Small equipment
Best Adjustable Dumbbells: BowFlex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells
It’s the third year in a row (dating back to our inaugural Home Fitness Awards in 2022!) that these dumbbells—adjustable from 5 to 52.5 pounds in 2.5-pound increments—have brought home the gold. This year their glowing endorsement comes from judge Kellen Scantlebury, DPT, CSCS, who recommends them to all of his clients, especially those who live in apartments. “They’re sturdy and built to last,” he says. “You can have multiple weights and not take up so much space.”
Best Dumbbells: Bells of Steel Ergo Rubber Hex Dumbbells
If you prefer to own multiple sets of DBs, each a different weight, opt for these. With their ergonomic handles and rubber hexagonal heads, the Bells of Steel dumbbells impressed our experts and testers alike. They’re comfortable to use and help gradually progress your strength training: They’re available in 2.5-pound increments from 5 to 20 pounds, and then they jump up by 5 pounds for every pair up to 100 pounds.
Best Dumbbell Plates: Micro Gainz 1.25 lb. Dumbbell Fractional Weight Plates
Judge Tina Tang, CPT, loves these small plates for slow and steady progressive overload, which can be hard to practice when you’re working with a limited amount of equipment at home. “They’re ideal for people who don’t have adjustable dumbbells,” she says. Easily clip them onto the handle of your dumbbell (they’re compatible with most models!) and bam—you’ve got added resistance without too big of a jump.
Best Kettlebells: Rep Fitness Kettlebells
These have been Tang’s go-tos for the last few years. She considers them a great bang for your buck compared to other brands, and she appreciates that they come in in-between weights that are often harder to find. She loves that the handles are wider than the bell itself—they’re more comfortable to wrangle than competition-style kettlebells, which can sometimes feel too bulky for the everyday user.
Best Ankle Weights—Budget: Henkelion Adjustable Ankle Weights
Our tester bought these ankle weights six months ago because they weren’t “extraordinarily expensive” and looked like they could get the job done for her physical therapy exercises. Since, they’ve exceeded her expectations by a mile. “They’ve come in handy for a wider range of exercises than I anticipated,” she says. “They fasten securely, fit well around my ankles, legs, and wrists, and have a really soft outer layer that feels nice against my skin.”
Best Ankle Weights—Splurge: Bala Bangles
Willing to spend a little more money in the name of a cute mat setup? Bala is your brand. According to our tester, these cuffs are “a cute, easy way to feel like I’m making my everyday movement ‘count’ a little more.” She says they initially came in handy during the pandemic when she was doing Pilates classes from home and wanted a way to make them more challenging. Nowadays, she’ll strap them on for her hot girl walks. They’re available in one-, two-, and three-pound sizes and come with a color-coordinated carrying case that makes them easy to store (or show off at your next studio class).
Best Space-Saving Home Gym System: Kayezen Vector 1 System
Once you secure this tech-free resistance tool to an anchor point, it functions like a cable machine “without the big bulky equipment and at a fraction of the cost,” Dr. Scantlebury says. It’s all you need to get a great workout at home: Use it for strength training moves like chest presses and rows, as well as flexibility and mobility exercises like hip and shoulder rotations, spinal twists, and lower-back stretches.
Best Mini-Band Set: Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands
Our tester has had her Fit Simplify Resistance Loops for the last four years and they’re still going strong in her home and gym workouts—no pun intended. The set consists of five bands, each with a different resistance level. They’re sturdy, portable, available in several cute color schemes, and just $20.
Best Mini-Band: Committed Hp The Better Band
The Better Band is a wonderfully well-made, inclusive piece of fitness gear—and thus it’s making its second Home Fitness Awards appearance this year. The fabric won’t pinch skin, and a hook-and-loop closure lets you increase or decrease the circumference of the band as you please. “I love that I can hook it on, versus wiggle it on like a pair of stockings,” Summers says. With the ability to adjust, you’ll also get greater control over the level of tension.
Best Yoga Mat: Manduka Pro Yoga Mat 6mm
A high-quality yoga mat like the Manduka Pro will last for years—one instructor described it as “the Rolls Royce of yoga mats”—so it’s worth the investment if you practice regularly. It’s thick, durable, and extremely grippy: Your hands won’t shift in downward-facing dog, and the mat itself won’t slide around the floor during faster-paced flows. Plus it’s made of closed-cell material, which prevents sweat from soaking in. (No one likes a smelly mat.)
Best Yoga Mat: Lululemon The Mat 5mm
Who doesn’t want options? This expert-approved, reversible mat is smooth on one side and textured on the other. Our tester was particularly impressed by its grip: “This is the only yoga mat I’ve ever tried that doesn’t make my hands slip,” she says. “It also has just the right amount of cushion to be comfortable—especially on my knees—without making me feel unstable.”
Best Yoga Blocks: Manduka Cork Yoga Block
Cork yoga blocks tend to be sturdier than foam ones, offering modifications that can make your asanas more accessible and stabilize a variety of balancing poses. Case in point: Our tester says these help bring the floor to her in poses like half moon and triangle. She also breaks them out any time she wants to feel more support, placing them under her knees or sacrum when lying on her back. “I feel really grounded when I use this block, which is exactly the purpose of yoga,” she says.
Best Big Mat: Yo Gorilla Mats Premium Large Exercise Mat
Tang uses her Gorilla Mat to create a dedicated exercising area inside her apartment without resorting to utilitarian-looking gym floor tiles. She loves that it’s padded enough for stretching and yoga, but sticky enough for lifting and HIIT. And, at six-by-four-feet, it provides enough space to support your entire body.
Best All-Purpose Mat: All in Motion Premium Fitness Mat 15mm
If you’d rather not drop $100-plus on a workout surface, you’re in luck: Our tester has had this thick, cushy All in Motion mat for three years and swears by it. She’s used it indoors and outdoors, for yoga and stretching, and on uneven floors like carpeting and decks. She says it performs well pretty much wherever she takes it and prevents pressure from building in her hands, knees, and feet.
Best Bench for Small Spaces: Rep Fitness AB-3100 Adjustable Weight Bench
A workout bench might seem like a sleepy thing to shop for, but Dr. Scantlebury says it’s a key piece for upper and lower body exercises—and this adjustable model from Rep Fitness is an exemplary choice. “I love its durability and stability,” he says. “You can perform step ups on it without worrying that it will flip over. From a safety perspective, it’s a great option!”
Best Multipurpose Bench: Reebok Deck
With over 20 different configurations and a textured surface that prevents slipping, Reebok’s Deck can serve as a bench, step, or incline for your workouts. Tang appreciates its versatility and lighter weight, noting that it’s a great option if you’re short on space or want to store other equipment when not in use. (It can decline to be completely flat, and it has an internal compartment for small gear like resistance bands).
Best Step: Yes4All Adjustable Workout Aerobic Exercise Step
Step workouts are alive and well—and they’re a blast to do at home with this adjustable platform. Our tester says it’s durable and sturdy through an Xtreme Hip Hop with Phil class. “It’s a new, fun way to exercise if you’re totally sick of using a bike or some other home workout (like I am!),” she says. You can set its height to four, six, or eight inches, and it can support up to 300 pounds.
Best Space-Saving Dumbbell Rack: Cap A-Frame Dumbbell Weight Rack
Your dumbbell set doesn’t have to take up tons of floor space if you stack them in Cap’s vertical storage rack. It saves room, makes it easy to quickly grab DBs, and is built to last. “Sometimes weight trees can be flimsy or are made for small weights, but this can hold some medium-size ones,” our tester says. “I have 10s, 15s, 20s, 25s, and 30s on it, and I have had it for years, and it’s never been a problem.”
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