We Tested 30+ Top Resistance Bands—Find Out Which Ones To Buy and Ones To Skip
We reviewed 30 of the best resistance bands, including loop bands, tube bands, power/assist bands, and resistance straps. These are the 14 top picks that won after months of testing.
'I'm A Fitness Editor Who's Constantly Testing Resistance Bands. Here Are My Top Picks.'
And it's great for booty gains!
The Best Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are a great aid for strength training, physical therapy, and other exercises. They take up far less space than a rack of free weights.
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Resistance bands are an excellent tool for toning and targeting muscles and complete muscle groups. And they’re compact and convenient. So what are the best resistance bands on the market? Because of its versatility and ease of use, we chose the MPow 150lb. Resistance Band Set as our best overall resistance band.
Through a variety of exercises like assisted pull-ups, chest presses, bicep curls, and tricep extensions, resistance bands can increase your range of motion, flexibility, and muscular endurance. They can also increase your stamina, and they’re fantastic for targeting specific muscles or muscle groups that need focused work. Use them with a combination of free weights, and you can get an even more complete workout.
It also uses a metal clasp system, so the bands are completely and totally stackable. With five bands ranging from 10 to 50 pounds, that means you can create resistance from ten all the way to 150 pounds. That’s versatility.
Some Fantastic Resistance Bands Include:
- Black Mountain Products Resistance Band Set offers a clip system with thick straps and real metal hardware;
- DynaPro Exercise Resistance Bands are backed by a real professional gym community for tips, inspiration, and advice;
- ELV Fitness Resistance Bands and Sliders Set provides floor sliders for a complete all-over body workout;
- Gold’s Gym Total-Body Resistance Band Training Set is a pro-level home gym that’s marked down nearly half-off.
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Best Overall
MPow 150lb. Resistance Band Set
Why We Love It: The lifetime warranty means we never have to worry about it gathering dust.
A lot of resistance bands are really just overlarge, glorified rubber bands. Not the MPow. With resistance up to 150 pounds, you can get a full, complete workout on most every muscle group in your body—all while binge-watching, if you want.
With a door anchor, foot straps, and five bands from 10-50 pounds, the MPow system is wholly versatile and fully stackable.
PROS:
-Made of natural, odorless latex.
-Lifetime warranty.
CONS:
-Some reviewrs claim the weights are slightly lighter than specified.
Get It: Pick up the MPow 150lb. Resistance Band Set ($18 with coupon) at Amazon
GET IT!
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Best for Pro Support
DynaPro Exercise Resistance Bands
Why We Love It: Choice. You can buy one, or you can go for the full set of five.
Gym quality and professional grade, these straps are made of natural, commercial-grade rubber. We like that you can buy one (from $14, depending on color), or opt for the whole set of five, for resistance from 10-50 pounds.
Purchase gets you into DynaPro’s VIP Club, where you have access to a whole resource of workouts, tips, tricks, and advice from the community.
PROS:
-Pro-grade products from commercial-grade materials.
-80% of reviews are 5-star.
CONS:
-Some users say handle clamps are wonky, but once they’re secure you’re good to go.
Get It: Pick up the DynaPro Exercise Resistance Bands ($69) on Amazon
GET IT!
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Best for a Complete Workout
ELV Fitness Resistance Bands and Sliders Set
Why We Love It: The combo of bands and sliders means a more complete workout no matter where we are.
This fantastic combination fitness set from ELV is all you need for a complete anaerobic workout right on your bedroom or living room floor. It includes five bands of varying tension, as well as two dual-sided sliders for carpet or hardwood/tile.
It’s perfect for CrossFit, yoga, stretching, weight training, endurance, and more.
PROS:
-Mix bands & sliders and get a more complete workout than ever before.
-Sliders work on carpet or hard floors
CONS:
-Narrow bands mean this set is more suited for endurance and stretching than lifting and training.
Get It: Pick up the ELV Fitness Resistance Bands and Sliders Set ($18) at Walmart
GET IT!
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Best for Home Training
Black Mountain Products Resistance Band Set
Why We Love It: It’s a serious gym tool designed for serious fitness enthusiasts.
Five colored bands offer resistance levels from 2-4 up to 25-30 pounds. The metal clip system on the Black Mountain lets you attach them set to the soft-grip handles or to ankle straps. You can even double- or triple-clip the straps, to increase the resistance to the perfect setting.
It also comes with a door anchor, so you can strech and tone from a variety of different angles. Includes carrying case.
PROS:
-Heavy straps, with metal real hardware.
-Stackable, to dial in the ideal resistance.
-Not one reviewer has rated them less than three stars.
CONS:
-They’re bigger and heavier than simple resistance bands—for a reason, though.
Get It: Save $13 on Black Mountain Products Resistance Band Set ($27; was $40) at Walmart
GET IT!
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Best for Yoga & Pilates
Jaxpety Resistance Band Set
Why We Love It: Ankle straps make it perfect for leg exercises.
Designed specifically for anaerobic resistance fitness, the Jaxpety set comes with handy foot straps, so you can work your legs as well as your arms, back, and chest. It’s totally stackable too, so you can dial in the perfect tension and resistance for your needs.
Neoprene handles and a handy carrying case make it great for travel, office, and anywhere you need to tone up.
PROS:
-Excellent for yoga, pilates, and other light resistance exercise.
-Stackable and customizable
CONS:
-Not ideal for serious lifters, but perfect for toning, anaerobic, and cardio.
Get It: Pick Up the Jaxpety Resistance Band Set ($13) at Walmart
GET IT!
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Best Bargain
Gold’s Gym Total-Body Resistance Band Training
Why We Love It: Originally $35, it’s now just $20!
A compact, total-body fitness solution for your home workout space. This Gold’s Gym-approved set hangs from most standard doors. It includes multiple resistance band bungees of differing difficulties, allowing you to target a variety of muscles across your entire body.
It includes ankle straps to tone quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, and glutes.
PROS:
-Inlcudes workout DVD.
-Hooks up in minutes.
CONS:
-Not super portable, but it fits most doors.
Get It: Save $15 on the Gold’s Gym Total-Body Resistance Band Training ($20; was $35) at Walmart
GET IT!
Best for Stretching
Gradient Fitness Multi-loop Strap Stretch Strap
Why We Love It: One strap suits most all our needs.
Longer and wider than most, the Gradient is ideal for athletes, with the perfect blend of comfort and durability. Less for lifting than for stretching and increasing muscle elasticity, it’s outfitted with loops the entire length of the band.
Measuring 8 feet long and 1.5 inches wide, with 12 independent stretching loops, it has soft neoprene handles and comes with a travel storage bag.
PROS:
-One band does the work of many.
-Thicker material, very well-constructed.
CONS:
-Just one level of resistance—but you can use it for almost any muscle group.
Get It: Pick up the Gradient Fitness Multi-loop Strap Stretch Strap ($16) at Walmart
GET IT!
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Best Value
Fit Simplify
Why We Love It: That’s easy: Why spend more?
The Best Value on our list is also the most-reviewed resistance band on Amazon. This set of five Fit Simplify Resistance Bands has garnered close to 10k reviews, and stands proud with a solid 4-star rating.
Made of eco-friendly latex (not rubber), they color-coded for easy designation, from X-tra Light to X-tra Heavy resistance.
PROS:
-Inexpensive, but work nearly as well as any other resistance band out there.
-Hard to argue with 10,000 4-star reviews.
CONS:
-They will stretch out after a while—but check out that price!
Get It: Pick up Fit Simplify Resistance Bands ($9, set of five) at Amazon
GET IT!
