Our Experts Written by Giselle Castro-Sloboda Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement How we test Table of Contents What to consider Your exercise routine The first thing to consider is what type of exercise you want to be doing at home; is it for strength training, cardio or stress relief? Your answer (or answers) will dictate which pieces you should invest in. Space How much space you have to store things will matter when you're considering what home exercise equipment to buy. A yoga mat is going to take up less space than an elliptical in your living room, for example. What are you actually going to use? You don't want to invest time and living space in something you'll only pick up once or twice a year. Choose equipment you can see yourself using regularly. Having your own gym at home has more pros than cons. For one thing, you can work out whenever you want, and secondly, it's completely free. But what is the best home equipment for your gym if you want the very best workout? To find the answer, I looked at factors like size, versatility, fitness level, and overall cost. I also drew from my personal experience as a trainer, listing tools and machines I used with clients -- all of which I continue to use in my own workouts at home. I've hand-tested each piece of equipment listed here, so I know which equipment is the best. Read on to find out which home gym gear is suitable for you, from the best dumbbells to the best cardio machines. And if you're looking for ways to make your home gym smarter, we've got just the list for that, too. Our Picks Best home exercise equipment for low-impact exercises Yoga mat View details $26 at Amazon View details Best weights for home exercise equipment Dumbbells View details $49 at Walmart View details Best home exercise equipment that can be used while traveling Resistance bands View details $199 at LIT View details Best home exercise equipment to challenge bodyweight Suspension training system View details $60 at Amazon View details Best home exercise equipment to challenge weight bearing exercises Adjustable weight bench View details $150 at Amazon View details Best home exercise equipment that can be used for cardio and strength training Kettlebells View details $42 at Roguefitness View details Best affordable cardio home exercise equipment Jump rope View details $7 at Amazon View details Best home exercise equipment to challenge the core Medicine Ball View details $35 at Walmart View details Table of Contents What is the best home exercise equipment? The ideal piece of home exercise equipment depends on your preferences, goals, and available space for a home gym. Some pieces of exercise equipment are big, like treadmills, so they require plenty of room, whereas others like dumbbells are small enough to store off to the side either on the floor or in a weight rack, if you're fancy. Best home exercise equipment for 2025 Photo Gallery 1/1 $26 at Amazon Pros Easy to store Doesn't take up much space Cons Relies on body weight exercises or addition of other equipment for strength workouts $26 at Amazon A yoga mat is a key piece of equipment to have around. You can use it for low-impact floor exercises, such as Pilates and yoga, or for boot camps and other higher-impact exercises. Shop with the high-quality brandManduka or an inexpensive one such as Gaiam, which offers non-slip options for all types of workouts. To prolong the life of your yoga mat, make sure to clean it regularly by following CNET's yoga mat cleaning guide.