Finding the Best Resistance Bands

Whether you’re hoping to retain or build muscle, recover from an injury, better your performance in a sport or improve your day-to-day mobility, resistance bands are an excellent addition to your daily routine. They’re lightweight and compact, making them easy to take with you when traveling. When used correctly, they’re also joint friendly and more versatile than weights.

However, resistance bands have their downsides. Many designs require a sturdy anchor point, which your home may not have. It can also be harder to track your progress with bands as opposed to weights, and bands can’t replicate all weighted exercises.

Still, we think certain bands are a great investment depending on what you want to achieve. To help you find a set of bands that matches your goals, learn more about the factors we considered when making our recommendations.

What to Consider When Choosing the Best Resistance Bands

Material

Whether you’re looking for a short loop, long loop or single straps with or without handles, high-quality material will increase the longevity of your resistance bands. Natural latex is a great choice for therapeutic movements because it will have plenty of stretch. A blend of latex and rubber is a better option for weight-bearing moves. Lastly, cotton and polyester work well for non-slip loop bands. If you have a latex allergy, synthetic latex (usually plastic) and cotton/polyester blends are good options.

Resistance Level

Resistance bands come in a variety of tension levels ranging from easy to difficult. These options help increase or decrease the difficulty of any given exercise, so using multiple resistance bands at different levels can help you improve your strength over time.

While most companies don’t explain exactly how much resistance each band level provides, a few companies label their bands based on a comparable amount of weight. (For instance, an “easy” band may be the equivalent of using three-pound weights.) This can be particularly helpful in tracking your progress.

Design

Resistance bands come in many forms, including loop bands, tube bands and therapy bands. Loop bands are closed-loop bands that work well for lower body exercises like squats and lunges. Tube bands are rubber tubes with handles at one end and usually a carabiner at the other, which you can use to attach the resistance band to a workout machine or a sturdy pole. Finally, therapy bands are thin, wide, flat and long strips of latex or a similar material. They work well for rehabilitation exercises.

Price and Value

As with all exercise equipment, it’s important to strike a balance between budget and quality. Affordable options can still help you achieve a great therapy session or workout, but they tend not to last as long as pricier, more durable options. On the other hand, expensive bands can be too strong and bulky for beginners. Mid-level bands (in terms of price) tend to give you the most bang for your buck, but we’ve found some excellent options at very low or high price points as well.

Portability

While resistance bands in general are very portable, some are easier to carry around than others. Weight-bearing bands, for instance, have to be longer, thicker and tougher to withstand tearing but can also take up a lot of space in your gym bag. So, make sure you consider the compactness of your bands before buying, especially if you plan to travel with them.

What Are the Different Types of Resistance Bands?

Loop Bands

Loop bands are closed-loop bands. The least expensive form of loop bands are skinny latex loops, but we generally don’t recommend these because they’re uncomfortable to use. Instead, we recommend fabric-based loop bands, which are much more durable and comfortable. They also don’t roll and tend to have more grip.

Tube Bands 

Tube resistance bands are rubber tubes with handles at one end. Sometimes these bands have a carabiner at the other end, and other times they simply have a small loop. The carabiner or the loop helps you attach the band to a sturdy piece of equipment that can hold some weight without tipping. Generally, tube bands are great for core-based exercises and certain bodyweight exercises.

Therapy Bands

Therapy bands are the most flexible band type. Generally, they are thin and wide, which allows you to use them comfortably to stretch and rehabilitate certain body parts. Most therapy bands are made out of latex, but non-latex options for sensitive skin are also available.

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