ProForm Carbon Strength Adjustable Bench Review

Quick Summary

Whether building out a new home gym or adding on, there’s just something missing without an adjustable bench. The new ProForm Carbon Strength Adjustable Bench comes into a market stacked with competitors, but one in which there’s always room for more. While most fitness fans are more familiar with the ProForm brand by way of their treadmills, bikes, rowers, and ellipticals, the company is now positioning itself in the arena of strength training with a new bench and the Rapid Strike 50 lb. Adjustable Dumbbell.

Priced at $249, the ProForm bench comes in toward the upper end of the price range for adjustable benches, but judging by the specs it’s a superior model to some of the cheaper alternatives. Every home gym’er knows there’s a whopping difference between cheap adjustable benches and the better made models, particularly when it comes to stability and load-bearing capabilities. Depending on what one plans to do with the bench, quality might cost a bit more. We’d say this ProForm bench is comparable to commercial-grade models one would find in a big box gym, and if you’re planning to use it in a cage for bench pressing, that matters.

A home gym just isn’t a gym without a bench, and you can read through our round-up here of the Best Workout Benches on the market today. Continue below for a full analysis of the ProForm Carbon Strength Adjustable Bench.

Specifications

Model	ProForm Carbon Strength Adjustable Bench
Rating Our custom rating considers all of the Home Gym's features, specs, warranties, and 100's of user & expert reviews, to save you time!	90%
List Price Suggested retail price, typically higher than the price you'll pay with our recommended retailers.	$249
Best Price Since prices change daily, this link goes to our preferred retailer for the current best price. Note: MSRP stands for Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price.	249
Type There are a few different types of Home Gyms. There are weight stack, power rod and body weight.
Max. Weight Home Gym Max Weight is the maximum amount of weight, in pounds (lbs), that can be lifted on the machine.	610 lbs
Exercises Home Gym exercises is the number of exercises you can do on the machine.	n/a
Seat The seat on a Home Gym can be adjustable, padded, or detached.	vinyl
User Weight Home Gym User Weight is the amount of weight, in pounds (lbs), that it can safely support, which can represent durability.	n/a
Dimensions Dimensions are included to help you figure out if this Home Gym will fit properly (Length x Width x Height and Height x Depth).	53" x 27" x 18"
Workout Area Home Gym Workout Area is the amount of space needed to use the Home Gym (Length x Width)	N/A
Legs This field lets you know if this Home Gym has the option to do leg workouts or not.
Abs This field lets you know if this Home Gym has abdominal workouts or not.
Curls This field lets you know if this Home Gym has the option to do arm curls or not.
Pulldown This field lets you know if this Home Gym has the option to do pulldown workouts or not.
Rows This field lets you know if this Home Gym has the option to do rows or not.
Accessories Many Home Gyms have optional accessories you can purchase separately.	n/a
Warranty The warranty is a very important part of your investment. The longer the warranty, the longer you can get free/discounted repairs by the manufacturer.	90-day warranty

Pros & Cons

Pros:

Compact footprint of 27″ x 53″
User-friendly bench height of 18″ with adjustments in 2″ increments
Military, flat, incline, and decline press positioning
Solid 610-pound total weight capacity
6 adjustable seat positions, 11 adjustable back positions
High density foam backrest
Fast pull-pin adjustments
Patented push-button Rapid weight selector
90-day warranty

Cons:

A bit pricier than other adjustable models
Warranty a bit short

Full Review

Marketed in conjunct with the ProForm-friendly iFit Coach app, the Carbon Strength Adjustable Bench comes into a brand full of top-tier cardio equipment. Offered alongside the Rapid Strike 50 lb. Adjustable Dumbbells, one could quickly transform a spare room into a home gym by partnering these with perhaps a treadmill or bike. And to that degree ProForm seems to be challenging Bowflex in a head-to-head with its rival SelectTech Benches as their 4.1 Stowable Bench also comes in at $249.

The ProForm Carbon Strength Adjustable Bench can be positioned into Military, Flat, Incline, or Decline positions, and comes padded with a vinyl covering. With a total height of 48″ the bench offers a step-up height of 18″ and overall weight of 69 lbs. Built to go in either a home or gym, the compact footprint of 27″ x 53″ fits inside either a squat rack or living room. The bench offers six adjustable seat positions and 11 adjustable back positions, all negotiated by fast pull-pins.

Users of just about any size can use the bench as it’s designed with a 300-pound user max and sports an overall weight capacity of 610 pounds. As far as adjustable benches go, those are solid numbers. A fixed, welded unit would obviously sport a higher weight capacity, but keep in mind the point of this bench is its multiple uses and mobility. The comparably priced Bowflex SelectTech 4.1 meanwhile offers a 550-pound overal weight max, with the $349 5.1S offering 600 pounds.

The Workout

Adjustable benches come in a wide range of pricing, and durability. Built to move about the gym, they’re typically paired with dumbbells for pressing movements like incline, decline, or chest flyes. That said, they also make a great brace for one-arm dumbbell rows and Bulgarian Split Squats. With a 300-pound maximum user weight and 610-pound overall capacity, the ProForm Carbon Strength Adjustable Bench could certainly handle a role beneath an Olympic barbell inside a home squat rack such as those reviewed here.

With thick padding and a vinyl cover, the bench makes for a comfortable unit under any circumstances. For those new to fitness, great dumbbell exercises to partner with an adjustable bench include:

Dumbbell Bench Press
Dumbbell Step-Ups
Seated Dumbbell Curls
Bulgarian Split Squats
Bench Squats
Hip Raises
Crunches

Warranty & Guarantee

The ProForm Carbon Strength Adjustable Bench comes with a 90-day product warranty and that does seem a bit short relative to the price as competitors offer up to 10 years.

Conclusion

The ProForm Carbon Strength Adjustable Bench brings a solid offering to the home gym. Whether bought on its own or to include within a home gym full of other fitness toys, the bench brings a multiplicity of potential uses. While we’d like to see ProForm improve its warranty here, we still see the model as a great buy.

Rating: 90/100

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the footprint of the ProForm Carbon Strength Adjustable Bench?

The footprint is 27″ x 53″ with a step-up height of 18″.

Does the bench come with dumbbells?

No, other weights are solid separately.

Other ProForm Home Gyms

ProForm Rip:60

ProForm Body Blitz Lift System