The 2023 SELF Home Fitness Awards

Notable features: Overall footprint of lower than 5.1 square feet; accessories included; free lifetime membership to the Speediance platform with purchase

Small equipment

Best Adjustable Dumbbells: Bowflex SelecTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells

Three of our expert judges pointed to those as considered one of their home gym must-haves, and for good reason: While they’re a fairly large investment, they will replace 15 pairs of dumbbells. (Each dumbbell is adjustable from 5 to 52.5 kilos.) We especially recommend them for those who’re sharing your own home gym space with multiple exercisers at different fitness levels.

Best Dumbbells: Rep Fitness Rubber Coated Ergo Hex Dumbbells

Parker has been using rubber-coated hex dumbbells for over 14 years. And of all of the ones he’s tried, the Rep Fitness pairs consistently come out on top. Now he owns his own set and trains with them three-to-five times every week. “These dumbbells are built solid, and the rubber coating is durable with minimal odor out of the box,” Parker says. The rubber coating also is useful for anyone wary of doing damage to their floors. (Though we’d still generally recommend you drop these onto a mat, or some type of carpeting a minimum of.)

Best Kettlebell: BowFlex SelectTech 840 Kettlebell

This adjustable kettlebell is so good we crowned it a winner two years in a row. Kettlebells can quickly get expensive, take up numerous space, be heavy to lug around your own home…you get the image. So for those who’re constructing a house gym, we don’t think you may do higher than this one: With just the short turn of a dial, you may make this kettlebell weigh anywhere from 8 to 40 kilos in literal seconds. “One of the best part is you could have it for a very long time whilst you increase weight and get stronger,” one tester said.

Best Resistance Band Set: Bodylastics 5 Band Set

This five-band set from Bodylastics features traditional resistance bands—large, elastic bands that, unlike the mini-bands you’d put around your thighs or ankles, aren’t looped. They’re great for a lot of reasons: They take up minimal space in a house gym, are generally inexpensive, and challenge your body otherwise than dumbbells or kettlebells do. Expert judge Asher Freeman says that this set is frequently the very first thing they recommend clients buy to maintain at home—the five bands provide enough variability for exercisers at any level to finish a difficult full-body workout.

Best Resistance Band for Big and Tall Folks: Committed HP The Higher Band Plus

Two of our expert judges—Francine Delgado-Lugo and Lauren Leavell—said the Higher Band Plus is a standout within the realm of inclusive fitness equipment. With an adjustable hook, it’s easier to placed on and take off, customizable to your body, comfortable (no painful digging into your skin), and gives you more control over tension. Whether you discover that standard mini-bands are too small to wiggle up your legs, too tight when on, or that they’re simply uncomfortable for any reason, do that. “I used to be introduced to this band by one other plus size trainer,” Leavell says. “It’s perfect for at home workouts and really adds resistance. I’ve also used it with clients of various fitness levels.”

Best Resistance Band Set: Centr by Chris Hemsworth Fabric Resistance Bands

You, too, can now work out like Thor…using a set of his very own inexpensive, good-quality mini-bands! Yes, Chris Hemsworth has a line of fitness accessories (along together with his very own app), and our testers say the mini-bands are literally quite good. With three soothing colours—that every correspond with a distinct tension level—and an inner grip, the thick, fabric bands stretch nicely, feel comfortable, and stay put. One tester put it best: “I’d definitely ditch my rubber ones for these.”

Best Jump Rope: BCG Sprint Jump Rope

Jumping rope: Not only for the schoolyard, people! It’s a super-efficient cardio and strength workout tied into one. The proper combination of sunshine and sturdy, this basic BCG jump rope received high marks from our tester—a lifelong jumper—in addition to her two teenage sons. This rope is 9 feet long and never adjustable, however it must be a workable length for anyone between 5’3″ and 6 feet tall.

Best Yoga Mat: Manduka X Yoga Mat 5mm

We tried a handful of Manduka yoga mats for this yr’s Home Fitness Awards, and while all of them performed exceptionally well, we recommend the X model for its nicely accessible price point. Yoga mats must be comfortably cushioned to support your joints while still keeping you feeling in contact with the bottom; a grippy surface can be key to forestall slipping and sliding, in addition to any rogue movement on the ground. This Manduka mat uses a crosshatch texture to assist it (and also you) stay put.

Best Mat for Big and Tall Folks: Lululemon The Big Mat

Everyone deserves a mat that supports their entire body, so that they can avoid contact with the cold, hard, and sometimes-gross floor. Many gyms and studios don’t consider that—but your own home setup can! Delgado-Lugo uses the Big Mat for weight training, body weight workouts, and yoga flows. So mainly, this thing does all of it. “Since it’s wider, longer, and thicker than other yoga mats, it protects your body (and floors!) very well,” Delgado-Lugo says. Plus, despite its larger size (28″ x 84″ and seven.05 kilos while Lululemon’s standard yoga mat is 26″ x 71″ and 5.24 kilos), it doesn’t feel meaningfully harder to roll, store, clean, or transport.

Best Gym Mat: Technogym Exercise Mat

After a couple of disappointing experiences where chunks of yoga mat ended up round her apartment, one tester told us she was desperate to discover a more durable, all-around gym mat. So we sent her the Technogym Exercise Mat, and he or she was thrilled to report that it met all her home workout needs—after which some. “I’m 5’8″, so I like how long it’s (70.9 inches),” she says. “It’s really grippy (each on the ground and for my hands and feet) and, at 4mm thick, it’s cushioned enough that I don’t feel pressure on my knees or elbows, but not so thick that it’s bulky and hard to store.” It’s not low cost, but due to its quality construction, it should last you and your own home gym an extended time.

Best Low-Tech Gym System: TRX Home2 System

Our expert judges all love the TRX suspension trainer—and we’ll let considered one of them let you know why: “At first, it’s effective for each assisting and amplifying body weight strength, flexibility, and mobility,” Harrison says. “Meaning you should utilize it to make some moves more intense and other moves more accessible.” Don’t be intimidated by its configuration: TRX has an expansive library of free videos, demos, and workouts for users—and that’s along with all the things you’ll find on Youtube and across social media. You possibly can easily swing it over a door and use it anywhere in your own home, and even within the park, gym, or other public spaces.