The 5 BEST weight benches in the UK in 2022

2020 and 2021 were strange years with the Corona-pocalipse which descended has impacted all our lives. 2022 is looking brighter, but still a bit strange compared to the old ‘normal’! There is a surge in people moving from public activities such as going to sports matches or using public gyms to something more private – think PPV TV and… Home gyms!

Stock levels across a lot of suppliers have been under pressure as a result, so trying to find the best weight bench here in the UK in budget can be tough.

I’ve pulled together this guide to outline a few of the best benches I could find which are available in the UK across a range of different budgets.

 

The top 5 best weight benches in the UK are…

To keep this as clear as I can I’ve split out the range of benches into price brackets and simply picked the best weight bench for the money.

This guide is focusing on the best weight benches available in the UK – so apologies to our American readers!

1. Best OVERALL bench in the UK: Bulldog 2.0 Flat / Incline

The “cherry on top” specification of bench. My current bench is a rock solid Legend 3103 which was shipped from America. But if I was buying a bench today what would I look for? Well I would want similar weight, stability and manoeuvrability (so a handle and wheels) to the Legend.

Crucially though, what would I improve on? I would buy a bench with no pad gap between the seat and backrest, and I would look for one that had the angles for the FID settings marked. These are the improvements I would make to IMPROVE the experience of using my adjustable Legend.

You can check out my FULL review of the Bulldog Adjustable Bench 2.0 right here – bought, tried, tested and now REVIEWED!

Well step this way Bulldog Gear with a UK based, zero-pad gap FID weight bench with their 2.0 incline bench. The eagle-eyed among you may recognise the design as being remarkably similar to the REP AB-5000 – which is no bad thing!

2. Best VALUE weight bench in the UK (REP FB-5000 look-a-like)

Having been through a few benches in recent years, my advice would be to buy a top of the line flat bench when looking to save some money and FORGET about incline work for now, (or simply PROP THE END UP on some plates).

Your money is going straight in to the steel construction and it will be all the better for it.

There are a few choices out there – Rogue have a nice flat bench, but it is out of budget at >£300 shipped. Similarly ATX do a premium flat bench for around the £295 mark which is fantastic, but as mentioned price wise it is top end. Interestingly they also offer an entry level flat bench (ATX FBX-610) which is reasonably priced, but weighing in at 21kg I’ve opted to go with the heavier suggestion below.

The manufacturer we’ve come back to is Bulldog. Historically I’ve not been fond of their flat benches mainly due to their 49cm height (their FID by comparison is a lot shorter at 45cm) – but that has ALL CHANGED with their Power Lifting Bench released in 2021 which is essentially a UK version of the REP FB-5000!

What I love about this bench is:

• Three footed design is IDEAL for foot placement – I like to have my heels relatively close together and often find a wide front foot gets in the way
• Price – this is well under £200 (at time of writing) and therefore a bargain
• Practical design – with a handle and wheels on top of the three footed format it’s pretty much the ideal spec flat bench
• Low height at 43cm it is ideal for all athletes – including shorter people like me!
• 12″ wide pad improves stability for some – my Legend bench comes as standard with a 10″ pad however I have always been tempted by the 12″ upgrade for additional stability. Funny story – I did try and order the wider pad when buying the Legend, but it didn’t quite work out at the time!
• Usefully heavier than competition at 28kg for a flat bench

3. Best FOLDING weight bench in the UK

If you’re tight on space then you can still get a decent bench, but we begin to face some compromises. So this is something a bit different – and a bit of fun, potentially. I think this is possibly the very best folding weight bench in the UK.

Bulldog Zero Adjustable Bench FID – enter stage left!

It is an outrageously good bench considering it is foldable. The engineering is fantastic:

• Folds flat for storage under a bed or sofa – therefore it’s the ideal weight bench for small spaces!
• Built in wheels (which other foldable bench has wheels?)
• FID adjustment built in to folding mechanism neatly. Really nice attention to detail here.
• 150kg weight capacity – given it is foldable this is lower than the two heavier, more expensive options above.

4. Also consider: Bulldog 1.0 Flat / Incline

The “buy once, cry once” or “bench for life” price range. Following the recommendation above for the 2.0 zero pad-gap product line, if I had around £430 to spend I would be taking a look at the Bulldog Adjustable Bench 1.0. It has a ton of crossover with the 2.0 above – but crucially comes in around £70 cheaper.

The downside? Pad gap. Despite being a bit annoying it is not a deal breaker and easy to work around, so if you’re looking to pick up a “bench for life” the 1.0 could save you a hundred quid or so.

Some of the notable features that, in my opinion, make this an awesome bench for the money are:

• 3mm / 11 gauge steel construction so very strong
• 450kg capacity (including user weight) is ample for almost anyone who would be looking at this page
• Laser cut angle markings are a really nice touch
• Manoeuvrability – the handle and wheels are ridiculously butch (check them out!) and the whole bench has been designed to be stored vertically, making it a great weight bench for small spaces.
• 30cm / 12” wide backrest is a nice option for those who prefer a wider base than the more common 10”

This bench is pretty comparable to some of the top end ATX weight benches available, but undercuts them massively on price (by around £200, or almost a third!) which is why Bulldog wins out here. I love the ATX product range, but I do struggle with their bench pricing which seems to be a touch high (at the top end).

5. Best bench under £100: Cheap, may be flimsy

At this price point we are – unfortunately – out of options. This is the “short term fix” price range. That said, there is some opportunity!

If we can stretch a little bit, we have the welded Bulldog flat bench which comes in just over budget. It is one of the best weight bench for around £100.

Respecting the budget a bit more, we are into generic items from Amazon and using much lower quality steel in the construction. I would suggest looking second hand and picking up a used bench of better quality. I would not overpay for a used, junk bench however, so it depends on if you have a decent second hand market where you live.

When pushed, I would go with something like this if you were wanting the best weight bench available on Amazon for this budget. 

It’s not great for the reasons discussed below, but it’s better than nothing if you’re building out a home gym.Maybe just budget to replace it in a year or so.

What should I look for when buying a weight bench?

Having owned more than four (yes four!) different weight benches in as many years I have a reasonable idea what I’m looking for in a bench. In short, you want a weight bench that is:

1. Strong and stable – a wobbly bench will rob you of the opportunity to maximise your bench press, seated military press, etc.
2. Adjustable – I strongly believe that a FID (flat / incline / decline) or FI (flat / incline) is the most space effective solution for a home gym as it is so versatile while taking up as much space as a bog standard flat bench would.
3. Height – you really want a bench around 17”-19” high from the ground to top of the pad. This is competition spec height and it will be what you’re used to (if you have worked out in commercial gyms, that is). I’ve had a few benches higher than this and it is a compromise. I strongly prefer a bench at around 17.25″ (or 45cm) as given my relatively short height (5’7″) I find it much easier to get proper leg drive and an overall stronger brace compared to a 19″ bench (which i have owned previously).

I’m really focused on build quality and overall integrity when I’m looking to buy a weight bench. Having a sturdy base to bench on is crucial to adding weight to the bar and increasing your bench press. It is also a safety thing – if your bench was to fail you would be in a pretty precarious situation…!

For example I want a bench to be as heavy as possible (40-50kg) as this indicates it is made of thicker – and therefore stronger – steel. 11 gauge steel is 3mm thick and is really what we are looking for as a baseline in home gym equipment. The heavier weight keeps the bench anchored during sets as well – I use quite a bit of leg drive when bench pressing and even so my Legend 3103 bench is absolutely anchored to the spot just adding to my confidence! When a bench slides backwards or moves when you’re setting up it really dents your confidence.

Pretty much everything else is in the ‘nice to have’ bracket to me (e.g. I don’t care too much about leg attachments, for example!)

What is a FID weight bench?

I’ve covered what FID benches are in detail previously – but in summary an FID weight bench is one that can be used in flat, incline or decline positions as required.

Having used FID, flat and FI (flat / incline) benches I will be sticking to flat / incline for the foreseeable future.The upside they offer in rock solid stability for bench pressing in the flat position outweighs the benefit of decline work for me personally.

Can you keep a weight bench outside?

You can keep your weight bench outside but I would not recommend it. Most benches are basically metal with padding covered with vinyl for the base itself. There is risk – ironically more so on cheap benches which you would probably be more likely to keep in the garden – that exposed wood on the underside of the padding would take on water and lose form / rot.

Personally I would not do this unless it was under a very good cover or weather proofed somehow (e.g. keep in a shed) as the UK weather absolutely WILL impact the bench. 

In this situation you could think about a foldable bench which could be stored under a bed or in a cupboard when not in use instead of sitting outside getting dilapidated.

Conclusion

Unfortunately the usual law applies here – the more you spend, the better the product you get. Prices range from around £125ish for a reasonable flat bench all the way up into the thousands. We’ve covered the best benches in the sub-£500 range as this is where the most ‘bang for buck’ happens.

What we really need to consider is – what are we actually paying for? Where does our money go? In the case of gym equipment the raw materials are high value – getting good quality box section that is 11+ gauge steel, machining it to length, welding etc it really does add up. Plus manufacturers – like it or not – do need to make a profit to incentivise them.

Thinking about it – benches require MORE engineering (welding, cutting, etc) than many power racks. In that context, sub-£500 looks a bit of a bargain for a top of the line bench…