Rep Fitness is one of the most popular and high-quality ‘budget’ brands – but it’s not “cheap”.
This is a fantastic brand to start up your home gym with high-quality equipment while keeping the cost low.
Let’s ask – is rep fitness legit? Is ‘good home gym equipment at a great price’ too good to be true?
Brand background
Rep fitness is one of the most loved home gym equipment manufacturers because they make affordable, high-quality equipment at a good price. They also have a reputation for good customer service and quality assurance – essentials for big purchases like a squat rack or barbell.
Rep Fitness has gone from strength to strength in the past decade, starting out as a small supplier of gym accessories but rising to become one of the strongest home gym suppliers on the market.
The reason for this is simple: they provide customers with what they want, without any fuss, at a price that makes sense. While Rep have grown since we started looking at their products, it’s still the same “best of entry-level” approach that wins them, customers, to this day.
Quality
The quality of Rep Fitness products is reliably good. Think about it like this: you’re getting a good item at a low price. It’s punching above weight – as you get a product made to great specifications, using good materials.
These are typically not premium products, but they’re very good and they are more than good enough for most home gym users. You don’t need 5,000lbs of capacity on a barbell for a home gym, and you don’t need commercial quality for an item only you are going to use.
Rep Fitness strikes a great balance between quality, design innovation, and price. They get to offer better quality at better prices because they’re not over-extending to features you don’t want or need.
Price level
Rep Fitness products are what we like to call “the elite entry-level” – products that come at a slightly higher cost than the cheapest economy options but offer a ton of extra value. Each dollar goes further because of this focus, and it gives Rep a distinctive place on the market.
The price level is definitely still affordable, but you want to tack on around 10-25% compared to the very bottom of the market. This goes towards a much greater quality boost than 25%, however, which is why Rep has such a big share of the home gym market right now.
The cost is relatively low, but the value for money is one of the best around.
Shipping
Rep Fitness offers great domestic shipping policies, as well as operating around the world – both directly (through international shipping), and with local re-sellers. This makes Rep fitness equipment relatively easy to get.
The shipping itself has variable quality, simply because it has to go through different carriers in any territories. This introduces a bit more variability, but it’s also the price that we pay for good shipping speed and availability.
Shipping rates can vary wildly from free (which may also depend on promotions), all the way up to $500+. Again, this does depend on the product you’re buying, where you live, and typical domestic shipping rates to your location. Other competitors do offer fixed rate or free shipping, but it does typically work out cheaper to run with Rep, depending on where you live.
Always check your product and shipping costs before deciding on what to buy!
Warranty
Rep Fitness has a de facto lifetime warranty for manufacturer defects, functionality, and workmanship – a way of ensuring you’re never holding the bag for a faulty product. This is a great place to start as it protects you from any sort of predatory practice or bait-and-switch.
Rep generally isn’t known for these problems, however, so this kind of lifetime warranty isn’t even needed for most people, most of the time.
This extends into the limited lifetime warranty of items’ most important structural components. This includes structural welds and attachments, (almost all) weights, and more. For home use, this also extends to dumbbells, sleds, and more.
Due to the sheer variety of products on sale, you should consult the individual warranty information for each. Rep Fitness provides an extensive warranty profile on its website, and this can give you the specific information you need for the items you want.
Overall, though, Rep Fitness’ warranty policy is actually very good. Some items can’t be placed under a long warranty – like slam balls or upholstered items – and some use does void the warranty, but these are all well in line with common sense and basic gym equipment etiquette. If you spike a loaded barbell onto your safeties, you can’t be mad at anyone else if it bends.
Customer service
I’ve been working in the field of health, fitness, and performance for nearly a decade, and – across that time – Rep has maintained a good reputation for customer service.
Of course, that’s not a super high bar. Fitness equipment companies need to ensure their products are in good condition and replace them when they’re not. Rep have always lived up to this standard as far as I have heard.
Reviews for customer service have always been good, either in person or in review sections. Rep seems to be responsive and genuinely concerned, which is both the expected minimum and the only customer service quality we really care about.
Best Rep Fitness Equipment
So, what are the best Rep Fitness items you should look at to get a better feel for this brand and its products?
I think there are 3 great examples: the Rep Fitness build-your-own squat rack, the gladiator weightlifting bar, and Rep Fitness’ range of benches.
The Rep Fitness build-your-own squat rack
The Rep Fitness rack builder system is a great way to get the best squat rack for your needs, built from custom attachments and features. It’s a centerpiece of your home gym, and probably the most important choice you’re going to make.
There is a wide range of options and cheaper pre-packaged ‘economy’ options. The ability to adjust for your own needs – including amazing pull-up grips – is a winner in our book.
The Gladiator Weightlifting bar
The Gladiator weightlifting bar is a product we’ve tried, tested, and loved.
It competes really well with other bars around the same price, and it’s a great indicator that Rep can specialize in exacting equipment for different needs, as well as general-purpose strength equipment.
Rep Fitness Weight Benches
The final item we want to highlight is the whole bench range. Rep offers a great variety of benches with a complete range from basic and cheap to high-quality and feature-rich, at a higher price.
This range is one of the other defining factors that make Rep such a good choice for the average person trying to get a great home gym. It’s part of Rep’s recent 5-10 year growth that has really made shopping with them a versatile and easy experience, never missing out on the ‘spec’ you’re looking for, nor overpaying for it.
Rep Fitness vs Rogue Fitness
Rep Fitness offers better value for money for most people, but it’s obvious that Rogue has some of the better products for quality alone. It’s a close comparison, in recent years, as Rep’s quality continues to improve over time.
Rep Fitness does offer some advantages that are worth considering. The rack builder is one of the best examples of this – control over your own rack build is a great way to get the best possible value on the market, even if the actual build quality isn’t the best.
This focus on what you want and the ability to control your own home gym build is a fantastic edge that Rogue typically asks a ridiculous premium for. On the other hand, this is quite specific, and doesn’t apply to all products – you can’t just adjust the design specs of a utility bench or a barbell, for example.
Key Takeaway
The most important thing you need to know is that the balance of quality and value is amazing. The value for money – at a lower price – is one of the best on the market.
On both sides of the equation, Rep do great. They occupy the premier position in the ‘elite entry level’ segment we talked about above. It’s hard to think of many brands that have such a wide selection of useful and effective products, at good prices, and with good design quality.
Rep is that brand, however, for a lot of American home gym owners. It’s the go-to for making your money go further, while still getting a product that is going to last for years into the future and offer you a great training experience.
Rep fitness provides the best balance for most people’s needs since you can save money without missing out on any of the most important features. If that’s what you’re going to get, why spend another $100 for a different brand?
Rep Fitness FAQs
Is Rep Fitness made in the USA?
Many Rep Fitness products are made in the USA, but not all of them. Many of them are sourced internationally, especially niche items that may require different parts that are cost-effective to make or assemble in the US.
This means you should always check on a product-by-product basis if you’re looking to buy American. The domestic shipping policies are great, however, meaning that you’ll always get a good deal in the contiguous United States.
Does Rep Fitness have sales?
Yes – Rep fitness will offer sale prices semi-regularly. This is even more common for a specific item, which rotates through seasonal and manufacture-specific sales.
It’s always situational, but Rep fitness offers excellent value at baseline, and then the rest of the sales offer even better value for money. Again, this is a smaller sale than some ‘fire sales’, but this is typically because Rep isn’t making the same ridiculous margins from their RRP.
This means Rep Fitness does have sales, but they’re typically less common and less intense than others. While it sounds like a bad thing, this is a great indicator of the everyday quality and value you’re getting at normal prices.
Does Rep Fitness have a military discount?
Yes- Rep fitness offers a 15% discount to active military personnel and veterans. This can’t be used with other discounts, however, so be sure to double-check in your checkout to get the best deals.
Does Rep Fitness ship internationally?
Yes – Rep Fitness is available internationally, though this does include the obvious markup with shipping costs. The best value for Rep Fitness products is domestic, mainland USA and Canada – basically anywhere involving a truck rather than a freight ship!
There are wholesalers for Rep fitness and some of their products are also available through sites like Amazon, though these vary significantly depending on where you live.
Final Thoughts
Rep fitness is legit – and represents one of the new generation of high-quality home gym providers. Their recent growth has meant a bump in quality, and a few increases in price, but the overall balance of quality and value is still very good.
Rep Fitness still deserves to be the first place that a home gym owner should look for great deals on high-quality fitness equipment. While they have their strengths and weaknesses, they’re still one of the best providers on the market, and it’s clear why.
The sheer value for money that Rep provides while still being cheaper than competitors like Rogue makes them a perfect one-stop shop for the average strength and fitness enthusiast’s needs. This is a great place to be for Rep, and a fantastic option to have for building a home gym in a post-lockdown world, where home gym kit prices have seen a real bump.
Rep fitness is not only legit, but one of the names to be familiar with when it comes to top-quality home gym equipment.
