The Best Cable Machines for Home Gyms Put to the Test (2024)

The Titan Fitness Functional Trainer is just like the cable machine at your local commercial gym, just without people hogging it while staring at their smartphones. The aluminum guide rods needed to be lubricated, though once they were the smoothness earned a 4 out of 5, but the real star is its versatility, which got a 4.5 out of 5. There are more than 1,000 adjustable positions, dual 200-pound weight stacks with a 2:1 ratio (20 pounds feels like 10), swiveling pulleys, and six accessory hooks.

It would’ve been a 5 had Titan offered a taller option. But its shorter stature is good news for people of average height.

If you’re working with a home gym on the smaller side and still want a traditional cable machine, this is your best bet. The 64-inch width is narrower than the industry standard 72 inches for double-stack cable machines, and at 82 inches it can fit in most basements or garages with ease.

The shorter height means taller people won’t be able to do pull-ups on it, which is a shame because the trainer comes with a multi-grip pull-up bar that has a nice-feeling powder coat that provides excellent grip. It comes with a short bar, long bar, ankle strap, dual stirrup handles, rope handles, and single and double D-handles so you can do more than 1,000 strength-based movements.

You get two 200-pound weight stacks that have a 2:1 resistance ratio (pulling 100 pounds is actually 50) that starts at 20 pounds (really 10) and goes up to 200 (actually 100). That’s a decent weight range and should be able to give beginners and home gym veterans alike a decent challenge on most movements.

Check out our in-depth review on this machine by reading our full Titan Fitness Functional Trainer.

Editor’s note: This cable crossover attachment only works with REP Fitness PR-4000 and PR-5000 series racks, which are high-quality racks that we’ve recommended in other roundups. If you don’t have a REP Fitness rack, this crossover attachment will probably not work.

Most home gym owners have some sort of squat rack, as these can be a versatile piece of equipment with the addition of power rack attachments. If you have a power rack, particularly REP Fitness, and you want a cable machine that won’t take up too much of your gym space, the REP Ares Cable Attachment is a perfect choice for your home.

The REP Ares attaches around your PR-4000 or PR-5000 rack, only adding a few inches in height, width, and depth to your power rack. That keeps this cable attachment fairly compact for your gym space. One thing to note, however, is that the dual 260-pound weight stacks will take up a bit of the inside of the rack space, so you may be a little cramped inside of a four-post power rack. With a six-post rack, you’ll still have plenty of room inside the cage.

Boasting six terminals for cable attachments, the REP Ares allows tons of versatility, earning a 4.5 out of 5. Because the rack is a bit narrower than a standard functional trainer, you don’t get quite as good of a stretch while doing a chest fly. Outside of that though, the cable attachment shines, with the lat pulldown really being the shining achievement of this rack. You can use a banana hook to attach the lat pulldown bar to a single point, allowing for heavy weights on pulldowns and low rows.

While it’s a well-engineered piece of gym equipment, building out the Ares around your rack can be pricey. The cable attachment starts at $2,799, and can increase due to the size and build of your power rack. If you don’t have a power rack, you’ll have to buy one with it, which will get expensive, fast.

For more information on this cable machine, check out our in-depth REP Ares Cable Attachment review. You can also check out the updated REP Ares 2.0 review.

Editor’s note: This cable crossover attachment only works with Bells of Steel racks, which are high-quality racks that we’ve recommended in other roundups. If you don’t have a BoS rack, this crossover attachment will probably not work.

Want a cable machine in your home gym but already have a Bells of Steel power rack taking up a lot of space? That’s exactly what the Bells of Steel Cable Crossover Power Rack Attachment was created for.

You simply attach it to the front of your rack and get to pulling, though we should let you know the pulleys only work on the top and bottom positions. That’s fine, as there are countless exercises you can do from these positions that can’t be done with a squat rack.

We’re big fans of this being a plate-loaded cable machine, meaning the resistance comes from weight plates you most likely have around your home gym (especially if you’re attaching this to a power rack). Customer reviewers have noted, however, that the weight needs to be evenly distributed or the pulleys aren’t as smooth.

Speaking of pulleys, Bells of Steel uses aluminum to create smooth movements every time. Also, this attachment ships free, which is a huge bonus when ordering heavy equipment.

The Giant Lifting Garage Gym Power Rack With Lat/Low Row gets our pick for those in small spaces because it combines two machines in one: a plate-loaded lat pulldown/low row attachment and a squat rack. This isn’t the only squat rack/cable machine combo, but based on our many years of testing, it’s one of the most compact options available at 54 inches long and 47 inches wide.

GGR Senior Staff Writer Caine Wilkes, OLY, USAW-L1, tried out the power rack and the lat and low row attachment, and though it was pretty solid for a budget option. “This may not be the option for powerlifters or strength athletes needing a high weight capacity, but this is great value for a budget rack.” He rates the value a 5 out of 5.

At 165 pounds, it’s not the lightest piece of equipment in the world but it could be moved by two to three people if needed, so we’ll give the footprint score a 4 out of 5.

Since it’s a plate-loaded cable machine, you can load it with up to 450 pounds of weight plates. It has a 1:1 ratio, so 100 pounds really feels like 100 pounds. There’s also a multi-grip pull-up bar, padded J-cups, and 2-inch spaced holes on the uprights for your power rack attachments.

Caine, who is over 6 feet tall, mentions that the 85-inch height means taller people won’t be able to get a full range of motion for pull-ups. “I also had to sit on the floor for my lat pulldowns,” he adds. So we’re knocking the versatility score down to a 4.5 out of 5.

Unfortunately, the one area where Giant gets a low score is durability. The 14-gauge steel is pretty thin, and the nylon pulleys—though smooth—aren’t as tough as aluminum. The 700-pound weight capacity is strong enough for most home gym owners, but the durability score still falls to a 3 out of 5.

Tonal isn’t what most people think of when they hear “cable machine,” but if you’re looking for a piece of smart equipment that can do it all, you can’t do much better than this. We have personally used Tonal for years and have enjoyed just about every single aspect of it. We rated it a near-perfect 4.75 out of 5 on factors that include ease of use, programming, and versatility.

The cable arms, attached to a wall-mounted touchscreen, can be adjusted to work out any muscle group, and the digital resistance offers a unique stimulus that causes some lifelong trainees to quiver halfway through their set. 

Don’t stress too much about the weight, though. One of Tonal’s best features is the auto-powered weight suggestions, which are done through a full-body assessment you take when setting up your machine. This is great because it takes a lot of the guesswork out of resistance training, and customizes the experience to each user, though this feature can be disabled if you want to enter your own data. 

The customization doesn’t end there, as you can choose from different workout styles from strength training to kickboxing, and even yoga and meditation classes. A personal trainer will guide you through each workout and show you how moves are supposed to be performed. 

At close to $3,500, on top of a $49 monthly class membership fee (your first year is free), Tonal isn’t a piece of budget-friendly home gym equipment. That said, the fact that it’s wall-mounted means you’ll save a lot of space compared to other cable machines that don’t have nearly as much versatility. Plus, the cost includes delivery and professional setup (this isn’t a machine you can install on your own). 

Pssst: We have the best Tonal coupon!

Keep in mind you need at least 7 feet of space around your machine, and the resistance only goes up to 200 pounds. That might sound light, but the digital resistance feels much heavier than your standard loaded barbell (trust us). Not only that, but because it uses digital resistance, it can increase the load at various parts of the movement, which is simply impossible to do with free weights.

To learn more, read our Tonal Smart Home Gym review. 

The Super Bowl champ and Tom Brady BFF scored a touchdown with the Gronk Fitness Functional Trainer due to its excellent versatility, multiple attachments, and great price point. What really won us over was the aluminum pulleys that scored a 5 out of 5 on the smoothness scale and the swiveling handles.

Coop Mitchell, GGR founder and home gym equipment expert, says in his Gronk Fitness Functional Trainer review that it reminds him of the high-end Life Fitness Dual Adjustable Pulley that you commonly see in commercial and hotel gyms. Those machines are designed to handle a lot of use from trainees, who, let’s face it, don’t care for the equipment. It says a lot that Coop is comparing the Gronk to them.

The 61-inch-by-41-inch footprint means it’ll take up quite a bit of space in your home gym, but it can be converted into a half-rack to act as a second (or primary) squat rack if needed. Coop says the functional trainer/squat rack combo isn’t as steady as a squat rack/functional trainer combo, but this will still get the job done. There’s also a low row foot plate and lat pulldown seat, so we’re giving it a 5 out of 5 on versatility.

There is a multi-grip pull-up bar, though Coop says it’s not the best due to the thin and smooth powder coat that fails to provide ample grip.

The MAXPRO Smart Connect Cable Machine is great for people on the go, or even those in apartments who want the benefits of a cable machine. I personally used this machine countless times and gave it a perfect 5 out of 5 for its portability. At 10 inches long, 16 inches in height, 4 inches in width, and weighing only 9 pounds it’s easy to bring it with you wherever you want to workout. 

Although small, this machine is capable of going up to 300 pounds in resistance with just a turn of a dial. Trust us, you’ll be feeling the burn on this one. 

While there’s quite a bit you can do with just the MAXPRO Smart Connect, you’ll need a wall mount or certain accessories that aren’t included in the purchase price but are necessary for lower body and some upper body movements. 

I’m a fan of smart home gym equipment, and though it’s great you can sync the MAXPRO via Bluetooth to an app that tracks your workouts, I found myself not using it too much. The app was too clunky during use, and sometimes it didn’t connect to my machine. Hopefully MAXPRO fixes this issue in the future. I do appreciate that the app comes with a free workout library, but again some of the moves are dependent on purchasing accessories not included with the machine. 

The cables do have a break-in period, but once you’ve used the machine for a while, you’ll see that they’re buttery smooth. 

Read our full MaxPro Smart Connect Cable Machine review to learn more. 

The Beyond Power Voltra I’s standout feature is that it’s portable and can attach to just about any squat rack, but we love it because of its versatility. I’ve been using it for cable machine workouts every day for more than a month and have performed deadlifts, lateral raises, Nordic curls, lat pulldown, and just about every other move included in my regular personal training sessions.

In fact, I’m considering on simplifying my home gym setup and using the Voltra to replace a few machines. It creates up to 200 pounds of resistance, and the motor allows for smooth movement every time. It gets a 5 out of 5 for workout experience.

Another thing that makes it versatile are the three modes that can be accessed on the screen—weight training, resistance band, and dampering. I mostly stuck with weight training, which allows you to change the eccentric and concentric weight and adapts based on your range of motion. It also has a “chain” feature to simulate heavier weight during lockout, similar to using a chain on a barbell.

You might be tempted to buy two of these machines for even further versatility, though I advise against that because one, it’s more than $2,000 and two, I’ve found that it’s hard to synchronize more than one unit for smooth pulls.

You also need to purchase a rack mount for each unit, which varies based on the type of squat rack you have at home. Learn more in our in-depth Beyond Power Voltra review.