I am a total newcomer when it comes to lifting, so I was looking for an entry level bench for my home gym that was good quality but wouldn’t break my bank. After a lot of online browsing I went with this Hicient model. Here’s how my experience has been so far:The product arrived in good condition. Be aware that this is just the bench, it doesn’t come with the bar or weights (this is listed in the product details but its kind of buried in the fine print). Assembly was much simpler than I anticipated, most of it is done with carriage and hex bolts. It comes with its own allen keys and wrenches, but a socket set will make your life MUCH easier. On my own I had it all put together in about 90 minutes. It all feels sturdy and the bench seat itself has adequate padding. I do wish the bench was a little longer - I’m just under 6’ and I seem to be pretty much at the limit, something you should consider if you’re taller.About a month in and I’ve been using this three or four times a week and so far, its been great. I bought a 7’ Olympic bar with a 2 inch diameter and it sits comfortably on the bar rests. I’ve been using 25, 10, and 5 pound weights for the bench leg and arm extensions and have had no problems. The moving parts work well and it came with the clips to hold the weights securely in place. The only issue is the weights I bought were made for the two inch diameter bar and the bench looks like its meant for one inch, so there’s a lot of clanging when I lift but that’s on me for not checking the size beforehand.Overall, this is a good quality product and an affordable option in a sea of weight benches priced at $750 and above. Very happy so far!
