Home Gyms Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best Home Gyms. See our ratings criteria

For recommendations of best Home Gyms, see our Fast Answers page, which summarizes what these reviews say. A longer summary and analysis appears in our Full Story report for Home Gyms. Our Where to Buy page contains information on retailers and Home Gyms prices.

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Home Gyms Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Home Gyms Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Infomercial exercise devices Editors of Consumer Reports Jan. 2004		This article, which examines several infomercial fitness devices, makes a charming comparison between what's promised and what's delivered. Among the products tested and rated by Consumer Reports' experts are five home gyms. The article includes details such as the time it took two engineers to assemble each machine. A representative from the American Council on Exercise supervised testing. Unfortunately, though informative, this article is now very out of date.
2. Exercise Equipment Expert.com	Best Home Gym Bret Spottke As of Jan. 2008		This site contains reviews of all kinds of fitness equipment, including home gyms. All reviews are written by Bret Spottke, a personal trainer with a self-proclaimed twenty years of fitness experience. Mr. Spottke provides his top picks for a variety of categories including Best New Home Gym, Best Circuit Training Home Gym and Best Home Gym in various price ranges. Some comparison ratings are given within brands, but no comparisons are made between the recommended models and brands that didn't make the list. Recommendations include Total Gym, BodyCraft and Bowflex. Mr. Spottke has authored another website, TrainerSecrets.com, that also contains fitness equipment reviews, though ExerciseEquipmentExpert.com reflects his most recent reviews. While the site doesn't claim to be totally objective, and no side-by-side tests are conducted, reviews are more detailed and up to date than those on some other websites.
3. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Gym Dandy Editors of Consumer Reports Mar. 2001		In this roundup of twelve home gyms, Consumer Reports' editors weigh ergonomics (how easily the machine lets users perform ten different exercises), circuit training (ease of increasing resistance and switching between different exercises), smoothness, adjustability and price. With one significant exception, higher-priced machines tended to rate better in these tests. While comprehensive, this article's age keeps it from being very useful. Consumer Reports has a current article on health clubs and fitness gadgets, but no recent coverage of home gyms.
4. Men’s Journal >> Details/Subscribe	Home Gyms Steve Steinberg Nov. 2005		Celebrating 2005's crop of machines, this review picks the Hoist V5 as "the best single-stack home gym available" and the Paramount FT-150 as the most versatile two-stack home gym. The ProSpot P-600 is listed as the best free-weight-style workout. While the claim is made by Men's Journal that reviewers "tested various models at every price point and picked the four that delivered the best value," we would have preferred a more clear demonstration of testing and ratings methodology, and we would like to see an update to this article.

Home Gyms Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Home Gyms Ratings Comments on Reviews

5. HomeGymReview.com	Home Gym Review Supervising Editor Murray G. Hughes B.Sc. (Physiotherapy) As of Jan. 2008		HomeGymReview.com offers buying considerations for home gyms and comprehensive reviews of major brands such as BodyCraft, Body-Solid, Powertec and Weider, as well as machines sold on TV, like Bowflex and Total Gym. Reviews are done by "industry experts and professionals specializing in home gym reviews," although we don't know exactly who that is apart from the supervising editor, Murray G. Hughes. The reviews list a complete rundown of features and specs, and most have a good mix of pros and cons. The Weider Crossbow (now called the Weider Max Ultra) is rated as a good alternative to the more expensive Bowflex. BodyCraft and Body-Solid both get high marks, and Powertec is well liked, although it's not recommended for beginners. It appears this site hasn't been updated in several years, which keeps it from being as useful as it could be.
6. Sears.com	Weight Systems and Resistance Machines Contributors to Sears.com As of Jan. 2008		Sears allows readers to post reviews for products sold here. Since Sears sells a large percentage of the nation's fitness equipment, the site gets good traffic. While there aren't huge numbers of reviews here for gyms, it's worth a check before you buy.
7. Money Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Gym Dandy Greg Melville Feb. 2005		This article gives recommendations for home gym equipment, including the Parabody GS1. No specific reasons are stated for why this home gym is chosen over others, other than because it's a versatile system "in a compact package." Dumbbells from Bowflex and a Deltech weight bench are also mentioned. No other home gyms are rated or compared.
8. Outside Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Bringing It All Back Home Ryan Brandt Jan. 2005		Like Money Magazine above, Outside Magazine lists recommendations for equipping a home gym. The updated Hoist V5 is mentioned as "the Cadillac of all-in-one weight-lifting machines," but the editors just list the available exercise stations on the V5. No other ratings or comparisons are given.
9. Greater Baton Rouge Business Report >> Details/Subscribe	Outfitting the home gym: treat yourself to the gift of exercise this year Jay Lyles Jan. 7, 2003		Like Money Magazine and Outside Magazine above, this article gives recommendations for equipping a home gym, but on the pricier side. The Vectra On-Line 1850 (*est. $4,900) is recommended because of its versatility, including three workout stations and a detachable bench. Experts say that you can get similar features for less money in machines like the BodyCraft X2 Family Xpress. No other ratings or comparisons are given, and this article hasn't been updated since 2003.
10. Consumer Guide.com	Home Gyms Editors of ConsumerGuide.com As of Jan. 2008		Consumer Guide evaluates ten home gyms, which receive "Best Buy" ratings. The reviews are mostly a list of model features and offer little insight into why some models are chosen and not others. Body-Solid, BodyCraft, Keys and Life Fitness make the list, although no testing methodology is provided.
11. Epinions	Home Gyms Contributors to Epinions As of Jan. 2008		Epinions is a good place to find consumer reviews before buying. The Bowflex Ultimate gets good reviews from consumers, but most point out that it's expensive. On the other hand, there are plenty of contributors who like the Weider Crossbow (now called the Max Ultra) just as well, and who say it's a good, less-expensive alternative to the Bowflex. But for all the positive reviews for the basic model, the Platinum Plus version gets plenty of complaints about a breaking digital-resistance control and poor customer service. Other models receiving high marks are the Powertec Leverage and Body-Solid EXM1500S.

Home Gyms Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Home Gyms Ratings Comments on Reviews

12. HomeGymByNet.com	Ratings/Reviews Editors of Home Gym By Net.com As of Jan. 2008		Without further explanation, this retail-sales website says its ratings are “a result of a questionnaire asking past retail and Internet customers to rate the home gyms they tested during their buying experience." The popular Body-Solid and Weider models are not included. Models that rate well in this survey include the Hoist 400 and 4600, Smooth EVO Sierra, Sedona, and Rio Grande II and the Powertec Leverage System.
13. FitnessInfomercial Review.com	Exercise Equipment Reviews Contributors to Fitness Infomercial Review As of Jan. 2008		Dedicated to fitness products promoted by TV infomercials, this site devotes pages to particular products, such as the Bowflex and the Weider Crossbow (now called the Weider Max Ultra). A short description is included, along with consumer reviews submitted by e-mail. We found the same trend here as at Epinions about the Max Ultra and Platinum -- consumers love the Max Ultra, but complain that the Platinum's digital-resistance control breaks after a few days to weeks. If you are looking for a home gym without weight stacks, you may want to browse this site.