9 Best Smith Machines For Home Gyms – Garage Gym Pro

1. Marcy Smith Cage MD-9010G - Our Top Pick

Not all smith machines are created equal, and the Marcy Smith Cage MD09010G is our top pick for several reasons. 

Firstly, this smith machine is an all-in-one full-body training machine, and it comes with multiple training systems such as a pulley system, dual function leg developer, free-weight rack, fully removable bench press, weight storage, and more.  

The removable bench press is excellent as it allows you to move the bench away from the smith machine so you can use it for other exercises that don’t require the smith machine frame.  

I’m a massive fan of having various exercise options on the Marcy Smith Cage MD09010G; it turns a basic smith machine into a full-body workout station.

This saves you from purchasing additional machinery, saving you time and money.  

If your home gym is on the smaller side like in an apartment, saving space is a huge bonus. 

Along with the multi-station functionality of the Marcy Smith Cage MD09010G, the home smith machine comes with four stainless steel weight horns so you can organize your weights, keeping them in one place. 

This prevents you from having to purchase or build additional weight storage.  

One of the Marcy smith cage MD09010G’s best features is its heavy duty steel construction frame capable of supporting 2000 lbs. 

The frame comes with safety stops and bar catches, making it perfect if you’re looking to work out by yourself during weight training exercises.

The machine has excellent safety features; it’s brilliant for beginners as it gives you a sense of security while using the smith machine. 

Another excellent feature of the smith machine is the free-weight rack.

The free weight power rack allows you to use Olympic weight plates and barbell without being fixed to the smith machine's precision linear roller bearings movement. 

This makes the machine great for a powerlifting home gym as you can perform a regular squat, bench press, and deadlift as you would during competitions.   

However, while the Marcy smith cage MD09010G is the best smith machine multi-gym, there are a couple of hang-ups.  

Firstly, the Marcy smith cage MD09010G doesn’t come with weights, which can be frustrating as buying the weighted plates can get expensive.  

During the set-up, the cable pulley system was difficult to straighten, and it could be a good idea to have someone with you when you build the machine.  

Marcy included a 2-year warranty, which is better than nothing but not nearly as good as other machines.[1]

Overall, if you’re looking for the best Marcy smith machine, the Marcy smith cage MD09010G is an excellent option for you.  

Check out our full review of the Marcy MD-9010G here!

2. Marcy Smith Machine SM-4903 – Best Value For Money

The Marcy Smith Machine Weight Bench SM-4903 is the best smith machine for the money.

If you're on a budget, this smith machine won't cost you a fortune and is close to the $1,200 mark. Even though the machine is relatively cheap, it doesn’t lack quality.  

The home gym system boasts you can perform over 50 exercises on the smith machine, making it one of the best all-in-one machines around.

It has the feel of a power rack but the functionality of a multi-gym.  

I was impressed by the smooth running pulley system of this solid smith machine system, which allows you to work your chest, shoulders, biceps, and triceps without rattling or instability.

It was nice to know the machine had been well designed and didn’t have any instability issues. Its excellent stability is mainly due to its robust steel construction. 

One handy feature of the Marcy Smith Machine Weight Bench SM-4903 is it comes with a built-in power rack, so you can use an Olympic barbell with the smith machine to perform free weight exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, rack pulls, and more.  

The addition of a power rack is an excellent touch and adds to the versatility of the Marcy SM-4903. 

If you’re fond of home gym calisthenics, you’ll be pleased to see this smith machine comes with a multi-grip pull up bar, suitable for pull-ups, chin-ups, and hanging leg raises.

The Marcy SM-4903 also comes with a set of sturdy dip bars, so you can work your triceps and chest by performing bodyweight dips.  

One of my only peeves with the Marcy Smith Machine Weight Bench SM-4903 is that it doesn’t have enough storage for weights. 

Sure, it has a plate storage rack on the back of the smith machine, but I feel it doesn’t provide as much as other smith machine systems do.  

If you’re going to need to store a lot of plates on this smith machine, then perhaps it’s not the right choice for you.  

Yet, for the price of the smith machine, you can’t complain. It would be perfect for most home gyms as it’s cheap and has a wide range of uses.

If you buy this machine, I don’t think you’d need much else in your home gym.  

Overall, you can’t go wrong with this smith machine; it’s one of the best Marcy smith machine systems on the market.  

Related Article - What Exactly Is A Smith Machine?

3. Commercial Smith Machine – Top of The Range

The Commercial home gym smith machine is as top of the range as you can get.

It is probably the nicest looking all in one machine I’ve come across and has a huge selection of bars, attachments, and accessories included in the machine’s price. 

It has a smooth pulley system with two built-in plate stacks weighing 176 lbs each. 

The cable weight stacks are excellent for working your back, chest, shoulders, and arms while giving the machine additional stability.  

The pulley system has 16 adjustable height levels, making the machine suitable for most people. 

If you need a smith machine with plenty of storage for weights, the Commercial home gym smith machine is ideal.

It has six storage posts for you to keep your Olympic plates when they’re not in use.  

While testing the machine, one of my favorite features of the Commercial Home Gym Smith Machine is the multi-grip pull up bar.

The bar handles are incredibly comfortable and have the right thickness to achieve a decent grip.

The same can be said for the lat pull down handle; it is constructed the same way as the pull up handles. 

I also noticed the safety arms are incredibly durable and can support a large amount of weight, making them perfect for anyone looking to use a free-weight barbell with the Commercial machine.  

The smith machine has received excellent reviews from customers, with the machine’s aesthetics being mentioned often.

The smith machine is available in three colors: black, red/black, and blue/black; each version looks as good as the next.  

The Commercial home gym smith machine looks, operates, and feels fantastic; it’s difficult to fault this machine. 

However, the Commercial home gym smith machine might not be suitable for you if you're on a budget.

It costs roughly $3,800 for the standard smith machine without the bench or additional weighted plate selection.  

Once you purchase the bench and Olympic weights, you could be looking around the $5,000 mark, which is far from cheap.  

But, if it’s within your budget, it’ll make an excellent choice of a smith machine. It’s capable of handling large amounts of weight, and you can pretty much do any exercise on it.  

Also Check Out - Which Way Do You Face On Smith Machines?

4. Body-Solid Series 7 GS348Q - Trusted Brand

The Body-Solid Series 7 GS348Q is an extremely popular smith machine due to the trust placed in the Body-Solid brand. 

Body-Solid is well known for making high-quality gym equipment, and they have an excellent range of home gym machines available.  

The Series 7 GS348Q is no exception to the rule; the machine is one of the best quality smith machines I’ve seen and has some fantastic features.  

One of my favorite features of the Body-Solid Series 7 GS348Q is the 7-degree reversed pitch on which the machine’s rail is set.

The pitch allows your body to move more naturally while performing exercises, placing less stress on your joints.  

When I used the Body-Solid Series 7 GS348Q to perform shoulder press, I noticed the reverse pitch stopped the barbell from being so close to my face, and it was only a minor difference but very welcomed.  

During each exercise I performed, the barbell glides up and down the rail smoothly, with no jerkiness or rattling.

This is nice to see, as there are many smith machines out there that don't feel stable.  

One of the Body-Solid Series 7 GS348Q’s coolest features is the Olympic weight holders and the two Olympic barbell holders.

While this might not seem like much, I was impressed that the smith machine can store two Olympic barbells. It saves you from having to make your own barbell storage.

This saves a considerable amount of space and looks fantastic in your home gym.  

Another cool feature is the free-weight squat rack located on the front of the smith machine; this gives you the option to use an Olympic barbell without being locked into the smith machines rail system. 

As I mentioned before, Body-Solid is well known for its quality products, and the free adjustable bench press that comes with the smith machine lives up to its reputation. 

The bench is well made, sturdy, and fully adjustable, taking you from 90-degrees to decline.  

However, even though the Body-Solid Series 7 GS348Q is a brilliant smith machine, a few minor issues are worth mentioning.  

Firstly, the smith machine was somewhat challenging to assemble by yourself.

While this isn’t a deal-breaker, it’s worth mentioning so you can consider this when you’re purchasing the smith machine.  

Secondly, I was disappointed to see there is a lack of additional accessories or features on this smith machine. 

It would have been nice to see a dipping station added to this machine and perhaps a pulley system.  

Even though the Body-Solid Series 7 GS348Q lacks features, its features work incredibly well, and I was impressed with the machine’s overall performance.

It will make an excellent smith machine for your home gym if you’re looking for a mid-range smith machine.   

Read Also - Can You Deadlift On Smith Machines?

5. MiM USA – Best Small Compact Smith Machine

The MiM USA Compact is the best small smith machine you’ll come across.

It has a super-compact design that won’t clog your home gym, leaving you with more room for other equipment.  

As this machine is highly compact, it makes the machine feel super-stable, so you can work out with confidence knowing you’re safe.

Plus, it has a high weight capacity of up to 600lbs, making it extremely strong.  

While testing the MiM USA Compact Smith Machine, I found the guide rail to be well designed, giving me a smooth movement during every rep.

In addition, I was impressed with how sturdy the machine was; it's rare for a small smith machine to be as stable as the MiM USA Compact. 

MiM USA has given this smith machine a built-in preacher curl that’ll allow you to work your biceps. While using this feature, I found the back pad was well made and comfortable.

I also loved the addition of the built-in leg extension; however, I feel this is an attempt to cover one of the machine’s flaws (which I’ll mention in a moment).  

One problem I encountered during the machine set-up is that the instructions are rather basic and can leave you scratching your head for a few moments as you try to figure out what to do next.

This isn’t ideal if you’re new to building gym equipment in your home.  

Another minor issue is that the bench is fixed to the smith machine, which prevents you from performing movements for your lower body such as squats, deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats, and others.

While this might not be an issue for everyone, it’s far from ideal and limits your exercise options.  

The fixed bench also prevents you from performing any standing exercises like military press or shrugs.

While I understand why MiM USA has designed the bench to add stability to the smith machine, it does come with some negatives.  

Overall, this machine would be a great addition to most home gyms; it’s strong, incredibly stable, and doesn’t take up a ton of space.

But you’d have to ensure you didn’t want to use the smith machine for your lower body.

However, if you want it purely for bench pressing and other upper body movements, you’ll love it.  

See Related - Can You Bench Press On A Smith Machine?

6. Titan Fitness - Smart Design Features

The Titan Fitness Smith Machine is the best functional smith machine. It has a basic yet fantastic-looking design and has some excellent features.  

One of the most impressive design features is the counterbalanced smith machine, which helps it remain stable during exercise regardless of the weight on the barbell.

There are also quick locking commercial grade J hooks that are easy to use when you've finished your set.  

While I used this machine, I found the safety catches to be excellent and extremely useful if you fail during a workout set. They gave me the confidence to go heavy without needing a spotter.  

I used the built-in resistance band pegs to increase the difficulty of the military press without needing additional weight. The band pegs are a nice touch. 

The Titan Fitness Smith Machine has six built-in Olympic weight storage pegs that allow you to keep your weights looking tidy in your home gym.  

However, if you’re looking to keep Olympic bumper plates on these pegs, you’ll struggle as they’re not spaced enough to allow for bumper plates on each peg. 

This is disappointing and something Titan Fitness will undoubtedly fix on future smith machines.  

The Titan Fitness Smith Machine is basic, but it’s part of the machine’s charm. It doesn’t attempt to be anything other than a brilliant smith machine. 

There are no pulleys, no preacher curl attachments, and no other accessories. It was fairly easy to assemble since there are not that many pieces. The instructions could have been more clear, however.[2] 

Depending on what you’re looking to do with your smith machine, you might see the Titan Fitness Smith Machine’s basic nature as a negative or a positive.  

While I’m a fan of the Titan Fitness Smith Machine, I feel it could have been improved by adding pull up handles to the frame.

This is more of a personal preference than something that would appeal to everyone. 

If you’re looking for a smith machine with excellent design features and smooth functionality, the Titan Fitness Smith Machine is the perfect smith machine for your home gym.  

7. Mikolo – Popular Model 

The Mikolo smith machine is one of the most popular models bought by gym-goers.

It’s easy to see why the machine’s so popular as it has a huge variety of add-ons, making it one of the most versatile smith machines around.  

There is a premium grade pulley system included that uses aircraft nylon-coated cables (super-strong) and a wide selection of handle attachments such as the cable handles, T bar, straight bar, and lat pulldown bar.  

Other additional features include a brilliant pull up bar, land mine press attachment, and a footplate used for the seated row.  

With the Mikolo Smith Machine, you won’t need any other machines; you can work your entire body using their well-designed system.  

It has a robust frame capable of holding over 2000lbs, making this smith machine perfect for more advanced or powerlifters with their own home gym. 

The frame is finished in a fantastic looking powder coating that’ll look the part in your home gym.  

But, one problem I found with the Mikolo smith machine is that the plate storage is placed on the back of the machine, and I found this unnecessary, and it meant you had to place the machine away from a wall in order to use the weight holders.

There are also weight holders on the sides, but again, they are awkwardly placed and not ideal if you need to put your smith machine in a smaller home gym.  

8. Deltech Fitness - Best Smith Machine Under $1000 

The Deltech Fitness Linear Bearing smith machine is the best budget smith machine under $1,000 you'll come across.  Sure, it's got a fundamental design, but that's the beauty of it. It's just a smith machine and not much more.

It doesn't come with all the bells and whistles you'd see on the more expensive smith machine systems, and it performs pretty well. It is also the cheapest smith machine on my list.   

However, even though it doesn’t come with a ton of features, it does have a pull up bar located on the front of the machine.

It’s a straight steel bar with comfortable knurling, so you don’t lose your grip mid-set. While it’s nothing special, it’s an excellent addition to have with the Deltech Fitness smith machine.  

Deltech Fitness does state you can purchase additional add-ons for the smith machine, such as a lat attachment and dual action press arms pec attachment, but I’m yet to test these.

Although being able to upgrade your Deltech Fitness smith machine is a nice touch.  

For under $1,000, you’d expect the machine to be made using poor quality materials, but it's not.

The device is made using a strong steel construction and can withstand over 700lbs of weight; this is far more than most gym-goers would be using in their home gyms.  

But, one small problem with this machine is that it can feel unstable. While using the Deltech Fitness Smith Machine, I found it rattled and shook, which didn't give me much confidence.

Several other users have reported using sandbags to hold the machine in position as it tends to move during use, but I didn’t encounter this issue.  

The instability issue is most likely due to the small footprint the machine has. While it doesn't feel like it will tip over, it's not the best feeling to have when you're under a heavy barbell.  

Overall, if you're looking for a cheap and cheerful smith machine that won't cost you over $1,000, you'll be pleased to add the Deltech Fitness smith machine to your home gym.

I’d recommend this machine to beginners who are new to resistance training, and you can always upgrade to a more expensive machine further down the line.  

9. ER KANG – Flexible Add-ons 

The ER KANG Olympic smith machine is one of the best around for flexible add-ons, and it eliminates the need for almost all other gym machines you might want in your home or garage gym.  

One of my favorite add-ons is the land mine attachment; it allows you to add an Olympic barbell to the smith machine, widening your exercise choices.

The ER KANG Olympic smith machine also has an intelligent built-in pulley system which I was impressed by.

The only downside is it doesn’t come with a built-in weight stack, and you’ll need to use your Olympic plates to add resistance.  

The ER KANG Olympic smith machine comes with a variety of handles that can be attached to the machine, such as a V bar handle, tricep rope, straight cable bar, and a lat pulldown bar.

No matter what muscle you’re looking to work on, the ER KANG, you’ll be able to work it optimally. 

However, one of my only complaints is that the Olympic weight plate storage isn't the best I've seen.

The placement is awkward to get to and could pose a problem if you're looking at placing your machine close to a wall. It's a minor issue, and I could be being picky, but it's worth mentioning.  

Overall the ER KANG Olympic smith machine has impressed me with its impressive design and numerous features. It would make an excellent addition to most people’s home garage gyms.