The TRX is a form of popular suspension training that offers an alternative method of bodyweight training. This kind of kit can be pretty expensive, however, even when it offers significant value – and the market has produced some alternatives.
Today we’re going to be discussing the best alternatives on the market and what TRX replacements should catch your eye. If you’re not interested in dropping big bucks on the popular brand, this list is going to offer a significant amount of value for your life and your training.
With a home-based workout system, something simple and effective can offer enormous value – especially with these lower-cost TRX alternatives. Let’s start by taking a quick look at what they’re replacing…
Contents
TRX Products Overview
The point of the TRX is to offer a suspension system – of varying levels – that can support bodyweight training as a legitimate way of getting stronger and more muscular.
There are 3 key products in the TRX Range: PRO3, GO, and All-in-One.
These offer different key selling points, so we’re going to look at them individually and let you know what we think of their role, so we can discuss what the alternatives on the market get right and wrong.
Understanding these will also give you some perspective on what you want and what products to pay attention to.
TRX PRO3
The classic setup, this is the upper end of the TRX range and provides the kind of training benefits you’ve seen already. It’s a suspension system that allows you to perform a variety of bodyweight workouts with additional positions and exercises.
It expands the standard repertoire of home workouts with bodyweight, introducing incline and decline options, as well as a ton of others. Naturally, it provides an app and instructions to better understand the role of suspension training.
This kit is expensive, however, and can seriously compromise your decision since it 2-3 times more expensive than a number of the products on this list and their competitors. While the TRX system was the first to become popular, it’s not got a unique selling point beyond the brand and its reputation for quality.
TRX GO
This product is probably more comparable to what you’re going t see on this list, it offers a lightweight and portable option. The system is similar to the original TRX but reduces the need for significant anchors and is designed for door-mount use.
This makes it a more versatile choice that can come with you while you travel. This makes it a great choice for bodyweight exercise on holiday or similar. This reduces the stability and durability of the product in order to add more convenience.
Some products are going to be comparable to this type of lightweight design, while others will be more comparable to the pro3.
TRX All-in-one
This product is a combination of the GO system and a number of accessories that expand it into a sort of ‘beginner’s guide to suspension training’. The TRX brand carries some weight for quality bu this is still an ‘all-in-one basic kit’.
This isn’t a premium product like the Pro3 but it does provide a more comprehensive approach to TRX and suspension than the GO. This is the main competitor for most of the products we’ll be discussing today – despite costing roughly twice as much.
TRX Products: Why Do You Need an Alternative?
These products offer a spectrum from premium quality to economy and portability. There are significant benefits and niches for each, but the commitment you want to make – and how you use it – will make a significant difference.
We’ll talk about what each of the competitors is aiming at compared to this spectrum. Equally, we’re going to outline the pros and cons of other products you should be looking at. The price of these products forces us to consider alternatives and what they can do for your training at a fraction of the cost!
This should also highlight what you ought to look for when shopping for a TRX alternative and suspension training kit!
Best Alternatives to TRX Suspension Trainer
1. Intent Sports Bodyweight Fitness Kit
This product looks pretty good and provides a strong showing for the basics that you’re going to be looking for. The durability is pretty good and there aren’t tons of complaints about basic durability of the straps, for example.
This is a clear TRX GO competitor. It doesn’t come with the same additions you’d see in a larger bundle or kit, and a much more minimalist approach. This is fine if it works well, but that’s a mixed bag with this product…
Customer reviews and feedback already indicate that it compares well, functionally, with the TRX itself. Obviously, this also comes with a fraction of the cost – a great alternative if you’re looking for something basic and effective.
There are some problems, however. The grips themselves tend to be cheap and poorly produced, while the straps themselves do tend to be uneven. This can cause some difficulty in terms of making adjustments to the straps while you use them during a workout.
The biting collars/buckles do also tend to degrade rapidly. This is also matched up with some other annoying little inconveniences, such as some examples of missing wall mounts – or even not fitting well to doors.
The overall product is pretty good, but we do see the occasional concern for proper durability and construction. This isn’t putting it at the top of our list, but it does offer a good cheap.
- Looks good
- Seems to do the exact same stuff as TRX without the same cost
- Many consider the product well-made
- Durability is pretty great with very few complaints
- Could be uneven lengths
- Adjustments can be difficult
- Biting collars/buckles can be really annoying when they degrade
- Harder to get even than TRX, for example
- Grip is cheap
- Straps can be a bit much
- Doesn’t always fit doors
- Where da wall mount @?!
2. JDDZ Full Bodyweight Suspension Kit
We actually really like this product – it comes with a pretty great balance of durability, quality, and cost. The overall result is a product that does all the things you’d want from a TRX without the cost – and without the common issues of cheaper products.
It’s a direct competitor to the TRX all-in-one basics kit – and it does this really well!
The build of this product is great quality and it even comes with a focus on quality carabiners and other attachments/moving parts. These make the product so much more durable over the long term, since these areas tend to be the most likely to take big damage.
The straps themselves also provide an easy-adjusting length and can be used for various positions in a workout. The increased ease of use is a significant benefit because you’re going to be able to perform circuits with different exercises more easily and without disrupting your workout.
The only problems we can really identify with this product are the lack of instructions for setup and the weakness of the free resistance bands. These are free and not a central part of the function of this product. These feel like small problems when everything else about this product is so good!
- Well built
- Good cost
- Includes bands for a more comprehensive home workout
- Heavy-duty carabiners
- Easy-adjusting straps
- Lack of instructions for setup
- Resistance bands are quite weak
- QA and smells
3. PEXFT Bodyweight Resistance Trainer Kit
This product presents a decent but unimpressive option. It does a ton of the things you want to do, but it’s also going to be a pretty good option. We don’t think this provides the same value as the previous product in terms of durability.
This product is a TRX GO competitor in the same way that the Intent Sports is: lightweight, reduced fuss, but also reduced durability. It’s a decent product but doesn’t make up for this in some ways, in our opinion.
For example, there are some small quality assurance issues with this product – occasionally, there are defective manufacturing issues. Some products have been sold that simply aren’t fit for sale, which makes us feel less comfortable with the quality of this product overall.
Otherwise, this product is a decent choice for general use and sits somewhere in the middle of the pack. This isn’t a huge, outstanding piece of kit but it does offer a reasonable option – better value for money than the TRX but lacking some general reliability and durability.
- Easy to assemble
- Sturdy door attachments
- Pretty good overall
- Some manufacturing defects are still sold
- Quality assurance needs to step up
4. QonQuill resistance Straps Trainer Bundle
This product is strongest on the basics: the durability of straps is one of the clear strengths. It offers a sense of sturdiness in the actual materials that we really appreciate. This is one of the fundamental elements that we’re most cautious of and this product does it well.
It’s a competitor for the TRX all-in-one basics kit, which puts it squarely in the middle of premium and economy. This is a balance we enjoy and it’s nice to see that these TRX alternatives don’t compromise hugely for their price reduction!
This is paired with top-quality handles with a well-built grip that is also very comfortable. This is crucial considering how much weight and stress you’re likely to put through the handles. This is your first contact with the product, so it’s worth getting the best!
On top of these simple benefits, the price point of this product is really appealing. It’s an economy product with great value for money – not just for the value it provides but also comparatively to TRX and even some other alternatives on the market.
There are, of course, some issues. The straps – while strong and sturdy – aren’t always even, which can make the use of this product unnecessarily difficult. This is compounded by slippery quick-adjusting buckles which can make use a little complicated.
The bands that come with this product are relatively weak but aren’t necessary for the function of the product. This is an inconvenience but not a reflection on the product itself – and free weak bands are better than none at all!
- Durable straps
- Good price point
- Good handle quality
- Resistance bands are free
- Quality assurance issues abound esp. regarding clips and carabiners breaking
- Slips on the quick-adjust
- Straps often slip or come uneven
- Bands may break with reasonable, expected weights
5. KEAFOLS Bodyweight Resistance Kit
KEAFOLS are clearly aiming to compete with the TRX GO with this product: small, lightweight, portable, and designed for simple home use. Nothing fancy.
This product doesn’t compare amazingly well to others on the market. While the durability and function are perhaps comparable to others, they’re not going to outstanding. Meanwhile, it does fall short in some areas.
Firstly, the straps will not shorten in some cases and the mechanism for doing so is poor at best. Others claim that there are poor strap lengths relative to the intended use, which can be a real pain for use in the home.
The feet and handgrips are not the best, additionally, and must be taken off and replaced based on the exercise you’re performing. This makes for a long and complicated workout that has to stop and start because the grips themselves aren’t versatile.
In the defence of this product, it is an incredibly lightweight and portable. It offers a great solution for the home, but it doesn’t have the sort of features and quality that we’ve seen with some of the other products we’ve discussed so far.
The focus of this product is on a light-weight, streamlined design. It’s not attached to a wall hook or similar. As an over-the-door product, it is pretty clumsy but also cheap and does what it’s intended to do, even with some serious limitations.
- Great price point
- Easy to use/carry/move
- Sometimes straps will not shorten
- Feet/Hand grips aren’t the best quality we’ve seen
- Poorly organized excessive strap length
- Handles for feet/hands need changing
Our Picks
These products offer an interesting and versatile option for your home. They bring the convenience and scaled nature of a bodyweight workout to your home in a way you might not have experienced.
This is a significant step up from the traditional push ups and sit-ups you might be used to. This offers a whole system with a wide variety of ways to make bodyweight workouts at home easier or harder.
Our favorite product is the JDDZ system. In many ways, you could say this is a direct rip-off of the TRXZ system since it even comes with the same colors, but it’s such a great alternative with a much more market-savvy price point.
We like this product because it comes with all the quality, durability, and functional ease that you’d expect from a TRX alternative. It’s not just a knock-off, it’s a direct competitor and comes with a confirmed customer feedback profile, as well as all the features and quality we’d like to see.
Overall, great product and direct competitor with the Pro3 for a fraction of the price.
We recommend giving this kind of product a try: the price is great for the amount of value it can add, and additional gymnastic strength training is often a great addition to other forms of strength and physique training.
Adding new elements to your fitness is pretty much always a good thing and the addition of a TRX alternative can add far more than the price tag would suggest!
