Want to go from the scrawny, weird-looking skinny guy at the gym to a bulked-up confident person? We got you. A chest expander is a piece of fitness equipment that helps you work multiple muscles of your upper body in one move.
The best chest expanders use your strength against your body. By pulling and pushing your arms, you work your triceps, biceps, back muscles, shoulders, and core. You can also use this fitness equipment for the lower body. In the article below, we review the 8 best chest expanders on the market. Our testers liked the machines below after assessing their build, ease of use, resistance, and of course, price. Here are our top 3 picks that can handle anything you throw at them.
Our Top Adjusting Chest Expander: A Quick Look
Explore our review where we highlight the top chest expanders ideal for your home-based exercise regimen. For those seeking a quick glance at our top picks, this is for you:
1.GoFitness Push-Down Bar Machine
5.Ueasy Adjustable Chest Expander
7.Iron Chest Master Push-Up Machine
To gain an in-depth understanding of the pros and cons of each chest expander, continue reading!
8 Best Chest Expanders
1. GoFitness Push-Down Bar Machine
The GoFitness push-down bar machine is one of the best expanders on the market. This versatile equipment is designed to work abdominal muscles, sculpt arms, chest, shoulders, and back muscles. My experience with this machine has been nothing but awesome. I can give it a 9 out of 10. Here is what we like about this chest expander.
Features
With its simple design, the push-down bar chest expander machine is easy to carry and can be used anywhere. It easily fits in a bag wherever you go – for use at home, in the office, or on a trip. You will never have to worry about finding time to do your fitness routines again. I’m telling you, it is one of the best expanders that you can carry around.
Pros
- It is very light and portable
- Has a thick heavy-duty spring and metal bar
Cons
- A little noisy
2. Reliancer Power Twister
Using a hydraulic power chest and arm expander is arguably safer than using a spring chest expanders, but both types of chest expanders use the same principles.
This upper body equipment is ideal for enhancing your hands and strengthening your shoulder muscles. It is easy to use and will give you awesome results.
Take note, though, that we recommend this equipment for pro bodybuilders. When using it, you need to be careful because the spring is a little risky to operate as it can snap out. Here are some reasons why you should consider this Reliancer Power Twister machine.
Features
Unlike the spring chest expander, the hydraulic rotating power won’t bounce off and hurt you. The hydraulic cylinder is fully enclosed, which makes it safer and more secure to use than the GoFitness chest expander.
Like the spring chest expanders, the hydraulic power rotating arm and chest expander can be used for various exercises. The device boasts of a resistance power that can be adjusted using a knob from 22 – 440 pounds in 2- 20 levels of adjustability.
Unlike the spring expander, you don’t need to buy a new hydraulic fluid as it serves its purpose for a long period. With this chest and arm expander, the resistance offered when performing your pull training is maintained to avoid muscle tension. You can use the Reliancer Power Twister for back, wrists, chest, arm and shoulder muscle training.
Pros
- The hydraulic fluid does not need to be changed since it is never exhausted
- Made from heavy-duty carbon steel and reinforced rivets for ultimate performance
Cons
- Spring might break after prolonged use
3. East Mount Power Twister
The East Mount power twister is another excellent chest expander to consider because of its sturdy parts and build.
Features
1. Double delight: It is safe to say that the East Mount rotating chest exerciser is ideal for all fitness levels. It is built with user needs in mind. The runner handle is made of soft polyurethane for a steady and swift workout.
The chest expander comes with a special non-slip texture that protects it against accidental slips. The frame tube is even better. With double-layer high-density carbon steel, it is almost impossible to break this equipment.
2. Hydraulic power: The hydraulic power used makes the east mount upper body exerciser an excellent option. With a patented hydraulic adjustment system, the expander is easy to use for all fitness levels.
Pros
- Ideal for strength training routines
- Easy to understand and use
Cons
- Doesn’t have instruction on the numbers
4. eHUPOO Core Ab Machine
Built to perfection, this core and abdominal exercise trainer is designed to exercise the whole body. The eHupoo is one of the best expanders and is ideal for burning calories, muscle building, and toning.
This unit is great at exercising muscles like the abdominal muscle, upper, middle, lower abdomen, back, triceps, biceps oblique, thighs, glutes, forearms, calves, and pectoralis major.
Features
1. Multifunctional: Featuring a versatile, user-friendly design, the eHUPOO core strength and abdominal exercise trainer is ideal for different types of exercises. You can do exercises such as push-ups, cycling, shoulder press, pectoral extension, scissors kick, triceps, arm curls, and sit-ups.
2. Adjustability: The machine, though small, comes with 3 adjustable resistance levels. This lets you do interval strength training exercises, i.e., work at different levels of resistance for faster calorie burn.
Pros
- It does not require assembling
- It is made of thick, durable metal, and cushion
Cons
- Has a limited weight capacity
5. Ueasy Adjustable Chest Expander
This chest expander comes with five ropes and is ideal for anyone on a budget.
Features
The Ueasy adjustable chest expander is available in multiple colors and boasts of multiple tension levels up to 246 lbs or up to 120 kg.
1. Adjustable: This chest expander is adjustable. It has five soft latex tubes that are quick to adjust and reattach to suit your fitness level and exercising needs. This feature makes the device ideal for all people. Also, because of these features, users get to enjoy different types of exercises.
2. Durability: Buying something that will serve you for a long time and give you value for your money is essential, and this chest expander will not disappoint you.
It’s made of thick latex tube that is strong, and the handles are made of durable plastic to ensure durability. They are ergonomically designed to ensure user comfort while exercising.
3. Portability: This chest expander does not limit your mobility. It is designed well and is lightweight, making it easy for you to bring along when you go camping or on a trip.
Pros
- Built for strength training
- Made of high-quality material for durability
- Adjustability makes it ideal for different exercises
Cons
- It is limited to upper body exercises
Related: For full body workout, these are the best marcy smith machine
6. Sunsign Adjustable Chest Expander
The Sunsign adjustable chest expander is designed to intensify your strength training, especially when doing push-ups. It offers lots of resistance when doing different types of exercises.
With the help of three interchangeable cables, the Sunsign chest expander ensures that your strength training sessions are challenging. By alternating the wires, you can increase or decrease the intensity level.
If you find the three cables cumbersome, you can remove one cable. This expander comes with a manual to guide you in using the chest expander properly.
Features
1. Adjustable resistance: The trainer has springs that lets you four resistance levels to choose from, and each level has three options. With such a wide range of options to choose from, you’re assured that your exercise will always be intense even when you move to the next level of fitness.
2. Adjustable and multifunctional: The trainer is 33.5 inches long but can attain a 90.5-inch maximum length. Installing and removing the bands is easy.
3. Portability: This chest expander is lightweight, making it a breeze to bring in your travels. Don’t want to miss your muscle exercise session while away on a business trip or visiting family? The Sunsign chest expander got you.
Pros
- It is affordable
- Very helpful in expanding abs and chest
- Ideal for pull workouts
Cons
- It is not the safest to use as the rubber bands might snap
- Does not come with a bar
7. Iron Chest Master Push-Up Machine
For chest expansion and growth, the Iron Chest Master push-up is the machine to go for. It engages all the upper body muscles.
With the Iron Chest Master, you’ll learn to challenge your muscle with the resistance provided.
Features
1. Perfect for home use: It’s time to get rid of the long bulky bars in your home gym and start using resistance bands that do as much as the weights. This chest expander helps build up your chest, arms, shoulders, and abs.
2. Portable and ideal for muscles: It combines the bench press, dumbbell press, push-ups, cable crossovers, pec deck, and dumbbell fly exercises.
With this combination, you do not have to purchase other pieces of gym equipment. The Iron Chest Master is a portable and fully-assembled machine that is also easy to store.
Pros
- Comes with an exercise and diet plan
- Has an adjustable resistance
Cons
- Slightly bulky
8. Tension Toner Expander
The Tension Toner Chest expander is designed for anyone looking for easy-to-use and affordable chest expanders. This 6 pack abs machine allows you to exercise from the comfort of your home or office.
Features
1. 70 Ways to Use: It utilizes the concept of pulling to work different muscles groups. Our team loved the Tension toner because you can use it in multiple ways – up to 70 unique ways. I can hardly think of 20 ways to use my resistance bands, so this is a great plus.
2. Portable: Weighing just 1.5 lb, this chest expander is one of the lightest units on the market. It’s also foldable, making it easy to stuff it into a backpack or gym bag and use it in the outdoors, when traveling, or wherever you’re going.
Pros
- Has an unlimited range in motion
- It is versatile
Cons
- Take a while to see any significant results when using this unit
How to Choose a Chest Expander for Strength Training
Quality
Chest expanders cost below $100, so some manufacturers may not be very keen on the quality. You’ll be happy to know that the options above are made of durable and sturdy material. Make it a point to check that every component of the unit you pick is made of high quality material.
Number of springs
When buying a chest expander, look for a chest expander that has 5 or more detachable springs.
Versatility
When choosing a chest expander, opt for a machine that can be used for other exercises. A multifunctional machine not only eliminates the need for other equipment but also helps work different muscles at the same time. It is also cost effective to purchase a multifunctional unit.
Budget
Your budget determines the kind of chest expanders you can get. A cheaper chest expander means you can only do a few exercises, and it’s not likely that you’ll get a warranty for it. The 8 chest expanders above are multifunctional and durable.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are a gym rat looking to get a ripped chest or just an ordinary Joe looking to sculpt your body before summer, a chest expander will do you good. It’s easy to use, offers the right amount of resistance for intensity, and is built with the best materials for durability. You won’t go wrong with any of these chest expanders.
Written by Kathleen Langdon – TheHealthPot.com Founder
Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES)
Kathleen, a mother of two, struggled with ongoing weight and health issues. She created this website after she turned her life around. She built Thehealthpot.com to help inspire and motivate others with their fitness goals. Read more about Kathleen here.