What are the Best Adjustable Weight Benches for Home Use and the Most Frequent Issues with the Latest Models

A workout bench, also called utility bench is undoubtedly one of the most fundamental pieces of home gym equipment to complement your fitness, despite being bulky and heavy…at least the good ones are. After reading this article I guarantee that you will be equipped with all the information to make an educated choice when buying one.

There are many versions of workout benches. You can pick a lightweight bench designed for your home gym which will probably be an incline decline bench or a flat bench—often referred to as FID bench, meaning flat, incline, decline. Or you can get lost screening through those designed to allow situps, or even choose a foldable workout bench.

But considering the fact that this should be a lifetime investment—unless you run a commercial gym—, I stick to reviewing the best, most robust, and sufficiently versatile adjustable weight benches designed for individual use, for your home workout.

In case you are a seasoned athlete and look for top quality, the quick answer is the Rogue Adjustable Bench 2.0. If you’ve got the budget that’s the best workout bench for home, period.

Adjustable Workout Bench Review Table

REVIEWS

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Rep Fitness Adjustable Bench – AB-3000 FID – 1,000 lb Rated – Flat/Incline/Decline

As its name implies withstanding 1000 lbs of vertical force, this bench is one of the sturdy ones. With 14 positions total you can say anything but blame them for lack of versatility.

You can adjust the backrest in 7 ladders, which means a range from an incline of 85 degrees to a -20 decline. Plus another 4 position goes for the seat as well which is nice compared to the usual 3 found on most adjustable benches. I also like that they use ladder adjustments—don’t ask me why, but for some reason, I prefer that over pins, it just feels a simple and lasting solution. These ladders are also deep enough so you don’t have to worry about the head of the support arm detaching—a personal experience.

Weighing 85 lbs it’s not a surprise they put vinyl wheels on it for easy portability sparing your floor from scratches.
In its flat position the top is measured 17,5 inches from the floor, a height that conforms to IPF (International Powerlifting Federation) standards. At shoulders, the width of the bench is 11,5 inches which is perfect for bench press.
They also put a minimal gap between the seat and the backrest, another thought out feature that makes it easier to get into position.

A couple of issues though that I would’ve made otherwise:
Although a minor issue, still, for some it can be a deal-breaker, while it creates excellent lateral stability, the 26-inch wide crossbar frame the wheels are attached to is too wide and in a flat position reaches over the end of the backrest making it hard to step back for a box squat.

My other concern is that the seat can be a bit too wide as well for users with shorter legs. I prefer the seat just as wide as the backrest itself.

Rep Fitness based in Colorado is a family-owned company and is already a well-known brand in the fitness equipment industry. Despite their late start in 2012 they already managed to establish a reputation in the market with quality that lives up to expectations.

>>CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON<<

FlyBird Weight Bench, Multi-Purpose, Foldable, Incline Decline

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This piece here is unlike the others in the review. Weighing a little short of 32 pounds it is considered very lightweight even in the league of home utility benches. For women though or if you are just starting out, this bench can still be of substantial benefit. For lighter weights, practicing form, or for a tiny space within your apartment, or when mobility is of concern, let alone budget, this bench is a viable option.

Moreover, its maximum weight capacity is still 550 pounds which plenty if we consider the lack of heavy dumbbell sets on the fitness equipment market. I wouldn’t recommend it for box squats though, unless you really use light weights, as again, the frame and the back pad can bend and the adjustable sliders can break.

The backrest can be adjusted in 7 positions and the seat in 3, both with fast bolts that lock in place automatically. That’s not my favorite solution, but you can’t have everything. The soft 2-inch thick soft foam padding is not the best either, however to my surprise they use leather cover material which is surprising in this category and adds to the user experience of this bench.

The cross legs of this bench are only 16 inches wide which makes it easier to walk backward with weights, however, obviously at the cost of lateral stability, so I wouldn’t recommend using it for box jumps or weighted dumbbell steps ups.
The seats are wider than the backrest, 13,8 inch to be exact, which is not substantial, but still, I will never understand why this is necessary. If you want to sit comfortably get an armchair.

The backseat could be longer, which means taller individuals might want to look for a bigger overall construction. I suspect this is due to its folding feature which happens to be its strongest attribute. Because first and foremost this is a folding weight bench to save space. You can stow it under your bed, or stand it by the wall or just toss it out of the way any time you stumble in it because it’s so light.

However this is its biggest advantage and despite it lacks most of the things I think make up a good bench, it seems to be the best option for little room space or tiny corners.

>>CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON<<

XMark Adjustable FID Weight Bench XM-7630

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The XMark adjustable dumbbell bench is really a middle ground between an OK-ish and an excellent bench. It is a smaller family-owned brand specializing in the production of home gym equipment. Still, my feelings are twofold. Xmark products are typically manufactured with solid construction in mind, meeting the industry standards so they stand out with great overall quality.

The frame is sturdy, with 11 gauge heavy-duty steel. Max loading capacity is a whopping 1500lbs, which is nice for a weight bench for home use. The 3-inch extra thick padding is among the bests as well as its durable, tear-resistant vinyl cover.

You can adjust the back pad in 7 positions while the seat in 3, there is nothing special here, this is enough for what a dumbbell bench should be used for.

Again, the quality isn’t the problem with this piece here. It’s rather everything else, I outlined so far, like:
Big gap between the back pad and the seat plus bulky wheels on wide, and too long crossbars, that slightly exceed the length of the backrest. So watch out when you box squat.

Another weak point is the backrest. It is only supported lengthwise with one steel tube running through in the middle. That means the edges overhang too far sideways without a base of support, and only one screw holds the pad in place.
This can present issues most commonly:

• when squatting sideways on the bench
• when doing dumbbell pullovers lying perpendicular to the bench
• when doing weighted step-ups.

Holding the back pad to the steel tube frame there are 4×1 screws. In my opinion, a sturdier solution would be to use a wider tube and put 2×2 screws to prevent the accidental tilting of the pad. This would also result in tightening the screws less often.

>>CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON<<

Ironmaster Super Bench

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The Ironmaster adjustable weight-lifting bench is sure an interesting one. With a though out sturdy structure, besides doing the basics very well, Ironmaster provides an almost never-ending line of attachment options too. With 8 accessories in addition to its 11 locking angle incline decline function, calling it simply an adjustable bench is rather an understatement.

You can pimp this bench into a compact home gym monster if you add a:

• preacher curl pad
• leg attachment for knee extensions and leg curls for the hamstrings
• situp attachment as an anchor for the legs
• and yes, even a dip handle and a chin-up bar!
• even a cable tower! (okay this is a bit of an overkill in my opinion, but still, you can have it)

Check out this video for a visual representation of the Ironmaster Super Bench versatility.

These accessories are not part of the bench by default, but with a little investment, this could be your best home workout equipment in terms of versatility, space-saving, and sturdiness. Because believe it or not, more or less, these attachments can actually be used for what they were designed for, unlike those total body gyms with cable system and usually horrible design/material.

For example, when you tilt the bench 85 degrees to its maximum incline and put the crunch attachment in place, you can even do vertical situps or just hang there upside down for spinal decompression almost like with an inversion bench.
So the Ironmaster super bench could really be the exception for when versatility is not at the expense of usability.

Talking about the bench itself, it does what you expect from a well-structured utility bench. The crossbar legs are the same width and not too wide, so it’s not on the way and doesn’t take as much space either, still, it’s got enough stability. Though a little wobbly when you use it for pull-ups with the pull-up bar attachment, however, come on, first and foremost it’s a bench.

Due to the removable seat, the usual gap between the back pad and the seat is not an issue anymore when the bench is in a flat position so it basically becomes a flat bench with one piece of back pad unlike the majority with two or even more separate pads. The drawback though is that you need to remove the seat every time you switch to a flat position. By the way, the seat is even narrower than the bench so it won’t bruise your inner thighs.

You can adjust the height of the seat in 3 positions, but not the angle. Which latter is not a problem in my opinion, as its angle is fixed perpendicular to the backrest, which is obviously the most stable position while in incline. So there is no such scenario that as you move the back pad to more horizontal the seat angle increases and you feel you are sliding. This can quite distract your attention when using heavy weights.

Talk about heavy, the weight threshold of the seat is 600 pounds when adjusted in a near-vertical position, so heavier powerlifters might want to choose a commercial bench. Still, this limit is far from the weight an average person tackles during an ordinary home workout especially with vertical presses when there is no drag from the backrest to take weight off the seat.

Also, the 44” x 10” x 3” thick vinyl padding is a little too narrow compared to an ideal 12 inches. This way it might not provide full support for your scapula and lats for the bench press. The backrest could be a little longer for taller individuals, but that’s less of an issue. Another downside is its height. Its 20 inches from the ground might urge you to put some blocks under your feet in order to elevate your legs for a better leg drive for horizontal presses.

One more slight inconvenience is that it doesn’t come with wheels, however, this is not a heavy bench after all with its 60lbs. The wheel kit is an addon which you need to purchase separately if you want easy portability.

Back to the upsides, Ironmaster crafted a patented spring-loaded foot lever for easy adjustability of the back pad, which can be pressed down from either side by just stepping on it. With this many and frequent angle adjustments, it would be useful though to have marked each level so you can record the difficulty of the different workouts, though not something you can’t easily do yourself.

Overall, the Ironmaster adjustable weight bench worth its penny, it’s robust, with a decent design and stood the test of time. The only reason it’s not the winner is that well, there is an even better and tougher one, with ideal dimensions, hitting commercial grade.

>>CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON<<

ROGUE Adjustable Bench 2.0

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The reason why the Rogue adjustable bench is the best in this list is not that it had any fancy feature, a host of adjustability or advanced portability that you can hide it in a few seconds. It is the best workout bench because it features everything you need from a superior bench—which ironically is not a lot—and when the simplest of design meets with the best materials you get a bench so bulletproof even your grandchildren will find a use of it. Hence, it is definitely a long term investment. It is almost as primitive as a cast iron kettlebell, meaning there is nothing really that can go wrong.

Just to give a clear picture, Rogue, the USA based company is the official fitness equipment supplier of the Crossfit Games, manufacturing the sturdiest weightlifting bars, custom rack systems, custom heavyweight sleds, etc. for athletes claimed the fittest on earth competing through the toughest workouts. They can’t ruin their reputation with junk design, their experience working with metal goes a long way. That’s where their expertise shine hence crafting reliable and sturdy products is their trademark.

No wonder you find the best quality welding on this bench as well as Rogue’s signature powder coat. The Rogue bench has big, sturdy hinges, pins, and bolt-together construction to provide exceptional stability and support at the most common weakest point of a utility bench, the lever arm, that fixes the seat and the back pad in each incline position. This latter one has got a handle each side to make adjusting back angles easier.

They use laser-cut technology for best fittings so the individual parts sit against each other tight. This is a common issue with smaller brands and something a lot of customers leave negative reviews for and for a good reason. Fortunately, this is not the case with Rogue equipment.

As I mentioned earlier with adjustable benches I prefer a ladder adjusting system. Rogue designed its bench with deep ladder catches, so the adjusting arm can firmly be secured in each groove, so you don’t have to worry about the arm popping out and falling down—yes, it happens.

Due to its tripod design the leg on the seat side has basically no width, so you won’t trip over when sitting down with heavy dumbbells. There is a handle welded to it for easy portability, so you can lift the bench and roll it on its wheels. They knew you will need that, it’s a relatively heavy bench weighing 128lb.

Smart design again, that they thought of reinforcing the end of the backseat with a vertical steel pole welded to the base of the bench. That way they solve a common problem of lever adjusted workout benches that I mentioned earlier. Namely the lever arm’s pivot—fixed to the backrest—is furthest from the end of the bench when the bench is adjusted in a flat position. If there is nothing to support it vertically from right under, a heavy barbell squat or even a heavy dumbbell bench press can bend the backseat which might be far from breaking, still, not something a weight bench should allow for.

Of course, Rogue also thought of removing the gap between the seat and the back pad. So sitting up from flat presses you no longer feel the seat separated at your tailbone, neither will sink into a hole.
As far as adjustability goes it’s just enough for what you need. 6 adjustment positions for the back pad from 0-85 degrees and 2 seat positions.
Talk about dimensions, the surface of this workout bench measures 17.5 inches from the floor, pad length is 52” while its width is 11,25”. While the Rogue adjustable bench 2.0 doesn’t match the IPF (International Powerlifting Federation) bench standard dimensions (17 x 48 x 12) you can see it is so close to it to not matter much.

Lastly, this specific Rogue bench—except an optional spotter deck—doesn’t really offer the addons and attachment options the Ironmaster Super Bench does. This is in my opinion, not a flaw unless you plan to design your home gym around a workout bench.

>>CHECK PRICE ON ROGUEFITNESS<<

Basic Questions Before Buying an Adjustable Weight Bench for Home

What are the exercises you plan to use it for?

Take all your exercises and available/future equipment into consideration as well and use your imagination. As you’ll see later, a weight bench, especially an adjustable one is really a versatile piece.

Do you have enough space for a weight bench?

There are fewer things more annoying than a badly planned home gym set up. Is there anything blocking the proper exercising on your weight bench. It’s nice to have at least so much room all around it that is equivalent to your height.

Does the exercise bench have to be adjustable after all?

If you only need something to step onto, or you are mostly into calisthenics and bodyweight training, then maybe you don’t need to spend money on a weight bench at all, let alone the extra dime for an adjustable version.

How often are you going to use it?

That’s a no brainer, even if you do classic, incline dumbbell bench presses once every month, you probably don’t need equipment just for that. There are many ways to come around an exercise don’t fall prey to marketing and fancy equipment unless your progress really requires the next step. After all, the best workout bench for home is the one that you use!

Are you going to use your utility bench in your living room or you have a dedicated garage gym?

Believe me, setting up your equipment every time for your training can be exhausting and may eventually lead to skipping certain exercises or even your entire workout. In other words, it’s not convenient having to constantly move around an 80lbs bench even with wheels, just because it doesn’t have a fixed place in your home. Though that’s just often a matter of determination.

Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Adjustable Weight Bench for Your Home Gym?

It’s easy to get lost in all the shiny marketing pictures and weight bench reviews highlighting needless features while during the 90% of your home workout you only need a workout bench for a few exercises, but for those, you really need one that you can rely upon.

Let’s be honest. This is is not the home gym equipment you should really get thrilled about. Just buy one that was constructed for its purpose and does the job with ease.
That job is to lend support. Therefore the most important aspect is to check how sturdy it is. The sturdier, the better.

This is going to be a platform you want to keep not just your whole bodyweight on, but hopefully a ton of weights as well. I can’t emphasize it enough that a workout bench used for its purpose should last for a lifetime and even longer. Since you never know how strong you will become it’s best to buy a piece that can tolerate years of massive beating.
Why?
Because the number one purpose of a workout bench is to provide elevated support for your back while pressing weights. And since most of us can press more weight than we can pull—due to the pressing muscles’ inherent ability to generate more force in general than pulling muscles—, you have to see that the weight bench has to bear the most weights of all the fitness equipment. More than a pull-up bar, even if you do heavy pull-ups, and yes, in many cases, more than a squat rack, unless you are really bad at bench pressing.

This overexaggerated example is to prove a point, you will almost surely ignore if you buy an adjustable weight bench of cheap light material, thin hinge bolt, and a wobbly knob/pin or a shallow ladder catch to secure the desired seat angle.
These solutions and parts form the weakest points of a workout bench, still, in many cases, manufacturers go cheap on them. As a result, they can literally bend and crack at these spots simply due to the sheer pressure of your bodyweight plus a load of heavy dumbbells in each of your hands.

Things to consider when buying your first—and hopefully last—workout bench

Your Bodyweight

This one is a no brainer, the more you weigh, the sturdier your bench has to be from every aspect in order to make up for the added stress. Couple it with a beginner user with bodyweight over 200 pounds and some clumsy move, and in addition to faster wear and tear they might even break the pad or pop it off its frame if the pad board is not supported evenly by the sides—an issue I’m going to discuss later. Even the best weight bench won’t handle improper use in the long term.

Also, the cover material of the surface of the bench, as well as the padding has to be up for the challenge of weighted step-ups and jumps. This is one of the most overlooked factors when choosing a workout bench for home.

Your Height

This is mainly a consideration because of the length of the adjustable back support frame. I advise here to go with a simple rectangular shaped frame as the ones with all kinds of flashy and anatomical bends and curves often come at the cost of being too short for taller people. So yes, even the shape is important.

The Design of the Workout Bench

There are dozens of very good quality, solid workout benches out there that simply can’t be used properly because of one reason. Their design. Manufacturers try everything to make their product stand out and creating a weight bench with eye-catching anatomical curves is surely one of the best ways to grab attention.

On the contrary, more often than not, it’s this very feature that makes simple exercises unsafe or ridiculously and unnecessarily difficult at the end.
Remember, this is a weight bench for lifting weights, not for an avant-garde showcase.

Lack of Fixed Space or Dedicated Area

As mentioned earlier, having enough space around an adjustable workout bench is important if versatility and safety are of concern for you. Don’t compromise selection because of your home conditions, rather, if possible, buy the best workout bench for your needs and customize the area necessary for its efficient use. Again, for the best home workout results you shouldn’t neglect this aspect, it’s not like an ab wheel, where you can’t go wrong. Especially for beginners, it can be quite discouraging to realize they made a bad setup.

Do You Plan to Use Your Bench with a Barbell aka for Box Squats?

A box squat is nothing more than using support to sit on while squatting. This can be any kind of squat, one-legged squat, Goblet squat, but the most common squat they use support for is the barbell back squat. With this type of squat, after unracking the weight, you will step backward until you reach one end of the bench.

One problem arises here with certain workout bench designs. They are often manufactured for added stability in a way that the legs of the bench are placed too far close to the ends of both, the back support and the seat of the bench. This by itself wouldn’t be an issue, however, these cross legs are often too wide which you can stumble in as you back off towards the bench with a heavy barbell.

Check the picture below for more understanding.

So if you intend to use your adjustable weight bench for box squats this is a must to consider unless you position the bench right below the squat rack, so you don’t need to step back or take a step at all with the barbell, or just use the narrow, seat end of the bench.

Are You Going to Use Your Bench for Jumps or Plyometrics?

As much as the wide legs of a workout bench can interfere with box squats, so much they come handy if you are planning to use your adjustable bench for jumps.

There are three things to consider here:

• Overall lateral stability: again, in general, the heavier your bench is the better so it doesn’t fall over.
• Stability of the backrest: try to yank it back and forth to check the lateral stability. The backrest of cheaper weight benches are still okay for exercises putting vertical pressure on them, however, lack basic support against lateral forces such as the box jump can be or step-ups due to sliding.
• The material of the backrest: the harder the padding, the better and of course a non-slippery back cover material is a must.

Is Band Attachment a Concern?

Using bands for shoulder prehab, rehab is great, they can also be used to strengthen the lockout of the bench press. If this is important, you might want to consider buying an adjustable bench with band attachment pins on its bottom or on the support legs. Then you can just hook around a band and do prone swims, Y-T-W’s, supine chest flyes, you name it.

Do You Intend to Use It as a Roman Chair for Sit-Ups, or Leg Extensions, Arm Curls?

With home workouts, versatility is king, still, the main purpose of an adjustable workout bench is to use it for horizontal presses, incline bench presses and shoulder presses.
There are endless core exercise variations without equipment. However, if you are dedicated using your bench for situps as well, you need to look for an incline decline workout bench with leg support attachment for sit-ups, like the one with the Rogue AB-3 adjustable bench or the Ironmaster weight bench.

If you also want to train the legs and ae dedicated to doing so on a bench—I’m not sure why it would ever be superior to squats—, workout benches with leg extension and curl attachments are your best bets.
For biceps, choose a bench with an arm curl attachment like the preacher curl aka Scott type of bench.

Most common problems with an adjustable weight bench

Seat Angle not Adjustable

Although it’s hard to find an adjustable workout bench without this feature, there are still some cheap ones in the market where the seat is fixed. This is an issue when you try to sit down with heavy weights. The moment you lean against the backrest you are most likely going to slide down the seat or put too much pressure on your tailbone, none of which is pleasant. Also, counterbalancing drives your focus away from the exercise.

Too Big a Gap Between the Seat and the Backrest When You Flatten the Bench

This is obviously wrong, you don’t want to „fall” in between the two parts. When you sit down and trying to find the best position, pushing your body back with the legs is natural to gain better traction with the bench and set the shoulder blades down. The less gap to bump over with your buttocks, the less distraction and the easier to slide on the bench.

Soft Backrest Foam Padding That Let You Sink Into It

This one is not soo obvious, however, you can miss on many pounds of weight pressed just because of this factor. In general the harder the bench the better. Whereas this is achieved with a harder foam padding or no foam padding at all, (yes, I made a bench rack once with a piece of plywood sheet serving as the board to lay on and to my surprise, it was just as perfect as a commercial bench) is almost irrelevant.

This is because you want to have direct feedback from the bench so it’s easier to adjust the position and set your shoulders together. Also, once the weight is unracked, maintaining shoulder retraction is easier as well due to the direct pressure against the bench. It’s best if you let the weight pin you down against the platform, which can’t be achieved sinking in a mushy surface.

Backrest Is Attached to Narrow Support Brackets

This is the metal frame or a full metal sheet that runs along under the padding. If this support is too narrow, it can result in the possible overturn or the toppling of the backrest in flat position during dumbbell pullovers if you lay across the bench.

If the backrest is made of plywood in the worst case you can even break a piece out of it this way, depending on your bodyweight and the weight used. In a better case you just have to tighten the screws—that pin the backrest to the frame—every now and then, which is still annoying.

And here’s a better example for a much wider, full support that covers even the edges of the backrest.

Poor Design

You need a robust bench, with plenty of support not just laterally but lengthwise as well. What I mean by the latter is—only in case of adjustable workout benches—that the further the end of the backseat is from its attachment or support arm’s pivot, the less pressure it can withstand without bending under heavy loads. Check the picture.

Bench Too High

For taller individuals, it’s not an issue. For your best bench press, you need to push down with your legs against the ground. This downward force activates the glutes that help to achieve a stronger extension of the whole back chain, this way activating the upper back as well. Upper back extension aka keeping the chest up is crucial for proper bench press technique. If you are shorter and barely reach the ground with your toes you won’t be able to exert as much force.

Put another way, if you can only reach the ground by extending your feet, pointing, you need a shorter bench. Though the best utility benches are designed already closer to the ground.

Bench Too Low

This is not as big a problem as if the bench is too high. However, if you are very tall and bench press on a short bench your knees are most likely going to be higher than your hips, which means you didn’t reach sufficient hip extension. The mechanics will more resemble the floor press, where the legs are almost out of the equation, meaning less weight to work with.

Bench Too Wide

A workout bench has to be just as wide as your shoulder blades. Anything narrower won’t provide support which is rarely the case. It’s more often that the bench is too wide, which means that the edges are going to reach over your shoulder blades so much that they can block your arm going below horizontal. If so, again, the bench press is going to mimic a floor press rather. Unless you plan to use your bench exclusively for „box” jumps—in which case just buy a wooden box or a plyometric softbox specifically for this purpose—, there is really no reason to pick one with too wide of a backrest.

Seat Too Wide

There is no point having an adjustable workout bench with wide seats. The biggest problem with a wide seat is that during incline positions you want to adjust the angle of the seat so it prevents your body from sliding down. However, this slight angle often makes it very uncomfortable for your thighs to get around the edges, especially if you have shorter legs in which case you have to extend your toes to reach the ground, which isn’t ideal.

A wide seat can also block your legs for the box squat while during the bench press you barely touch the seat with your buttocks anyway—because of the hip extension. So for most exercises, there is really no need for a wide weight bench seat.

Few adjusting positions

This one speaks for itself.

Conclusion

So the clear winner of my best adjustable bench roundup is the Rogue Adjustable Bench 2.0. It is an investment for the long term as a workout bench should be. The Rogue bench will save you a lot of trial and error and lets you concentrate only on your workout without the hassle of constant maintenance or the worrying of falling due to a wobbly structure.

Its frame is built to last and every detail is designed with sturdiness and comfort in mind, which is the most important feature of an adjustable bench.
The market offers a never-ending line of options when it comes to adjustable weight benches. Unfortunately, the majority of manufacturers try to differentiate their product with designs and features that are not only not helping performance, but straight counterintuitive.

The Rogue bench is one of the few that stands out with exceptional quality. It is a high-end utility bench, a bench for commercial use, from a company that has a well-established name in the professional and in the home gym fitness industry as well, hence the overall winner of this roundup.