Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands with Instruction Guide and Carry Bag, Set of 5

Why it's worth it

Five color-coded latex loops, a carry bag and an illustrated booklet — enough for warm-ups, glute work, mobility and beginner circuits. Nothing here stands in for a cable machine, but it fits in a jacket pocket and costs a fraction of what a tube kit does.

This is the least you can spend and still own something useful. Five bands, five resistance levels, one small bag. The lightest is gentle enough for shoulder rehab, and the heaviest makes lateral walks burn. For a lot of people the honest answer is that this set covers everything they'll actually do, and the full tube kit would end up in a closet.

Loops are the right tool for hips and glutes. Clamshells, monster walks, glute bridges, banded squats — these are the exercises physical therapists hand out constantly, and they all want a loop, not a handle. Two sets of lateral walks before you squat wakes up the hip stabilizers that keep your knees tracking properly. That's five minutes, and it's the best use of this set.

From our review of 12 resistance bands for home workouts, by Eleanor Vance, Health & Beauty Editor

What we like

• +This is the least you can spend and still own something useful
• +Loops are the right tool for hips and glutes
• +It's the travel set
• +The included booklet is genuinely useful if you're new

What to know

• –Thin latex loops roll up on your thighs
• –The ceiling is low