Our strength training equipment testing methodology

You shouldn’t have to pay for a gym membership to enjoy the life-changing benefits of strength training. Whether you live in a tiny apartment, a house with a cramped garage, or somewhere in between, there’s a piece of equipment that could fit your needs. We’re here to help you find it.

Given the wide variety of strength training equipment available, Fortune Recommends™ doesn’t simply rank each piece as bad, good, or better. We rely on the expertise of seasoned personal trainers, strength coaches, and home gym experts to test and evaluate equipment. We then identify choices that work in a wide range of scenarios.

Here’s why you can trust our equipment reviews.

Every Fortune strength equipment review features:

Physical product testing with custom images as proof
Testers and/or authors who are certified personal trainers (CPT) or strength coaches (CSCS)
Fact-checking and reviewing by qualified experts, such as physical therapists or athletic trainers
Claims backed by trustworthy clinical research

Our staff aims to test 100% of the products we review so we can provide honest, objective information.

Occasionally, we may feature products we haven’t yet had a chance to test. We update our reviews as soon as we can get our hands on them. Until then, we thoroughly research their features and costs. Collectively, our writers, editors, and product testers have decades of experience buying and using strength equipment. You can trust our guidance because we know the industry inside and out.

Furthermore, all of the opinions we share are 100% our own. We earn commissions through affiliate links, and sometimes we receive products for free. However, we don’t let that influence which equipment we feature in our reviews. In fact, if we try a piece of equipment and can’t find any redeeming qualities, we won’t recommend it. Only the products that meet our high standards earn our endorsements.

Learn how we test all product categories here.

Our scoring methodology for strength training equipment

We assign each piece of strength training equipment a score of one through five for each of the 13 categories we test. Instead of averaging those scores together, we weigh them based on the most important criteria. Then, we average them to create a cumulative score.

For example, offering multiple color options is important, but doesn’t impact the overall score as much as a product’s construction quality or the company’s level of customer service.

Using these individual scores, we create an overall score on a scale of one to five. One is the lowest possible rating, and five is the highest.

Testing criteria

Performance—30%

To be worth your time and money, strength training equipment needs to reliably do what it says it does and stand up to the rigors of intense, regular use. If we’re reviewing a barbell, we’ll do squats, bench presses, and deadlifts with it and use it for CrossFit workouts. When we’re reviewing a squat rack, we’ll put a barbell on it and load the bar to the rack’s listed weight capacity to ensure the specs are accurate.

Here are the main factors our testers look for:

Material quality: We favor robust equipment made of top-quality materials. That means metal usually wins out over plastic, and leather beats vinyl.
Durability: Is there a weak point that might bend or break? Does a surface easily chip or wear off? Over time, we also check for signs of rust, as we know that many people train in humid garages or basements.
Versatility: Everyone’s needs, experience level, and gym spaces are different. Top-level equipment should perform for a wide range of users and scenarios and not be “outgrown” easily.

Customer experience—30%

We’ve all bought something that seemed like a good choice until we had to figure out how to put it together, get help from the company, or send the product back when something went wrong. We don’t want you to have any regrets, so we pay close attention to:

Warranty: A solid warranty shows that a company stands behind its products. It also saves you from spending hundreds or thousands of extra dollars to replace broken equipment. Products with lifetime warranties are more likely to earn high scores from our reviewers.
Shipping costs: We give extra marks to brands that offer free shipping.
Equipment setup: Our product testers can assemble squat racks, functional trainers, and weight benches in their sleep. But if they struggle to assemble a piece of equipment, we’ll give that product a lower score.
Packaging and delivery: Because we have a dedicated testing facility, our expert reviewers can analyze the delivery process of each product. To get higher scores, products must be well-packaged and undamaged when they arrive at our warehouse.
Customer service: We favor brands that provide multiple contact methods, have friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives, and respond quickly to inquiries. We won’t recommend products from brands that lack a consumer-first mindset.

Value—15%

Unlike supplements, you can’t objectively measure something like cost per serving to rate and compare items like dumbbells and barbells. This is where our testers’ expertise comes into play. They understand the market and how much a piece of equipment should cost based on all our rating factors.

If a high-quality product has a price that makes it a “steal,” we’ll let you know. We’ll also be honest if we think a product’s cost is too high based on its quality and how it compares to its competitors.

Size—15%

Most of us don’t have 10,000-ft. gym spaces in our homes. Space is at a premium, so we rate strength equipment on its overall footprint. If it can provide more functionality while taking up less space, that’s a big plus.

Extra options—10%

Does a dumbbell set offer a full range of weight levels to match all the ways you’ll use it? Does an all-in-one machine allow you to add extra handles or tools? Or maybe you’re building out your home gym and want a color to match your vibe. Our testers know the industry standards and let you know when a product goes above and beyond.