Home Gym Review

Evaluating reviews of home gyms

We found that consumer opinion websites like Epinions and FitnessInfomercialReview.com were especially helpful in making sense of what the reviews were saying, due to some doubts we had about the information in professional reviews. That's because Money Magazine, Outside Magazine and the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report give recommendations for the best home gym equipment, but don't provide comparisons or specific reasons why they recommend a certain gym over others. Consumer Reports includes some helpful reviews in its 2004 roundup of infomercial-based fitness equipment, but the magazine has not otherwise revisited its home gym category since 2001. Men's Journal has a slightly more recent roundup from 2005, but is light on testing details. For more current and specific reviews, we found that HomeGymReview.com and ExerciseEquipmentExpert.com were helpful because they offer more comprehensive reviews with a good mix of pros and cons.

Much of the press dedicated to home gyms has revolved around two much-hyped machines advertised widely on late-night and Sunday morning television -- the Bowflex, manufactured by Nautilus (*est. $700 to $2,500, depending on model) and the competing Weider Max Ultra (*est. $400), formerly called the Advantage, Crossbar and the Crossbow. Both use bendable metal or nylon composite bars to create resistance, as opposed to the more traditional weight stack. Reviews say that while home gym equipment that uses weight stacks (such as the Hoist and BodyCraft listed in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers) is bulkier and more expensive, it provides a smoother and more even resistance than the flexible bars on the Bowflex and Weider Max home gyms.

Machines like the Bowflex and Weider Max can cost hundreds less than fitness equipment using weight stacks, and for many consumers posting to opinion websites such as Epinions and FitnessInfomercialReview.com, the cost savings is a powerful lure. We didn't see any user comparisons of the Weider Max and Bowflex, but when the Weider Max was still called the Advantage or Crossbow, users said the Bowflex was easier to assemble, with clearer instructions for use. Furthermore, the cheaper Weider gym only offers a 90-day warranty for parts and labor on the Max Ultra, as opposed to Bowflex's seven-year limited warranty (with a lifetime warranty on the rods).

Still, other reviews indicate that the similar features of the Weider Max Ultra and Bowflex make the Max Ultra the better value. Of about two dozen reviews for the Weider Max Ultra at Amazon.com, all are positive. Several contributors compare the Max home gym to Bowflex models. Although some say the action on the Bowflex is smoother, it's hard to deny the relative value of the Weider machine.

It should be noted that other than the name change, there is very little difference between the newer Max Ultra and the older Advantage and Crossbow machines. A related model, the Weider 2000 Max (*est. $700), is a bit more widely available and comes with a five-year warranty on the frame and a lifetime warranty on the resistance bars. The pricier model also has 320 pounds of resistance as opposed to 240 pounds for the Weider Max Ultra. Neither the Bowflex nor the Weider gyms, however, survive serious experts' scrutiny when compared to more expensive fitness equipment such as gyms from BodyCraft and Hoist.

We also noticed a dramatic difference between owner comments about the Weider Advantage (now called the Max Ultra), included in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers, and the pricier Weider Platinum Plus (*Est. $1,300). The Platinum Plus uses a digital resistance control (up to 340 pounds) and has pre-programmed workouts. However, Epinions and FitnessInfomercialReview.com are full of user complaints about the digital control breaking within the first few days or weeks of use. On the other hand, these sites are just as full of comments from users who are happy with their basic Weider models.

Bowflex has recently introduced a new variation, the Bowflex Revolution (*Est. $2,500). The new model doesn't use the traditional resistance bars, but rather a coiled band technology based on NASA training equipment called "Spiraflex." The Spiraflex plates are lightweight, but can still provide up to 220 pounds of resistance. The Revolution receives strong reviews on FitnessInfomercialReview.com and Epinions for its versatility and even resistance, along with endorsements from Men's Health Magazine and even Brett Favre. The only issue comes from the Revolution's price, which reviewers say is worth the great workout, but is still high compared to other Bowflex machines. One plus is that the Bowflex Revolution is more compact and shorter than some other machines, so it may be a better fit in small rooms.