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5 fitness must-haves chosen by our experts
Whether it's a new mat for your Pilates class or a feature-packed exercise bike to lay the foundations of a home gym, our experts have highlighted their recommendations so you can focus your energy on your workouts.
All the products recommended have done well in our rigorous, unbiased testing. Read our reviews to find out more and to see which ones are Best Buys.
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Expert-approved fitness picks
Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro
The most advanced fitness trackers can go for well over £100, but you can get a solid device for half this price. Avoid anything super cheap; we’ve previously tested fitness trackers for as little as £2 that failed our privacy and security tests. Many fitness trackers can measure over 100 sports nowadays, so make sure your new one can track your favourites. Also, choose a light device with a comfortable strap so it doesn’t bother you to wear it around the clock if you want to track your sleep.
- We like: Durable and easy to use
- We don't like: Not the most advanced smart functions
This fitness tracker is more akin to a smartwatch and is useful for gathering data on your workouts, from heartbeat to distance. You can use it regardless of whether you have an Android or iOS phone.
It can track more than 150 types of workouts, and will automatically detect things such as walking, running or cycling. It also has GPS tracking, and it's waterproof up to 5 ATM. However, Xiaomi warns against using it in hot showers or in a post-workout sauna session.
Read our Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro review.
You can compare prices below:
The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro is already a budget-friendly model. If you're looking for something even cheaper, the Huawei Band 8 has similar features. It can't track as many sports, but it's a solid alternative that we've seen for as little as £35.
Be sure to read our review, first. It's SQUIRREL_TEXT_50011971
Liforme Travel Yoga Mat
The right exercise mat will help you feel more stable and comfortable during your workouts. If you're using your mat for yoga, look for one with a thickness of less than 6mm. This will help you to hold trickier balancing poses, but you won't feel like you're sinking into a heavily cushioned surface. Pilates, on the other hand, may require extra cushioning for your knees and wrists so look for a thicker mat. Don't forget portability too – if you take your mat to a class, you'll want one that's light to carry. In our tests we roll up and walk with each mat to see how easy they'd be to take out and about.
- We like: Lots of colours to choose from
- We don't like: On the pricey side compared to other tested models
This yoga mat has a very grippy top surface that can help keep you stable while holding several yoga poses. It's also designed to roll up tightly and comes with a yoga mat bag when bought from Liforme, which allows you to carry it on your shoulder.
It's made with rubber, so it isn't the most lightest mat we tested. It was the thinnest, with 2mm of cushioning, so it may not be the best if you're looking for a mat to do activities or classes where your knees, hips, or wrists need more cushioning.
Find out how the Liforme yoga mat scored in our round-up of the best yoga mats.
You can compare prices below:
If you're looking for something more budget-friendly, our expert also recommends the Maximo Yoga Mat. It's significantly cheaper, but some may find the 12mm foam cushioning a bit too much. Others may prefer it for activities such Pilates, where you'll typically want more padding.
We'd recommend reading what our testers thought, first. It's SQUIRREL_TEXT_50010574
Pulsio Air massage gun
There are lots of claims around the benefits of using massage guns, some of which are inconclusive. What we do know is that they help provide instant relief for sore muscles and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness. Everyone has different sensitivities and the best massage guns we’ve tested provide a good range of speeds to suit everyone’s needs. They can also make it easy to reach tricky areas such as your lower back and shoulders and have batteries long enough to last several workouts. Massage guns can be pricey, reaching £400 or more, but we’ve found some brilliant models at around £100 that our panel of testers love.
- We like: Easy to use
- We don't like: Not as many power settings as other models
This small and light,massage gun weighs 0.45kg, making it easy to slip into a gym bag or a drawer. It can help you reduce muscle soreness after intense exercises, which we tested for.
It comes with a round ball, fork, bullet and flat attachments to help you target various muscles, and is charged by a USB-C cable.
Read our Pulsio Air review.
You can pick one up direct from Pulsio.
If you're struggling to find the Pulsio Air, our expert also recommended the Mebak 3. It's still fairly budget-friendly for a massage gun and comes with a good range of accessories, and costs roughly the same.
Be sure to read our verdict on the Mebak 3, or it's SQUIRREL_TEXT_12879795
Shokz OpenRun Pro bone conduction headphones
I love my pair of Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones. Audio quality isn't as good as the best in or over ear headphones, but it's perfectly good enough to listen to my favourite tunes on a run or bike ride. I like the fact that I can still pick up ambient noises, which makes me feel safer on the bike in particular. Having tested a full range of bone conduction headphones at a variety of price points, unfortunately you do need to spend a fair amount to get a good pair. Look to spend around £100 for a quality pair. I'd also preach caution about wearing them in the rain, or if you are a heavy sweater, because I've ruined more than one pair after getting them wet. Avoid the rain, and if it's hot, wear a sweatband.
- We like: Easy to use, and a two-year warranty
- We don't like: Bone conduction headphones won't sound as good as typical in-ear headphones
Bone conduction headphones use vibrations to bypass the ear canal and transmit sound waves to your inner ear through your cheekbone. These are a great choice if you want to listen to music while running, cycling, or exercising in an area where you want to be able to hear your surroundings.
These are splashproof, but not waterproof. You won't be able to use them in the pool or in heavy rain for extended periods of time. If you want a pair you can take swimming, we'd recommend reading our guide on the best bone conduction headphones.
You can compare prices on the Shokz OpenRun Pros below:
Sadly, we haven't found any cheaper alternatives that we can guarantee are worth your money. Our expert said you'll be hard-pressed to find a decent pair of bone conduction headphones for under £100.
If you're willing to opt for regular headphones for sports or the gym, we've spotted some great pairs for under £50 in our testing. We'd recommend checking out our guide on the best wireless earbuds, or taking a look at which models were awarded our Great Value badge in our headphone reviews.
Original Peloton Bike
An exercise bike is a popular possible addition to your home gym that allows you to set your own intensity of workout while improving your cardio fitness and strengthening your legs. Spending more usually nets you a more feature-packed exercise bike, which is the case with something like the popular Original Peloton Bike. Of course, Peloton comes with a premium price tag, but we’ve found Best Buy models for several hundred pounds less. Some useful features that are worth looking out for include a foldable design, pulse monitor, non-slip feet, a great display and app capability.
- We like: Huge amounts of resistance levels
- We don't like: Expensive, plus a membership is required for some features
This coveted exercise bike is jam-packed with features and remains a popular choice despite being the most expensive bike we've tested. It has 100 resistance levels, and its seat and handlebars are also highly adjustable.
It has a large touchscreen that (if you sign up to a Peloton membership for £39 a month) will show you exercises, scenic routes, and let you stream films, TV shows, live sports and other entertainment while you work out.
Is it worth the jaw-droppingly expensive price? Find out in our Peloton Original Bike review.
You can pick up a bike and membership directly from Peloton.
We have found other good exercise bikes that cost much less. For example, the Viavito Onyx Exercise Bike – which is a fraction of the price of a Peloton. It's a foldable model that doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the most premium models, but if you're looking for a cheap exercise bike for your home gym it's a good choice to consider.
You can read our review, otherwise it's SQUIRREL_TEXT_12880325
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