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Best Ab Wheels

Updated May 2022
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Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro
Perfect Fitness
Ab Carver Pro
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Customer Favorite
Bottom Line

A higher-end ab roller with a wide wheel and angled grips that earn it our top spot and our fitness expert's praise.

Pros

Less shoulder strain. Built-in resistance and ergonomic handles maximize results. Interior kinetic engine uses a carbon steel spring to provide resistance and amplify workout. Ultra-wide wheel tread offers stability during oblique workout. Angled grips activate arm and core muscles. Removable handles. Includes high-density foam kneepad.

Cons

Spring-assisted return helps beginners but takes away from the work your body does.

Best Bang for the Buck
CAP Barbell Abdominal Wheel
CAP Barbell
Abdominal Wheel
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Bargain Pick
Bottom Line

A lightweight, affordable choice that makes abdominal workouts quick and easy.

Pros

A larger-sized wheel at 9.5" across that weighs roughly 1 lb. Features non-slip rubber grip for safe, slow, and controlled movement, targeting core muscles for the ultimate burn. Easy to put together and disassemble. Inexpensive and fairly priced. Contoured foam handles provide extra comfort.

Cons

Users agree there are higher-quality options, but that this is fairly priced and gets the job done.

Sports Research Ab Wheel Roller with Knee Pad
Sports Research
Ab Wheel Roller with Knee Pad
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Best for Small Spaces
Bottom Line

This sturdy and compact ab wheel is ideal for home gyms, according to our fitness expert.

Pros

Boasts 3" wheel width for premium control on floor surfaces. Includes foam knee pad for added comfort. Padded handles with ergonomic design for ultimate support. Handles are removable for easy storage and use on the go. Ideal for improving balance, core, and upper body strength.

Cons

The included knee pad is very small and isn't thick enough.

EnterSports AB Wheel Roller, 6-in-1 Exercise Roller Wheel Kit with Knee Pad
EnterSports
AB Wheel Roller, 6-in-1 Exercise Roller Wheel Kit with Knee Pad
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Most Comprehensive
Bottom Line

A multi-purpose set that includes additional tools like resistance bands for a complete workout.

Pros

Made from a combination of sturdy steel, non-slip TPR, and plastic — designed to withstand up to 600 lbs. and prevent damage to floors. A 3.2" wheel width. Includes foam mat, resistance bands, and push-up handles for a total workout. Improves upper body strength, tone, and posture.

Cons

The push-up bars tend to be loose or wobbly.

VINSGUIR Ab Roller Wheel
VINSGUIR
Ab Roller Wheel
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Simple Yet Solid
Bottom Line

Our expert loves this ab wheel for its sturdiness, reliability, and quick disassembly process.

Pros

Soft TPR rubber surface reinforced with a stainless steel shaft. Comfortable non-slip EVA rubber cotton handles. Simple to assemble and pull apart for convenient storage when not in use. Comes with a small, basic padded knee mat. Users enjoy its sturdiness and effectiveness, and that it's reasonably priced.

Cons

Knee pad is low-quality, small, and thin.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

30
Models
Considered
188
Consumers
Consulted
16
Hours
Researched
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Buying guide for Best ab wheels

Flabby abs got you down? Or maybe you’re already sporting a six-pack but want to increase your overall core strength. Either way, an ab wheel should be on your fitness short list.

Ab wheels target the abs but work the back, arms, hips, and leg muscles, too. They’re small enough to fit under a bed or in a closet, and you don’t need to be an exercise guru to figure out how to use one.

If you’re ready to buy an ab wheel but you’re not sure exactly what you want, you’re in the right place. We’ve put together a guide with the details and features you need to consider to make an informed decision.

Content Image
Center your hands on the ab wheel handle to prevent pinching your fingers in the small space between the wheel and handle. Handles with finger grips can help with hand placement.

Key considerations

Size

As far as gym equipment goes, ab wheels are relatively small. They are, however, awkwardly shaped, so you do have to consider size and storage space. Most ab wheels have a small enough wheel (five or six inches in circumference) that they can be stored under a bed or tucked away in a closet corner. However, some of the larger models with foot pedals may have a 13-inch wheel.

If you’re looking at a model with a wheel circumference in the double digits, measure your storage space to be sure it will fit.

Number of wheels

When ab wheels first hit the market, they sported a one-wheel design. It didn’t take long for ab enthusiasts to realize that while one wheel is effective, it’s not the stablest design. The more wheels an ab wheel has, the easier it is to balance and stabilize. Single wheels with a wide width also increase stability.

Expert Tip
When performing ab rollouts, the lower back collapsing due to faulty core muscle engagement is common. To prevent this, squeeze your glutes and pull your bottom rib cage down while performing the exercise.
BestReviews Fitness Expert

Number of handles

A two-handed ab wheel is the style you are probably most familiar with. It features a wheel or two with handles on either side. But there are also ab wheels that come as a pair. Each ab wheel has a handle set between two wheels, so your hands move independently. These models increase difficulty but also allow for a broader range of exercises.

Features

Materials

Ab wheels made almost entirely of plastic are lightweight, inexpensive, and provide an adequate workout. However, plastic wheels don’t offer the grip necessary for use on smooth floors unless they have a rubber coating.

Rubber-coated handles are easier to grip and give you better control over your movements. Wheels with rubber treads also have improved grip, which further increases stability.

Foam-coated handles improve grip but aren’t as durable as their rubber counterparts.

Higher-end ab wheels may have an innerspring mechanism to provide resistance. Springs made of stainless or carbon steel provide impressive resistance and have excellent durability. Of course, they also add to the price, but if you’ll be using the ab wheel regularly, it’s probably worth a few extra dollars.

Tread

Tread improves the grip of the wheel so you can roll out whether you’re on a smooth surface or carpet. Some models don’t have tread but rely on the natural grip of their rubber wheels. Tread and/or rubber are both adequate ways to keep an ab wheel stable. The models you need to watch out for are the ones with a plastic wheel with no tread. These wheels often slide across the floor instead of roll, which reduces the effectiveness of the workout.

Expert Tip
A great way to maximize your ab wheel workout is to pair it with side-lying planks. After performing one set of rollouts, immediately transition to a left and a right side-lying plank, holding each side for 30-seconds. These 2 exercises paired together will really recruit most of your core and abdominal muscles.
BestReviews Fitness Expert

Handle and grip design

Handles with a rubber or foam coating are easier to grip, especially as your hands start to get sweaty. Some handles have molded finger grips for improved hand placement. Others have ergonomic handles to relieve pressure on your wrists.

Foot pedals

Foot pedals will either be mounted to or built into the handle near the wheel. Once you clip your feet in, you can target new areas of the abs, legs, back, and arms that you can’t reach with a regular ab wheel. Some foot pedals are removable, but even if they’re not, you can still use the handles for a normal roll out.

Resistance

Some ab wheels provide internal resistance to increase the workout intensity. These models have an internal spring mechanism that applies resistance. Some single-handle ab wheels are attached to a knee pad via a resistance band that increases resistance as the wheel is moved away from the body.

Accessories

Ab wheels may come with a long list of accessories, which can add to the value.

  • Knee pad: These are often made of the same rubber as yoga mats but are small enough to fit directly under the knees.

  • Weighted jump rope: Ab wheels often come as part of a full body exercise kit that also includes a weighted jump rope for aerobic exercise.

  • Resistance bands: Like jump ropes, resistance bands are often part of a full body workout kit.

  • Workout guidebook or instructional DVD: Models that include a guidebook or DVD give you everything you need to get started. But don’t fret if the model you want doesn’t have either of these extras as there are plenty of instructional videos and guides online.

  • Push-up bars: Ab wheels work the shoulders and triceps, but add a push-up bar and you’ve got a full upper body workout. If the ab wheel has foot pedals, you can even do push-ups while balancing your feet on the ab wheel.

Expert Tip
Abdominal muscles are no different than any other muscles in that they should not be trained every day. I recommend performing ab exercises every other day or at the most, 3 days a week.
BestReviews Fitness Expert

Price

Inexpensive

For less than $15, you’ll find ab wheels with a plastic wheel and knee pad. The wheel may have tread and foam or rubber on the handles.

Mid-range

In the $15 to $30 price range are single- and double-wheeled models with rubber tread and ergonomic handles with finger grips. These ab wheels may also be part of a kit that could include resistance bands and a knee pad.

Expensive

Between $30 and $50 are ab wheels with foot pedals. Wheels are larger in this category, with innerspring resistance technology being far more common. These models are also more likely to be part of a full exercise kit that includes a jump rope, push-up bars, and resistance bands.

Tips

  • An ab wheel requires lower back strength. Don’t be surprised if you need to do some lower back strengthening exercises before you can fully use the ab wheel.

  • You can use an ab wheel in a modified plank position on your knees. Like push-ups, rolling while on your knees is easier and puts less pressure on the lower back. You can then progress to a full plank position.

  • Wheels have moving parts, so hair and threads can get caught. Try to keep your workout area clean and occasionally wipe down the ab wheel to prevent a slippery film of dust from forming.

Content Image
Ab wheels require your core muscles to work together as a group, strengthening them as a whole. In this way, ab wheels help create core balance so one muscle group isn’t overpowering another.

FAQ

Q. Do ab wheels pose any health or safety risks?

A. As with any type of fitness equipment, proper use and form are key to safety. If used improperly, an ab wheel can strain the muscles and ligaments in the lower back. That’s why it’s so important to keep the back straight and taut while using the wheel. Pay attention to how your body feels and don’t extend beyond the strength of your lower back. The more you use the ab wheel, the stronger and further you’ll be able to push yourself.

Q. Is balancing an ab wheel difficult?

A. Ab wheels do require some balance and stability. It’s best to start with small movements until you become accustomed to how the ab wheel feels and works. Extend your reach by a few inches each day, and with time your strength and balance will grow.

Q. Can I do more than roll out my abs?

A. Ab wheels are far more versatile than many people realize. They can be used to target the obliques, hip flexors, quads, and glutes, especially when using models with foot pedals. The shoulders, upper back, and arms also get a workout as you balance over the wheel. There are workout guides and YouTube videos online to help you discover the many ways you can fully utilize an ab wheel.

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