Want to know what the best home gyms under $500 are? In this article, we take a look at the top-rated home gyms that are available to buy online right now.
With so many different brands out there, it can be really difficult to choose the right piece of equipment. After all, we want the best product for the best price and we want it to work right out of the box and not break on us.
With home gym equipment, you really will be putting it through its paces, so it’s super important that you do your research. By reading this review of the best home gyms to the very end, you will know more than 99% of people who just go online and buy the one that looks cool.
The 5 Best Home Gyms Under $500
1. Marcy Multifunction Steel Home Gym
It comes complete with all of the functionality you would expect from your home gym, including chest press and lat pulldown for the upper body and leg extension and curls for the lower body. However, that’s not all…let’s take a look at the features in more detail.
Features
Upper Body
- Chest press station
- Lat pull-down bar
- Standing arm curl
- Seated row/low pulley
- Pectoral fly station
Lower Body
- Full Leg extension
- Leg curls
Detailed Specs
- Dimensions: 79 x 51 x 35 inches
- Shipping Weight: 241 pounds
- Max User Weight: 300lbs
Pros
- Comes complete with a 50 lb weight stack included
- Ergonomic backrest for lumbar support
- 30-day warranty
- Adjustable seat height
- Great choice if space is an issue
Cons
- Can be tricky to put together
- No exercise documentation or DVD like with other products
Customer Reviews
We have collected a selection of comments which should give you a good indication of how well the Cap Bell Value Home Gym did in user reviews:
Most of the users agreed that this is a great product for the money when compared to other high-end gyms that will set you back closer to $1,000. Many of the comments state that it is very well made and built of sturdy stuff, including high-strength cables.
What lets this product down is the difficulty and time it takes to assemble, however, that is nothing an afternoon and your favorite smoothie can’t fix.
Conclusion
We think this is a great choice for a sub $500 home gym, with the main benefits coming from the 50 lb weight stack that comes as part of the package and its ability to provide an all over body workout.
You should buy this is you are on a budget and need something that will not take up the whole room, many users have managed to fit theirs into a large walk-in closet which is great for keeping the equipment out of the way when not in use.
2. Gold’s XR 55 Home Gym
What’s more, this home gym, in terms of physical appearance looks more expensive than the others despite being the cheapest. That’s not to say it lacks in quality and features either as you will see below.
Features
- Nicely padded seat for extra comfort
- Padded preacher pad for those arm curls
- Vinyl weights for a quieter workout
- 125lb weight stack included
Upper Body
- Chest Press
- Fly station
- Lat pulldown
Lower Body
- Four-roll leg developer
- Quads
- Hamstrings
Detailed Specs
- Dimensions: 79 x 65 x 39 inches
- Shipping Weight: 131.9 lbs
- Max User Weight: 330 lbs
Pros
- 90 parts and labor warranty
- 125lb weight stack included
- Comes with a helpful exercise chart that has been designed by a Certified Personal Trainer
- Great looking design and color combo
- Superb padding and support
Cons
- Takes over 6 hours to assemble – faster if you’re handy with a spanner
- Pulley system can be tricky to set up
Customer Reviews
There have been come complaints about the curling/preacher pad not being the best design and that the machine takes a long time to build.
However to counter that user reviews have stated that the value for money you get with the XR55 home gym is excellent and combined with the included 125lb weight stack you are good to go once assembled.
Conclusion
We really rate this home gym, primarily for its price point of under $400, that’s an extra $100 you have to spend on some fancy new gym clothing! If you can put together a kids bicycle you will be fine putting this together – just be sure to read the instructions before getting started.
3. Marcy Diamond MWM-988
This is a great price when you compare the spec to all of the other home gyms under $500. Let’s take a look at the features of the Marcy Diamond.
Features
- 100 lb vinyl weight stack
- 2-year warranty
- Heavy duty steel frame
- Oversized foam rollers for added comfort
Upper Body
- Chest press
- Pec fly press
- High pulley for the back
- Tricep pulley system
Lower Body
- Lower pulley system
- Hamstring curls
- Quad press
Detailed Specs
- Dimensions: 62 x 41 x 81 inches
- Shipping Weight: 207 lbs
- Max User Weight: 330 lbs
Pros
- Easy to assemble and workout with
- Very comfortable foam padding
- Smaller footprint that other models
Cons
- The 100 lb weight stack is a lot less than with other models – you may need more
- The plastic pulleys can be problematic
- Seat is not adjustable
Customer Reviews
Most of the users found this model to be easy to assemble and quick to get used to. It is an overall body workout however, you cannot lay the bench down flat for chest press so will have to rely on the lat pull down and pectoral fly.
A few reviews also stated that it comes with a detail guide showing which exercises target which muscle groups, great if you are new to home gyms and working out.
Conclusion
The Marcy Diamond MWM-988 is a good choice if you don’t need anything more than the 100lb weight stack that comes supplied with the unit. It tends to be a bit short on the pulley system so some users may find it hard to reach and utilize to your full range.
I would suggest this unit was more suited to a female looking for an all over body home workout machine.
4. Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym
The Bowflex PR1000 home gym is no different. It comes with everything you would expect from a sub $500 home gym and even more.
With over 30 individual strength training exercises, there really is nothing you cannot do with this sleek looking gym. That’s no the only different the Bowflex boasts – it also uses the futuristic “resistance rods” instead of a weight stack
This kind of technology has been used for astronauts training for their missions into outer space…so it can’t be bad!
Features
- Over 30 strength exercises
- Includes a rowing rail
- Horizontal bench press
- Compact design
Upper Body
- Lat pulldown bar
- Bench press via adjustable bench
- Compact design
Lower Body
- Legs
- Quads
- Hamstrings
- Adductors
Detailed Specs
- Dimensions: 54 x 33 x 80 inches
- Shipping Weight: 149lbs
- Max User Weight: 300 lbs
Pros
- Able to set resistance levels from 5 to 210 lbs
- Sliding seat for rowing exercise training
- Compact design saves on space
- Easy to assemble
Cons
- Doesn’t have a weight stack which may put some off
- Exercise drawings that come supplied are a little unclear
Customer Reviews
Users found this machine easy to assemble, one man and a friend took just 1 hour from start to finish, which is far less than any other home gym we have reviewed.
Various personal trainers are also raving about the new resistance rod technology used instead of weight stacks. This allows you to have greater control of your workouts and you get great benefits from both the pushing and the pulling when using the cable and rod system.
Conclusion
This space-saving multi-gym is our pick of the bunch for all of the reasons listed above. It’s affordable and compact and offers 30 various exercises, plus it’s packed with features not seen on the other machines.
If you’re looking for the best home gym under $500…this is the one we recommend.
5. Weider 2980 Home Gym
They are renowned for their quality build and comfortable equipment that are built to last and the Weider 2980 is no different.
Features
- 80 lb weight stack, with 210 lb resistance
- Preacher pad
- 4 extra padded leg rollers
- Exercise chart is included
Upper Body
- Lat pull-down
- Seated Chest press
- Fly deck
Lower Body
- Seated leg raises
- Quads
- Hamstrings
Detailed Specs
- Dimensions: 65 x 37 x 76 inches
- Shipping Weight: 180lbs
- Max User Weight: 300 lbs
Pros
- The lat pull-down system has great reviews
- Great for space saving
- Well labeled for assembly
Cons
- The upper body chest pulley system seems lacking and not very smooth
- Very heavy and can be difficult to assemble
- Possibly not the best choice for 6ft+ adults
Customer Reviews
There are varying reviews of this product, most of which comment on the difficulty they had maneuvering and putting the unit together. Another also commented on the lack of smoothness on the upper body exercise cables however, that could be down to how new the machine was.
Conclusion
The Weider 2980 is a decent piece of equipment if you are looking for space-saving and do not need more than an 80lb weight stack. It is also lacking many of the functions offered by similarly priced home gyms.
Our verdict – go for one of the other alternatives.
Final Verdict – Which is the best home gym under $500?
When it comes to choosing the best home gym for the money, taking everything we have discussed in this article into consideration, we rank the BowFlex PR1000 as the sub-$500 home gym in its class. I hope you liked our choices for the Best Home Gyms Under $500.