Kitting your house out on a budget? Check out our pick of the best cheap home gym equipment…
If you’re looking for the best home gym equipment that won’t break the bank, we’ve got you covered with our favourite cheap yet effective picks. Whether you have a dedicated gym space in your loft, garage or spare room or a collection of dumbbells at the end of your bed, you’ll benefit from having gym equipment at home to add some regularity to your workouts.
In our current climate, it’s more difficult than ever to justify forking out for pricey membership plans every month, meaning more and more people are turning to their home gyms to get their weekly workout fix.
We’ve put together the best cheap picks to equip your home gyms so you can keep making gains without making a sizeable hole in your bank account. All our picks for the best cheap home gym equipment cost $65 / £50 or less, including dumbbells and kettlebells.
So, for the price of your monthly gym membership, you can start creating a fitness suite at home that will last for years to come.
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Best cheap home gym equipment
- Resistance bands – Myprotein 11-Piece Band Set, myprotein.com
- Foam rollers – Myprotein Muscle Roller, myprotein.com
- Skipping ropes – Freeletics Jump Rope, freeletics.com (international shipping available)
- Dumbbells – Domyos Corength Hex Dumbbell 16.5lb / 7.5kg, decathlon.co.uk (not yet available in the US)
- Kettlebells – Mirafit Soft-Touch Cast-Iron Kettlebells, amazon.com (not yet available in the US)
- Gym balls – Body Power Exercise Ball, fitness-superstore.co.uk (not yet available in the US)
- Exercise mats – Body Power Never Quit Fitness Mat, amazon.co.uk (not yet available in the US)
Myprotein 11-Piece Band Set
Best resistance band set
| Resistance: | 10lb (4.5kg), 20lb (9.1kg), 30lb (13.6kg), 40lb (18.1kg), 50lb (22.7kg) |
| Colour: | Black |
| Number of bands: | 5 |
| Features: | Leg straps, door anchor |
OVERALL RATING: 4/5
If you’re looking for cheap home gym equipment, the Myprotein 11-Piece Band Set is one of the best resistance band sets available for beginners in our opinion. It’s big on bands and value, and ships with five tube bands, two handles, two leg straps and a door anchor, tucked away in a breathable net bag.
The five different-coloured bands range from 10lb (4.5kg) to 50lb (22.7kg) in resistance. Each end of each band features a carabiner (clamp), which we found easy enough to latch onto a handle, a leg strap or the door anchor. We tried wrapping the leg strap around the ankle for abductor, adductor and glute exercises, as well as using the handles on both sides for shoulder and chest presses. All in all, we got a great workout using these bands.
The Myprotein 11-Piece Band Set might not be as high resistance as some of the competition, but for constant tension and high rep range conditioning, we would say the five bands – which can be doubled up for extra resistance – are good value and work a treat.
- Read our full Myprotein 11-Piece Band Set review
Myprotein Muscle Roller
Best foam roller
OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5
Gym kit doesn’t get much simpler than the humble foam roller. Yet pound for pound, we’d say it’s one of the most effective pieces of equipment you can buy. Offering deep-tissue self-massage, it’s a key warm-up and cool-down weapon in the fight against muscle soreness and injury and a key part of the recovery process.
You might think all foam rollers look and feel the same but we found this one from Myprotein has just the right balance between rigidity and softness with a good mix of grooves and bumps to deliver effective deep tissue massage where you need it most.
- See our full roundup of the best foam rollers
Freeletics Jump Rope
Best skipping rope
| Materials: | Steel rope core, polyurethane rope shell with aluminium handles |
| Handle weight: | 3.7oz / 105g |
| Thickness: | 1in / 2.5cm |
| Length: | 9ft 10in / 3m |
| Features: | Adjustable length, anti-slip handles, high-speed bearings |
| Included: | Training with Jump Rope – Fundamentals ebook and carry pouch |
OVERALL: 5/5
High-speed bearings, a lightweight construction and an ultra-thin rope make the Freeletics Jump Rope a top choice for speed work.
The 6.7in (17cm) long aluminium handles are svelte but we found them easy to grip thanks to their anti-slip coating – even after an intense 20-minute session. We also found there was far less pressure on the forearms, due to their low weight, so they’re perfect for double-unders.
You can discover various jump rope exercises with the Freeletics app, and nail your technique with the included Training with Jump Rope – Fundamentals ebook.
- Read our full Freeletics Jump Rope review
DOMYOS Corength Hex Dumbbell 16.5lb / 7.5kg
Best dumbbell set
OVERALL: 4.5/5
This fixed dumbbell from Decathlon wraps a hexagonal iron frame up in rubber for a more stable design than round plates, and a pair of 16.5lb (7.5kg) weights will set you back under £60. It’s a cheap and space-saving setup for dedicated weight training and functional workouts.
We found the knurled metal handle to be a good size to wrap your hands around. Weight options range from 5.5lb-50lb (2.5kg-22.5kg), so it sits at the lighter end of the weight spectrum. The hex plate design makes it ideal for floor-based dumbbell exercises like renegade rows and dumbbell press-ups, because the flat sides of the weights will stay put as you work away.
The all-black design gives it an attractive, low-key look and despite being cheap, we would say that the Corength Hex feels built to be used and abused, making it some of the best home gym equipment you can buy on a budget.
- For regular strength sessions these are the best dumbbell sets for home workouts
Mirafit Soft-Touch Cast-Iron Kettlebells
Best kettlebell
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| Weight range: | 13.2lb to 70.5lb / 6kg to 32kg |
| Number of weights: | 9 |
| Features: | Weld-free cast-iron construction / full set available with storage rack |
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Mirafit’s powder-coated cast iron bells are well worth considering if you’re looking to build a collection on a budget. Starting at under £20, the range offers a selection of nine kettlebells, weighing between 13.2lb (6kg) and a whopping 70.5lb (36kg). Plus, you can also buy them in a set for added savings – ideal for kitting out your home gym on a budget.
Underneath that protective coating, there’s a durable single-cast, weld-free cast-iron bell. The handle is powder-coated too, which provided us with a smooth and soft grip while testing. Despite their modest price, we found the Mirafit kettlebells to be well balanced, comfortable to hold and suitable for all major kettlebell drills.
Body Power Exercise Ball
Best gym ball
| Size: | 25.6in / 65cm |
| Weight limit: | 660lb / 300kg |
| Pump included: | Yes |
| Colour: | Red |
| Warranty: | 12 months |
OVERALL: 4/5
If you’re looking for one of the best exercise balls for weights-based exercises, the Body Power Exercise Ball is a robust choice. Its anti-burst material can withstand up to 660lb (300kg) – which will cover you whatever you bench-press. Its 25.6in (65cm) diameter is a good all-round size for most users. We also appreciate the surface, which feels a little tacky – this provides a good amount of grip on most surfaces. Despite that, we still thought it rolled well during dynamic exercises.
We did find that this firm and stable ball was an effort to inflate, though, even with the included foot pump. However, the 12-month guarantee makes the Body Power Exercise Ball excellent value for money, in our opinion.
- Read our full Body Power Exercise Ball review
Body Power Never Quit Fitness Mat
Best exercise mat
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| Materials: | Nitrile butadiene rubber |
| Dimensions: | 71.7 x 24in / 182 x 61cm |
| Features: | 10mm cushion, carry strap |
| Colour: | Black |
OVERALL: 5/5
When it comes to finding cheap equipment to kit out your home gym, one of the best exercise mats is essential. The Body Power Never Quit Fitness Mat is one of the cheapest mats available but you wouldn’t know it. While testing, we found the generous 0.4in (10mm)-thick nitrile butadiene rubber construction provided a luxurious, comfortable and foam-like feel.
Its non-slip surface is also textured for plenty of grip. Plus, we found the 10mm cushion felt super plush underfoot, effectively absorbing the impact during our more dynamic workouts on test. We also appreciated the included carry strap – plus the mat is double-sided, making it even more versatile.
Overall, we’d say the Body Power Never Quit Fitness Mat is a robust and affordable option that will hold its own in the company of exercise mats over five times its price.
- Read our full Body Power Never Quit Fitness Mat review
Should I buy cheap home gym equipment?
You might want to invest for the long-term, but premium gym kit can be prohibitively expensive, and not everyone can justify spending thousands of pounds on an exercise bike, treadmill or rower. Even a set of adjustable dumbbells can easily set you back $1,000 / £800.
Fortunately, the best cheap home gym equipment can still make a big difference to your home training, without breaking the bank. From foam rollers for recovery to exercise mats and balls for mobility, there are plenty of options to kit out your home gym to cover your needs.
The key to any effective training routine is regularity, and that means easy access. As long as you tailor your home gym kit to focus on your goals, the only thing that’s stopping you from achieving them is you. You’re more accountable for your training as you can’t blame lack of access to a gym for skipping sessions.
Of course, there’s also a wide range of inexpensive home workout apps that can facilitate your home training regime. Most are under $65 / £50 and some are even free.
