solid build2stable2great value1quality control issues2
“I have the nighthawk and absolutely love it. I couldn’t imagine getting a heavier bench unless you’re like 6 foot four 275 pounds or something ridiculous the nighthawk is perfectly fine for most people.”
Two kinds of published review count: owner reviews on HomeGymRecs and first-hand comments quoted from around the web, each linked to its source. Each one is read as positive, mixed or negative. A owner review's star rating decides it (4–5 positive, 3 mixed, 1–2 negative); quoted comments are judged when they are moderated, and ones nobody has judged yet don't count. Only reviews from the last 3 years count.
The order rewards items that are both well liked and widely discussed: we count how many more positive reviews a item has than an average item with the same number of reviews would have. A item with 33 positive reviews out of 43 therefore ranks above one with 15 out of 17, which is why the order doesn't always follow the share of positive reviews.
This list only takes items where at least 25% of reviews are positive or mixed and tag it “stable”, and fewer reviews tag it “wobbly” than that. The order is led by how many positive or mixed reviews use those tags, counted the same way (above the site average for that many reviews); a item liked more than average gets a smaller bonus (half of its positive reviews above average), and one liked less loses nothing beyond the 60% minimum.
A item needs at least 5 reviews, at least 60% of them positive (mixed counting as half), to be listed, and this list only includes items with a rack or bench or machine category. We never pad a list: only 1 item qualify right now, so that's how many you see.
The list re-ranks itself as new reviews are published. There are no sponsored placements, affiliate links or paid rankings.