9 best resistance bands 2024: tried, tested and reviewed

Man doing resistance band push-ups: best resistance bands
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The best resistance bands support ab workouts, strength and conditioning, recovery routines, or physical therapy. They also come in a variety of packs with different levels of thickness and attachments to help you diversify your workouts. So, which to pick?

Because you can't endlessly load with them as you can with dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells, you could be asking whether resistance bands work, especially when building strength or muscle. But they do, you just need to grab a set worth the money.

We tested and reviewed the best resistance bands at home and in the gym, adding nine options to our final line-up. These are bands we use ourselves or highly recommend to others, and each has been put through the sweat test against, strength, usability, budget and features like grip, value and what comes in your pack.

Our favorite set is the Bodylastics resistance band range for pure variety, but we also enjoy the Fit Simplify range of loop bands are the top pick for best value. Read on for our other winners.

Sam stretching her left leg during F45 workout, sat on the studio floor
Sam Hopes

Sam is Tom's Guide's resident senior fitness writer and a personal trainer, who teaches alongside writing and specializes in mobility work. She uses resistance bands in much of her training, including strength work, mobility sessions and recovery, so she knows a thing or two about how to use them and which ones are the best for your training.

Best resistance bands overall

Best alternative resistance bands

Best premium resistance bands

What to know before buying the best resistance bands

The best resistance bands come in various strengths and styles, and some packs even offer different attachments like ankle cuffs, door jambs, or handles.

These are the main resistance band types:

  • Mini bands/ loop bands: These small bands work well for glute exercises like crab walks, glute kickbacks and fire hydrants. They help with muscular activation and can sit above the ankles or knees during exercises.
  • Long bands/ tube bands: These bands don't loop, so you'll likely find them with attachable handles that allow you to row, squat, deadlift and more. The sets often come with a door jamb and manual for different types of moves you can do with them, and they're versatile for upper and lower-body workouts.
  • Power bands: These thick bands are less versatile and harder to use, but brilliant for assisting exercises like wrapping around the bar for pull-ups or lat pull-downs.
  • Long bands: These come in a wide variety of difficulties. Some are super thin and offer little support or resistance while others are super thick, like power bands, and ramp up the intensity. Typically, they loop, but are much bigger than mini bands and can be used for upper body and lower body exercises.
  • Physical therapy bands: These offer the least resistance and tend to be super stretchy and sometimes chalky. They're reserved mostly for physical therapy exercises, stretches and recovery.

How to buy the best resistance band for you

When deciding which resistance bands you should get, price is usually a good place to start. Some hardcore resistance band kits cost upwards of $100, but you can get a decent set for less than $30. You get what you pay for, and poor band construction is an eyeball injury waiting to happen and might not benefit your fitness.

As the name implies, these gym accessories can add resistance to various exercises; when leveraged properly, they can also assist with more challenging exercises like pull-ups. The best bands are often stackable, so you can use multiple bands to increase total tension.

Resistance bands come in several basic styles, such as individual tubes, heavy-duty superbands and mini bands; the best bands all depend on what you need them for.

Superbands are just what they sound like: giant rubber bands that instantly up the ante. Mini bands are much smaller, making them useful for physical therapy or stretching out an achy limb. Tube-style bands have handles and are super for bicep curls, shoulder presses, lateral arm raises and much more.

Most resistance bands are made of latex or rubber, so keep an eye out for allergy-free materials if your skin is sensitive to the former.

How we test the best resistance bands

To see which are the best resistance bands, we performed a number of exercises, varying them based on the type of band we were testing.

For the mini bands on this list (the ones without any handles), we used one medium-tension band from each brand to perform two sets of 10 reps for lateral arm raises, and one set of 10 reps for lateral walks with a lower-tension band. For any tube-style bands (the ones with handles), we used them for two sets of 10 reps for bicep curls and chest presses.

We put the superbands through the same paces as the tubes, in addition to one set (10 reps each) of assisted pull-ups and another of resisted standard push-ups.

The methodology for testing these bands is by no means an exact science, but every body has a different fitness journey, and these things are built for adaptability.

Q&A

Do resistance bands really work?

Yes! The big benefit of resistance bands is that your muscles stay under tension through the entire movement, which can help strengthen your muscles.

They can also be used effectively if you're coming back from injury and looking to rebuild stability and strength in weaker, smaller muscle groups. Those building back up to weights can work with resistance bands before picking weights up in the gym, plus one Frontiers study suggests resistance band training could even contribute toward effective weight loss.

What weight resistance bands do I need?

It depends on what you're using your band for and your experience with weightlifting and resistance bands. If you're a beginner, start on the lighter resistance (thinner bands) and build up as you get stronger. If you plan to use your bands for physical therapy or mobility work, you could also opt for less and focus on reaching a deep stretch using your band for support.

I like to use bands that challenge the load on my body, so during resistance sessions, ensure the last few reps of every exercise feel challenging to complete, without losing your form. If you choose the right band, a resistance band workout can feel just as challenging as lifting weights.

Are thick or thin resistance bands better?

Thicker bands offer more resistance than thin bands. For example, if you're new to pull-ups, you might loop a thicker band around the bar for more support. However, using a thick band for push-ups will make the exercise harder as you work through increased resistance.

On the flip side, a thin band will make pull-ups harder by offering less support, but for upper or lower-body workouts like squats or push-ups, thin bands will make the exercise easier with less resistance. Thinner bands are also useful for rehab, smaller muscles and working your joints.

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Sam Hopes
Senior Fitness Writer and Fitness Coach

Sam Hopes is a level 3 fitness trainer, level 2 reiki practitioner, and senior fitness writer at Tom's Guide. She is also currently undertaking her Yoga For Athletes training course. Sam has written for various fitness brands and websites over the years and has experience across brands at Future such as Live Science, Fit&Well, Coach, and T3. Having worked with fitness studios like F45 and Virgin, Sam now primarily teaches outdoor bootcamps, bodyweight and calisthenics, and kettlebells. She also coaches mobility and stretching-focused classes several times a week and believes that true strength comes from a holistic approach to training your body. Sam is currently in training for her next mixed doubles Hyrox competition in London this year, having completed her first doubles attempt in 1:11.