The 14 Best Weight Benches For Home Gyms Everywhere

There are a few things that one might easily take for granted when they spend most of their time working out at a gym facility, and all of those taken-for-granted things become glaringly apparent once you start working out at home. A squat rack, for one. A variety of dumbbells, for another. And one with a ton of significance: the weight bench.

You don't need a weight bench to get a good workout necessarily, but having regular access to one can complement those workouts you're already doing, says personal trainer Rachel Sneeden, ACE PT, CFSC. You can use the benches on their own—like with step ups and downs—or use them to pair with weight-lifting exercises, like bench presses. Sneeden also has her clients use weight benches for supported rows, upper body accessory work (like chest flies, tricep extensions, and tricep dips), and exercises that need assistance from a sturdy surface like box squats, assisted one-leg squats, and Bulgarian split squats. If you've tried doing one or any of these off a couch or a chair, you'll know that it works in a pinch, but isn't the sturdiest for long-term work.

In general, benches are pretty simple, so there's not really a bad option per se. But for outfitting a home gym, there are ones with details (like built-in storage or foldability) and materials that might make it a better fit for your space. Here are 14 of the best weight benches to shop now.