Home Gymnastics Equipment

[Pilsy]

Any recs for kids' home gymnastics equipment? I'd love to get DD2 a beam and a bar, but I'm overwhelmed by the choices.

The one shown below is available in blue for $130 on Amazon, and then there are a bunch below $100, though I think the weight limit for those is lower. 

[UMaineTeach]

I got this one, but it’s still in the box for Christmas. Who knows how good it is? I should probably cut the tape soon and look.

RINREA Gymnastic Bars for Kids with Adjustable Height, Folding Gymnastic Training Kip Bar, Junior Expandable Horizontal Monkey Bar for Home a.co/d/8aoEeN9

I did the same as you, search Amazon. I knew we didn’t need to go nuts with a name brand. My kid might make it out of beginners class, but I don’t see a career in the future.

But I wanted something that wasn’t going to collapse. There were a couple videos that seemed ok. It wobbled a bit on one of them. My kid is almost 5 and I don’t know if it will be good much beyond 6-7.

I debated the ones that had like upside down T supports versus the triangle.

Good luck!

[luckystar2]

How old is your kid? How likely do you think they’ll use it for a while?

I’d be careful with the cheaper ones as the weight limits are lower and even so there’s issue with stability.

I bought this one 4 years ago for my dd. It was on sale for $200 at the time. I felt like it was worth the extra price to have higher weight limit. But I knew my dd was going to use it a while as she was on team.

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0791M5DPQ?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I’ve been super impressed with it. It has been so solid and stable. The weight limit is up to 140lbs. Dd used it a ton when we first got it. I really think it helped her get her kip quickly. We had it over covid so that was great so it definitely got a lot of use. Dd is 15 now and she still won’t let us get rid of it! She doesn’t use it much anymore and can’t do any of the higher skills on it. But she still likes horsing around on it at times. Also our gym always has younger kids wanting to buy so I feel like we’ll be able to resell it at some point and it will still hold its value well. Also that’s another thing to check into - I assume your kid is taking gymnastics at a gym somewhere? Ask the coaches there if there are any older kids/parents wanting to sell theirs. Our coach will get requests from younger kids and ask our team if anybody has ones to sell.

If your kid isn’t that into it and you don’t think it will get much use then maybe the cheaper versions are worth it for that.

[karinothing]

Man! I would love to get bars but we have zero room.

We have a tumble track and a mushrooms but girls don't do pommel so not helpful!I think we are going to get p bars which girls also don't do lol

[minzy]

We have something that looks like that minus the swing. We put dumbbell weights on it to weigh it down. My in laws got it so I don’t know about pricing.

We also have a soft beam that folds into thirds. It doesn’t seem super useable to me but my kid likes it and she actually practices on it a bit.
www.amazon.com/ZENY-Gymnastic-Anti-Slip-Gymnastics-Equipment/dp/B08JYVJDYG/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?crid=2LZUE689XOEFV&keywords=beam+balance&qid=1700613822&sprefix=beam+balance%2Caps%2C162&sr=8-7

And a tumble track which usually stays in the basement due to its size.

[luckystar2]

Nov 21, 2023 19:09:26 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Man! I would love to get bars but we have zero room.

We have a tumble track and a mushrooms but girls don't do pommel so not helpful!I think we are going to get p bars which girls also don't do lol

We had a foldable beam for a while that my dd used a ton when she was younger. Maybe look into that if your kid is on younger side. It was nice that it didn’t take up a ton of space. We have an adjustable height beam and laser beam now when we upgraded from it. The laser beam is really helpful for practicing skills on beam. It takes up some space length wise but it isn’t something like the bars which is just big and in the way!

Also just some foldable mats got tons of use.

[karinothing]

Nov 21, 2023 20:45:17 GMT -5 luckystar2 said:

Nov 21, 2023 19:09:26 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Man! I would love to get bars but we have zero room.

We have a tumble track and a mushrooms but girls don't do pommel so not helpful!I think we are going to get p bars which girls also don't do lol

We had a foldable beam for a while that my dd used a ton when she was younger. Maybe look into that if your kid is on younger side. It was nice that it didn’t take up a ton of space. We have an adjustable height beam and laser beam now when we upgraded from it. The laser beam is really helpful for practicing skills on beam. It takes up some space length wise but it isn’t something like the bars which is just big and in the way!

Also just some foldable mats got tons of use.

Boys don't do beam in gymnastics. I feel like all the boys equipment needs space lol. I was thinking about rings but we don't really have high enough ceilings.

We do have an air tumble track, which he uses in our tiny room with no room for error lol lest he run into the TV

[luckystar2]

Nov 21, 2023 21:09:02 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Nov 21, 2023 20:45:17 GMT -5 luckystar2 said:

We had a foldable beam for a while that my dd used a ton when she was younger. Maybe look into that if your kid is on younger side. It was nice that it didn’t take up a ton of space. We have an adjustable height beam and laser beam now when we upgraded from it. The laser beam is really helpful for practicing skills on beam. It takes up some space length wise but it isn’t something like the bars which is just big and in the way!

Also just some foldable mats got tons of use.

Boys don't do beam in gymnastics. I feel like all the boys equipment needs space lol. I was thinking about rings but we don't really have high enough ceilings.

We do have an air tumble track, which he uses in our tiny room with no room for error lol lest he run into the TV

Ahhh I misunderstood. I thought you did have a girl and just had some boy stuff to play around with. Yeah I imagine boy stuff can be hard! It’s hard finding space for this stuff! It’s nice in summer to use the tumble tracks outside and have some space!

[karinothing]

Nov 21, 2023 21:21:20 GMT -5 luckystar2 said:

Nov 21, 2023 21:09:02 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Boys don't do beam in gymnastics. I feel like all the boys equipment needs space lol. I was thinking about rings but we don't really have high enough ceilings.

We do have an air tumble track, which he uses in our tiny room with no room for error lol lest he run into the TV

Ahhh I misunderstood. I thought you did have a girl and just had some boy stuff to play around with. Yeah I imagine boy stuff can be hard! It’s hard finding space for this stuff! It’s nice in summer to use the tumble tracks outside and have some space!

Ha I realized I worded it odd. I meant to say i had no helpful suggestions since we use different equipment

[preppy]

We have bars from Amazon that are heavily used but our top used item is definitely the air track. We do have one of the floor foldable beams that is sometimes used but my kids now want a full balance beam. I think 90% of my kids Christmas list is gymnastics equipment lol.

[Pilsy]

Thanks, everyone!

I feel like we're also short on space, but the corner I'm eyeing should accommodate the bar, whereas it's not long enough for a tumble track. I should go measure again; maybe we don't have room for any of it!

Definitely looking at weight limits of 200 lbs. She takes classes 2x/week now and loves it, so I get the sense she'll be doing this for a while, and her older sister (9, maybe 85 lbs) will want to hang on it, too.

Thanks again.

[luckystar2]

Nov 22, 2023 8:39:39 GMT -5 Pilsy said:

Thanks, everyone!

I feel like we're also short on space, but the corner I'm eyeing should accommodate the bar, whereas it's not long enough for a tumble track. I should go measure again; maybe we don't have room for any of it!

Definitely looking at weight limits of 200 lbs. She takes classes 2x/week now and loves it, so I get the sense she'll be doing this for a while, and her older sister (9, maybe 85 lbs) will want to hang on it, too.

Thanks again.

Tumble track is definitely my DD’s favorite. My dd uses her tumble tracks the most outside. We have room for one in our basement. She did use it some there the first winter. But now with the skills she does she needs more space. We have two 10 foot ones that she connects. They do stay inflated in our garage for now but can easily be deflated to save space. Just something to think about if you don’t end up having the space for something bigger.

[Pilsy]

Thank you, luckystar2!

I'm thinking I might do the tumble track for her spring birthday.

[luckystar2]

Nov 22, 2023 14:03:41 GMT -5 Pilsy said:

Thank you, luckystar2!

I'm thinking I might do the tumble track for her spring birthday.

My dd is a spring birthday and we did it then too! Perfect for outdoor use!

[court26]

We have a bar from Amazon that got a ton of use and a fold up beam and adjustable beam. Please be careful with tumble tracks. DD’s previous teammate has a stress fracture in her back from overusing hers. She’s tried to push through it and move past it but it was a gymnastics-ending and likely life-long injury for her. The owner and head coach give them speeches all the time about not using them.

[karinothing]

Nov 22, 2023 22:05:44 GMT -5 court26 said:

We have a bar from Amazon that got a ton of use and a fold up beam and adjustable beam. Please be careful with tumble tracks. DD’s precious teammate has a stress fracture in her back from overusing hers. She’s tried to push through it and move past it but it was a gymnastics-ending and likely life-long injury for her. The owner and head coach give them speeches all the time about not using them.

Oh man! How old was she. That is terrifying. I don't think ds uses his that much (it's mostly to practice handstands/headstands)

[court26]

Nov 23, 2023 1:05:57 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Nov 22, 2023 22:05:44 GMT -5 court26 said:

We have a bar from Amazon that got a ton of use and a fold up beam and adjustable beam. Please be careful with tumble tracks. DD’s precious teammate has a stress fracture in her back from overusing hers. She’s tried to push through it and move past it but it was a gymnastics-ending and likely life-long injury for her. The owner and head coach give them speeches all the time about not using them.

Oh man! How old was she. That is terrifying. I don't think ds uses his that much (it's mostly to practice handstands/headstands)

She was 10. It has to do with impact and how much the track can actually absorb. She pushed through for 2 years with her parents feeling terrible guilt and always confirming with drs but they finally said this is it. My DD landed a tumbling pass in her basement off the track and XH thought she broke something in both feet. She was fine but it was very scary. I think the more powerful and advanced they get, the less they can use it for those skills.

Edit: we have one too. DD landed a tumbling pass off of the one we bought. She used it a ton. We have since put it away. (It’s awkward how I wrote it because it stayed at the house when I moved out and got divorced)

[minzy]

Eek, thanks for the heads up court26. Much more than the tumble track itself, my kid just uses our living room floor, which somehow has a little bit of the feel of a gymnastics floor, to do tumbling passes. I don’t know if that’s better or worse. She’s been injury free so far but it’s early. Definitely glad (for many reasons) that she is on the less intense part of the team.

[karinothing]

Nov 23, 2023 5:32:45 GMT -5 court26 said:

Nov 23, 2023 1:05:57 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Oh man! How old was she. That is terrifying. I don't think ds uses his that much (it's mostly to practice handstands/headstands)

She was 10. It has to do with impact and how much the track can actually absorb. She pushed through for 2 years with her parents feeling terrible guilt and always confirming with drs but they finally said this is it. My DD landed a tumbling pass in her basement off the track and XH thought she broke something in both feet. She was fine but it was very scary. I think the more powerful and advanced they get, the less they can use it for those skills.

Edit: we have one too. DD landed a tumbling pass off of the one we bought. She used it a ton. We have since put it away. (It’s awkward how I wrote it because it stayed at the house when I moved out and got divorced)

Man that poor girl. I can see how it won't work beyond a certain point. I will keep that in mind as he levels up.

[186momx]

Bars are only good for the under 7 age group and basic skills. DD used it a ton when she was learning pull overs back when she was in preschool classes. We have the squishy fold up floor beams and a beam like they have at gym. Both were great for handstands and minor skills. She is now too tall to do much now because we have short ceilings. She will practice turns and dance stuff on the beam but not often. We got a tumble track but it can only be used outside during the summer and she only uses it to practice basic skills.

Open gyms and private lessons are way better time/$$$ than at home stuff. Other than the conditioning sliders, hand weights, and yoga blocks/straps as those anyone can use.

[arehopsveggies]

Probably not what you want, but we looove our Swedish Ladder. One kid climbs and hangs etc, the other swings. I can use it for stretching and supported pull-ups. DH can use it for pull-ups.

It is probably our most used gross-motor purchase