Home Gym Equipment for Sale in Ireland: What to Buy
Searching for home gym gear in Ireland throws up a mix of overpriced imports, spotty stock, and secondhand bargains. This guide cuts through it: the best places to buy, which pieces to prioritise, and what to skip.
Where to Actually Buy in Ireland
The main retail options are Life Fitness Ireland, Argos Ireland, Power Fitness, and the Irish arm of Decathlon (stores in Dublin, Cork, and Limerick, plus online). Decathlon consistently undercuts the competition on entry-level barbells, dumbbells, and resistance bands. For mid-range to commercial-grade equipment, Power Fitness and dedicated barbell suppliers like Watson Gym Equipment (based in the UK but shipping to Ireland) carry more serious kit.
Amazon UK and Amazon.ie are both worth checking, but cross-reference postage costs. A barbell that looks cheap can tip into poor-value territory once a €30–€50 courier fee is added.
Facebook Marketplace and DoneDeal are the real goldmines. Post-lockdown gear dumping never fully stopped. Squat racks, adjustable benches, and Olympic barbell sets regularly surface for 40-60% below retail. The catch: you need a car and some patience. Prioritise gear from gym closures over residential sellers. Commercial equipment is built to a higher standard and tends to have been properly maintained.
The Core Four Pieces Worth Buying First
Most home gyms fail because they’re built around too much stuff. Four pieces cover the majority of effective training.
1. A barbell and bumper or iron plate set. For most lifters in Ireland, a 20 kg Olympic barbell paired with 140-160 kg of plates handles everything from deadlifts to overhead press. The Mirafit Olympic Barbell and Weights Set is a reasonable entry point, widely available and with solid owner feedback on durability for the price.
2. A squat rack or power cage. A half-rack is fine for most people and takes up less floor space. The Mirafit M2 Power Cage gets consistently positive reviews across UK and Irish fitness forums for build quality relative to its cost. If space is genuinely tight, a fold-flat wall-mounted rack is worth the premium.
3. An adjustable bench. Don’t cheap out here. A wobbly bench is a safety issue, not just an annoyance. The REP Fitness AB-3000 ships to Ireland and owner reports across Reddit’s r/homegym and various UK forums consistently rate it as one of the best benches under €300.
4. Adjustable dumbbells. Fixed dumbbell sets take up space and cost more per kg than almost any other format. The Bowflex SelectTech 552 covers 2.3-24 kg per dumbbell and replaces 15 pairs. Pricey upfront, but the maths work if you’re comparing to a full fixed set.
What to Skip (at Least at First)
Cardio machines. A treadmill or rowing machine sounds appealing but eats floor space and budget that would be better spent on a solid barbell setup. If cardio matters to you, a Concept2 RowErg stores vertically and holds its resale value better than almost any other piece of gym equipment. But it’s not a priority for building a functional strength setup.
Cable machines and smith machines are also low-priority for most home gym users. They’re large, expensive, and replicate movements you can already do with free weights and some creativity.
Resist the pull of “bundle deals” from generic fitness sites. These often pair a low-quality barbell with undersized plates and a bench that flexes under load. Better to buy each piece separately from a reputable source.
Flooring: The Most Overlooked Purchase
Rubber flooring protects both your floor and your equipment. Dropped weights on bare concrete or laminate will crack the floor and damage the plates. Standard 20 mm thick rubber gym tiles work for most setups. For a deadlift platform, layering 20 mm rubber over a sheet of plywood gives proper drop protection.
Many Irish builders’ merchants and flooring suppliers stock rubber matting cheaper than specialist gym sites. It’s also worth checking Woodies and B&Q for stock.
Budgeting for an Irish Home Gym
A basic but functional setup (barbell, 120 kg of plates, a half-rack, and an adjustable bench) runs roughly €800–€1,400 new. Buying secondhand on DoneDeal can bring that under €500 without touching quality.
Mid-range setups with a power cage, adjustable dumbbells, and rubber flooring sit in the €1,500–€2,500 range. That’s a full year of gym membership paid back in 12-18 months, with better access and no commute.
Bottom line: the Irish secondhand market is strong enough that paying full retail is rarely necessary. Start with DoneDeal, set alerts, and buy big pieces used. Buy consumables (bands, collars, chalk) new.
Where to buy
- Mirafit Olympic Barbell and Weights Set
- Mirafit M2 Power Cage
- REP Fitness AB-3000
- Bowflex SelectTech 552
- Concept2 RowErg