The Marcy Smith Workout Machine Home Gym System is the best smith machine on the market today but there are other great options that may better suit your needs or budget.
So today, we’re looking at the best smith machines for your home gym – and what you need to think about to make the right choice.
Best Smith Machines for a Home Gym
- Most Versatile / Best Overall: Marcy Smith Machine Total Body Home Gym System
- Most Durable / Best Commercial Quality: Body-Solid Series 7 GS348Q Smith Machine
- Best for Heavy Lifters: Force USA Monster G9 Smith Machine
- Best for Low Ceilings / Most Compact: MiM USA Compact Smith Machine
- Most Affordable / Best Budget: Deltech Fitness Linear Bearing Smith Machine
Best Overall & Most Versatile Smith Machine: Marcy Smith Machine Total Body Home Gym System
The value and versatility make this the best on the market. It's a perfect choice to kickstart your home gym or expand your setup to include just about everything you could ever need.
- Amazing range of training options
- Many as-standard attachments
- High-quality bearings, parts, and frame
- Doubles up as a half squat rack and cable machine
- Not the best choice if you want a neutral or forward rail
The Marcy Smith Machine is a recline-angled smith machine in a ‘half rack’ design. It has external j-hooks for normal barbell use and a full smith machine guide rail and safeties.
The size is a good compromise, with plenty of internal space despite a relatively small footprint.
This smith machine is very versatile with built-in barbell and plate storage options. It also comes with a weight bench and plate-loaded lat pulldown attachment, and overhead pulleys, offering a wide range of training options in a single product.
This versatility has made it our #1 pick, letting you start your home gym with just this product and weight plates (sold separately).
The weight bench itself is a multi-function bench with a preacher curl station and a wide range of angle and length adjustments.
It’s a great extra that really complements both the internal smith machine guide rails and the external ‘squat rack’ style design.
This also features high-quality sealed linear ball bearings, a high-resilience cable system, and a selection of cable handles/attachments as standard:
- Straight bar
- Angled pulldown bar
- 2 single-handles
- Rope attachment
- V-bar
- Ankle and wrist straps
This Marcy Smith Machine‘s sheer value and versatility make it the best on the market for most people. It’s a perfect choice to kickstart your home gym or expand your barbell and plate setup to include just about everything you could ever want in a home gym.
Most Durable / Best Commercial Quality Smith Machine: Body-Solid Series 7 GS348Q Smith Machine
An excellent, commercial quality smith machine that is a space- and money-saving way to get the gym experience at home with all the important features and no unnecessary expenses.
- Commercial quality design
- Excellent guide-rail function and smooth movement
- Great design additions like floor-brace
- Doubles up as a squat rack and includes plate storage
- Great space-saver with a small footprint
- Lacks some of the versatility of the Marcy rack
This product lacks many of the versatile uses of the Marcy Smith machine, which is a pro and a con.
While it doesn’t offer the same options, it is a smaller and more compact option with a ‘purer’ design and a great set of commercial-quality functions. The guide rails are smooth, the safeties are great, and it includes half-rack functions and weight storage pegs as standard.
The pull-up bar and floor brace are great for adding stability and a more comfortable training experience.
The real key is the design quality and commercial quality bearings and guide-rails, offering a top-notch experience that will be indistinguishable from your gym’s Smith machine.
The frame itself is not huge but does offer great stability – especially when using the weight storage pegs. The other benefit is excellent value, with a great set of functions on the absolute basics, allowing Body-Solid to bring commercial quality without the typical commercial price tag.
The Body-Solid Series 7 GS348Q Smith Machine is a great, pure commercial quality Smith machine that does all the essential things well. It is a space- and money-saving way to get the gym experience at home with all the most important features and no unnecessary expenses.
Best Smith Machine for Heavy Lifters: Force USA Monster G9 Smith Machine
One of the more expensive options, but it makes up for it with the range of exercises you can do. Add a bar and plates, and you've basically got a whole gym in one product!
- Huge weight capacity on each function
- Large range of attachments as-standard
- Full half-rack function with strong safety arms
- Largest range of training options
- More expensive than the Marcy option
The Force USA Monster Smith Machine lives up to its name.
This heavy-duty smith machine offers a complete set of attachments and a great weight rating of 2000lbs to support even the heaviest lifters and strongest exercisers.
The as-standard attachments for this product are also outstanding, with the best set of commercial-quality attachments and a range of training options.
It’s marketed as a 4-in-1: functional trainer, smith machine, power rack, and multi-gym. With a great outer rack design, safety catches, and a wide range of other premium choices, it is a commercial contender for the strongest feature set.
As-standard, you’ll get:
- Dip bars
- Core trainer attachment
- Plate-loaded lat pulldown attachment with multiple handles
- Low cable attachment and footplate
- Weight storage pegs
- Inverted leg press plate
- Pull up bars with multiple grips (including the neutral grip bars – among the best)
- Collars
- Landmine attachment
These are great choices. The smith machine and other functions are commercial quality, offering enormous weight ratings, excellent longevity, and a build quality that means your smith machine will have an enormous lifespan.
With this product, you can buy one item and have a complete home-gym setup where all you need to add is a bar and weight plates!
This is the most complete and versatile training option on today’s list. It’s much more than just a smith machine with a fantastic feature set and a comprehensive setup to give you the best workouts at home, all with a commercial quality design and build.
This might be one of the more expensive options on the market, but it makes up for it with the sheer range of exercises you can do. Add a bar and plates, and you’ve basically got a whole gym in one product!
Best for Low Ceilings & Most Compact Smith Machine: MiM USA Compact Smith Machine
The perfect design if you're looking to get started with strength training and want to save money and space. It is a full-function smith machine, appropriate for everyone but the heaviest lifters.
- Super compact and lightweight for space-saving and lower ceilings
- Great value at the price point
- Integral weight storage pegs for better stability
- Guide rails may be too short for very tall users
- Doesn't offer the same heavy-duty lifting
- Lacks some of the more premium attachments and training options
The MiM USA Compact Smith Machine is the perfect space-saver for home gyms.
It offers the complete smith machine experience without the vertical requirements of some of the larger models. In addition, it has a super lightweight design while maintaining the footprint and design necessary to keep you stable while you lift.
MiM USA Compact Smith Machine comes with built-in plate storage pegs that provide this lightweight rack with more stability and save you money and space.
In addition, the feet of the product are great for additional stability, and it even offers high-quality rubberized safety catches for maximum peace of mind.
The value of this product is great with a reduced cost and relatively low weight. This makes it a perfect choice for beginners, and the weight rating of
The overall design of this product is perfect if you’re looking to get started with strength training and want to save money and space. The features are not as heavy-duty as others on this list.
However, it is still secure and full-function, giving most people the support they need and being appropriate for everyone but the heaviest lifters.
Most Affordable / Best Budget Smith Machine: Deltech Fitness Linear Bearing Smith Machine
A perfect no-frills, affordable choice. Built well for the price, offering a great take on the core functions – ideal for saving money and still lifting heavy weights at home.
- Small footprint while still offering plenty of internal space
- Excellent quality and core features for the price
- Includes weight storage pegs and pull-up bar
- Good design and parts
- Lacks some of the most useful attachments (e.g., half-rack function)
- Doesn't offer the same premium/commercial design quality
- Parts and warranty are limited
Deltech’s Smith machine is a great option for saving money and space, offering a great price tag with all the most important features of a smith machine.
It’s relatively small but still offers plenty of space for workouts and has good stability.
The Deltech doesn’t compromise on its features.
It offers weight pegs and a pull-up bar as standard. The actual safety pegs are strong with a spring buffer to reduce damage if you do miss a lift, and the stability can be comparable to any other product if you’re using the weight storage pegs, too.
This is reflected in the 700lb weight capacity – enough for anything but the strongest users.
The chrome-plated fixtures are good for the price and provide a level of durability and quality that you might not expect at this price point.
Deltech’s value offering is great because of this quality-and-price mixture. It does lack some of the finer benefits of a more expensive model – like half-rack function and cable attachments – but this is a budget option, and that’s to be expected.
Deltech’s Smith Machine is a perfect no-frills choice. It’s affordable, built well for the price, and offers a great take on the device’s core functions – perfect for saving money and still lifting heavy weights at home.
How We Chose the Best Smith Machines
There are a lot of smith machines on the market nowadays. Trust us – we know, we looked at them all to pick our best list.
Narrowing it down to only 5 was no easy feat. To help us rank the options, we used the criteria in the Buying Guide section below – including:
- Bearings & Guide Rail Quality
- Angle
- Weight Capacity
- Size & Footprint
- Attachments & Accessories
- Price
- Warranty
Why You Should Trust Us
At Home Gym Boss we pride ourselves on being impartial and only recommend products we would use ourselves.
Sometimes it is not possible to try all the different products, so we do our research by talking to athletes, strength coaches & personal trainers, through reading user reviews, checking product manuals, assessing overall brand quality and reputation, and checking the current prices.
Smith Machine Buying Guide
Getting the best from your smith machine comes from choosing the right product for your home gym and your budget.
It’s important to make sure it actively fits your goals and needs, giving you the best result from your hard-earned cash.
Bearings and Guide Rail Quality
The bearings and guide rail quality are key to the core function of a Smith machine.
They ensure a smooth ride up and down and reduce the likelihood of major damage or wear-and-tear. In addition, smoother bearings reduce jerkiness, friction on the rail, and unnecessary complications while you’re lifting heavyweights.
Bearing quality is also a key factor in longevity and durability, making a good set of sealed linear bearings a great investment for long-term use.
This also separates commercial and premium products from cheaper ones, where the guide rail is often a major differentiating factor.
This is the core function of the Smith machine, so a better basic set of bearings and rail design is worth the research and cost.
Footprint
The footprint of a smith machine is a tricky thing to shop for.
You want it to be as big as possible without inconveniencing your home gym setup. This means trade-offs for ‘internal space’ for lifting against the space it takes up in your garage, basement, or wherever else you exercise.
Smith machines that are too small will limit training options. They will make it difficult for taller or bigger people and restrict movement range.
Excessively large smith machines will typically be a pain to fit into domestic home gyms, especially in smaller spaces or home gyms that have lots of other space-eating equipment.
If your home gym is in the basement or in another room with a low ceiling, then check out the MiM USA Compact Smith Machine.
Angle
The angle of a smith machine guide rail is an important part of how you can perform specific exercises.
Typically, you will find 3 variations:
- Perfectly straight-up-and-down
- Inclined slightly
- Reclined slightly
These are all viable options, and there’s no “best” – it’s about what you want to do with it. Some exercises benefit from the forward rail, some from the neutral, and some from the backward.
The exercises you perform – and the variations and focus of each angle setup – will be important.
Accessories & Attachments
The more useful attachments a smith machine offers, the better training variety it can provide for the same cash.
This makes it a great way of saving money in the long term and unlocking great exercises and variations in the short term.
The caveat is that more isn’t always better. Some attachments are a waste and may not suit your goals or simply offer an unwanted function.
Maybe you have a better version at home, maybe you’re not training in the way that attachment works, or maybe you’d rather keep your cash.
The more high-quality, well-implemented additions to a smith machine, the better. The more random junk that you don’t need, the worse.
Figuring out which is which for your training is important – and we’ve highlighted the important pieces of equipment that are likely to be useful and those that don’t add as much as the manufacturer would like you to believe!
Learn more about the best rack attachments and accessories.
Weight Capacity
More weight capacity is better.
First, you can physically put more weight on the smith machine. This is important if you’re using heavy lifts like smith machine rack pulls, which can get quite heavy and makes for more ‘headroom’ as you get bigger and stronger over time.
More capacity also means better build and durability, in many cases. The wear and tear of a smith machine on its guide rails, bearings, and other systems is all about the weight.
Smith machines with higher weight capacities are built to withstand more punishment on their basic systems – meaning more peace of mind and an easier time with submaximal loads.
Budget
As with any other purchase, your budget has to come first.
It’s the money you have for a smith machine, and it may – or may not – be flexible. However, the price will always be the baseline for any calculation of value.
Value is the amount of training effect and use per dollar spent on a smith machine.
This means that the highest cost isn’t the lowest value, nor the lowest cost the highest value. The best value is in the product that brings you the best benefits relative to its cost, especially since you can also get other pieces of equipment if you save enough.
For those with non-flexible budgets, we’ve included low-cost items, such as the Deltech Fitness Linear Bearing Smith Machine, that offer the best possible benefits and training quality on a tight budget. This is all about saving money without compromising quality.
Warranty
A product with a good warranty can expand the value you get from it. A smith machine with a long, comprehensive warranty is a great way to ensure that you’re not going to buy twice if you run into major problems in a few years.
This isn’t a gamechanger for most products – especially those from reliable brands with a good history of customer service. However, always double-check the warranty and its conditions if you’re looking to get the absolute most for your money.
Home Gym Smith Machine FAQs
Smith machines are an alien contraption to some people – and they raise several questions. So let’s look at 3 of the most common and most important, and what the Smith machine offers.
What is a Smith Machine?
![5 Best Smith Machines for Home Workouts [2023] 1](https://homegymboss.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Untitled-1200-×-900-px-900-×-600-px-6-150x150.jpg "5 Best Smith Machines for Home Workouts [2023] 11")
A smith machine is an assisted exercise machine that offers a way to train many of the same exercises as a barbell.
The added stability from the machine has made it popular with beginners and older people, both of which benefit from more accessible training options.
The smith machine is a good way to work on the broader strokes of exercise and improve strength at home.
However, it should be combined with a free weight or bodyweight training system to ensure complete stability and coordination development.
Should I Buy a Smith Machine vs. Power rack?
The smith machine is an assisted version of a power rack, reducing movement to a fixed plane and removing the 3D demands of the power rack and barbell.
This is the best benefit – helping make exercises more accessible – and the most significant drawback, as it limits some training options.
The smith machine is more accessible and easier to use and an excellent tool for general strengthening. It works best with other exercises that focus on movement quality, balance, stability, and posture.
The power rack has more 3d movement and demands more stability and practice in free weight movements. This is the point of free weights and does mean you can train more athletic traits at once.
However, these may not be the main goal, and the smith machine reduces such needs to get started, making it easier to build muscle mass without much prior experience.
To learn more, check out our popular power rack articles: Best Half Racks and Best Power Racks with Lat Pulldown.
Key Takeaways
The smith machine is a good way to work on the broader strokes of exercise and improve strength at home.
Many of the best smith machines on the market such as the Marcy Smith Workout Machine Home Gym System or the Force USA Monster G9 Smith Machine give you nearly all the training options you could ever need.
They aren’t the cheapest though, so do your research and read the reviews to find the best smith machines for your home gym – and what you need to think about to make the right choice.
