Best Budget-Friendly Home Gym Equipment

Why Buy Budget-Friendly Home Gym Equipment?

When building a home gym on a budget, some people want a few very expensive pieces of equipment while others may opt to buy lots of cheap equipment to have more variety, but the best plan is to end up somewhere in between the two extremes. The items listed below are listed in order of importance and will help you pick out the best budget-friendly home gym equipment without the research because I’ve done it for you! Not only have I researched, but I’ve also tested and used all of this equipment when building my very own personal garage gym. The challenge when building a great home gym is finding good VALUE. Buying cheap equipment leads to headaches and buying top-of-the-line equipment leaves you with, well, not very much equipment at all. Let’s get started; below are the best budget-friendly options for home gym equipment.

Squat Rack

Regardless of your goal, the centerpiece of your gym should be a safe and reliable squat rack. This is the focal point of your gym and where you’ll be for the majority of your workouts. Unfortunately for the consumer, squat racks come in all shapes, sizes, and prices! Racks can span from as low as $100 to even $5,000+!!

The best value in a squat rack is the HulkFit Multi-Function Adjustable Power Cage. At a near-$300 price point, this squat rack is extremely stable and customizable, giving you the ability to add dip handles, lat pulldown attachment, seated row attachment, weight storage, and more. The best part is these add-ons can be purchased any time after you’ve purchased your squat rack and are super easy to install. From heavy squats to pull-ups and everything in between, this squat rack has been amazing. If you’re interested, please check out our blog post on the top 5 squat racks for your home gym to see even more!

Barbell

The second most important piece of gym equipment is a barbell and plates. You’ll want an Olympic barbell that can support any amount of weight on it and BalanceFrom offers a barbell for excellent value (just $39.99). You can scour online marketplaces for used barbells, but what you’ll find is those who are selling don’t take the best care of their equipment and will be offering up rusted items that aren’t worth restoring when you can purchase brand new for just under $40.

In terms of plates, there are a few options: cast iron plates, rubber-coated plates, and bumper plates. Personally, I recommend sticking to plates that are rubber-coated to ensure your plates will have longevity and will reduce noise during your workout. Rubber-coated plates offer the flexibility to workout using different modalities. From heavy deadlifts to explosive CrossFit style workouts, you can’t go wrong with rubber-coated plates.

Dumbbells

Dumbbells are another gym staple that are offered in many different forms: cast iron, rubber coated, rounded, hexagonal, plate-loaded, and adjustable (the winner!). Adjustable dumbbells may carry an initial sticker shock but will actually save you loads of cash in the long run. The Bowflex Selecttech adjustable 552 dumbbells retail for approximately $430, but offer a ton of functionality, flexibility, and most important: great value on a budget. These adjustable dumbbells provide weight settings from 5-52.5 lbs. From 0-25 lbs. the weight increases in increments of 2.5 lbs. and from 25-50 lbs. the weight increases in increments of 5 lbs., giving you FIFTEEN sets of dumbbells in one.

Most dumbbells retail for about $2/lb. while Bowflex’s adjustable dumbbells are just 50¢/lb. considering all the options AND save you tons of room in your gym for more pieces of equipment. The weight-changing mechanism on these dumbbells is extremely reliable and smooth and makes for a great addition to any home gym. Bowflex also offers adjustable dumbbells that range from 10-90 lbs. which increases the capabilities of your workout even more. To see what other adjustable dumbbells are on the market, check out our blog post that goes into even more detail!

Flooring

All of these pieces of equipment are great, but everything must start from the ground up. Buying the wrong gym flooring can completely ruin the space and your workouts. Low quality flooring can bend and rip under the stress of the weight, can provide an unstable base for your squat rack or bench to lay on, and you’ll end up spending more money on replacing the floor over and over again. Doing it right the first time will save you money and tons of headaches.

The secret to a great home gym is horse stall mats. Horse stall mats are of course meant for horse stalls, but are a thick, durable, cost-effective flooring option and has been proven to be best for home gyms. They are non-slip and easy to install in any space and can be bought in various sizes, making for less seams in your floor. American Floor Mats offer a great product that will last the lifetime of your gym.

Resistance Bands

The next two items are excellent accessories in a home gym but aren’t completely necessary, especially if you’re working with a strict budget. Bands are first and are a great way to warmup and supplement your free weight training. As with other gym equipment, there are cheap options, expensive options, and somewhere in between lie the best value.

Cheap rubber bands can snap without notice and cause serious pain. A great brand to stick to is Rubberbanditz. Not only do they offer great bands at a great price, they offer great bundle packages that help reduce the cost of buying multiple bands individually. Resistance bands are offered in many levels of tension. Choose a tension that’s right for you and when in doubt, err on the lighter side.

Kettlebell

Last, but certainly not least, is the kettlebell. Kettlebells require lots of skill compared to barbells and dumbbells, but a single kettlebell can provide an entire muscle-building workout on its own. They can be used for hypertrophy training, strength training, conditioning, and more. They offer a completely different feel than a barbell or dumbbell and the space-saving aspect of kettlebells is amazing and can easily fit into a home gym’s space, regardless of size.

Yes4All offers a great powder-coated kettlebell that feels great in your hands and comes in at a great price point compared to competitors. Check out our blog on the five best kettlebell brands and see for yourself how this brand stacks up against the competition.

THE FULL REP

Building a home gym on a budget can be challenging, but it is possible with a bit of research and planning. The most important equipment for any gym is a safe and reliable squat rack, followed by a quality barbell and plates, and adjustable dumbbells. A good gym floor is also essential, and horse stall mats are an affordable and durable option. While bands and kettlebells are great accessories for a home gym, they are not strictly necessary.

It is essential to find the right balance between cost and quality when building a home gym, and the equipment mentioned in this article provides excellent value for the price. By investing in these pieces of equipment, you can create a functional and effective gym at home that will save you money in the long run.