The 8 Best Smith Machines

Home gym equipment, such as treadmills and elliptical machines, vary in size, ease of use, and build quality. Smith machines are no different.

Designed for novice to intermediate fitness enthusiasts, smith machines are versatile workout equipment. It usually consists of a barbell mounted in between vertical guide rails for vertical lifting. These machines combine exercises such as squats, pull-ups, bicep curls, dips, lateral pulls, and calf raises, among others. It presents a superior alternative to free weights lifting, something that a home weight lifter and even professional body lifters will appreciate.

Smith machines can help you build muscle mass and improve your stress. Over the long run, continued use of a smith machine can help you improve your posture, increase dexterity, and improve your stamina.

Here are the best smith machines:

Marcy Combo Smith Machine

If youre looking for a decent workout machine with good features and a budget-friendly price, then the Marcy Combo Smith Machine may just be what you need.

This smith machine is designed to last for a long time. Made of top-quality and highly durable 14-gauge steel tubing, this smith machine is as solid as any home gym equipment. It wont be moved or shaken when you are using it.

It can help you strengthen and tone your thighs, legs, arms, and core with a combination of a pull-up bar, leg developer, and cable crossovers. The utility bench is removable and should let you have a full range of exercises. The bench is also padded so you can stay comfortable during your workouts.

This machine has a weight limit of 400 pounds, so you should be able to use it without worrying about it breaking down.

It is also reasonably priced and comes with a two-year manufacturer warranty.

Body-Solid Powerline Smith Machine

This smith machine is recommended for people who have limited space at home. Its sturdy and easy to assemble, too.

With dimensions of 45 inches long, 80 inches tall, and 76 inches wide, this smith machine should not take up as much space as other home gym equipment. It should take you an hour or so to put it all together.

It has a maximum weight capacity of 400 pounds. The mainframe is a ladder-type with full-length, 12-gauge square pillars. Fourteen lock-out points enable the machine to deliver a good foundation during heavy routines.

With this smith machine, you can perform exercises such as bench presses, squats, and shoulder shrugs, among others.

It comes with safety features, too, such as the safety spotter catch system. This dual-lock system prevents the bar from pinning the user by turning the pivot sleeve in a 15-degree angle. Huge pop pins, meanwhile, can be easily and quickly adjusted to help you achieve a safe and pre-determined stop.

Yukon Caribou III Smith Machine

This is an entry-level smith machine that is easy to assemble, compact, and reasonably priced.

When fully assembled, it measures 48 x 68 x 85 inches. It is durable and can support users who weigh up to 400 pounds. It is ideal for use of novice and intermediate fitness enthusiasts. It also comes with a chin-up bar that comes in handy in training and strengthening the back.

This smith machine is well-made. For example, the pull-up bar is sturdy and secure. The pull-down bar, meanwhile, is sufficient for lateral work. The bench is well-padded and works well with its slide adjustment on the back. There is also a leg attachment to train that part of the body.

Marcy Combo Smith Strength Home Gym Machine 5276

Marcy Combo gets another model onto this list with its Home Gym Machine 5276. This all-in-one home gym equipment showcases a variety of exercises to strengthen and tone the legs, arms, thighs, and core. It is not only a smith machine but also a leg developer, cable crossover, and pull-up bar in one.

This is as durable as any home gym equipment in the market today. It is made of 14-gauge square steel tubing, enough for it to support up to 400 pounds of muscle. Putting it together should take you a few hours, so make sure you have enough help if ever you buy this model.

When assembled, the cage dimension is at 65 inches by 72 inches and 84.5 inches. The assembled bench dimension, meanwhile, is 68 x 26 x 45.5 inches. In short, this smith machine should fit your home gym.

There are four storage posts in this machine for organizing your weight plates. The utility bench is removable and can support a wide range of strength exercises. There is a workout bench that is fully padded and adjustable to different positions. The press bar features adjustable bar catches and safety stops.

To strengthen and tone your upper body, this unit comes with cable crossovers and Smith-style press bar. The leg developer, meanwhile, strengthens and tones the lower body muscles. The bottom pulley and leg developer are also ideal for training the legs and thighs particularly in targeting the glutes, quads, and hamstrings.

In short, this is an absolutely amazing machine that may take hours to put together but worth the ordeal once youre finished.

Valor Fitness BE-11 Smith Machine

This is a no-frills smith machine thats tough, durable, and well-designed. It is a good choice if you dont have enough space at home. It is also intended for users of any experience level, offering workouts of various resistance. Capable of handling up to 1,000 pounds of weights with relative ease, this smith machine offers smooth and reliable performance.

This is a heavy-duty machine made of 12-gauge steel for increased strength and stability. It also ensures that the frame will be able to support the user and the weights. The solid steel bar latch support, linear bearings, and bar rotation can withstand the most challenging and intense lifts.

This is a versatile home gym machine that will let you perform different workouts without a spotter. You can improve your upper body strength performing exercises such as squats and bench press on this machine. You can also perform other workouts such as calf raises, shrugs, rows, and upright rows and achieve a complete body workout.

You can also customize this smith machine by using or adding products under the Valor Fitness brand. The said brand offers more than 400 various fitness products, some of which you can use on this smith machine. For instance, you can add lifting chains and bumper plates on this smith machine to vary your workouts and make your exercises a little more challenging. There are also plate racks for storing plates and adding to the stability of the unit itself.

This smith machine is recommended to users with limited space at home. Its dimensions are 80 x 12 x 10 inches (H x W x L). It is also not as heavy as other home gym equipment, weighing around 50 pounds.

The BE-11 smith machine from Valor Fitness is sturdy, smooth, and versatile for numerous exercises. It is one of the top-rated smith machines in the market today.

Inspire Fitness Ft2 Functional Trainer

This is a high-end smith machine that is quite pricey. But if budget is no concern to you, then you must consider getting the Inspire Fitness Ft2. It has a unique design that eliminates the need for using Olympic weight plates by integrating the Olympic weight stacks and bar. It can be considered a complete weight training machine that also happens to have a smith machine function.

It comes with eight pull points, allowing its users to maximize the versatility and efficiency of the machine. There are a couple of pull points found upfront. This can be adjusted from above your head all the way to your feet. It lets you perform numerous exercises such as incline presses, chest presses, close grip presses, lateral raises, bicep curls, and squats, among others.

Then there are two high pull points placed above your head and designed to support exercises like lateral pulldowns. Four low pull points are also placed at the rear of the machine for exercises such as bicep curls, rowing, and much more.

As for the smith machine function, the Smith bar of this unit will enable you to perform curls, lunges, presses, and other exercises. It can also be adjusted to different positions and let you add variety to your workouts. There is also a multiple grip chin bar for performing pull-ups and grip chin-ups.

Another outstanding feature of this smith machine is the inclusion of weight stacks, meaning there is no need to acquire weight plates. With the weight multiplier option of this smith machine, you can double the weight or resistance of any exercise.

Additionally, multiple accessories are thrown into the package such as triceps rope, EZ curl bar, straight bar, swing handle, a handy belt for multiple uses, and ankle puff. To say that you are getting your moneys worth with this smith machine is an obvious understatement.

For reference, the dimensions of this unit without a bench is 61 inches wide and 58 inches deep. With the bench, the numbers are 61 inches wide and 89 inches deep.

With its numerous features, unique design, and stable base, this functional trainer/smith machine from Inspire Fitness is certainly worth your money.

Bodycraft Jones Freedom Machine

This smith machine from Bodycraft is well-built, versatile, and reasonably priced. It wont blow you away with its features, but youll likely get enough support for your exercises with this smith machine.

Versatility is the most notable characteristic of this smith machine. With its numerous linear bearing tracks, you can enjoy a wide range of movement using this smith machine. Unlike other smith machines that only feature a vertical linear bearing track system, it offers a horizontal linear bearing track that lets you raise the bar and move it forward and backward. This benefits you as you can perform a wide range of exercises, even as you keep your bodys normal range of motion.

Both linear bearing tracks are equipped with heavy-duty springs to prevent the bar and plates from moving far forward or backward or even crashing into the ground. This is a nice safety feature of this smith machine. It also has numerous bar hooks to go along with safety spotters designed to ensure your safety.

The tracks, bearings, and other parts of the machine are made of high-grade materials to ensure the integrity and safety of this unit. The frame is made of metal that can hold up a lot of weight. It can support users who weigh up to 350 pounds.

This is also a fairly compact item that should fit well even in small homes. Listed dimensions are 42 x 55 x 83 inches.

Body Solid GS348Q Series 7

Compared to some of the units on this list, the Body Solid GS348Q is a fairly simple and basic smith machine. But it has the features to help you stay in shape. It is also compact with assembled dimensions of 83 x 66 x 64 inches (H x L x W).

This unit features lockout points for enhanced safety. Thanks to these lockout points, you can be assured that the bar can be safely supported during your workouts. It can also be stopped at any time, especially when your safety is on the line. With the lockout points, the bar will surely not fall or crash down on your face.

This model also has a free weight rack system featuring lift-off points and 17-inch safeties. This lets you pick the position youll want to start and stop your lifting.

It is made of top-quality parts with a solid steel frame, ensuring the stability of the unit. You can have the peace of mind knowing that this unit wont break, bend, or tip over anytime soon. This smith machine can support users who weigh up to 400 pounds.