has always struggled with flexibility and general tightness and soreness from weights and jiu jitsu, this YogiFi Smart Mat Gen3 has certainly helped me improve my physical wellness.
The mat itself is robust and comes with a number of built-in sensors that deliver real-time information to the app to help you correct your form and posture.
Not only that, but thanks to the helpful app, I was able to practice and follow goal-driven workouts to help me improve.
I particularly enjoyed following some of the beginner-focused options, as I felt they were more within my skillset compared to some of the YouTube guides I’ve attempted.
While there is plenty of value in this mat, there are a few caveats.
The first of which is the price; this is by no means a cheap product, and the appeal certainly might be lost on more experienced users.
Also, while the carry case is super handy, it was a little bit of a faff to roll the mat thin enough to get it back in.
Overall, this YogiFi Smart Mat Gen3 is a great product, but it’s certainly more catered to beginners like me.
Review by Jack Strong
For more of the latest shopping deals and reviews of the latest products from top brands, visit the talkSPORT shopping homepage.
