Includes: leg extension, chest press, chest flye, lat pull-down, low cable

This is an attractive and compact (perhaps a little too compact for the larger gent) unit that feels solidly built. The chest press turns into a flye at the flick of a switch, which is a nice touch, and you get a good range of resistance up to 200lb (90kg) thanks to the 20 weight plates in the stack.

On the down side, there are no foot rests for doing rows with the low cable, and the cables could do with a greater range of motion (a problem with all the machines). However, the Studio 5 is still good value.

Includes: leg extension, chest press, chest flye, lat pull-down, low cable, crunch cable

More expensive than the others but worth the extra cash. It’s as solid as
a rock and looks like a professional machine. The flye has a good range
of motion and the pivoting handles make the movement feel more natural than the others on test.

The low cable is on the side of the unit, so it doesn’t interfere with the other parts, and the stack of 20 plates ensures you get a good range of resistance. The crunch cable above the seat adds another dimension to your workout. With this machine, you’ll never miss your gym.

Includes: leg extension, chest press, chest flye, lat pull-down, low cable
This looks a bit stapled together in parts but is solid nonetheless. The action of the chest press is among the best on test, although the flye has an awkward feel to it and the arms clunk together harshly at the end of the move. With 15 plates in the weight stack, you get a reasonable range of resistance up to 150lb (68kg), although the range of motion on cables could be better.

Includes: leg extension, chest press, chest flye, lat pull-down, low cable and optional leg press

The version of the Kettler machine tested by MF used ropes instead of cables, which immediately lowered its score. But we’re assured that the newest version comes with cables. That aside, it still failed to impress, mainly because you need to remove the leg pads in order to use the low cable. The optional leg press created even more fiddling about. We prefer to move from one exercise to the next without the need for a spanner.

The leg pads chafe your shins, the range of motion on the cables is poor and it has only ten weight plates, limiting your range of resistance. The chest press works nicely, though.