Are You Interested in Purchasing Home Gymnastics Equipment for Your Gymnast?

If so, then you’ve come to the right place! Home gymnastics equipment is great for helping both beginner and advanced gymnasts improve their skills by practicing at home. Practicing at home can help your child improve faster thanks to the power of repetition — without spending extra money for more time in the gym. It’s also a great way for your gymnast to show you the skills she is learning in class.

Below we’ve given you some tips on buying your at home gymnastics equipment. And we’ve given you our picks for the best beams, mats, and bars for home use. We’ve actually seen and tried out all of the equipment listed below so we know that we’re recommending quality, sturdy pieces.

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Picking out at home gymnastics equipment can be tricky for a number of reasons: you want to get gymnastics equipment that can be used to practice a variety of skills, that can grow with your gymnast as she improves, that has the right weight restrictions, and that can be stored easily in your house.

The most popular gymnastics equipment for home use are low beams, floor mats, and mini bars. However, gymnastics accessories like pull-up bars and balance balls can also improve your gymnast’s strength and help make her time at the gym more productive. Gymnastics videos can also be an inexpensive way to give your gymnast some extra coaching on skills she’s struggling with. And don’t forget, the best way to get better at gymnastics is to practice your skills consistently everyday through an at-home program like SkillTrakker.

 

Types of At Home Gymnastics Equipment

1. Balance Beams

2. Mats

3. Mini Bars

4. Air Tracks

5. Gymnastics Accessories

Below we’re going to give you some things to think about when purchasing your at home gymnastics equipment, as well as give you our recommendations. If you want to skip to a section you can just click on the link above to scroll down to that section.

 

Balance Beams

Suede Floor Beam	This suede floor beam will give your gymnast a similar feel to a competition beam at home! The base of the beam is coated in rubber for safety and it’s easy to assemble. Since this beam is slightly raised off the floor, it’s helpful when a gymnast is practicing because she realizes when she “falls” off the beam. But, it’s still close enough to the ground to be safe for home use.	Check Current Price
Folding Practice Beam	If you are tight on space this is a great option! This beam is 2″ high and 8′ long and easily folds in half so you can store it away. The 4″ top is the same width as a competition beam.	Check Current Price
Air Beam	Air beams and mats seem to be the most coveted gymnastics gifts these days! This AAI Air Beam is 16″ wide by 9′ long inflatable has a 4″ raised center line that lets the gymnast feel the beam. It easily inflates and deflates so it can be stored away when not in use. Watch the video at the link to see how fun it looks!	Check Current Price
Sectional Beam	Tumbl Trak makes a 4 foot long sectional beam that rests on the floor. You can either just buy one unit or you can buy multiple and they easily connect with Velcro at the ends. So, you can buy three of these and connect them to make a 12 foot long floor beam. This is convenient because you can disconnect them for easy storage. It’s the same 4″ width as competitive beams, and is made of similar suede material.	Check Current Price

Mats:

 

Having a mat at home to practice on is great because wood floors or carpets don’t have a lot of cushion. You want to be able to fall without getting bruises. Home mats are great for practicing beginner tumbling like handstands, cartwheels, rolls, and walkovers. Mats are also great for general horsing and playing around safely.

Home Use Gymnastics Equipment: Mat Considerations

When you’re buying a mat for at home use, you want to consider its thickness and size.

• Thickness of the mat: If the mat is too thin, it won’t provide enough cushion and protection if your gymnast falls. If the mat is too thick, it will be harder to do skills on because the gymnast will sink into the mat.

 

• Dimensions of the mat: You want a mat that is big enough for your gymnast to practice skills on, but won’t be too big for where it’s being stored.

 

• Storage: Does the mat fold? If not, do you have a good place to store it?

 

• Max Skill Level: Some gymnastics mats are only sturdy enough for beginner gymnasts, whereas other mats can grow with your gymnast as she progresses.

 

One you have a gymnastics mat, your gymnast can practice skills from this Floor Skills List.

Home Use Gymnastics Equipment: Recommended Gymnastics Mats

Below is a chart with the at home gymnastics mats we think are the best:

Panel Mat	A panel mat is the most popular piece of at home gymnastics equipment. I like this Tumbl Trak panel mat that comes in many different color combinations. It comes in the most popular panel mat size, 4 feet by 8 feet, and can be easily folded. It comes in standard panel mat thickness of 1-3/8″, but also comes in a 2″ thick version. These mats fold into 1/4 of the size that they are laid out.	Check Current Price
Tumble Trak Air Floor Pro	Air Floors are super popular right now and this Tumbl Trak Air Floor Pro is great for at home use. Some air floors have to be placed on top of padded surfaces but this one doesn’t! It’s a high quality air track that will be tons of fun for your gymnast! Air tracks are somewhere in between a trampoline and a spring floor. They can also be stored conveniently away when not in use by simply deflating them and rolling them up. I like this one because it’s very durable. If you buy one that isn’t durable and it gets a hole in it, it will no longer inflate so it’s worth investing in this higher quality mat.	Check Current Price
Tumbl Trak Handstand Homework Mat	I love this handstand homework mat because it makes practicing handstands against the wall much easier and more comfortable. Handstands are such a great exercise for both beginner and advanced gymnasts to practice at home. Doing them against the wall with this mat helps your gymnast make sure she is practicing with perfect form. This homework mat is designed to easily attach to any door, but can also be taken off the wall and used on the ground for practice.	Check Current Price
Practice Mats	Tumbl Trak makes a 4 foot long sectional beam that rests on the floor. You can either just buy one unit or you can buy multiple and they easily connect with Velcro at the ends. So, you can buy three of these and connect them to make a 12 foot long floor beam. This is convenient because you can disconnect them for easy storage. It’s the same 4″ width as competitive beams, and is made of similar suede material.	Check Current Price

 

Bars:

 

A mini bar at home can be fun, is great for strength training and for improving your gymnast’s bar performance. Beginner gymnasts and young kids love to play around on them, and more advanced gymnasts can use them for strength training. Mini at home gymnastics bars have made many improvements over the last few years and are much sturdier than they used to be.

Home Use Gymnastics Equipment: Bar Considerations

When you are buying a bar for your home there are some things to consider.

• Stability: You want to make sure the bar you buy for your house is stable. You want to make sure it won’t fall over or shake when your gymnast is using it.

 

• Weight Limit: You definitely don’t want a bar that isn’t strong enough to hold your gymnast.

 

• Matting Requirements: Different bars have different matting requirements to be safe.

 

• Bar Height: It needs to be tall enough that your gymnast can use it, while still being able to be stored in your house.

 

• Ease of Assembly: Some bars are much more difficult to put together, or require extra plywood or leg supports.

 

• Max Skill Level: Some home bars are only stable enough for low-level skills, whereas others that can support high-level skills are better able to grow with your gymnast.

Home Use Gymnastics Equipment: Recommended Bars

Below are our at home bar recommendations:

Junior Pro Bar	The Junior Pro Bar is the home bar I recommend because it is a very sturdy bar, and does not need to be stabilized with additional plywood or supports (like some bars). It can be set from 38″ (about 3 feet) to 59″ (about 5 feet) tall, with a weight limit of 125 lbs. This bar is safe for all levels and can be used to practice kips and casts. It takes up a 4 foot by 6 foot space on the floor. It needs a 4’x6′ mat that is 4″ to 6″ thick, due to the thick center support bar. This mat will work, or something of similar size.	Check Current Price
The Beam Store Paralette	This Beam Store floor training bar is great for more advanced gymnasts. Use it for practicing press handstands, bar handstands, and pirouettes at home.	Check Current Price

 

Related Posts:

• Gymnastics Grips: Guide to Buying the Best Gymnastics Grips for You
• 10 Exercises You Can Do at Home to Improve your Gymnastics Skills
• 10 Exercises You Can Do at Home to Improve your Gymnastics Skills