Best Calisthenics Equipment 2024

Calisthenics is fast-becoming one of the best ways to work out your body with a limited set of equipment. Whether you are working out at home, outdoors, or in the gym, Calisthenics can serve to provide a full body workout that targets all the right muscles and lead to huge gains in muscle mass and toning.

Here at Think Sport, we deal with some of the largest UK manufacturers of fitness equipment. As a result, our knowledge of Calisthenics equipment is pretty broad. In this blog, we're going to look at the Best Calisthenics Equipment currently available. If you're looking for something in particular, here's what we're going to cover:

• Best Ab Roller
• Best Weighted Vest
• Best Resistance Bands
• Best Pull Up Bar
• Best Calisthenics Gloves
• Best Massage Ball
• Best Skipping Rope

Best Ab Roller

Our Winner: Harbringer Ab Carver Pro Ab Wheel

Why We Love It...

• Unique ergonomic design 
• Handles for activating core muscles
• Ultra-wide wheel targets oblique muscles
• Resistance mechanism ensures consistent effort

Good For...

• Targeting the abs in a direct and efficient way
• Working the obliques for maximum gains
• Gradual strength gains thanks to its resistance feature
• Warm-ups and warm-downs

Editor's Review: We think the Ab Carver Pro is the best in the business. While most ab rollers allow for only straight back and forward motion, the wide, spherical wheel of the Ab Carver Pro can pivot right and left, targeting all ab muscles including the obliques.

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Best Weighted Vest

Our Winner: SKLZ Weighted Vest

Why We Love It...

• Reinforced nylon mesh allows your body to breathe
• Adjustable weight for pros and novices
• Velcro belt caters for athletes of all sizes
• Flexible weights bend with your body for comfort

Good For...

• Maximising full body gains in your workout regime
• Beginners and pros alike, just choose your weight
• Comfort as you train
• Making the simplest of exercises pack a punch

Editor's Review: Weighted vests are essential for getting that full body pump, but many in the business are bulky and intimidating. That's where the SKLZ Weighted Vest comes in – with an adjustable weight of 1 to 10lb and a reinforced, but breathable, nylon mesh, the SKLZ Vest ensures you are both comfortable and suitably hard-pressed at all times.

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Best Resistance Bands

Our Winner: Escape Fitness Resistance Tube Exercise Band

Why We Love It...

• Anti-sweat handles ensure you never slip
• Portable design lets you take them anywhere
• Colour-coded design, great for classes
• Available in a choice of resistances

Good For...

• Stretching out after a long session
• A variety of arm-focused workouts, including curls
• Personal trainers wanting to expand their inventory
• Making your environment work to your advantage

Editor's Review: Resistance bands allow you to take matters into your own hands and execute a huge range of exercises, but many are flimsy and of low quality. Working with the Escape Fitness Exercise Bands however, leaves you in no doubt of their fantastic quality and high-caliber resistance level. These bands are particularly useful for trainers looking to kit out their clients, as their colour-coded design allows for visible progression.

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Best Pull Up Bar

Our Winner: Harbringer Multi-Gym Pro Portable Gym

Why We Love It...

• Multiple grip options for all your pull up needs
• Can be switched into a sit up support
• Excellent capacity of 136kg, even room for a vest
• Low effort, easy installation

Good For...

• Creating a perfect home-gym set-up
• Working out lateral, abdominal and tricep muscles
• Novices looking for an all-in-one piece of equipment
• Targeting different parts of the back

Editor's Review: Pull up bars come in many sizes and iterations, but if you're spending money on a piece of kit, you want to make sure it's the best bang for your buck. The Harbringer Multi-Gym Pro is an all-in-one pull up bar, sit up support and dip machine. Hitting your lateral muscles, triceps and abs is all possible with the Harbringer Pro.

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Best Calisthenics Gloves

Our Winner: Sissel Workout Gloves

Why We Love Them...

• Anti-slip rubber coating keeps your hands grippy
• Assured protection from blisters and calluses
• Anti-bacterial and moisture-wicking fabric keep your gloves fresh
• Fingerless digits allows for greater control over tools

Good For...

• Boosting overall effectiveness of your workout
• Preventing slippage as you train
• Protecting the hands from calluses
• People who dislike full-fingered gloves

Editor's Review: The grippier the better is the rule of thumb for Calisthenics gloves, and the Sissel Workout Gloves blend viscose, polyester and spandex for a superior grip that is both flexible and solid. What impresses us most about the Sissel Gloves is their close-fit and lightweight, fingerless design. This means you can execute hand-based exercises with full confidence and reduced effort.

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Best Massage Ball

Our Winner: Pulseroll 4 Speed Percussion Massage Ball

Why We Love It...

• Lets you massage those hard-to-reach areas
• Vibrating power ensures deep-tissue massage every time
• Four different vibration options to choose from
• Weighs less than a kilo, and comes with a bag for transport!

Good For...

• Warm-ups and cool-downs
• Reducing next day soreness
• Flushing out lactic acid
• Cramping in feet

Editor's Review: Sore muscles are part and parcel of a good work out, but overwork can lead to injury which can keep you from training to your best. The Pulseroll 4 Speed Massage Ball irons out those throbbing muscles and knots. With a choice of four different vibration options, the massage ball works out the lactic acid in your muscles and ensures you can meet your goals head-on.

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Best Skipping Rope

Our Winner: Escape Fitness Cross Training Jump Rope

Why We Love It...

• Super lightweight, allows you to swing with ease
• Incredibly durable, stress-tested to 50,000 rotations
• Octagonal grippy handles prevent slippage
• Perfect for variety of moves, including double-unders

Good For...

• Warm-ups and cool-downs
• Burning through calories
• Circuit training
• Working out wherever, whenever

Editor's Review: Calisthenics workouts are about speed, efficiency and focus. Jump ropes embody all of these aspects, and are perfect for shedding fat across the board, especially around the abdominal area. To get you there faster, the Escape Fitness Cross Training Rope is designed to support high-speed training, utilising a super lightweight, thin design and a stress-tested body for maximum performance. 

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Our Conclusion

Calisthenics is here to stay. The Coronavirus pandemic and its resultant nation-wide lockdowns have proven that calisthenics and bodyweight exercises are some of the most effective workouts at our disposal. We hope you have found our blog useful and have found the right equipment to start your new fitness routine. If you're looking for more fantastic equipment, why not check out our Resistance Training, CrossFit and Circuit Training and Gym Accessories categories?

Are you a fan of Calisthenics or do you prefer the confides of a gym? Share your thoughts below or on our Facebook or Twitter.