Choosing the right weight bench for your home gym in 2021 can indeed be a daunting task. With thousands of benches on the market, all with their own unique features, strengths, and weaknesses, one can get paralyzed by all the options. If you’ve found yourself wondering, “What weight bench should I buy?”, then you’ve come to the right place.
For most people, an adjustable weight bench with a high weight capacity and a good warranty is the best type of weight bench to buy.
However, every person has different needs. Some people may want a weight bench which will be optimal for small spaces. Others may desire a bench for heavy lifting. Still others may want a bench with extra attachments.
Throughout this buyer’s guide, I will cover all the various types of weight benches so you can have a clear idea of the right one for you. My goal is to cut down your research time so you don’t have to spend hours and hours researching the right bench for you. I mean, life is short, who has time for that?
Let’s cut through all the BS so you can get on your way to using a high quality bench for your home gym.
General Characteristics to Look for in a Weight Bench
Perhaps you don’t have specific needs for your weight bench and you are just looking for a good all-purpose bench. In that case, there are some traits to look for when choosing a weight bench:
- Sturdiness – Feeling stable and secure while lifting is important both for progress and safety. Look for a bench with little to no wobble.
- Weight Capacity – Even if you don’t plan on lifting heavy weights, a high weight capacity ensures the bench is of a high quality build.
- Height – If you are short, you don’t want a bench which is too high off the ground (>20”). If you are tall, you won’t want a bench too low to the ground (<18”).
- Width of Pad – If the pad is too narrow, it may be hard to form a stable base for bench presses or other exercises. Look for one with a backrest pad which is of adequate width for your body.
- Ease of Use – The weight bench is often the most used component in any home gym. You want to avoid the headache of a difficult and overly complicated bench.
- Warranty – Things can go wrong, even with the best of benches. The bench could be damaged upon delivery, or have some manufacturer defect. And accidents can happen. Look for a bench with a warranty on the frame and pad.
Now that we know some good general characteristics to look for in a weight bench, let’s take a look at the two broad categories of benches: flat and adjustable.
The Different Types of Weight Benches
Broadly speaking, there are two different classifications of weight benches:
Adjustable Benches and Flat Benches.
Some people are under the illusion that “Olympic Benches” and “Standard Benches” are useful classifications. However, as I’ve written before, these classifications are a thing of the past and pretty much useless nowadays.
The most useful distinction is whether a bench is adjustable or flat. After that, various factors come into play which will determine the right type of weight bench for you, which we will cover shortly.
Adjustable Benches
Adjustable or FID (flat-incline-decline) benches are benches which are adjustable, usually from -15 to 90 degrees. There are several adjustment angles to choose from. The seat cushion is separated from the backrest pad so that the backrest is adjustable. Oftentimes the seat angle is adjustable as well, and less often, the seat height is adjustable.
There are some downsides with an adjustable bench. They are usually slightly less stable than their counterpart, flat benches. The weight capacity is sometimes lower than flat benches as well.
Overall though, the majority of people will benefit the most from buying an adjustable bench. The reason for this is adjustable benches offer a much wider variety of exercises than a normal flat bench.
What to look out for with adjustable benches:
Make sure there is minimal space in between the seat and backrest pad. Sometimes manufacturers leave too wide of a gap and it can become uncomfortable and interfere with your lifting.
Flat Benches
Flat benches are benches which lay flat, and are not adjustable. There is almost always just one long backrest cushion (except in the case of some foldable flat benches).
Flat benches have the advantage of being a bit sturdier and often offering a higher weight capacity. But, of course, they lack the versatility of an adjustable bench.
What to look out for with flat benches:
Flat benches are pretty simple. The only kind you want to avoid are foldable ones which are divided into two cushions. Those usually are not stable. Instead, if you want one that’s foldable, find one which has foldable legs, but make sure you read the reviews, as some of these benches are poorly designed.
If you’re looking for a longer, more detailed explanation of the differences between adjustable and flat benches, check out my article on the topic here.
Which Weight Bench is Right for Me?
Now you have an idea of the two broad categories of weight benches available. From there, we can narrow down to the preferential categories of weight benches. Everyone has different needs for their home gym. So, let’s go over some general categories to further hone in on the right weight bench for you.
Weight Bench for Small Spaces and Apartments
Many people want a weight bench for their home gym, but don’t think they’d have enough space for it. Thankfully, there are plenty of benches out there which cater to smaller spaces. There are several characteristics to look for in a weight bench for small spaces:
Overall Dimensions
Obviously, the dimensions of a bench will matter greatly if you are trying to be space-conscious. We want to avoid benches with any long attachments or oversized supports.
Foldability
Foldable benches have become popular lately, and for good reason. These benches usually fold at the crease between the seat and backrest pad. They can often fold down to half the size of the bench. This adds another dimension to space-saving. Usually, it is quite easy to fold these benches down, but sometimes the manufacturer makes it more difficult than necessary. So, looking for one that’s easy to fold down is important.
Weight
Having a heavy, bulky weight bench will make it harder to work with in a small space. Lighter weight benches can still have a relatively high weight capacity, so you shouldn’t be sacrificing too much to get a lighter bench.
My Weight Bench for Small Spaces Recommendations for 2021:
MaxKare 5-in-1 Adjustable Weight Bench
YouTen 2020 New Version Adjustable Flat Bench
Read my article on the Best Weight Bench for Small Spaces for more benches perfectly designed for small spaces and apartment living.
Weight Bench for Heavy Lifting
For those of you who desire a weight bench simply to blast some heavy iron, there are a few factors to consider:
Weight Capacity
Of course, weight capacity is key to lifting heavy weights. The higher the weight capacity, the more weight you can lift! Usually a higher weight capacity means a bench has a higher build quality. It’s a more stable and secure bench.
Wobble Factor
You want to look for a bench with little to no wobble. As I mentioned before, flat benches tend to be more stable, but if you go for an adjustable bench you can look at the frame for a clue to the overall stability. Stronger benches with no wobble tend to have thicker piping with a more solidly rectangular shape:
Whereas benches which are a bit less sturdy will have a slightly slimmer frame with a more circular tubing structure:
My Weight Bench for Heavy Lifting Recommendations for 2021:
XMark Power Series Adjustable FID Utility Bench XM-9010
Read my article on the Best Weight Bench for Heavy Lifting for more benches perfectly designed for heavy duty lifting.
Weight Benches With Attachments
Sometimes people are looking for a weight bench with some sort of attachment for increased exercise capability. There are a few different attachments which can come with a bench:
Leg Extension Attachment
The leg extension is attached at the foot of the bench. Make sure you find one which has a long enough loading sleeve so you can actually add enough weight to make it worth your while.
Preacher Curl Attachment
The preacher curl is also attached at the foot of the bench. This attachment provides a great way to perform preacher curls (with a dumbbell or barbell).
Bench/Squat Rack Attachment
Sometimes a bench/squat rack will be attached to the head of the bench. This attachment gives you a lot more exercise capability than any other.
My Weight Bench With Attachments Recommendations for 2021:
Body Champ BCB5860 Olympic Weight Bench with Preacher Curl, Leg Developer and Crunch Handle
Gold’s Gym XRS 20 Olympic Weight Bench With Preacher Curl and Leg Extension Attachments
Final Thoughts
Once you choose the right weight bench, it will have been worth the trouble of doing the research. A weight bench adds so many elements to your home gym. It’s one of those pieces of equipment which shows you how much you were missing out on before.
Choosing one can be difficult, but if you use this guide to help you figure out which bench is right for you, then it may be just a little less painful. Remember your priorities for a weight bench and choose one based on those. And, if none of the benches I recommended appeal to you, no worries! There are plenty of other great benches out there.
Good luck bench hunting!
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