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Oct 14, 2024

The best resistance bands of 2024

Resistance band workouts have been popular for years, and equipment options are as abundant as ever. Here are our top picks for the best exercise bands. Creating a home gym setup was all the rage at

Resistance band workouts have been popular for years, and equipment options are as abundant as ever. Here are our top picks for the best exercise bands.

Creating a home gym setup was all the rage at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and while many people have long since returned to their gyms and fitness classes, home exercise equipment is still as popular as ever. Working out at home is cheaper and often more convenient, and luckily a lot of the equipment is compact, lightweight, and portable enough to travel with, so you can take your workout with you when you travel too. While this might not be the case for weights like dumbbells, one great example is resistance bands, which can be used to work various muscles in your body.

Resistance bands are an easy way to add strength training to your fitness routine and are often less intimidating than weights. They're available in different degrees of resistance — from extra-light to extra-heavy — so you can increase the difficulty as you build strength. These exercise bands often come in different designs and materials, from loops and tubes to rubber and fabric, giving you plenty of options to choose from. Here are our top four picks for the best resistance bands.

As a highly active person, I already do short resistance band workouts at home up to twice a week. I similarly tested most of these bands at home, doing commonly recommended exercises for long-distance runners and marathoners like me. Since I don't have a full-on home gym, I am limited in what I can do in a small space like my living room or office, but most of these bands are versatile enough to work with in small spaces. In choosing the best options, I considered price point, durability, ease for beginners, and how compact the bands were.

These inexpensive Renoj Resistance Bands are rubber and weigh 120 grams, making them compact and easy to store and carry. They're available in five different colors and resistance levels to use in the same way you would work out with free weights, meaning the difficulty level increases with added weight. The resistance levels range from extra-light to extra-heavy, and they come with a travel bag.

Renoj’s Resistance Exercise Bands ($12.99)

The lighter bands can be great for beginners just starting out with a strength routine. Since I had experience working with resistance bands before, I started with the medium resistance level, using the heavier bands for glute exercises like squats and bridges and the lighter ones for hip exercises like clamshells.

When first using these, you may feel like you're working out with giant rubber bands. While these natural latex bands won’t stick to your skin, they may roll down if you start to sweat, which means you may have to adjust them at times, as I did.

These bands provide a solid strength workout, allowing you to gradually increase the difficulty level as you get stronger and build muscle. They're also inexpensive and compact, making them easy to tuck away and store at home and easy to pack to keep up with your fitness routine during work travel or vacations.

These bands will lose elasticity with frequent use — and may eventually snap and break — which is something to keep in mind when considering how much you might spend on home equipment like this.

These bands are a great budget-friendly option for a solid strength workout, even if you may have to adjust them at times. Be prepared to replace them as they accumulate expected wear and tear.

Read our full review here.

These Fit Simplify rubber resistance bands, which weigh 100 grams each, come in different weight options, ranging from extra-light to extra-heavy. You'll also get a small bag to use for storage or travel.

Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands ($12.95)

Just like with the Renoj bands, I'd had experience working out with resistance bands before, so I started with the medium band for most moves and used the heavier ones for glute exercises and the lighter ones for hip exercises, to have more control and avoid compromising my form.

This set is another budget-friendly option that's easy to store and travel with. I also found that the bands stood up to sweat and stayed put better than the Renoj bands. Lastly, while it's not so important in terms of performance, I liked that these bands come in more color options (specifically my favorite, hot pink).

Like the Renoj bands, these also snap and break easily and lose elasticity quickly with frequent use. However, this brand offers a lifetime guarantee, so you can get a free replacement if you run into those issues but like them enough to want a new set.

These bands are a good option for getting a solid workout without breaking the bank, even when it's time to replace them.

Read our full review here.

This five-band set of loop bands is on the higher end price-wise, but these medical-grade bands offer high-quality construction and durability for a low-impact workout. The set is also more versatile than the more budget-friendly options, featuring weights from 5 to 150 pounds. It might appeal to people more serious about increasing and improving their strength.

Clench 41-Inch Loop Resistance Bands

At 41 inches long, these bands can easily loop around other equipment or even a doorknob at home. While I haven't used them long enough to experience the typical wear and tear, other reviewers note on the website that they've lasted longer than other bands. Since they're a bit heavier in terms of weight than the others I tested, I appreciated being able to turn to the app, which has videos of specific exercises demonstrating proper form.

These high-quality bands will last longer than other options, making the higher price point worth it.

With the higher price point, you might expect it to come with other accessories like a door anchor, which might be worth buying separately for more stability.

These higher-grade resistance bands are worth the higher price tag if you want to build up to a more intense strength workout without having to worry about replacing them.

These resistance bands are also pricier than many options on the market, but their versatility and provided accessories make them well worth the value. The unique design features stretchy latex surrounding an inner layer of woven cord to prevent the band from over-stretching and breaking. The bands' construction also features carabiners to add handles easily, and they come with ankle straps and door anchors to add variety to your workout. Lastly, the bands can be combined to provide a resistance range of up to 142 pounds as you build your strength and aim to challenge yourself.

The biggest pro for these bands is their versatility. Provided accessories like ankle straps and door anchors make it easy to switch up your workout, and the ability to combine the weights makes it easy to challenge yourself as you build strength without buying more equipment. A reinforced inner safety cord also reduces the chance of mildly injuring yourself should the bands snap and break.

Some reviewers note that these bands snap easily and don't provide as challenging a workout as free weights. Newbies might also be intimidated by the number of accessories if they've never done a resistance band workout.

When shopping for resistance bands, you'll want to consider various factors. These include:

Resistance bands are available in a variety of materials, including rubber, fabric, and latex tubing. Some options are made of medical-grade materials for added strength and durability.

When shopping for resistance bands, you'll notice that most are available in sets of different tension or resistance levels. These typically range from extra-light to extra-heavy. If you're a beginner, you'll want to have lighter options to start with.

If you're looking for a more advanced workout, consider whether your resistance bands come with additional accessories. These can include handles, ankle straps, and door anchors.

While there are many resistance band options on the market, don't let this overwhelm you. By considering your fitness level and workout needs, you can narrow your selection to a set of bands that meets your budget and home gym accommodations.

According to Maurice Williams, an NASM-certified personal trainer, resistance bands can cost, on average, between $5 and $25, depending on the quality, brand, and number of bands included in the set.

"Some higher-end resistance bands or specialized sets might be more expensive," he says.

Williams says one of the biggest advantages of working out with resistance bands is that you can work every major muscle, including the arms, shoulders, back, chest, legs, and even the core muscles.

"Resistance bands are versatile and can target different muscle groups depending on the exercises you perform," he says. "I recommend blending resistance bands into the core section of a workout or using them as a warm-up for a lower body-focused workout (glutes/legs)."

Williams recommends Stroops tube and loop resistance bands due to their unique safety features.

"They have an encasing that surrounds the rubber and protects a person from injury to ensure safety, and they last forever because they are made with durable and safe materials," he says.

Williams says there are many benefits to using resistance bands.

"They're portable, a more affordable option compared to dumbbells or barbells, and they help build stability, strength, and endurance," he says. "You also can quickly change them in and out, helping you get more done in a shorter amount of time."

Other resistance bands we've reviewed:

Here's how we choose products to recommend to you. Prices are accurate at the time of publication and subject to change.