Before you buy, measure the space you have and set a budget. For most people the first buys are small and versatile, like resistance bands, a kettlebell or a gym mat, and the bigger pieces can wait until you know what you’ll use.
What equipment does a home gym need?
Most home gyms grow in roughly the same order. People start with gear that is cheap and packs away, then add bigger pieces once they know what they’ll use each week. Here’s that order, with where to find each piece of home fitness equipment in our range.
A mat
A mat is the base for stretching, core work and bodyweight training, and it protects the floor under you. For yoga, Pilates and floor exercise, look at yoga and Pilates gear, and read the yoga mat guide for thickness and size. If you’ll be lifting weights or setting up a permanent training corner, gym mats and interlocking mats stand up to dropped weights better than foam.
Resistance bands
Bands are light, cheap and cover a lot of training: warm-ups, rows, presses, assisted pull-ups and mobility work. Loop bands, tube bands and power bands each do a different job, and the resistance bands guide explains which is which. Browse them in resistance bands.
Dumbbells or kettlebells
Next comes your first real load. One or two kettlebells or a pair of dumbbells will take you a long way with squats, swings, presses and rows, and they store in a corner. You’ll find both in strength gear. A weighted vest is another way to add load to walking and bodyweight exercise, and the weighted vest guide covers how heavy to go.
A bench or rack, as space allows
Once you’re training with weights most weeks, a bench, a rack or wall-mounted gear opens up more exercises. Measure the room first, including the ceiling. The wall bars guide covers what your wall needs to hold, functional training gear has pull-up bars, rings and more, and group training and equipment storage has racks and hangers to keep everything off the floor.
Recovery and core gear
Last on most lists, and cheap to add: a foam roller and an exercise ball. The foam roller guide covers density and size, and the exercise ball size guide shows which ball suits your height. See foam rollers and rehab and speed, agility, balance and core. If you want to track progress, a grip dynamometer from fitness testing equipment is a simple place to start, and the grip strength guide explains how to use one.
Our buying guides
How to choose a weighted vest: the right weight and fit
How heavy to go for walking, running or CrossFit, and how a vest should sit on you.
How to choose a Swedish ladder: space, mounting and sizing
Ceiling height, floor space and what your wall needs to hold before you fix wall bars to it.
How to choose a foam roller: density and size
Soft or firm, full length or travel size, how to use a roller, and small rollers for your feet.
Resistance bands guide: band types and a starter workout
Loop bands, tube bands and power bands, what each one is for, and a short workout for each.
Grip strength exercises: testing your grip and training it
Exercises with sets and reps, how to test your grip with a dynamometer, and how to choose a grip trainer.
How to choose a yoga mat: thickness, size and grip
What mat thickness changes, standard and extra wide sizes, and which mat suits yoga, Pilates or floor exercise.
Exercise ball size guide: which size for your height
Ball size by height, the sitting test, anti-burst balls and how firm to pump one up.
To see everything in one place, go to the shop, or start with strength gear, functional training gear or foam rollers and rehab.