Home Gymnastics Equipment: The Best Mats, Bars, Beams for your Gymnast

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Home gymnastics equipment

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

Are you looking to buy home gymnastics equipment, and want to know what pieces of equipment are best for your gymnast ? If so, 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 the equipment listed below so we know that we’re recommending quality, sturdy pieces.

Want a printable buyers guide with our top picks?

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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.

  1. Balance Beams
  2. Mats
  3. Bars
  4. 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

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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:

features to consider when choosing a good home gymnastics balance beam

  • 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. But the beam pieces that can be attached together to make one longer beam aren’t as sturdy as a beam that comes as one complete piece.

 

  • Material of the Beam: Home use beams can be made of many different materials. We prefer those made from leather or suede, given those are the materials used on 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. The folding beams aren’t as sturdy, but they can be more practical depending on what size and type of space you have.

 

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

OUR PICK: Addie Beam for Home
WHY: Shape and feel is the same as a competitive beam. Low to the ground and perfect for practicing your skills at home safely.

So which balance beam should you get for at home gymnastics? You can reference this chart below to see our top picks:

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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.

  • safe because it’s low to the ground
  • easy to assemble &. lightweight enough to move around once assembled
  • not as long as a regulation beam
  • only 6″ off the floor so doesn’t allow gymnasts to get used to the height of a regulation beam

 

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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.

  • Same width as a regulation beam
  • Easy to store when not in use
  • Doesn’t give the feel of a real beam since it’s only 2″ high
  • Not as long as a regulation beam so you might not be able to train all your skills
  • Not as sturdy as a beam that is one complete piece.

 

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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!

  • Easy to deflate and store when not in use
  • Allows gymnasts to train skills safely because of its width
  • Not as realistic feeling as other beams
  • Have to inflate it each time you use it if you keep it stored away
  • Doesn’t give you the same feel as training on a non-bouncy beam.

 

home gymnastics equipment, at home gymnastics equipment, gymnastics equipment for home, sectional balance beam, gymnasticshq.comTumbl 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 hook and loop closures 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.

  • Inexpensive
  • Can buy as many sections as you want to make it as long as you want
  • Easy to store
  • Not as stable as other beams
  • Not good for more advanced gymnasts

 

Mats

 

home gymnastics mats, home gymnastics equipment, at home gymnastics equipment, gymnastics equipment for home, gymnasticshq.comHaving 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 play time – so that you can run or horse around with a cushioned surface.

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.

 

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

Home Use Gymnastics Equipment: Recommended Gymnastics Mats

OUR PICK: Tumbl Trak Panel Mat
WHY: Comes in several different color options, it has a few different sizes and can easily be folded.

There are several different types of home gymnastics mats. Below is a chart with the at home gymnastics mats we think are the best:

Home Gymnastics Equipment Panel Mats, www.gymnasticshq.com

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.

  • Easy to fold and store
  • Comes in different thicknesses
  • Not thick enough to cushion falls or hard landings

 

air floor

Air Floors are super popular right now and this Home Air Floor is great for at home use. 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.

  • Needs to be inflated every time you use it if you store it away

 

Home gymnastics equipment, www.gymnasticshq.com

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 – improving your handstand makes the most impact to improving your gymnastics skills overall. 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.

  • Fun to practice on
  • Versatile
  • Need an adult to help take it off the door

 

Home gymnastics equipment, www.gymnasticshq.com

These practice mats come in different sizes for different purposes.

  • Can slide around if on a slippery surface
  • Aren’t as practical as a panel mat for practicing acro skills like handstands, cartwheels, walkovers and back handsprings.

Bars:

 

gymnastics bars for home, home gymnastics equipment, at home gymnastics equipment, gymnastics equipment for home, gymnasticshq.comA 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.When you are buying a bar for your home there are some things to consider.

Home Use Gymnastics Equipment: Bar Considerations

  • 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

OUR PICK: Junior Pro Bar
WHY: Good quality, sturdy bar that doesn’t need to be stabilized with plywood. Adjustable, and safe to practice your bar skills on.

Below are our at home bar recommendations:

Home Gymnastics Equipment, www.gymnasticshq.com

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.

  • Safe for all levels
  • Adjustable
  • Takes up a lot of space
  • Needs a large mat

 

Home Gymnastics Equipment, www.gymnasticshq.com

This floor training bar is great for more advanced gymnasts. Use it for practicing press handstands, bar handstands, and pirouettes at home.

  • Great for training more complex bar handstands at home
  • For advanced gymnasts only

 

Home Gymnastics Equipment Accessories

We have included some accessories in our list that will help your gymnast improve her gymnastics at home. These accessories can be used for conditioning and strength training at home, in addition to being used for skill- specific drills.

 

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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.

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.

Where to Buy At Home Gymnastics Equipment Online

While there are many gymnastics suppliers online, the following are companies we recommend for buying the best 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.
  • Amazon: Amazon has a great selection of home bars, beams and panel mats.

Once you have some kind of a bar, beam or mats, here are Skills you can Practice with your Home Gymnastics Equipment.

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