Best Weight Bench For Your Home Gym

If you’re thinking of starting your home gym, you need to spend some time on the focal point of your entire setup — your workout bench. Equipped with the best home weight bench, your workouts will go without a hitch and you can focus on what matters most, which is getting stronger and bigger.

In this article, we’ll go over the benefits of a workout bench, factors to consider when buying your bench, and additional equipment to look at to accessorize your bench workouts. Plus, we’ll go in-depth with reviews of the best benches for your home gym.

Click here to skip to our top pick review

Best weight bench for your home gym
ImageProduct

digital-business-prep-table__image

Rogue Adjustable Bench 2.0
  • 12 combinations of adjustments
  • No gap between seat and backrest
  • Pull handles and wheels
View on Rogue Fitness

digital-business-prep-table__image

REP AB-5200 Adjustable Bench
  • 21 combinations of adjustments
  • Space saving vertical storage design
  • Three different paint colors available
View on Rep Fitness

digital-business-prep-table__image

Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Bench Series
  • 17deg declin to 90deg incline positions
  • Removable Leg Hold down brace
  • Household brand name
View on Amazon

digital-business-prep-table__image

Marcy Olympic Weight Bench for Full-Body Workout MD-857
  • Equipped with Olympic rack for barbell
  • Bumper plates storage built in
  • Multiple incline, decline and flat positions
View on Amazon

digital-business-prep-table__image

Titan Fitness Single Post Competition Flat Bench
  • Supports up to 1000lbs
  • Tripod design for feet mobility
  • Handle and wheels to move easily
View on Titan Fitness

digital-business-prep-table__image

Fitness Reality X-Class Light Commercial Multi-Workout
  • Versatile bench for mid body workouts
  • Double stitched vinyl upholstery
  • 1 flat and 3 decline bench adjustments
View on Amazon

Overall #1 Pick

Rogue Fitness Adjustable Bench 2.0

  • Sturdy 11 gauge steel sturdy construction
  • No gap between seat and backrest
  • Most durable bench
Rogue Fitness weight bench

When it comes to building equipment made for CrossFit athletes, Rogue Fitness is known to be the best brand with the highest quality. And if it is good for a CrossFit Box with the heavy and varied usage, it is good for any home or gym. This is one heavy bench with highest quality leather and stitching that will last generations. Essentially guaranteeing the highest resale value of all benches. The zero gap between the seat pad and the backrest ensures that you do not have to keep adjusting your stance during your workout, and shows that the designers of this bench at Rogue Fitness paid attention to their audience and their needs. We love this bench. It is the sturdiest bench we have ever used, and to top it off it just looks great!

Pros:

  • Six backrest adjustments, and two seat pad adjustments
  • No gap between the seat pad and the back pad
  • 11 gauge steel with a clean black powder coated paint finish
  • Very firm seat and back pads
  • A pull handle and wheels to move easily
  • Arrives fully assembled
  • Made in USA

Cons:

  • No decline position for back rest
  • Pricey
  • Heavy

Best Weight Benches For Your Home Gym

Lifting weight isn’t child’s play. Whenever you’re hoisting a substantial resistance, you risk injury. That makes it absolutely crucial that the equipment that you’re using is up to the task. In a commercial gym setting, you can feel pretty confident that the gear is going to handle anything you can throw at it.

When it comes to working out at home; that’s a whole different story. There’s a whole lot of home exercise equipment out there that can only be described as cheap and nasty. Nowhere is this more evident than when it comes to that most basic home gym requirement – the weight bench. Yet, getting the best weight bench will not only make your workouts more effective, it will provide you with a stable, and sturdy platform from which to confidently hit some heavy iron.

Check out our below list for a summary of our results. Keep on reading to learn more about weight bench options.

  1. Rogue Adjustable Bench 2.0 (Best Overall)
  2. Rep Fitness AB-5200 Adjustable Bench
  3. BowFlex SelectTech Adjustable Bench Series
  4. Marcy Olympic Weight Bench For Full Body Workout MD-857
  5. Titan Fitness Single Post Competition Flat Bench
  6. Fitness Reality X-Class Light Commercial Multi Workout

The weight bench is the focal point of the home gym and we have prepared a through review of what is available in the market and what you should look for before purchasing a weight bench that is built to last.

Read Also: Best Home Gym Flooring To Help Improve Your Workout Space

chest workout with a weight bench

Weight Bench Basics

When it comes to home weight benches, there are three options:

(1) Bench Station – this is a bench that has two uprights to support a bench press bar.

(2) Utility Benches – these benches adjust for a flat, incline or decline surface.

(3) Standard Flat Bench – this does not adjust to give a variety of bench angles; it is simply a flat bench.

Bench stations are often quite wieldy. Many also have extra exercise options attached, such as leg extensions and leg curls. In this article we will not be including bench stations.

Why a Workout Bench Is Important for a Home Gym

There are many advantages to using a workout bench in your at-home gym:

It doesn’t take up too much space: Workout benches have a really small footprint, allowing you to tuck it away when it’s not in use and giving you loads of space to install other equipment.

It’s incredibly versatile: A workout bench can do many things for you, especially if they’re adjustable (can go in a decline or incline setting). Also, there are benches with leg holds so you can do even more exercises with a single piece of equipment. With the right accessories, you can do your whole workout while on the bench.

Related: Push Ups vs Bench Press : Know which one is right for you now

Back muscles workout

It can help you work out your entire body: That’s right, these aren’t simply for chest presses. An adjustable bench allows you to do seated military press, incline bicep curls, chest-supported rows, skull crushers, Bulgarian split squats, front/back squats onto the bench, pistol squats onto the bench, dumbbell flyes, and chainsaws. These exercises target your pecs, traps, deltoids, lats, triceps, biceps, abdominals, quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Essentially, your entire body. (You can even use the base of the bench to perform standing calf raises.

It’s durable and lasts a really long time: Benches need to be able to withstand a ton of weight. They also need to be resistant to rips and tears in the upholstery. That’s why they’re made out of sturdy materials, improving the lifetime of the bench. And because benches can stand the test of time…

It is extremely cost-friendly in the long run: Your bench will go for a decade or more before you even have to consider replacing it. A typical bench goes for between $70 and $360. Spanned over ten years, that comes out to $7-$36 per year for equipment that can get you ripped in that timeframe. In short, workout benches are worth it for your at-home gym.

Read Also: Best EZ Curl Bars – Which One Is Right For You?

As you can see, there are plenty of benefits to owning a workout bench for your home gym. But what specific bench is right for you? Let’s answer that…

Note: For a solid at-home chest workout, check out our article on how to build up your pecs in your own garage.

Factors to Consider When Buying a Workout Bench

Don’t simply go for the first bench you see on Amazon. Take these factors into consideration:

  • Price: A weight bench can vary drastically in cost, from a simple bench around $100 to one tricked out with all the accessories clocking in above $600. Be sure to find a bench that works with your budget while also giving you the tools you want and need to sculpt your ideal body.
  • Materials: You want durability and odor protection when it comes to materials. The base should be made out of high-quality metal, the bottoms out of durable, slip-resistant rubber, and the bench seat pad itself tough and sturdy leather that resists scratches and eliminates lingering smells.
  • Brand: The better known the brand, the higher quality the bench. If you grab a bench from some cut-rate company, who knows how long it will last. To avoid unnecessary injury and having to replace your bench regularly, start off with a workout equipment business that’s time-tested and approved by most fitness experts (like us).
  • Adjustability: This is key for full-body workouts and variations. You’ll definitely want an adjustable weight bench for incline and decline versions of exercises. While a flat bench alone does a good job, you want that option no matter what.
  • Sturdiness: Whether it be bench press or Bulgarian split squats, you want a bench with no wobble. Weight capacity should be in the high hundreds, which will improve the sturdiness of your utility bench. And, going back to the material of the bottoms, your workout bench should never ever slip while you’re working out.
  • Accessories: An Olympic weight bench is classic and might come with a power rack for your barbell, but that’s it. Maybe you want a weight bench with more, such as leg stirrups to secure your legs for crunches and low back raises. An adjustable weight bench gives your options as well. Whichever workout bench you choose, make sure it’s one that can do everything you want it to do.
  • Weight Rating: Regardless of the type of bench that you’re after; the first and prime consideration must be, what is the weight rating? Benches are rated in according with the maximum load that they can handle. It’s important to know that maximum load also takes into account your body weight.

    So, if you weigh 200 pounds and you can bench press your body weight, then you need a bench that can handle a maximum weight of at least 400 pounds. When you consider that the whole point of training is to get stronger, you really need something that is about 100 pounds heavier than that. Cheaper utility benches are not rated very highly, mainly because they contain a lot of moving parts. This creates a number of stress points which limits the maximum weight the device can handle. A higher bench rating can only be achieved through quality construction, including strong welds and minimum moving parts.

  • Bench Height: Bench height is another crucial factor when buying a bench. If a bench is too high, you are going to struggle to get your feet on the floor, limiting your ability to push through the floor as you bench. This will also prevent you from achieving a proper lower back arch. Benches that are too low, on the other hand, will not allow you to sit in the ideal position to exert maximum force when pressing overhead.
  • Pad Firmness: The firmness of the bench pad is important to getting the bench that will work best for you. Use the following rule of thumb to see if the bench you’re considering is solid; if you can press your thumb into the middle of the pad and touch the wooden base of the bench, the pad is too soft.
  • Bench Width: The width of your weight bench is another factor that can affect your exercise performance. A bench that is too wide may restrict the movement of the lats, preventing the exerciser from fully extending the resistance as the elbows travel below the line of the body. This will limit the weight you can lift, as well as the range of motion you can achieve. The correct width of a bench should allow your lats to extend over the side of the bench.

Read Also: Best CrossFit Bumper Plates For Your Home Gym

With all of this in mind, let’s get into the top available workout benches for home gyms.

Should You Buy a Workout Bench for Your Home Gym?

Utility benches are the most common for home gyms because they allow for versatility of adjusting the angle of the bench to be able to perform inclines, decline and flat bench work. There are, however, pros and cons to getting a utility bench over a standard flat bench . . .

Pros:

  • The bench allows you to adjust to fully upright for shoulder pressing work
  • You are able to adjust the bench to a range of incline and decline angles to work the chest from different angles
  • Many benches feature a leg support to hold you firmly in place when doing decline work. Often this attachment will double as a leg extension / leg curl unit.

Cons:

  • Utility benches cost substantially more than standard flat benches
  • Utility benches are generally not as sturdy as flat benches due to the number of moving parts
  • Utility benches are often higher off the ground than flat benches to allow for the mechanism under the bench

Clearly, there is a price to pay for the luxury of being able to adjust your bench angle. For those with a flat bench, however, angled work can be achieved simply by placing the bench end on a raised platform.

Remaining of the Top 6 Best Workout Benches for Home Gyms

Rep Fitness AB-5200 Adjustable Bench

  • 21 combinations of adjustments
  • Space saving vertical storage design
  • Three different paint colors available
Rep Fitness weight bench

Rep Fitness comes in as almost equivalent to Rogue’s Adjustable bench, and at a slightly lower price. We rated this as a very close second, if it weren’t for Rogue’s brand recognition and high resale value, it would essentially be a toss up. Also made with mostly 11 gauge steel, this bench comes in slightly lighter (about 12lbs less) but still pretty heavy as the Rogue bench. One big difference is that Rep Fitness made this for home gyms, evident in the engineered design to vertically store this bench, saving space, and only taking up 2.8 square feet. And unlike Rogue bench, this one does require some assembly when it arrives.

Pros:

  • Adjusts to 21 possible combinations: 7 back pad adjustments, and 3 seat pad adjustments
  • Uniquely designed to store vertically
  • High quality steel finish horizontal pull handle for mobility
  • Ladder design for seat and back for easy adjustments
  • Great finish, and comes in three beautiful colors
  • Optional spotter platform

Cons:

  • No decline position for back rest
  • Pricey
  • Heavy

Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Bench Series

  • 17deg declin to 90deg incline positions
  • Removable Leg Hold down brace
  • Household brand name
Bowfex weight bench

By far the king of workout equipment, Bowflex offers an amazing utility weight bench that has everything you require and more.

Pros:

  • Adjusts to six different positions, from a 17-degree decline all the way to a 90-degree incline (sitting straight up)
  • Has separate leg rests for maximum lifting comfort
  • Comes with a removable leg hold-down brace for added decline position support
  • Corrects posture and stabilizes positioning for a safe, muscle-building free-weight workout
  • Comes with a 30-year warranty on the frame, one-year warranty on the upholstery
  • Trusted brand name

Cons:

  • There is about a 2″ to 4″ gap between the seat and the back rest depending on the incline that can bother some people

Marcy Olympic Weight Bench

  • Equipped with Olympic rack for barbell
  • Bumper plates storage built in
  • Multiple incline, decline and flat positions
Marcy olympic weight bench

Next up on our list of the top workout benches, we have an adjustable bench that comes with additional pads and a bench press rack. As you can see this bench is made for a full body workout and comes with all the additional accessories attached that others on this list do not. If your goal is to have an all in one set, this bench will fit your needs perfectly.

Pros:

  • Adjustable backrest and seat via a slide track, with multiple decline, incline, and flat positions that offer more angles and higher versatility
  • Comes equipped with an Olympic rack for barbells
  • Made with premium steel construction, high-density foam, and vinyl for ultimate sturdiness and durability
  • Weight plate storage posts to keep your plates off the ground and stored neatly
  • Includes upper padding for lower back hyper-extensions and midair crunches
  • Has push-up/dip bars and numerous foam pads for leg support, as well as a weight post for seated leg lifts (super unique)
  • Comes with an instruction manual

Cons:

  • Large Footprint
  • Doesn’t come with a warranty

Titan Fitness Single Post Competition Flat Bench

  • Supports up to 1000 lbs.
  • Tripod design for feet mobility
  • Handle and wheels to move easily
Titan fitness weight bench

If you want the simplest weight bench on the planet, here it is! This flat bench comes with literally zero bells and whistles, giving you nothing but a sturdy bench to aid your workouts. A simple but effective utility weight bench for the price. There are cheaper ones like this in Amazon, however we chose this for the staying power of a known American company over unreliable sellers with cheaply made overseas benches.

Pros:

  • Designed to handle up to 1000 lbs.
  • Tripod (3 feet) design allows for proper positioning of the feet on one end without having to reposition feet
  • Easy to transport with a handle and wheels, and only weighs 37 lbs
  • Powder coated paint finish
  • Durable vinyl upholstery with almost 2.5 inch pad for comfort
  • Free shipping

Cons:

  • Non-adjustable

Fitness Reality X-Class Light Commercial Multi-Workout Bench

  • Versatile bench for mid body workouts
  • Double stitched vinyl upholstery
  • 1 flat and 3 decline bench adjustments
Fitness Reality x-class weight bench for mid section

With this adjustable workout bench, you don’t even need any additional equipment to get in a fantastic full-body workout.

Pros:

  • Has a 650-pound weight capacity
  • Has one flat and three decline bench adjustments, as well as 14 different thigh support cushion height adjustments, making it extremely versatile
  • Made with sweat- and moisture-resistant double-stitched vinyl bench covering and 2.5-inch thick medium-density foam
  • Transportation wheels for easy movement
  • Comes with soft, slip-resistant push-up and dip handlebars situated beneath the knee pads
  • Front and rear stabilizers make the bench extremely stable

Cons:

  • Has no incline settings
  • User height range of 5-foot to 6-foot-4

Exercises to go with your weight bench

Regardless of the type of bench you select, you will have a versatile piece of equipment that will allow you to perform a large range of exercises. Your bench will allow you to do the following exercises for the various parts of your body:

Chest

  • Flat, incline or decline barbell bench press (ideal inclines angle to target the pectorals is 25-30 degrees).

  • Flat, incline or decline dumbbell bench press

  • Flat, incline or decline flyes

  • Pullover

Shoulders

  • Seated Barbell Military Press

  • Seated Dumbbell Press

  • Seated Lateral Raises

  • Prone Reverse Flyes

Back

  • Incline Dumbbell Rows

  • Decline Dumbbell Rows

  • One Arm Row

Arms

  • Lying Triceps Extension

  • Overhead Triceps Extension

  • Triceps Kickbacks

  • Close Grip Bench Press

  • Seated Dumbbell Curl

  • Seated Concentration Curl

  • Wrist Curl

Lower Body

  • Bulgarian Split Squat

  • Decline Leg Curl

  • Seated Calf Raise

Additional Equipment Needed for At-Home Workout Benches

Some benches don’t need additional equipment, such as the Fitness Reality workout bench above. For the others, you want things to actually lift and build muscle with.

An Olympic barbell is perfect for a weight bench with a rack. As well, you’ll want to invest in a set of quality dumbbells. The best dumbbells for an at-home gym by far are the Bowflex SelectTech 552s, which are adjustable dumbbells that go from 5 pounds to 52.5 pounds.

Resistance bands, kettlebells, and sandbags are also ideal for weight bench workouts.

Also, getting rugged gym flooring for your entire at-home gym is a smart move to protect your garage or patio floor. For more info on that, please refer to our guide to home gym flooring.

Who says you need equipment? Discover the five calisthenics books you can read to advance your physique without additional workout equipment.

Conclusion

Your home gym is only as good as its workout bench. Select from our list the best home weight bench based on our buying considerations and watch your physique skyrocket. Trust us — a solid workout bench will make your at-home gym that much better.

For more at-home equipment tips and tricks, be sure to check out our calisthenics equipment article.

Happy lifting (from home)!