Powertec Utility Weight Bench

9.0
9.0 score
[Editors rating (9.0)] = (Garage Gym Ideas - Ultimate Home Gym Design) score (9.0)/10


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Editor rating: 9.0 / 10
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Powertec Utility Weight Bench Review Facts

Powertec makes serious lifting equipment. Their company mission is to make fitness-club quality equipment available for the home fitness market. Both the Adjustable Bench and the Utility Bench by Powertec demonstrate this because both of them were built to withstand a greater load than other benches and also offers a price appeal to the non-commercial market. In this Powertec weight bench review, we’ll take an in-depth look into the Powertec Utility Bench and show you why you should consider adding it to your gym.

Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros

A wide range of optional accessories

Front feet for enhanced stability

Great for Dumbbell or ab training

600 lb total carrying capacity

Can be combined with Smith machines, power racks, and much more

Adjustable seat and back pad

Transportation wheels

Compact size

Side seat handlebars

Cons

Some people may need a higher weight limit

The bench is rather heavy

The set-up instructions are confusing

Versatility

The Utility Bench by Powertec can be used on its own or in concert with a compatible rack system. The bench provides a full range of angles from full decline up to 90-degree incline and everything in between. The profile is low and wide for exceptional stability and comfort and handles along the side provide even more stability during leg routines. The Utility Bench comes with everything you’d need for comprehensive dumbbell and ab routines. If you decide you want more than that later you can pick and choose from a wide range of accessories including Workbench leg accessory, Workbench curl machine accessory, Lat tower accessory, Pec Fly accessory, Dip machine accessory and more. If you decide accessories are not for you you’ll still be getting one of the best weight benches on the market for under $1,000 and an outstanding value proposition no matter how you measure it.

Size

The size of the bench you're going to buy matters ff you do not have enough room for a bench in your house or garage. This is where you need to consider what is the maximum size you can accommodate in your house. Thankfully, the Powertec utility bench is really small. When unfolded, this utility bench is 52" x 26.7" x 47", making it one of the smaller adjustable benches out there. The Utility Bench also includes discreetly placed wheels for easy storage or moving in and out of rack systems. But the bench is quite heavy. It's always better to have a heavy instead of a flimsy bench, but if you're struggling to move it around by yourself, is it really worth it? The transportation wheels do make this job much easier though, so you don't need to worry that much if you ever decide to change the location of your bench.

Appearance

This utility bench is a sleek, black one with chunky edges and a rugged appearance. Although you might not think that the appearance of your bench matters, it can actually be quite an eyesore if it fails to match the environment. This bench is jet black, so it's likely to match any environment you put it in, but it is not elegant at all, and it can still stick out from everything else. You can't change or customize the color of the bench either like some models allow you to, so you will be stuck with this black one, without any choice.

Build Quality

The Powertec Utility bench offers full FID capability plus the option of wheeling it into any compatible rack system. Like its cousin, the Adjustable Bench, the Utility bench is made of 12-gauge steel and slightly overbuilt to accommodate extreme lifters. The high tensile strength steel used to create this bench, along with the 2-4” rectangular tubing and chrome weight horns make the build quality of the utility bench second to none in the home fitness market. The Powertec utility bench was designed to accept the pressures and stresses of extreme lifting routines in stride, engineered to integrate effortlessly into compatible rack systems and both can be swiftly and easily adjusted on the fly. The bench can support up to 600 pounds, which is quite a lot, but you won't be using your bodyweight only! So, as your strength grows and grows, this bench may begin to fail to support you, and you'd put yourself in danger if you reach that 600-pound limit! Make sure that this is not exceeded before you get on the bench.

Performance

The Workbench utility bench was made to survive a lot of wear and tear damage. But, this is true only if you never exceed the 600-pound limit, which is just not possible if you're an advanced fitness lover! This bench is ideal for beginners and intermediate users, and anyone that handles more than 300 or 400 pounds on the regular should probably avoid going for this bench. With that being said, it's still a good addition to a home gym or a garage gym, yet it probably shouldn't find itself in a commercial gym, since it cannot survive that. We're not saying that it's flimsy, we're just saying that it wasn't made to survive such stress. You can always add this bench to a Smith machine, power rack, or you can just use it with dumbbells or for bodyweight exercises. Both the back pad and the seat pad are fully adjustable. They can sit in a flat, incline, and decline position, and everything you manage to fit in between. The seat slides across the sealed ball bearing carriage, smoothly and without problems. You will receive an attachment adaptor with the bench that allows you to, well, attach anything that's compatible with the bench to expand the number of exercises you can do. You will need to pay more, but if you miss some of these accessories, it's always better to go with a set than to buy individually.

Setup

You probably already know that the bench won't arrive fully assembled to your door. There's just no way someone can transport a unit that's bigger than a dumbbell or kettlebell without having to take it apart. Besides, it's cheaper that way! But this is where problems arise for most users. Because the bench arrives disassembled, you will need to put it together by yourself. If you lack experience in this field, you will probably struggle. But most manufacturers make the process easier by including detailed guides and all the hardware you need to complete the job so you don't end up feeling confused or frustrated. Powertec is not one of those firms, and many users report that the setup was complicated and boring. The guide is not so detailed, and the hardware is sometimes missing, so you will need to go buy what you need. Also, you will probably need the help of a friend to put it all together!

Value

One good thing about this utility bench is its price. Benches made for intermediate users can cost anywhere between 200 dollars and thousands of dollars, and this bench falls right in the middle, costing about 500 dollars. This average price makes the bench more approachable to the masses, so it makes sense why it's such a popular choice. It's ideal for beginners everywhere, and for such a great price it's a steal. This bench mixes value and the price very nicely, and you really do get what you pay for. But it should be said that if you want any of the accessories we mentioned, you will have to pay extra. The more accessories you want, the higher the cost will be, logically, and selecting everything will suddenly make the bench rather pricey! But then again, you will get a centerpiece for your gym at an excellent price!

Brand

Powertec is a well-known brand in fitness circles all around the world. They are the leaders of innovative strength equipment, constantly bringing about change and refreshing the game. Powertec is located in California, in the United States of America, and it can also be found in Europe and Asia. They create products both for commercial use and light home use, so you definitely have a choice of products fit for your needs.

The Final Word

The Powertec Utility bench is one that provides a lot of good qualities for the price it's being sold at. It's a very affordable bench, making it ideal for beginners and intermediate lifters, and it was simply made for them. The bench has a 600-pound limit, which is not enough for more experienced lifters, hence why it was made for less experienced fitness junkies. The frame is still sturdy, made out of 12-gauge steel, with a highly adjustable seat and back pad that let you access every muscle group with ease. The bench comes with an accessory adapter, so you can buy plenty of compatible attachments that fit neatly with the bench, giving you more exercises to perform while using it. It should be worth noting that the bench is very small and compact, equipped with transportation wheels that make moving it around a breeze. But the bench is quite heavy, attesting for the quality of the frame. And finally, you will need to set up the bench by yourself, and many users report that's a complicated task, so be prepared to work before you get to enjoy the bench!