Functional Training Equipment UK: What to Buy First (2026)

Functional training equipment is the kit you lift, carry, throw, push and jump with, rather than sit in. It covers kettlebells, slam balls, medicine balls, sandbags, plyo boxes, sleds and a few specialist tools. The hard part is not what exists but what to buy first.

The short answer: buy one or two kettlebells first, because they cover the hinge, squat, press and carry in one implement from £64. Add a slam ball and a sandbag next for power and odd-object strength, which takes a home kit to about £253. Only add plyo boxes, a sled, a flywheel trainer or reaction lights once you have the floor space, a coach or a group that needs them.

What functional training equipment should you buy first?

A kettlebell. It is the one implement that trains the hips, legs, back, shoulders and grip in the same session, it takes up less floor than a dining chair, and it never needs a rack or bench to use.

After that, the buying order follows the gaps a kettlebell leaves. It does not let you throw at full effort, it is awkward to carry for distance, and it does nothing for jumping or sprinting. The table below shows the order we would buy in for a single person training at home.

Prices are from our live catalogue. A coach or studio would reorder the bottom half, because a group gets more from boxes and a sled than one person does.

JORDAN Chrome/Rubber Kettlebells£21 – £673View product →All functional training equipmentFrom £13View range →

Which movement patterns does a functional kit need to cover?

Seven: hinge, squat, push, pull, carry, throw and jump. A kit that covers all seven trains every major muscle group, which is exactly what the UK strength guideline asks for.

The pattern list matters more than the brand list. If two products both train the same pattern, buy the second one only when you need a heavier load or more stations for a group.

Why is a kettlebell usually the first purchase?

Because of coverage per pound, not because the research proves it beats everything else. One bell trains five of the seven patterns, costs £64 at 12kg or £84 at 16kg in the JORDAN Chrome/Rubber range, and stores in a corner.

The evidence is honest about its limits. A scoping review of 99 publications on kettlebell training found most long-term studies were small and of low quality, and rated confidence in the reported effects as low to very low (Meigh et al., BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2019). That is a reason to use a kettlebell for what it does well, swings, squats, presses and carries, rather than expecting it to replace everything.

The bare chrome handle on the Chrome/Rubber bell rotates in the hand for cleans, and the rubber body protects floors. If the room has a finished floor or the bells will be used in classes, the JORDAN Neoprene Covered Kettlebell (£18 – £176) is the quieter option. Our kettlebell buying guide covers starting weights in detail.

JORDAN Chrome/Rubber Kettlebells£21 – £673View product →JORDAN Neoprene Covered Kettlebell£18 – £176View product →

What should you add second: a slam ball, medicine ball or sandbag?

A slam ball, then a sandbag. The slam ball adds the one thing a kettlebell cannot do safely, which is throwing at full effort; the sandbag adds a shifting load for carries and lifts.

Slams are about speed, so a mid-weight ball does more than a heavy one: the 9kg slam ball costs £24. The right sandbag weight depends on your strength and training experience. The shifting load makes any bag feel heavier than the number suggests, so if in doubt start lighter: the Sandbag Pro runs from 5kg (£69) to 35kg (£110), and the home starter kit below uses a 15kg bag (£81) as one example.

For a side-by-side look at the Jordan sandbags and balls, including the grip ball, see our Jordan functional training guide.

JORDAN Slam Ball - Black£13 – £71View product →JORDAN Sandbag Pro£69 – £110View product →

JORDAN Medicine Balls£24 – £79View product →JORDAN Sandbag Extreme£60 – £93View product →

When do plyo boxes, a step or a sled make sense?

When you have the space and the people to use them. These are the items that turn a corner of kit into a functional zone, and each one needs more floor than its own footprint.

• Reebok Step (£126): the low-cost way to add step-ups and low jumps. It stacks, so a studio can store a whole class's worth in a corner.
• JORDAN Soft Plyometric Boxes (£1,231, set of 5): foam boxes in five heights that fasten together. A missed jump hurts far less than on a wooden box, which suits coached and mixed-ability groups.
• JORDAN Prowler Sled (£534): for pushing and dragging. It needs a straight lane of artificial turf or outdoor ground, plus plates to load it; a harness is not included, as the product title states.
• JORDAN TUFNUT 100kg (£1,296): a flip-and-drag strongman implement for team drills on a large open floor.

If one person trains at home, the Reebok Step usually covers jumping needs. Our small-space home gym guide shows how to plan a tight room.

JORDAN Soft Plyometric BoxesFrom £1,231View product →Reebok StepFrom £126View product →

JORDAN Prowler Sled (NOT INCLUDING HARNESS), BlackFrom £534View product →JORDAN TUFNUT 100kgFrom £1,296View product →

Are flywheel trainers and reaction lights worth buying?

Yes, for coaches, physios and studios with a specific use; rarely as a first purchase at home. Both are specialist tools that add something the core kit cannot.

The Kynett FIT Commercial Flywheel Trainer (£688.99) is a portable, rope-driven flywheel that anchors to a rig, rack, pole or beam with the bracket and straps included. Resistance comes from how fast you pull, and the flywheel loads the lowering phase as well as the lift.

The evidence for flywheel training is strong. A meta-analysis of 20 studies found effect sizes of 1.33 for maximum strength and 1.19 for power, and concluded flywheel training is a viable alternative to regular resistance exercise (Petré et al., Sports Medicine – Open, 2018). The authors were cautious about claiming it beats conventional training.

The BLAZEPOD Trainer Bundle (£548) is six light-up Pods for agility, speed and reaction drills. It suits PT sessions, sports coaching and rehab, where reacting to a signal is the skill being trained.

Kynett FIT Commercial Flywheel TrainerFrom £688.99View product →BLAZEPOD Trainer BundleFrom £548View product →

How much does a functional training set-up cost?

From £64 for a single kettlebell to just over £5,000 for a commercial functional zone. These worked examples use our live prices on 22 October 2026.

The commercial zone clears £5,000, so it qualifies for business finance through Vercas Financial, available on orders of £5,000 or more for UK limited companies and partnerships of four or more partners.

Functional Training Bundle£390 – £1,986View product →All kettlebellsFrom £18View range →

How often do you need to use functional equipment to see results?

Twice a week is the UK baseline. The UK Chief Medical Officers advise that "muscle strengthening activities should be done at least 2 days a week, but any strengthening activity is better than none", using free weights, bodyweight, machines or bands (GOV.UK).

The NHS adds that those sessions should work the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms, and lists lifting weights and carrying heavy shopping bags among its examples (NHS). A circuit of swings, goblet squats, presses, slams and sandbag carries covers all of them.

Many adults still fall short. Sport England's Active Lives survey found 66% of men and 62% of women met the muscle-strengthening guideline, falling to about a quarter of people aged 85 and over (Sport England, 2021).

How is functional training equipment delivered?

Standard UK delivery is £20 on orders below £250, and free on orders of £250 or more. We deliver across UK mainland. Once your order is confirmed as in stock, it is normally dispatched within 5 working days, with tracking emailed within 24 hours of dispatch, and delivered by our delivery partners.

The threshold applies to the whole order, so kettlebells, balls and sandbags ordered together often ship free. The sled, TUFNUT, plyo boxes, flywheel trainer, BlazePod bundle and Functional Training Bundle each cost £250 or more and ship free on their own.

Most functional kit arrives ready to use or needs only simple assembly. If you would like help with assembly or installation on a larger item, ask us before you order and we will confirm what is available for that specific product.

Frequently asked questions

Can I do functional training with just one kettlebell? Yes. One bell covers swings, deadlifts, goblet squats, single-arm presses, rows and carries, which is five of the seven functional movement patterns. The limit is load: the weight that suits a swing is usually too heavy to press, so most people add a second, lighter or heavier bell within a few months.

Is functional training equipment suitable for a flat or upstairs room? Most of it, with care. Kettlebells, medicine balls and sandbags work upstairs on rubber matting if you avoid dropping them. Slam balls, box jumps and sled work are better on a ground floor, because repeated impact and noise travel through suspended floors. Our gym flooring guide covers matting thickness.

Do I need a rig or rack for functional training? Not to start. Kettlebells, balls, sandbags and boxes are all used on the floor. You need something solid to anchor to only for tools such as the Kynett FIT flywheel trainer, which attaches to a rig, rack, pole or beam with the bracket and straps included in the box.

What functional equipment does a small PT studio need first? A run of kettlebells, slam balls in three or four weights, a couple of sandbags and a step or plyo set. That covers every movement pattern for one-to-one and small-group sessions. A sled, TUFNUT or reaction lights are worth adding once clients need sport-specific or rehab work and the floor allows it.

Is functional training better than machines for beginners? Neither is better for everyone. Machines guide the movement, which helps someone learning to lift; free implements train balance, grip and coordination as well as strength. The UK guideline counts both, and many beginners do best with a mix. Our guide to the benefits of functional training explains the difference.

Can I order functional equipment for a gym on business finance? Yes, on orders of £5,000 or more through Vercas Financial, for UK limited companies and partnerships of four or more partners. A full functional zone with a sled, TUFNUT, soft plyo boxes and a kettlebell set usually reaches that figure, especially when combined with racks or storage on the same order.

Which functional training equipment should you start with?

Start with one or two kettlebells, add a slam ball and a sandbag, and stop there until your space or your clients ask for more. That kit trains every major muscle group for about £253 and fits in a corner.

Browse all functional training equipment or the full kettlebell range. For brand detail, read our Jordan kettlebells guide and Jordan functional training guide. Questions? Call 0333 880 3211 or use the contact form.

Pro Gym Essentials — premium home and commercial gym equipment, delivered across UK mainland. Prices taken from our live product pages, 22 October 2026; strength guidance from the UK Chief Medical Officers, the NHS and Sport England's Active Lives survey; evidence from Petré et al., Sports Medicine – Open (2018) and Meigh et al., BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation (2019).