8 best turbo trainers for cycling at home

Best: Overall

Rating: 8/10

If you’re looking for a quality smart trainer, but don’t want to pay the four figure sum for the top tier devices, this one from Tacx is a solid choice. The maximum resistance of 2,000W is more than enough for even the most powerful amateurs to carry out sprint intervals and with a maximum simulated gradient of 16 per cent it’s great for climbing sessions too.

Viewing your metrics such as speed, power and cadence is easy with the Tacx app, and thanks to the Bluetooth and ANT+ it’s a breeze to connect to your sensors and favourite training apps. Once assembled it doesn’t fold down, so it’s probably not the best choice for small apartments but it’s quiet and we found the 7.6 kg flywheel gives a realistic riding feel.

Best: For simplicity

Rating: 9/10

Tacx made its first training device – a roller set up – in the early 19070s and pioneered “smart” units back in 2000, so they know what they are doing when it comes to indoor exercise. We loved the fresh look of this neat little number, and it’s got performance to match its good looks too. The magnetic flywheel does a good job of recreating that on-road riding experience.

It’s nice and quiet in use too, with none of that hideous howling of old-style fab trainers from years gone by. It can handle power outputs up to 800W – ample for most of us – along with recreating the feel of climbs up to 6 per cent. Tacx have their own online training plans for you to tackle, or you can connect up to Zwift and other providers if you prefer.

Best: For serious training

Rating: 9/10

As Wahoo’s flagship trainer, this one has a heavy 7.2kg flywheel to create inertia like you’d feel if you were out riding. It’s also got special feet on it’s wide legs that move to recreate some of the side-to-side movement of your bike you’d experience while out on the road. It’s great for powerful riders and sprint sessions, with a maximum resistance of 2,200 W,  and it’s very accurate too (reportedly +/- 1 per cent) meaning it’s perfect to use for e-racing.

There’s connectivity via Bluetooth, and ANT+ for your sensors and devices to allow you to connect to your training apps, and Kickr even automatically calibrates the power reading while you ride. It’s expensive, but if you’re serious about indoor training and want the most accurate and realistic experience, it’s an excellent choice.

Best: Wheel-on trainer

Rating: 8/10

Looking for the convenience of a “wheel-on” trainer, but looking for the advanced features of a direct-drive? This one from Wahoo has you covered. With its wheel-on design, you simply need to “snap” your back wheel in place over the roller, plug it in and you’re good to go.

As you’d expect from a Wahoo, it’s easy to connect to your sensors and your favourite apps such as Trainer Road or Zwift, and once you’re connected the trainer automatically sets the resistance just like on more expensive direct drive models. It can provide up to 1,500 W resistance, with an accuracy of +/- 3 per cent, so it’s perfect for sprint intervals or even fitness tests. This trainer even folds up when you’re finished to save some space around your house.

Best: Budget option

Rating: 7/10

If you want to get kitted out for indoor training without breaking the bank, here’s a solid trainer from Wiggle brand LifeLine. It’s a magnetic trainer that works by clamping on to your back tyre. You can change the resistance level too, between six different resistance levels. There’s even a handy plastic riser block to elevate your front wheel for a more comfortable position and the resistance lever mounts on your bars so you can easily toggle the resistance while you’re riding. It folds down when you’re not using it which is good if you’re short on storage space. So, if you’re after a basic, no-nonsense trainer and you’re not interested in smart features, this one’s a solid choice, and at less than £50 it’s a bargain.

Best: For quiet training

Rating: 8/10

Able to cope with power output of up to 2,000W, this one is a really sturdy choice for anyone who fancies themself as the next Mark Cavendish. Those fold-out legs offer a nice, broad base to keep it stable during out-of-the-saddle efforts, and there’s a block to slip under your front wheel to give you a more level riding position. There’s also a hand-hold built into the main body of the trainer, but at just over 21kg you won’t want to lug it very far. What really impressed us though was how quiet it was in use – around 60 decibels when pedalling along at 20mph.

Best: Value smart trainer

Rating: 7/10

Stuck for space in your “pain cave”? This simple trainer folds down nicely so you can stow it out of the way when not in use – it’s also small enough to stick in the back of a car if you need a trainer you can use to warm up before a race. It will work with the major training platforms such as Zwift, but it’s not really stable enough for those lung-busting out-of-the-saddle efforts. There’s no riser block included and if you have disc brakes with thru-axles you’ll have to buy an adaptor to replace the included quick release skewer. But, having said that it’s a decent buy for anyone on a budget who wants to get into “smart” training.

Best: For looks

Rating: 8/10

Saris’s fluid2 has been around for more than a decade in one guise or another – it’s a great, minimalist design that works well, so no wonder it’s still going strong. The resistance builds or diminishes as you change gear, meaning there’s no need for a handlebar-mounted adjuster. You can just swap out the skewer on your rear wheel, stick the bike on the trainer and be riding in minutes.

If you want to use it with an online training platform you’ll have to buy a speed sensor for the rear wheel, but it’s not a complicated job and you can be linked up to your laptop and riding in the virtual world within minutes. In case you’re wondering, that fan assembly on the right hand side is there to cool the fluid encased in the main body of the unit, so you’ll need to either invest in a fan or open a window to keep yourself comfortable as you exercise.