Best buys · 5 picks

The home gym

The gym you use is the one in the garage or the spare room. These take the least floor space for the most training, and none of them requires a subscription.

The dumbbells

Bowflex SelectTech 552

Fifteen pairs of dumbbells in the floor space of one: turn the dials and it lifts out the weight you chose, from 5 to 52.5 pounds.

Buy it for
Strength training in a small room, at any level short of heavy powerlifting.
Skip it if
You already lift heavier than 50 pounds a hand. Look at a barbell and plates.
What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →
The rower

Concept2 RowErg

The rower in almost every serious gym, because it is close to indestructible and its numbers are comparable with anyone else's. It splits in two to store against a wall.

Buy it for
Full-body cardio that is easy on the knees.
Skip it if
You have no room to leave it assembled and will not set it up each time.
What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →
A doorway pull-up bar
The pull-up bar

A doorway pull-up bar

Pull-ups and hanging leg raises build more upper body than most machines, and a bar that hooks over the door frame needs no screws. This pick is a specification: whichever reputable one is cheapest today.

Buy it for
Anyone starting strength training at home.
Skip it if
Your door frames are thin trim or unusually wide. Check the maker's fit before buying.
What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →
The massage gun

Therabody Theragun

Works a tight calf or a knotted shoulder in a couple of minutes, and the Theragun's triangle handle lets you reach your own back.

Buy it for
Runners, lifters, anyone who wakes up stiff.
Skip it if
You want something for the gym bag. A mini massage gun is lighter.
What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →
The running watch

Garmin Forerunner

Accurate GPS, a battery that lasts days of training, and suggested workouts that adapt to how you slept and recovered. The core features need no subscription.

Buy it for
Runners, cyclists, anyone training for a race.
Skip it if
You want apps and messages first and fitness second. An Apple Watch does that better.
What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →