6 Best Leg Press Machines – 2017 Reviews and Top Picks
A leg press machine is a piece of gym equipment focused on training the lower body muscles. The person pushes a resistance or weight away from him with the use of his legs. There are two main types of leg press, namely the ‘sled’ type (diagonal or vertical) leg press and the ‘cable’ type or ‘seated’ type leg press.
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The ‘sled’ type has the plates or weight disks directly connected to the ‘sled’. The user is positioned under the sled and pushed it upward using his feet. The downside to a vertical type leg press is that you have to buy weight disks to increase the tension or resistance.
The seated cable type, on the other hand, has the user sitting upright. The user pushes the plate attached to the weight using a long steel cable.
There are many types of leg press machines; the following is a quick rundown of the best leg press machine.
Product Summary
The Mini Leg Press is a compact machine perfect for those living in apartments and condominiums. On the other hand, the Body Solid has a diamond plate as a foot platform and four tracks in its roller system. It has three lock systems to ensure the safety of the user.
Next in the list is the Powerline PVLP156X. It is compact and stores away conveniently. It’s also very sturdy. It has a contoured neck and head pad and back pad. But it does not come with accessories.
XMark XM-7616 supports up to 1,000 pounds of load. It has a lot of cushions made from quality materials and is effective in all positions.
The BodyCraft F660 is made from premium materials hence it’s very sturdy. It can also support up to 1,000 pounds of load. It is equipped with fully adjustable foot plates that could be adjusted to several angles.
The Weider Ultimate Body Works is not just your ordinary leg press. It offers up to 50 different exercises. It not only tones the lower body, it also helps tone the other parts of the body such as the back, hips, arms, calves and thighs.
Product Name | Quality | Price | Our Rating |
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A | $$ | ||
A | $$$ | ||
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A | $ |
**Below, you'll find our more detailed reviews, but you can also click the links above to see current prices or read customer reviews on Amazon.
Review Of The Best Leg Press Machine
6. Mini Leg Press
Despite of its ‘mini’ size, the Mini Leg Press is a stand-alone machine. It’s also a decent size for people below 6 feet tall. Taller people would have a hard time using this machine though. This leg press is perfect for people living in smaller places.
We, however, wish that the seat would incline more. You get what you pay for this product. We give the machine 3 out of five stars.
Things We Liked:
- It is compact
Things We Didn’t Like
- The seat does not incline that much.
- People with a height of more than 6 feet may have a hard time using it.
5. Body Solid
This leg press machine weighs around 300 pounds. Because of its roller system (quad track), it operates very smoothly. It has a Diamond Plate foot platform for both leg press and hack squat positions. We love that it has three lockout positions to secure the safety of the user.
What’s also nice is that even tall people can use it comfortably. The machine can be used by a person 6’6” tall. It can be used for two purposes - as a hack squat and leg press. We like how easy it is to switch from hack squat into leg press position.
However, we had a hard time assembling it. It took us around five to six hours putting it together. It also does not come with a manual so we really had a hard time assembling it. We give the machine 4.1 stars out of five.
Things We Liked:
- It operates in a quad track roller system.
- It has a Diamond Plate foot platform.
- It has three lockout positions.
Things We Didn’t Like
- Assembling it is so hard.
- It does not come with a manual.
4. Powerline PVLP156X
It is a sturdy machine made from steel and nylon. Due to its impressive platform, it effectively isolates the muscles of the lower body. Its unique design is perfect for reinforcing and supporting the hips and the back of the user.
The Powerline Leg Press machine is perfect for those living in more limited spaces. It also weighs less than your usual leg press machine!
The contoured neck and head pad and a nice back pad are also a wonderful bonus.
But, we do wish we could load more weight on to it. It could only support up to 400 pounds. Some buyers pointed out that they were a bit disappointed that it did not come with Olympic adaptor sleeves, collars and weight plates. We give the machine 4.3 out of five stars.
Things We Liked:
- It is sturdy.
- It is compact.
- It has a contoured head and neck pad and thick back pad.
Things We Didn’t Like
- It does not come with Olympic adaptor sleeves, collars and weight plates.
- It only supports up to 400 pounds.
3. XMark XM-7616
The Xmark Leg Press has a steel mainframe covered with scratch resistant coat finish. It weighs just about 140 pounds and still can support 1,000 pounds. It has the following dimensions: 82.5 x 17 x 9 inches.
It has several cushions like back pad, padded dual shoulder braces and padded head rests. The cushions are made from Duraguard vinyl and Duracraft cushions that are resistant to tear and sweat.
One user noted that it is a smooth and versatile machine. Furthermore, he said that it is effective in all positions.
However, another user commented that he had a hard time putting it together. We, on the other hand, had a hard time understanding the assembly instructions. They weren’t much of a help. The pieces were mislabeled. We give it 4.5 stars out of five.
Things We Liked:
- It can support 1,000 pounds.
- It has several cushions like back pad, padded dual shoulder braces and padded head rests made from Duraguard vinyl and Duracraft cushions.
- It is effective in all positions.
Things We Didn’t Like
- We had a hard time assembling it.
- Useless assembly instructions.
2. BodyCraft F660
This machine is one of the premier products of BodyCraft. It is made from heavy gauge steel and industrial grade linear bearings. It weighs around 380 pounds with the following dimensions: 48 x 60 x 70 inches. It is equipped with fully adjustable foot plates that could be adjusted to several angles.
Almost everyone can use the BodyCraft Leg Press. We love that it can support up to 1,000 pounds of weight. The machine is designed to support Olympic plates with 2’’ diameter center hole. It is also very sturdy and durable.
One buyer said that she’s had the machine for over two years while another said he has had the machine for five years already and still counting.
However, other people have commented of its steep price. But nonetheless, we give this product 4.8 out of five stars.
Things We Liked:
- It is made from heavy gauge steel and industrial grade linear bearings.
- It can support up to 1,000 pounds of weight.
- It is equipped with fully adjustable foot plates that could be adjusted to several angles.
- It is very sturdy.
Things We Didn’t Like
- Its price.
1. Weider Ultimate Body Works
The Weider Ultimate Body Works is really the ultimate body working machine. Aside from its affordable price, it also offers a wide array of exercises that its user can perform at home. It can not only be used as a leg press but also as an exercise machine to tone the back, hips, arms, calves and thighs.
It can also be stored conveniently using its slide-away technology. It only weighs around 80 pounds so you would have no problem in carrying it around.
The Weider Ultimate Body Works was very easy to assemble. It only took us 10 minutes to put it together.
We do however wish that it could support heavier loads. Other users noted that they wished it came together with an exercise video or chart as a guide. But nonetheless, this machine gets five out of five stars from us!
Things We Liked:
- Its price.It is compact.
- Offers more than 50 types of exercises.
- Very easy to assemble.
- Also helps tone the other parts of the body such as the back, hips, arms, calves and thighs.
Things We Didn’t Like
- We wish it could support heavier weight.
- It does not come with an exercise video or chart.
What To Look For In A Leg Press
Here are some of the things to look out for when shopping for a leg press:
Construction
Make sure that the leg press is well-made. We don’t want any injury arising from workouts, right? Check the material used in the leg press. Leg Press made from steel and metal are certainly preferable over those made from plastic. You would be lifting hundreds and thousands of loads in this machine so it better be sturdy.
Also look for a machine that operates smoothly. Before buying the machine, check the roller system and the cables.
Convenience In Storing Away
Most people who would buy this would be those who do not have time to go to the gym. A leg press would make a great addition to your home gym if it does not take much space. Look for a machine that could be easily stored away when you are not using it.
Amount Of Load It Could Support
Each machine can only carry a certain number of load. Look for a leg press that can support around 800 to 1,000 pounds.
Conclusion
The winner of this round is the Weider Ultimate Body Works. It functions not only as a leg press but as a total workout machine. You can work out at least 50 different workouts designed to target not only the muscles of the lower body but also the muscles of the upper body. It also stores away conveniently.