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.
Want a printable buyers guide with our top picks?
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
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
Home Use Gymnastics Equipment: Balance Beam Considerations
Having a balance beam at home is a great way for beginner gymnasts and preschoolers to learn and improve on their balance. They’re great for intermediate gymnasts to practice their cartwheels and handstands. And if your gymnast is more advanced, she can practice back walkovers, front walkovers, splits on the beam, and her beam routines. When you’re buying a beam for home use you want to think about a few things:
- Height of the Beam: A beam that lies flat on the floor is safer than a beam that is a couple inches off the floor. If you miss the beam when it’s a couple inches off the floor, and you don’t have the proper mats around the beam, you can end up with twisted ankles. Also, you are more likely to get bruises or bangs when the beam is a couple inches off the floor, instead of when it’s flat. However, you’ll get more of the traditional beam feel if it’s a couple inches off the floor. So the height of the beam is an important trade-off to think about.
- Length of the Beam: Another thing you want to think about when buying a home beam is how long it will be. A traditional balance beam is 16 feet long. You might not have room for that in your house, but luckily they sell practice beams that are much shorter. However, if you buy a beam that is too short, your gymnast might be unable to practice the skills she wants to practice. Keep in mind, some practice beams for home use can be attached together to make one longer beam.
- Material of the Beam: Home use beams can be made of many different materials. I prefer those made from leather or suede, given those are what cover competition beams.
- Beam Storage: Some practice beams fold up, while others don’t. Think about how you will store your beam or if it will be kept out in your space indefinitely.
When you’re buying a beam for at home gymnastics use it might also be helpful to know that a standard gymnastics beam used in international competition is 124 centimeters high (4.07ft), 500 centimeters long (16 feet) and 10 centimeters wide (3.9 inches).
Once you have your balance beam, you can practice skills from this Balance Beam Skill List.
Home Use Gymnastics Equipment: Recommended Balance Beams
So which balance beam should you get for at home gymnastics? You can reference this chart below to see our top picks:
| SUEDE FLOOR BEAM |
This 4″ wide by 93″ long 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. |
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| FOLDING PRACTICE BEAM |
If you are tight on space this is a great option! This folding practice 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. |
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| 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! |
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| SECTIONAL BEAM |
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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. We 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. |
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| TUMBL 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. We 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. |
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| TUMBL TRAK HANDSTAND HOMEWORK MAT |
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We 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. |
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| PRACTICE MATS |
These practice mats come in different sizes for different purposes. |
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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 ConsiderationsWhen 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 we 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. |
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| 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. |
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Home Gymnastics Equipment Accessories
Pull-Up Bar: If you have a more advanced gymnast, you might want to think about getting a Pull-Up bar. A Pull-Up bar is inexpensive and can be installed right in a doorway at home. It’s great for building upper body strength which helps gymnasts excel on the Uneven Bars. It can also be used to build core strength by doing leg raises — hanging from the bar and lifting the lower body.
Fitness Ball: A fitness ball is a great tool to use for building core strength. Use it instead of a chair as your gymnast does homework. Or use it to do sit-ups and other ab exercises. The link is to buy it at DGS, but you can also get it on Amazon here.
EZ Move Sliders: Tammy Biggs, an amazing Elite-level gymnastics coach, recommends using these sliders in several drills and conditioning exercises. I’ve put together some Tammy Biggs videos, which include videos of her teaching aerial drills with these sliders, and doing conditioning and flex with them (The videos are great; I could watch her for hours!).
Theraband Exercise Band: Tammy Biggs recommends using Therabands for core strength. I’ve included the video on how to measure your Theraband on this page of videos. You can also buy them on Amazon here.
Hand Glove Weights: Tammy Biggs recommends doing a dance-through where you just do the arm movements of your floor and beam routine using these hand glove weights. She says in the video that practicing while using these hand glove weights will help to make your arm movements intentional throughout the dance portions of your routines.
Where to Buy At Home Gymnastics Equipment OnlineWhile there are many gymnastics suppliers online, the following are companies we recommend for buying at home gymnastics equipment online:
- DGS Gym Supply: DGS Gym Supply has all kinds of gymnastics equipment and gear. They have some home mats in addition to grips, accessories and gymnastics clothing.
- Norbert’s: Norbert’s has some great folding panel mats along with cartwheel and beam mats that are perfect for home use. Their sectional floor beam is also a great piece of gymnastics equipment for the home.
Once you have some kind of a bar, beam or mats, here are Skills you can Practice with your Home Gymnastics Equipment.
Gymnast February 18, 2015, 6:48 pm
wish there were more bar suggestions I’m searching for my daughter
gymnasticshq February 22, 2015, 12:05 pm
Can I help you find one ? what are you looking for ?
Erika December 6, 2016, 10:08 am
Hi
Looking for a bar for doorway that my 5yr old can do forward and back rolls on. I saw pic of girl on computer with one. It’s same Brown wood as the large one
Kayla Boehringer November 19, 2016, 4:47 pm
go to amazon.com and look up gymnastics bars and they have some in there for like $250
Angela Cortez February 2, 2017, 2:30 pm
Does anyone know were to get gymnast equipment, my 12 year old daughter just joined gymnastics and we need some Leotards and some anything.
Janie May 30, 2017, 1:35 pm
Go on ebay they have a lot of good things also diy bars are much cheaper than store bough ones.
Joanne November 16, 2016, 4:14 am
That is a very good tip particularly to those fresh to the blogosphere.
Brief but very precise info? Appreciate your sharing
this one. A must read post!
gymnasticshq March 24, 2019, 10:15 am
Glad you found it helpful!
April March 6, 2017, 10:00 pm
I wish i could do gymnastics
Savannah October 8, 2017, 2:01 pm
If you want to do gymnastics, ask your parent or guardian to sign you up for classes at a local gymnastics gym. You should totally do gymnastics! It’s so much fun!
Carrie Lee March 9, 2017, 1:25 am
Good wishes!
gymnasticshq March 24, 2019, 10:16 am
Same to you!
Ramkrishna March 10, 2017, 8:47 pm
Good job about gymnastics, and interested to increase my knowledge more about it to spread this lovely sport all over the world. Thanks very much
Miss Rant A Lot June 28, 2017, 4:32 pm
I seen this “thing” on TV one day and my daughter is desperate for one. It’s basically something that goes in the door frame and you can swing off lol – sorry to be so vague but no idea where to start, if anyone knows what I’m trying to get at, please do help!! It’s like a bar and rings. Thanks
Rose January 14, 2018, 7:44 pm
https://www.hammacher.com/Product/91103?cm_cat=ProductSEM&cm_pla=AdWordsPLA&source=PRODSEM&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnOzSBRDGARIsAL-mUB1q5c32djRxoCTxO5_QASnZidAt1hR_G-8CPL6ReoHYmunRjugiknAaAhBLEALw_wcB does this work?
me April 7, 2018, 2:10 pm
i love gymnastics but i can’t do anything gymnasticy…! like a handstand or the splits!!!And i’m not allowed to go to a gymnastic class.
Gymnastics Addict July 28, 2018, 4:12 am
Used to be the same with me- patience helped me a lot and for splits- I’m still going too!
Work-from-home-gymnast April 15, 2019, 4:28 am
I really loved gymnastics and i pestered my mum so much about doing classes when i was younger and she ended up saying no – a few years later we got a trampoline outside and i would spend hours out there teaching myself how to do things like front and back handsprings, flips, handstands and looooads of other stuff.
one day i just said ‘i really want to do the splits’. so i managed to do maybe like roughly and hour a day after school doing three particular stretches (as well as a ‘splits journey that didnt really help at all) and now i can do the front splits!
some friends and i practice lots of gymnastics at school too – teaching each other new stuff.
my advice is probably loads of practice and do not give up if you want to do something
(p.s.it was seriously hard learning the splits and every morning it hurt, but it was worth it in the end xxxxx)
Olivia September 9, 2018, 9:10 am
Do you know of any good crash mats or thicker mats to work on more advanced skills?
Anonymous September 9, 2018, 9:15 am
Sorry if you are seeing this twice, but does anyone know of any good crash mats to work on more advanced skills?
Kendall January 28, 2019, 9:26 pm
I would like all of the stuff I saw on the page it looks so fun I love this website
gymnasticshq March 24, 2019, 10:17 am
Thanks so much for your comment Kendall!
Claire October 5, 2019, 4:53 pm
I want all this Stuff so badly
Hikari Tamae November 5, 2019, 7:32 am
Hello, I am a self taught gymnast, and I have questions. What are those things to keep your hands not get hurt on bars, but not chalk? I think these are accessories. And my second question is that what should I do if I don’t have any space to put my gymnastic equipment like bars, mats, and trampolines?? Thankyou, you are very helpful.
gymnasticshq November 5, 2019, 9:31 pm
Hi Hikari,
I think you might be talking about wristbands- they go underneath your grips. If you don’t have any space you might want to get a mat or a beam that folds so that you can store it away when you’rent using it.