Best Smith Machines for a Home Gym: Our Top 8 Picks!

If you are a fitness enthusiast, which is much-obvious since you are here! Then you have definitely seen Smith machines all around you, be it in gyms, fitness studios, or commercial setups. 

In A Hurry? Here Are Our Top Recommendations
Inspire Fitness FT2 Functional Trainer and Smith Station
Valor Fitness BE-11 Smith Machine
Marcy Pro Smith Machine

Well, there is a reason why Smith machines are one of the must-haves in weight training. Firstly, they are extremely safe. Secondly, they are multipurpose machines that can take care of all your fitness needs at once.

Smith machines are truly the best pick for home workout needs since they are considered a complete gym setup in themselves. 

In this blog, we are going to talk about some of the best Smith machines for a home gym to help you wrap your head around the right choice for you. 

Best Smith Machines For a Home Gym: Our Top 3 Picks!

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Best Smith Machines for a Home Gym – Top Products For 2022

Some of the best smith machines are.

1. Valor Fitness Smith Machine

If you want to have a full-body gym setup and you are a beginner then the valor fitness BE-11 smith machine is one of your kinds. This is the best full-body workout machine that you can occupy in both your commercial gym and in your home.

You can start with the less, the maximum resistance it offers to you is 500lbs. The structure of the machines offers you the best and the accurate movement. You can do bench press, chest press, military press, squats, lunges, curls, shoulder shrugs, and many other muscle massing exercises with this machine.

Prominent Features:

Heavy duty: The machine is made up of heavy-duty steel that gives and strength to the machine. So that it can withstand the heavy liftings, for which it is made.

Accurate movement: There is a bar attached to a machine, this is for you to remain stable, this also removes the need for the helper during lifting. The rods and bearing are made in a way that they perform the best with any kind of weight. You can also have the availability of a 3D degree pitch with the B-11 smith machine.

Versatility:  There is a variety of exercises that people can do on this machine. It is not limited to one or two exercises. You can do bench press, squats, rows, upright rows, shrugs, and many more. you can do all these with all kinds of weights up to 500lbs.

Pros:

• Comes with an additional weight option.
• Versatile Machine

Cons:

• Difficult assembly

2. Inspire Fitness Functional Trainer and Smith Station

With the INSPIRE fitness ft2 functional trainer and smith station, you can move in any direction with ease while doing the weight resistance exercise.

This free-style workout method is introduced so that you can move more efficiently during the exercise on the machine. You can shape your both upper and lower body by doing lunges, curls, squats, and many more.

Keep your body in shape with the inspire fitness ft2 functional trainer and smith station and be motivated for the workout.

Prominent Features: 

Dual stacks: There are dual weight stacks offered with this machine. These are there so that you can do a balanced workout for each part of your body.

Preacher curl: You can also have a preacher curl option with the machine. For attaching the preacher curl you need to take the traditional position of the preacher curl. This will allow you to consider your upper body.

Fully loaded option: There is a fully loaded option in which you can have a leg extension attachment and leg conversion kit in addition to the usual inspire fitness ft2 functional trainer and smith station.

Heavy duty: This smith station is reliable and durable due to its steel structure. This steel structure makes it stable for different kinds of muscle exercises. There is a variety of exercises that you can do with this solidly structured fitness station.

Leg extension option: There is a leg extension option when you use the SCS bench. This is the most appreciated of all.

Pros:

• Fully loaded option
• Dual loaded system
• Unique design

Cons:

• A little expensive

3. Commercial Home Gym – Smith Machine

This is a commendable home-style gym machine. It is good in looks too. You can do a variety of exercises with this commercial home gym. If someone wants to have this in his commercial gym then it is suitable for that also.

But it is precise and better to have for your home gyms. This machine is strong enough to handle 900 lbs. weight. Make your workout exciting by bringing a commercial home gym smith machine into your house!

Prominent Features: 

Heavy duty:  The machine is solid enough to handle a weight of up to 900lbs. The structure of the machine is reliable and durable if you use it with the care it will remain with you even for a longer period.

Versatility: There is a variety of exercises that you can do with this machine. This is not limited to one or two kinds of muscle workouts. But you can do almost every body part workout with the commercial smith machine. Find all that you want in one place.

Adjustable heights: You will be entertained with the 12 adjustable heights. With the 200lb tension cross cables, the adjustable heights increased to 16 positions that make it convenient to use for different people with varying heights.

Weight stacks: there are weight stacks available with the machine. If you use a leg press attachment of the smith machines then it also has the weight stacks attach with it.

Deluxe deal: There is a deluxe deal in the commercial gym smith machine in which you can have different weight plates also. You’ll get such amazing deals only with the commercial home gym!

Pros:

• Very durable
• Plenty of weight storage plate

Cons:

• It doesn’t come with more cables and add-on options.

4. Marcy Pro Smith Machine – Best Smith Machine Power Rack

Experience the jam-packed workout with the Marcy pro smith machine. This is the home-style gym that allows you to have a perfect and toned body by doing a variety of exercises on it.

This training smith machine system is aligned with the bearings, contains weight racks, and has a cable routed pulley system. Make your body sleek, compact as the way mercy pro smith itself is.

The machine has a strong body of steel and can bear weight up to 600 pounds. It is designed in a way that it be suitable for your room, garage basement, and all. This is the best training machine you can have in your home.

Prominent Features:

All exercises in one place: You don’t have to move for working out with this training station. This is compatible with all kinds of exercises. There are attachments available for every kind of exercise. In commercial gyms, you have to move to entertain yourself with different kinds of exercise. But in this home-style gym, you can enjoy it all in one place.

Cable pully system: There is a cable pulley system in this smith machine. This cable system allows you to do different kinds of crossover workouts. The tubular system that is coated with the powder adds more strength to the cable pulley system.

Adjustable bench: The bench of the machine is adjustable. You can adjust the seat and the back to have a comfortable dumbbell press, triceps extensions, sit-ups, and many more.

Pros:

• A complete home gym

Cons:

• This machine doesn’t come with any weight included so you have to buy it separately.

5. Marcy Diamond Elite Smith System – Editor’s Choice 

The Marcy Diamond Elite Smith System is a powerful blend of several strength-building gym equipment in one compact and attractive design. Combining an Olympic free-weight rack, linear bearings, and a cable-routed pulley system in one, this machine allows the user to perform more than a hundred exercises.

This is one versatile product made of heavy-duty steel frame which is reinforced with durable powder coated finish. Marcy smith machines comes with dual-action press arms, a dual-function leg developer, and an Olympic free-weight rack, which makes it an all-in-one home workout station.

 Features:

• Adjustable bench back and seat pad: With a back-pad adjustment range of -13 degrees to 81 degrees, this machine is designed keeping users’ comfort in mind.

• Weight Plate Storage: There are six storage pegs built into the frame of this Smith machine to let the user organize the barbells for easy access.

• Foot Plate: There is also a foot plate provided at the bottom of this machine to help you perform seated rows using the lower pulley.

• Rack: By placing the safety catcher and bar catchers at the front and making use of Olympic bars, you can aptly use this machine as a rack to perform free weight squats as well.

• Incline Bench Press: Setting the bench at an inclined angle and using a smith bar, you can perform incline bench presses.

• Preacher Curls with Preacher Curl Handle and Pad: To target your biceps, you can add plates to the developer and perform preacher curls using the curl pad and handle. 

• Leg Developer Workouts: Helps you perform a wide variety of leg workout routines as leg extension and leg curl. 

Pros:

• Highly versatile
• Made of heavy-duty steel framework 
• Multi-functional press arms
• Can be used as Olympic free-weight rack
• Includes dual action leg developer.

Cons:

• Olympic bar is sold separately 

6.  Iron Company Body Solid Smith Machine Powerline – Best Budget Smith Machine

If you are looking for an affordable Smith machine for your home weight lifting needs, then this one’s the right choice for you. This machine features four 2”x2” 12-gauge steel pillars for frictionless movement even during your vigorous sessions. 

This gym equipment offers the power and resistance of free weights combined with the safety and security of a Smith machine.

There are several optional attachments available that you can go for. If you are interested on learning about smith machine vs free weights, read our detailed article on that.

Featuring a dual-lock safety spotter catch system and 14 lockout points every 4-1/2 inches, this machine is an excellent safety system for solo lifters. You can simply turn the pivot sleeve 15 degrees in order to lock the bar, eliminating the risk of being pinned down in any extreme situation.

The compact design ensures that you can effortlessly incorporate this Smith machine into your home or garage without having to worry about space constraints. 

Features:

• Sturdy Design: Extra-long twin carriages with patented super-glide nylon bushings.
• Safety: Comes with a dual-lock safety spotter catcher system which eliminates the risk of any mishap. There are 14 crossmember lock-out points so that you can easily lock the bar with an easy twist.
• Built-in-quality: Features four 2 by 2 inch heavy-duty 12-gauge square steel pillars. A one-inch-diameter bar can hold both standard and Olympic-sized weight plates.
• Weight Rack: Weighs 158 pounds and measures 45″ L x 76″ W x 80″ H.

Pros:

• Best budget Smith machine
• Heavy-duty adjustable safeties
• Ten years in-home warranty on the frame and a one-year warranty on parts
• Allows you to safely perform a wide variety of exercises without the need for a spotter

Cons:

• Floor mat, weight plates, Olympic adapters, and spring collars are not included (sold separately)

7.  Er Kang Smith Machine Cage– Best All-In-One Gym Equipment 

This multi-functional gym equipment combines a power rack cage, a cable station, a cable crossover machine, a power tower, and a Smith machine all in a single appealing unit. If you are looking for a full-fledged commercial-grade Smith machine to set up in your home gym, then nothing can be better than this!  

Featuring 11-gauge commercial steel tubes, this Smith machine comes with an array of attachments such as: triceps rope, T bar, 2 cable handles, J hooks, Lat pull-down bar, hack squat board and more.  

Recommended Weight Capacity

• Smith Bar: 500 lbs
• Safety catches: 500 lbs
• Slide Weight Pin:500lbs
• Weight Storage Holder: 300 lbs
• Pull-up Bar: 500 lbs.

Features:

• This commercial grade Smith machine includes: Safety catches, smith bar catch, two-grip dip bar, cable crossover attachment, hack squat board, leg hold-down attachment, and a 360-degree landmine attachment.
• Cable attachments include: Cable bar, lat pulldown bar, tricep rope, cable handle and T-bar.
• Assembled Size: 80”L x 63”W x 86.7”H
• Height-adjustable: With 12-position cable crossover system
• Safety: Smith bar safety catch and Smith bar catch both have 14 levels of height adjustments providing excellent safety

 Pros:

• This Smith machine is a whole-body training system 
• Heavy-duty 11-gauge commercial steel tubes
• Highly safe and durable 
• Offers the benefits and functionalities of several strength-building machines 
• Commercial quality 
• Comes with 4 weight storage holders and 2 barbell storage holders for storing weight bars and plates
• Good brand support

Cons: 

• Large and bulky in comparison to other Smith machines 
• Might be difficult to assemble with a whole lot of attachments  

8. Deltech Fitness Linear Bearing Smith Machine – The Most Sturdy Commercial Grade Machine 

This heavy-duty gym equipment is designed keeping quality, versatility, durability, and affordability in mind. 

The Deltech Fitness Linear Bearing Smith Machine comes with a 58-pound Olympic bar with a 700-pound capacity.

This Smith machine is made of commercial grade heavy-duty steel tubing and features a precision linear roller bearing that rides on steel bars with a sturdy safety spotter and safety lockouts every 6”.

This multipurpose machine lets you perform an array of exercises such as: calf raises, chin-ups, shoulder shrugs and more. Furthermore, you can use a bench to add more utility and perform exercises such as: leg extensions, incline presses, bench presses, leg extensions, military presses, and dips.

This machine is fully-upgradeable as per future requirements, with several attachments such as: stack loaded lat attachment, stack loaded lat, 245 lb Olympic weight set and more.

Features:

• Includes rear supports to hold plates
• Bar catch rods positioned at 6” spacing for adequate safety
• Chrome-plated bar-hook rods
• Precision linear roller bearings for a smooth free weight workout feeling
• Comes with provision for future upgrades
• Includes weight holders
• Zinc-plated hardware
• Bar weight 58lbs with a 700 lbs Olympic bar capacity 

Pros:

• Most affordable in home gym range 
• Durable and versatile
• Heavy-duty steel construction 
• Bar glides smoothly on 4 linear ball bearings 
• Comes with storage pegs
• Safe and sturdy   

Cons:

• Requires attachments for added functionalities such as bench and Lats

Buying Guide

It is essential to know that the smith machine you’re purchasing is worth the cost and offers optimum functionality in the cost offered.

So before you just place an order you have certain things in your mind regarding its purchase, let us clear you on that while presenting a list of major considerations that must be taken care of before making a purchase for a smith machine.

So, let’s dive into the evident facts that you need to know!

Measure The Dimensions:

Before buying any machine you must take the measurements. You must allocate and check the space where you are going to assemble it. Especially in the case of Smith machines, you should need to measure the height as they are tall machines.

Movement:

The most important thing in the case of the Smith machine you must ensure that the moving parts of the machine have smooth movements. Make sure to buy with ball bearings rather than the bushes as bushes are more susceptible to wear out instead of ball bearings.

Weight Capacity:

The cable system in machines comes with a different weight capacity that allows you to extend the weight capacity according to your choice. So, you should choose a frame that allows you to withstand a maximum weight capacity and you can add plates in the barbells according to your goals.

Always make sure to buy with a large weight capacity as if you switch to bodybuilding. So, that you don’t end up outgrowing your machine.

Premium Quality Material:

You must buy a machine manufactured with a premium quality material. A premium quality steel material frame will decide how sturdy your machine will be. You must also consider the tensile strength that indicates the strength of the steel.

Solid steel material frame has a prolonged shelf life and won’t wear out or rust. Yes, how can we forget the bar holders or pulley settings? So, just need to check the parts that can be adjusted.

Workstations:

Everyone wants to buy a machine that allows a wide variety of workouts. So, before setting a home gym you must consider workstations. More the workstations more variety of workouts you will practice.

Warranty:

Once you have decided on the machine based on the features and the price, next you have to thoroughly look at the warranty card. Fitness equipment usually doesn’t have any appropriate warranty cards.

Like, if they are offering a lifetime warranty it is somewhat a limited-time warranty. Most wear and tear won’t be included, and it’s more down to equipment failing under normal use and weight loads.

Ease of Assembly: 

A Smith machine is a large, heavy-duty gym equipment because it is designed to address all your weightlifting and bodybuilding needs from the comfort of your home. But, the bigger the machine, the greater the headache of assembly!

There are many who enjoy the process of assembly and have done it before. But for those who aren’t fans of going down to the nuts and bolts of the situation, it can be a tiresome and time-consuming chore. Just read the instruction manual carefully and follow the steps to ensure safety and correct assembly of each part. 

If you are asking how much time the process of assembly is going to take, then take it as a thumb rule that the more advanced and involved the machine, the more time it is going to take to assemble. Further, the ease of assembly also depends on the complexity of the machine (i.e., more attachments means more work) and your experience.

The more experience and expertise you have in assembling gym equipment, the easier and less time-consuming the process of assembly will be for you. 

Benefits of a Smith Machine

Multifunctional:

Smith machines are a great investment in terms of home gyms because they eliminate the need to accumulate multiple pieces of gym equipment. 

A good quality Smith machine can serve the purpose of multiple exercise machines, offering a wide variety of exercises from the comfort of your home. By adding some attachments, you can further expand the functionality of these machines to better suit your needs.  

This makes the Smith machine a smart choice for saving space, time, and money while setting up a home gym. 

Safety:

When you are solo lifting at home, then safety becomes the biggest concern as there is no spotter to extend a helping hand in case of a mishap. Smith machines completely eradicate the need for a spotter as they are self-spotting devices. 

One can freely perform heavy plate loaded exercises knowing smith press bar catches and barbell hooks are there to ensure safety. You can easily hook the barbell into the frame with a simple twist movement without the risk of any injury.  

Easy to Use:

Smith machines are the easiest, uncomplicated, and most effective gym equipment that even beginners can use. 

There are no cables, pulleys, or other such components required in Smith machines, which is also the reason behind the ease of functionality of this machine. It also reduces the hassle of the maintenance of these components.

The basic cable crossover or pulley system mechanism of Smith machines makes them the simplest and safest gym equipment to use. 

Muscle Isolation:

Smith machines are more effective at isolating certain muscle groups of the body than other machines. For example, if you would like to isolate your chest muscles, then bench pressing on a Smith machine could prove to be more effective even in comparison with doing it on a regular bench press.

This is because in a Smith machine, the fixed path movement limits the use of as many stabilizer muscles as generally required with free weights and other machines. 

Best for Beginners:

Smith machines are considered the best exercise equipment for beginners, as they can easily opt for squats, lunges, or rows even if they haven’t ever done them before. It also helps in developing the right posture and form, even eradicating the risk of future injuries. 

Is the Smith Machine Good for Squats?

According to the experts, it is a great tool for building strength and increase the maximum weight you can lift. But there are some limitations of this machine that you must know that a smith machine follows a guided path so you cannot practice free barbell squats.

A smith machine will allow you to practice safer workouts but does not allow correct bad form or strengthen important stabilizing muscles.

What Exercises I Can Practice on a Smith Machine?

The best thing is you can practice a wide variety of exercises on the Smith machine covering both the upper and lower body. You can practice squats, deadlifts, bent rows, curls, bench presses, and many more. You can all the workouts that anybody can practice with free barbells but certain exceptions are applied.

What Type of Track Should Be Used in a Smith Machine? Straight or Angled?

What type of track you must have in your Smith machine solely depends on you. You should try both and see what feels more natural to you before taking any decision.

Some believe that an angled path is more natural than a straight track path whereas others think that a straight up and down path is more natural than an angled path. But according to experts, I believe that the straight path is more natural as compared to the angled path as most presses follow the straight path.

However, an angled path may make the smith machine more stable; singe the weight is being lifted towards the center of the machine.

Is Smith Machine Helpful for Weight Loss?

The answer is a little confusing you can say yes and no at the same time. As we all know that how much workout you are doing but if you are not practicing a deficit in calories and not taking a healthy diet all your workouts are insane.

But we cannot overlook the strength training of the Smith machine that actually helps in weight loss. Resistance training and strength training, unlike cardio, helps you lose fat while keeping your lean muscle.

What Is the Point of the Smith Machine?

Numerous coaches don’t care for the smith machine because since the free weight follows a fixed way as you lift, you disregard practicing significant stabilizer muscles.

But, there are numerous benefits of using a smith machine. Since the barbell is on a fixed path and can be set up to stop consequently at one point, it is more secure to use while lifting a significant burden without a spotter.

A smith machine is likewise an incredible device to use after you have exhausted your muscles utilizing the free barbells, since it permits you to keep lifting and pounding reps. You can see, there is a time and location for the smith machine, and is particularly helpful when you don’t have a spotter around to get the barbell and you bomb a lift.

Are Smith Machines Worth It?

Smith machines are valuable gym equipment for beginners as well as experienced lifters if used properly. One can use this machine to perform a wide variety of bodybuilding exercises without risking any injury. It allows users to train and isolate muscles with heavier weights safely. 

Smith machines are the best investment to make when setting up a home gym for their versatility, durability, and affordability. It is totally worth buying a single compact machine with the utility and functionality of multiple pieces of gym equipment and tools at an affordable price tag.   

When Should You Use a Smith Machine?

When you are new to the world of bodybuilding or weight lifting, it’s best you start with a Smith machine for safety reasons. Smith machines are the safest option to train the body, making them a great choice for beginners. 

A Smith machine also helps improve posture and form and is also good for isolating certain muscle groups during exercise. Smith machines can be used to perform an array of exercises such as: squats, bicep curls, deadlifts, bench press and many more. 

Can You Build Muscle on a Smith Machine?

Yes, you can build muscles using a Smith machine. The only difference here would be that the stabilizing muscles would not have to work as hard as in a regular squat.

But it is a matter of fact that any cable system or machine with resistance and a full range of motion is going to yield results, and so the Smith machine.

Some research even found that there is no difference between weights and machines in terms of improving muscles and growth. Thus, a Smith machine can be effectively used for the purpose of building strength and muscles.

Conclusion

In a world full of amazing fitness equipment it gets hard to decide which machine should one pick for the home gym!

Although there’s a lot of variety on the market home gyms have some limitations. You usually try to accommodate machines in small spaces like garages, basements, or storerooms and these factors must be considered while purchasing one.

We have reviewed several famous and exotic fitness equipment that are best suitable for your home gyms but smith machines are definitely taking the lead!

The material and durability these machines offer are commendable and the results it produces amazes our fitness freaks and that’s why we recommend the best smith machines to our readers.

If you liked this article, acknowledge us in the comment section and also tell us about your favorite pick from this article. We will be coming with more exciting fitness reviews!