- 600lbs weight capacity
- 6 x adjustment angles
- Stowable
- 800lbs weight capacity
- 6 x adjustable angles
- Foldable
The Bowflex 5.1s Bench is the best foldable weight bench on the market today but there are other great options that may better suit your needs or budget.
Foldable weight benches save space, offer multiple ways to train, and all at a good price, so today, we’re looking at the best foldable weight benches for your home gym.
Best Foldable Weight Benches
- Best Overall: Bowflex 5.1s Bench
- Best Heavy Duty: Rogue Adjustable Bench 3.0
- Most Comfortable: Yoleo Adjustable Weight Bench
- Most Compact: Flybird Weight Bench
- Best Budget: SuperMax Adjustable Weight Bench
- Best with a Rack: Marcy Folding Standard Weight Bench
Best Overall Foldable Weight Bench: Bowflex 5.1s Bench
Bowflex's 5.1s combines many of the most important functions with design quality and integrity that many competitors can't achieve.
This versatile folding bench allows for different pad angles, has a foot-anchor for advanced core work, and is deeply comfortable. The design strikes a balance between value and features.
The design is great, with a strong footprint.
The incline options are fantastic, and the price is suitable for the sheer quality of this product. Bowflex also offers this bench in a package deal with adjustable dumbbells for more savings.
The bench is solid and stable, adjustable and versatile, with a good compromise on foam density. The only issue we’ve seen is the occasional fraying of the seams between different upper colors, but this is a cosmetic issue over time – and to be expected with use.
The Bowflex 5.1s wins major points for the 600lbs weight capacity. For some perspective, that’s an average man plus a 415lbs bench press. We can all dream.
It is not as compact as some others on this list – but that’s a trade-off you will have to make if you want maximum sturdiness.
The Bowflex’s 5.1s combines many of the most important functions we are looking for with design quality and integrity many competitors can’t achieve. In addition, these basics are performed wonderfully, with a small folding size, great comfort, and a whole-product quality that puts it in our #1 spot!
Best Heavy Duty Foldable Bench: Rogue Adjustable Bench 3.0
An amazingly durable, highly adjustable, comfortable option that is built to last. Best suited for those who prioritize quality over space or cost.
The Rogue Adjustable Bench 3.0 is a commercial gym quality bench.
Made from US 3×3″ 11-gauge steel, this bench is built to last. We also like how adjustable it is – with 30 different configurations based on 10 incline positions and 3 seat positions.
It is not as compact as other benches on this list, but it does come with wheels and a handle for easy mobility. Another positive is that it can be stored vertically, without the need for a wall bracket. However, it does weigh 125lbs so you don’t want to have it land on your toe.
The main reason it’s not our top pick is the price, but you expect that from a top-quality brand like Rogue.
Also, note that it will require some assembly so make sure you are prepared for that.
Built tough, comfortable, and adjustable, the Rogue Adjustable Bench 3.0 is an excellent option if you have the space and budget for it.
Most Comfortable Foldable Weight Bench: Yoleo Adjustable Weight Bench
Not only comfortable, the Yoleo bench has foot pads for core work, integrated hooks for resistance bands, and a very compact fold.
Yoleo has really taken versatility to heart.
This folding bench is like a training swiss army knife: adjustable folding bench, foot pads for core work, integrated hooks for resistance bands, and a very compact fold.
This is an excellent example of how to get a lot out of a bench – and it’s supremely comfortable.
The pad is a huge focus, and the natural arch-hugging shape is great for proper posture on the bench. It’s great for better core work, too, extending the flexion and extension range of the spine and hips.
The resistance bands and their clips aren’t the best quality on the market, but the pegs on the bench are fine, and bands can be replaced.
The bench itself is comfortable, versatile, and effective with a ‘standard’ 330lbs capacity.
Yoleo is a comfortable bench that folds down well and offers solid basic functions. It’s primarily useful for good posture on the bench, more effective core exercise, and lighter or weaker users (due to the slightly lower weight capacity than other benches on this list).
Most Compact Foldable Weight Bench: Flybird Weight Bench
Versatile + easy to fold away + great weight capacity = A fantastic folding bench with plenty of headroom for larger, stronger users.
The Flybird weight bench looks a lot more like something you’d see at a commercial gym. It’s a flat and simple bench that adjusts.
The secret is the telescopic legs that allow it to fold down and dramatically reduce in size – making it our most compact folding bench.
It offers both incline and decline options, a lightweight construction, and an obscene 800lbs weight capacity. We’re not sure who is using that much capacity, but it’s reassuring.
The folded version is also stored upright, which is a huge footprint saver in a home gym.
If you’re handy, you can easily install hooks for upright storage and have the wall integrity to pull it off (this product only weighs 12kg or 25lbs).
The Flybird Bench is versatile, easy to fold away, and has a great weight capacity. Between these features, it offers a fantastic mid-level folding bench with plenty of headroom for larger, stronger users.
Best Budget Foldable Weight Bench: SuperMax Adjustable Weight Bench
The SuperMax Adjustable Weight Bench is a great option for smaller home gyms and those with tighter budgets who don't want to lose out on weight capacity.
This is a heavy-duty and budget option, all in one place.
Despite having a lower price than many competitors on the market, supermax boasts an 800lbs (320kg) weight capacity, making it perfect for even the biggest and strongest users.
This hilarious image shows that you can combine high weight capacity with a lightweight, foldable, budget design.
We’re not sure how well it accounts for momentum, but it definitely showcases what the supermax can do.
The adjustment options are great, while the folded version is very small, competing even with the Flybird.
The price is significantly lower than some other products we’ve looked at – like the Bowflex – while the functions are clearly competitive.
There are some stability concerns – mainly due to the size and design of the feet.
The price does show up in some of the predictable areas – stability being one.
Another is the support and comfort of the bench pad, which is lower density than more expensive models.
The SuperMax Adjustable Weight Bench is a cheap and effective bench that folds away to nearly nothing. It’s an excellent option for smaller home gyms and those with tighter budgets who don’t want to lose out on weight capacity. Of course, it has limitations, but at this price, that’s inevitable.
Best Foldable Weight Bench with Rack: Marcy Folding Standard Weight Bench
The Marcy folding weight bench is an excellent option if you've got a lot of things you want to do but not much space or cash.
The thing about benching is that you typically want to pick the barbell up off of a rack. Of course, you could always clean it and lie down, but that invites injury in a major way.
Marcy’s folding weight bench offers a combination of rack and bench – both of which fold away.
This is a perfect compromise for those who don’t already have a squat rack or power cage at home. Combining the stand and bench allows you to use this product right out of the box.
It also has different angles built into the design of the stand, and the increased integrity of the design means you get a stable experience for the size.
It also offers a wide range of attachments as standard: anchors for bodyweight exercise, a preacher curl station, and an integral carry handle. Not to mention the whole rack attached to the top.
The Marcy folding weight bench is a great product to take your home from a barbell to a bench station in no time. It’s an excellent option if you’ve got a lot of things you want to do but not much space or cash – with great folding size and good price-point.
How We Chose the Best Foldable Weight Benches
There are a lot of folding weight benches on the market nowadays. Trust us – we know, we looked at them all to pick our best list.
Narrowing it down was no easy feat. To help us rank the options, we used the criteria in the Buying Guide section below – including:
- Portability
- Compactness
- Weight Capacity
- Comfort
- Adjustability
- Price
With so many options on the market, we couldn’t personally test them all, so we researched the options by talking to real personal trainers, reading user reviews, checking product manuals, assessing overall brand quality and reputation, and checking the current prices.
Benefits of Foldable Weight Benches
A foldable bench’s main benefit is opening up a wide range of popular and effective exercises without taking up as much space.
In addition, the storage is great for reducing space-demand in smaller home gyms such as basement and garage gyms.
At the same time, you’ll be able to bench press, overhead press, row, and step up on the bench. There are countless other options like hip thrusts.
You get the idea: benches let you do a lot of popular, effective exercises that are much more difficult without a bench – or impossible.
They fit both your training needs and the demands of owning a home gym!
Foldable Weight Bench Features
Portability & Compactness
The size and portability of a folding bench are part of the point.
A more compact, more portable bench will always be better if it has the same quality, stability, and weight capacity as the alternative.
This is a big if since those tend to be traded off against the size of the bench when folded down.
More moving parts typically means either more expense, instability, or weight capacity. This trade-off defines many foldable benches since they are not made of a single piece of steel tubing.
Better portability is a huge benefit for your space but a challenge to the training value.
Weight Capacity
This is the amount of weight a product can bear. Keep in mind this is usually rated for both your body weight and the product itself.
This is why we look for weight capacity as a major factor of folding benches – you don’t want to fall through the thing while you’re holding heavy weights.
Good weight capacity provides more headroom for both lifting heavier, larger builds and getting better over time.
It’s also an insurance against things like momentum and other forces that benches are likely to experience – and codes for durability as a proxy a lot of the time.
Better weight capacity = better bench. It just also tends to mean more expensive or larger.
Comfort
Benches vary wildly in comfort – especially with the added mechanic of folding.
Comfort comes from the size of the pad, the material, and how well it grips to you.
More comfort means more focus on lifting big weights rather than worrying about sliding off or being uncomfortable.
We typically look at pad density, upper construction, and design as the keys to comfort.
The stability of the footprint of the product is also one of the most important factors – nothing is quite as uncomfortable as feeling like your bench is wobbly when you’re going for a personal best.
Adjustability
More adjustable benches are better. Specifically, benches with adjusting pad angles can offer you more training options in the form of incline and decline benching, for example. Equally, adjustments to size and spacing are great practical benefits.
These kinds of features are typically rare and often come at more expense, but they’re huge benefits by themselves. Suppose you can get a more adjustable bench for your budget, space, and weight capacity. In that case, it’s a huge investment in training quality and options.
This also extends to general versatility. Better benches may have better uppers, more features, attachments as standard, and more.
These make for a better product overall. Look for versatility wherever you can do so without compromising elsewhere.
Foldable Weight Bench Buying Considerations
How much space do you have?
Foldable benches are a great space-saver. The amount of space you have in your home gym will be one of the most important factors for your ability to use a bench. Either a standard utility bench or a foldable one.
The foldable bench saves plenty of space. Focusing on better portability and easy storage can be perfect for a smaller space where a normal bench might be a hassle.
The size of your foldable bench is also relevant for smaller garage gyms (e.g.) where space is limited.
Always double-check your spaces and how your new equipment fits into your gym. Check the dimensions of your foldable bench.
This is typically easier if you’re using it with a full power cage or squat rack, which has its own square ‘footprint’ and maybe a good guide.
What is your budget?
You want the best product for your money – especially if you’re on a tight budget. This is one of the factors we always consider because more expensive doesn’t always mean better, and cheap doesn’t always mean low-quality.
Getting a great value foldable weight bench is one way to save money. It can help you put the money elsewhere in your gym, buy quality in other products, or just leave you feeling comfortable by the end of the month.
Between two products of the same quality – with one product being cheaper – we will always go with the less expensive one.
What are your goals?
What sort of exercises are you looking for with a foldable weight bench?
Some exercises like incline and decline versions require a specific type of adjustable bench. This can adjust your product search with an increased demand on the functions of a bench. Unfortunately, this also – typically – means more expense.
At a simpler level, are you going to be barbell benching on your foldable weight bench? Is it for dumbbell use? These have different needs – usually the rack. Equally, other versatile uses might suit some benches better than others.
Use your goals and exercise intentions as a guide to the kind of bench you’re looking for. Then, work through the different exercises in your head and how the bench’s size, functions, and weight will handle them.
It’s key to getting the most from your foldable weight bench.
What is your build?
Different benches have different weight capacities – where things like construction quality, moving parts, and the weight you’re lifting all matter. This also includes your build – bigger people need heavier-duty benches.
When shopping, make sure to check out the weight capacity. This matters for both your build and the weights a bench will allow you to work with. Better capacity is useful for everyone but tends to trade-off with cost.
Buy the bench that will allow you to do what you want for as long as you can see yourself using it.
A little headroom in the weight capacity is important for your gains in strength as you use the bench. Consider that this is a multi-year purchase and should give you room to improve and progress.
Foldable Bench FAQs
What exercises can you do on a foldable bench?
A foldable bench is a perfect piece of equipment for bench pressing, first and foremost.
Both barbell and dumbbell bench presses are popular choices on a weight bench. You can also include other accessories for these movements like dumbbell flyes, skull crushers, and others.
A bench also makes for a great platform for other exercises. For example, seated overhead presses (barbell and dumbbell), dumbbell rows, core exercises like lying leg raises, and even reverse hyperextension.
Benches are a common feature of any commercial or home gym because they’re versatile. You can get a lot done with a bench and some weights, even things like step-ups if you’re willing to put a little wear and tear on the upper of the bench pads!
The real limit is your imagination and the stability and weight capacity of your weight bench.
Related Resources
Check out some of our other most popular equipment guides:
- Best Functional Trainer
- Best Lat Pulldown Machines
- Best Home Gym Pulley System
- Best Power Racks With Cable Crossover Attachments
- Best Budget Home Gym Equipment
- Squat Stand Vs. Half Rack vs. Power Rack
- Best Budget Power Racks (under $500)
- Best Smith Machines
- Best Power Rack Accessories & Attachments
- Best Half Racks
Final Thoughts
A good foldable weight bench can revolutionize the training you can do in a home gym. Today, we’ve looked at 6 of the best examples that suit different needs, spaces, and budgets.
Suppose you’re pressed for space, budget, or training options. In that case, these excellent products all offer ways to expand your training without chewing up your money and space. They’re adjustable, versatile, and easy to store in any space.
That’s what makes a great folding bench – the many 600lbs+ weight capacities on this list are just a great bonus!
We think the Bowflex 5.1s Bench is the best foldable weight bench on the market today but the other great options may better suit your needs or budget.
