The Best Non Toxic Exercise Equipment: Covering All Your Fitness Needs
Looking for the best non toxic exercise equipment for your home? This article has all you need.
With a Bachelor’s in Exercise Science and a personal transformation through fitness, I know quality workout gear.
One thing I always hated was weights or equipment that reeked of chemical smells or ones that didn’t last as long as they should. I also didn’t like seeing Proposition 65 or cancer warnings on these products either.
So we did A LOT of research to find the brands that use the safest materials.
In this post, we cover everything from dumbbells to yoga gear to treadmills.
Not all these items and brands are perfect, but when it comes to fitness gear that’s safe for you and the environment, they’re at the top of the game.
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Choosing Safe Workout Tools
Why is it important?
- Environmental Impact: Traditional equipment production contributes to significant carbon footprints and waste. Sustainable alternatives reduce this burden on the environment.
- Toxic Chemicals: Many conventional gym equipment pieces contain chemicals that are harmful to our health.
- PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)– Found in many kinds of workout equipment. The unsafe chemicals used in the production of PVC aren’t good for your health or the environment.
- Phthalates– A set of known hormone-disrupting chemicals used to make plastics and other materials more flexible. Found in dumbbells, treadmills, yoga mats, resistance bands, and more.
- Neoprene– there are two concerns with neoprene (mostly found in dumbbells):
- Chloroprine, a chemical used to make neoprene, can cause cancer (although the Prop 65 website states “Levels of chloroprene in most neoprene products are very low.”
- Neoprene and its production are carbon intensive and toxic to the environment.
- BPA (Bisphenol A)– another hormone disruptor.
- DEHP– Another common phthalate.
- Chrome Plated– Chrome plating process often involves harmful chemicals and produces toxic byproducts, like hexavalent chromium which isn’t good for the environment or your health.
- Rubber– Rubber itself is not toxic, but many manufacturers of rubber products (especially dumbbells) use phthalates to make it pliable. Even if something is labeled “virgin rubber” it does not ensure toxic chemicals weren’t introduced during its manufacturing. Only choose rubber materials from trusted brands.
Recognizing and Choosing Safe Fitness Gear
- Recyclability: Prioritize materials that can be recycled or biodegraded after their lifespan.
- Low Carbon Footprint: Brands that take the extra step to reduce their footprint are ideal.
- No Proposition 65 warning: Any product you buy should be free from this label.
- Sustainable Examples:
- Natural Rubber Yoga Mats: Biodegradable and toxin-free.
- Recyclable Metals: Metals like cast iron and stainless steel are the safest.
- Sustainably Sourced Wood: Wood harvested in an earth-friendly way.
- Leather: Choose genuine leather over synthetic polyurethane leather.
- Durability: Sustainable products often use high-quality materials that last longer, reducing frequent replacements and waste
- Balanced Choice: Consider some choices that might not be 100% non-toxic but has a smaller carbon footprint, kind of like choosing the lesser of two evils.
- Home Practices:
- Maintenance: Regular cleaning and care will extend its life.
- Upcycling: Instead of discarding old items, use creative ways to give them a new purpose.
Now let’s get into what you came here for!
The Best Non Toxic Exercise Equipment
Flexibility & Yoga
Yoga Equipment
Scoria is by far our favorite non toxic yoga brand. They make their yoga mats from natural cork and rubber and even offer GOTS certified cotton meditation cushions. Their products are chemical-free, safe, anti-microbial, and odor-free. They also partner with Right To Play to support Indigenous youth education. On top of all this, they ship in plastic-free packaging!
Want more options? Check out our other article on the best yoga rug brands.
Functional Fitness Gear & Jump Rope
Bala offers some pretty cool eco friendly workout gear. Most of their products are steel-wrapped in silicone which makes for a toxic free workout. I always wished more brands utilized silicone more. Bala gets the idea. They even offer workout sessions from their instructors via video!
Exercise Ball
For fitness balls, you want to stay away from BPA, phthalates, and PVC. This is the only ball out there that’s free from them all. They use a burst-resistance TPR (Thermo Plastic Rubber) material that’s 100% recyclable. The reviews are mixed, but the most fair review states “It’s not as soft/flexible/rubbery. It’s definitely a stiffer material, a different feel, but does it still work? Yes.”.
Want more options? Check out our other post on the safest exercise balls
Resistance bands
These are by far the safest resistance bands out there. They’re made from organic cotton fiber and latex and free from harmful chemicals. They’re also hypoallergenic, anti-smell, machine washable, and come with 3 bands and a travel case. Not bad at all!
Strength Training & Conditioning
Dumbbells
*I acknowledge that there some dumbbells out there made with wood and stainless steel, which would be the most non toxic option. However, these dumbbells are very light weight for a very expensive price. I didn’t include them in this list as they didn’t seem practical for use.
These 100% cast iron dumbbells are free of any toxic rubber, vinyl (PVC), neoprene, or urethane. They’re also adjustable which cuts down on the need to buy more dumbbells. They might be higher price, but the adjustable aspect actually makes them the most cost-efficient. Reviews on them are great as well!
Again, you can never go wrong with cast iron. It’s a natural metal and a non-toxic material. If you’re just strictly looking for a single set of eco friendly dumbbells, these are it. They have options from 1lb all the way to 120lbs for you big lifters out there. If you are getting multiple sets, the other option above might be a more cost effective option.
We don’t recommend rubber dumbbells (because its hard to know who uses phthalates and who doesn’t), so if you’re looking for a dumbbell material that’s safe for your floor, Bala has you covered. They offer steel hand weights that are coated in silicone. The only downside is these hand weights are all pretty light weight (3 lbs each), so if you’re looking for some heavy weight, cast iron is the way to go.
Kettlebells
This kettlebell is top notch quality. The SACK™ hand-crafted leather kettlebell is made from solid wood sourced from sustainably managed forests and full-grain leather from renowned Italian tanneries. Available in choices of English oak, black walnut, or ebonized ash, and in weights ranging from 4kg to 45 lbs. It does have a little polyester and rubber built in, but the product is mainly wood and leather.
If you’re looking for a more affordable kettlebell, this one is is a solid cast iron one with an enamel finish. Comes in options of either 15, 25, 35, 40, and 50 lbs.
We don’t love that this product is made of urethane foam and plastic (it’s also made of stainless steel), but there’s a reason we recommend it. It attaches to your dumbbells, cutting down on the need of purchasing a new kettlebell and allow you the old eco friendly trick of using what you have. We do also love that they produce right here in the US. It’s actually a very cool concept, even being featured on Shark Tank!
Want more dumbbell options? Check out our other post on the best nontoxic dumbbells.
Benches
Another high-quality toxic-free item from Eternal Creek. This weight bench is made from full-grain leather from renowned Italian tanneries and solid wood sourced from sustainably managed forests that’s finished with a natural oil/wax finish. It’s very high-priced, but the reviews indicate the quality is worth it.
This bench is multifunctional and can fold into Ab-trainer mode, back-trainer mode, and flat bench mode. Paired with the fact that it’s handcrafted using sustainably sourced hardwood from the Appalachian Mountains and genuine leather, it’s a safe, high-quality product. The reviews indicate it’s worth it as well.
Pull Up Bars
This pull-up bar is just all-around awesome. It’s made of 100% handmade natural beech and birch wood, very well designed for the user, and the reviews back up its quality. This is the most natural and nontoxic pull up bar you’ll find out there.
Good ol’ steel never disappoints when it comes to quality materials. If you’re looking for the most affordable pull-up bar that’s free of plastic, PVC, and other cheap, harmful materials, this is for you.
Medicine Balls
This ball is about as natural as it gets when it comes to medicine balls. It’s weighted with sand and cotton, free from PVC, and carefully covered with handstitched vintage leather. It’s pricey, but very high quality.
Most medicine balls out there are made from PVC. This ball is made from genuine leather, has great reviews, and comes in weight choices from 1kg-5kg.
WaterRower
This is the top of the line eco-friendly WaterRower. It’s handcrafted in the USA using sustainably sourced hardwood from the Appalachian Mountains, has a 1 year warranty, and is the highest rated wood water rower on the market. Its a bit pricey, but reviews indicate it’s more than worth it.
This water rower is made of FSC-certified solid oak wood, is highly rated on Amazon, and more affordable than other waterrowers. It’s also got all the bells and whistles including a foldable new storage design and Bluetooth monitor support.
Cardio Machines
Treadmills
Eco friendly treadmills are on the rise, but it isn’t a big area yet. You’ve got companies like SportArt, that’s created the “world’s first eco-friendly treadmills” that capture expended human energy and turn it into usable electricity but they aren’t practical for home use yet (only commercial gyms have the technology to actually convert this electricity, not a normal home).
Until there are more advances in that department, we suggest using manual treadmills, the most eco friendly form of treadmills as they require no electricity.
And as far as toxic-free materials in treadmills, NOHrD is the leader in that department, with not much other competition out there.
This manual treadmill is beyond impressive. Its frame is made of natural solid wood from sustainably managed forests (rather than PVC like most treadmill frames). Also, its manual design makes it even more eco-friendly as it doesn’t require any electricity. The integrated display is compatible with tablets, smartphones, and the NOHRD Connect App. The Downside? The price tag is very steep.
We don’t consider this item to be non toxic. However, it is a more eco-friendly option than a conventional treadmill that uses electricity. It’s also pretty high quality and should last you a long time.
Exercise Bikes
Another quality machine from NOHrD, their exercise bike frames are made of natural solid wood from sustainably managed forests (rather than PVC like most stationary bike frames). You can also connect to the display on their app via your smartphone just like the treadmill. This option is also pretty high in price.
We don’t consider this item as non-toxic but it is a more eco-friendly bike compared to most conventional bikes due to its carbon steel frame rather than a plastic PVC frame.
Walking Pad
This is another item we don’t consider completely non-toxic due to a partial plastic frame and the need for electricity, but we included it because it is one of the only under-desk treadmills made with a wood frame rather than a plastic PVC frame. The reviews indicate that customers love it as well.
And that’s all folks! Thanks for reading. Check out some of our other articles below.
