How to choose the perfect weight bench

Aside from weights, the weight bench is probably the most important piece of home gym equipment for anyone wanting to lift weights. There are three main body positions when weightlifting: standing, seated and laying on your back. Using a weightlifting bench will allow you to perform exercises in the seating and laying positions and therefore will expand the total number of exercises you can do. You can also use weight benches for certain calisthenic exercises, for example: dips, decline push-ups and step ups.

Step 1 – Set your budget

Although everybody would like to have an unlimited budget, it’s not normally realistic. Set yourself a budget, bearing in mind the right bench should last you years of use. Also having a budget helps you to assess your priorities better.

Step 2 – What are your lifting goals?

Are you looking to lift as much weight as possible? Then the sturdiest home bench, or even a commercial bench will be a must. Maybe you just want to maintain the strength you have? In which case a basic bench should suffice. Maybe you’re looking to a bench as the only piece of gym equipment you want to buy? Then you may want to explore one of our more versatile bench options. Your weightlifting goals will shape your choices when it comes to the right weight bench.

Step 3 – Establish your needs/priorities

That brings us onto your needs. While it would seem great to have a bench with all the advanced features. That may not be what you need and furthermore it could actually inhibit your ability to perform certain exercises that may be key to your training routine. So an important step in choosing the perfect weight bench, is establishing your needs. List down all the exercises you want to do, take into account any other equipment you have, and then read our descriptions of the types of weight benches below to help decide the right type of bench for you.

Step 4 – Think about space and size

How much space do you have for the bench to fit in? Bear in mind you need space for your arm span fully extended when you’re performing chest flys or the length of the barbell when bench pressing. You also need space for your legs to hang off the end of the bench. We recommend measuring the space you have. Then taking a close look at the size dimensions of any bench you look at to make sure it’ll fit.

Types of Weight Bench

So after these four steps you should have a good idea of what is right for you. So here is a summary of the types of weight bench we offer to help you decide what type of bench is right for you:

Simple flat or adjustable bench   This type of bench, is very simple, but is still highly effective. They don't come with any additional stands or add-ons, but are lightweight easy to move around and you can still use them in conjunction with lifting stands and frames to maximise your workout.
Barbell Bench This type of bench has an integrated barbell rest, making them perfect if you want to incorporate bench pressing into your workout and don't already have stands or a frame to hold the barbell. Some of our barbell benches also come with a leg curl attachment to add a new dimension to your workouts.
Multi-function Bench   This type of bench has a multitude of functions all-in-one. They're perfect if you want to perform a wide range of exercises, to a basic level. They're ideal if you want a very versatile piece of equipment and don't want to buy lots of separate pieces of home gym equipment.

So that's the three main categories of weight bench for home use. Of course there are also commercial weight benches, which we won't cover here. But they are more solid, durable benches designed for use in commercial gyms. Commercial weightlifting benches are normally excessively heavy duty for most people and come with a higher price tag. However if you are a very serious weight-lifter or power-lifter then you may find a commercial bench more suitable.

So if you're looking to add a weight bench to your home gym, check out our full range of weight benches. Or if you're looking to save money by buying weights along with your weight bench, then check out our weight bench packages where we give you even more money off for buying them together.