The Best CrossFit Gear for Your Home Gym, Tested by Fitness Editors

Walking into any legitimate CrossFit Box, you’ll see gymnastic rings dangling from the ceiling or pull-up rigs. They’re the go-to apparatus for performing the iconic muscle-up, which turns up in over 400 WODs (workout of the day).

Double Circle’s wooden gymnastic rings feature the same 1.2-inch-thick handles as Rogue’s popular ring set but for nearly $40 less. These rings come with four carabiners and embroidered numbers on the straps, making adjusting the length of the rings simple. Each strap is just over 9 feet long, so you can hang it from most ceilings and pull-up bars. (Make sure wherever you hang it from can support the rings and your body weight.)

Double Circle’s gymnastic rings have a 4.8 out of five-star rating with over 2,000 reviews. Reviewers like the build quality, functionality, and ease of use. A few reviews state un-sanded handles and a couple of cases of splinters, but after getting hands on, we can confirm these feel great.

Read More: What an Olympic Gymnast’s Workout Looks Like

Titan’s pull-up bar is everything you want in a pull-up bar, especially for CrossFit. It’s wall-mounted so it won’t collapse on top of you, has a grip diameter of 1.25-inches (perfect for most people), and protrudes far enough from the wall to allow for kipping pull-ups and muscle-ups. There’s a reason we rated it high on our list of Best Pull-Up Bars.

We also like the 500-pound weight capacity; if you’re a bigger athlete or enjoy cranking out weighted pull-ups, you won’t ever have to worry about this bar giving out. (It also makes for a solid structure to hang rings.) For less than $70, it’s not the cheapest bar on the market, but it is one of the more affordable models of this type and level of quality.

On Titan’s website, this bar sports a five-star rating with 142 reviews. Reviewers praise the bar as simple to assemble, sturdy, and relatively affordable. A few customers complained about receiving damaged parts upon arrival, though Titan responded and does offer a one-year warranty on the bar.

Read More: The Best Pull-Up Bars, Tested by Us

The Rogue Fitness Games Box is the same box used by professional CrossFitters competing in the Games … so, yeah, the product has been thoroughly tested and approved. The 3-in-1 design means you can flip the box over to achieve different heights—20, 24, and 30 inches. Unless you’re trying to max-out, that’s enough for box jumps and box step-overs during any WOD. Rogue is known for its quality construction, so this box is built to last, but is backed by a one-year warranty in case it doesn’t.

A couple of things worth noting: The box is made out of wood, which is a nice aesthetic touch and isn’t prone to ripping like nylon, but also means you may bang up your shins during missed jumps. (Also, we wouldn’t let the box sit outside at risk of warping in rainy and humid weather.) You should also consider if you want to lug a 56-pound box from A to B daily. Foam boxes are easier on your body and lighter.

Concept2’s RowErg is the gold standard. It’s the model Olympic rowers and CrossFit Games athletes train with, and it’s influenced the design of other rowing machines (see Rogue’s new Echo Rower). Every aspect of the Concept2 sets the bar for what a rower can be. The build (a mixture of high-quality plastic and metal) is sturdy and durable. Each stroke feels smooth. The PM5 monitor offers various stats, from time to distance to calories, and all of them can be recorded in Concept2’s ErgData app (a free app that lets you track your progress and share it with friends(.

Of course, you’ll need to consider if you can (or want to) pay $1,000. There are plenty of rowing machines for under $500, but none of them are as universally great as the Concept2. You also need enough space to use it. Concept2 suggests you reserve a lot that’s 9 feet by 4 feet to have enough clearance.

Dynamax revolutionized the medicine ball as we know it, creating a ball with enough padding to toss it as hard as possible without damaging the structure. Since the brand launched in 1985, a host of others have mimicked the innovative craftsmanship, but we’re shouting out the original.

Do CrossFit and there’s a 100% chance that you will toss a med ball. Wall balls—where you squat down with a medicine ball and launch it upward as you rise out of the squat—are a classic CrossFit movement. The Dynamax ball is coated in durable leather and features double-stitched seams for supreme durability, ensuring they can survive any drop or slam.

The Dynamax Medicine Ball has 4.6 stars (36 reviews) on Rogue’s website and a five-star rating (20 reviews) on its own site. Aside from one review showcasing torn stitching, users typically praise the ball’s durability.

Pros

• Gravity casting means the kettlebell is one sturdy piece
• Powder coated for improved grip and durability
• Large weight range
• Color-coded

These are exactly what you picture when you think of kettlebells. REP Fitness’ kettlebells are powder-coated (which prevents corrosion and enhances your grip), color-coded (so you can easily identify the weight you’re using), and gravity cast, which means they’re molded as one piece instead of the handle being welded on top of the bell (making them more durable).

REP offers an immense weight range, from four to 48 kilograms (nine to 106 pounds). The kettlebells are only sold as singles, so you’ll need to purchase two (and double the price you see on Amazon) if you want a set, which we recommend since a lot of CrossFit WODs call for two kettlebells. REP does offer two bundles on Amazon—an eight-24-kilogram set of singles for $380 or an eight-24-kilogram set of pairs for $759.

Oftentimes, it is simpler (and safer) to wear a weighted vest during a longer WOD to add load for squats, pull-ups, and box jumps. You want a weighted vest that clings securely to your body, is easy to get on and off, and is painless to unload. 5.11 has been making plate carriers for years, with a proven track record of crafting breathable, comfortable, and functional vests.

The vest is easy to get on—drape it over your shoulders and secure the waist strap (which costs an additional $55). It has ample padding on the shoulders and inside each side of the vest for comfort. $165 for the base isn’t unreasonable; the cost is comparable to other market options at a similar quality level. That said, you’ll have to pay extra for the plates ($85 for a pair of 5.75 pound plates and $105 for the 8.75-pound pair).

Pros

• Can be used for Olympic and powerlifting movements
• Cerakote finish protects against corrosion
• Semi-aggressive knurling helps your grip

A barbell is essential. You need it to clean, jerk, and deadlift weights—no ifs, ands, or buts. REP Fitness’ Colorado Bar is our pick for the best barbell on this list because it’s a multi-use bar, meaning you can use it to perform static and dynamic lifts, that should last you forever (assuming you treat it right).

The knurling (the cross-hatch pattern on the shaft that helps your grip), is mildly aggressive. The composite bushings allow for enough spin to make Olympic movements like cleans doable but not enough spin to hamper your static lifts (deadlifts, bench presses, and squats). There isn’t any center knurling, which helps the bar stick to your back during squats, but that’s OK for most people and can be uncomfortable on your neck during more common CrossFit movements such as thrusters, front squats, and cleans.

You can purchase the Colorado Bar with a Cerakote or hard chrome finish. We suggest the Cerakote, a ceramic coating that not only looks sweet but protects your barbell from rust and discoloration. The one downside is the price. At nearly $300, this bar is pricey. That said, you will use the thing nearly every day and REP built it to last. This isn’t the category to cheap out on.

You want a dependable rack to load your bar for squats, Olympic lifts, overhead presses, and bench presses, but this isn’t the category in which you need to pull out all the stops. For less than $300, Titan Fitness, a brand known for selling quality gear below market price, built a squat stand that does exactly what you need.

You’ll need about 6 square feet of space to fit this rack, which is relatively compact compared to other squat/power racks. It’s constructed from 11-gauge steel, comes with J-hooks (which hold the barbell in place), and can support up to 1,000 pounds. It consists of a base and two uprights and the necessary hardware is included, so assembly isn’t a chore.

Because it’s a squat stand and not a power rack, it lacks safety bars, which catch falling barbells. This means you need to be comfortable dumping out of Olympic lifts and squats and/or you need a spotter on hand when lifting heavy weights.

Living Fit Bumper Plates Pairs

You can’t drive a car without wheels, and a barbell ain’t squat without plates. You want bumper plates, which are coated in rubber, because they’re more drop-resistant than iron plates. We like Living Fit’s bumper plates because they’re priced well, color-coded, and can be bought in pairs. You can also buy weight set combos, depending on how much you’re willing to spend up front.

The color-coded plates aren’t just for flair; they can help a lifter quickly identify which plates weigh what, saving them time when loading and unloading a barbell (day after day after day). The rubber coating is also promised to be low bounce, so you don’t have to worry about the bar smacking back in the face after dropping it. And at $155 for a pair of 45s, Living Fit’s bumpers are cheaper than Fringe Sport, Rogue, and Major Fitness’s models. You’ll get a two-year home and two-year commercial warranty for the 25-, 35-, 45-, and 55-pound plates.

Rogue SR-1 Bearing Speed Rope

CrossFit demands a fair amount of jump rope work, mainly in the form of double-unders (that’s when you hit two rotations in one jump). You’ll want a speed rope, which features a lighter, thinner cable and faster revolutions for more optimal jumping. Rogue offers various speed ropes, but the SR-1—one of Rogue’s older models—is a dependable option for just about anyone. And at $28, it’s a low-risk investment.

Let’s talk specs: You’ll get a 120-inches of nylon cable, which you’ll need to trim to fit your height. (Here’s a video on how to do that.) The ball bearings allow for quick rotations, far quicker than you’re used to if you’ve only used cheap rubber ropes from Amazon. The handles are apparently made with an “indestructible glass-filled nylon resin.” We haven’t intentionally tried to break them, but you can count on these being durable.

Amazon Basics Rubber Encased Hex Dumbbell

You don’t need to break the bank on dumbbells, and for this reason, The Amazon Basic Rubber Hex Dumbbells are a solid choice. The hexagonal shape ensures they won’t roll away from you mid-workout and stay in place if you perform push-ups on them. They’re rubber-coated, which protects both the metal and your floors (kind of) if you drop them. Also, the handles are knurled instead of sporting that annoying rubber grip common on cheaper dumbbells, which chafe the hands and get slippery as you sweat.

Amazon only offers a weight range of 10 to 50 pounds, plenty for most CrossFit athletes looking to fling dumbbells around for WODs. That said, if you’re interested in lifting heavier weights to build strength, you’ll likely need more than 50 pounds for movements like chest presses and goblet squats. Also, some folks don’t like the ergonomic handle shape, which is slightly fatter in the middle and narrower towards the ends of the shaft.