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The 8 Best Ab Rollers for a Building a Strong and Stable Core
Beat lower back pain while also smoking your core
Expert consulted: Andrew Tracey
If you want a harder, stronger six-pack, you need an ab roller. If you want a functional, stronger core — which will support you in almost every single lift — you need an ab roller. They may be compact and relatively cheap, but ab rollers pack a real punch, making them a smart, cost-effective piece of kit worth including in your home gym.
Best Ab Rollers
'An ab roller, or ab wheel, is a small and simple piece of exercise equipment designed to work and strengthen the core muscles, such as the abdominals,' says Men's Health fitness editor Andrew Tracey.
'Usually consisting of a small wheel and simple handles, users hold onto the handles and, with either feet or knees planted on the ground, slowly roll backwards and forwards, stretching and contracting the muscles of the core.' And yeah, in case you were wondering, it's pretty intense. Get ready to shake.
Benefits of Using an Ab Roller
The beauty of an ab roller goes one further than just giving your six-pack a half-decent pump — it'll train your entire core, including your obliques, glutes, lower back and abs in one swoop.
'The ab roller can work the core through a huge range of motion, under massive amounts of resistance, without the necessity for any additional weights, making it a portable and affordable tool that's also effective,' explains Tracey.
'The rectus abdominis, obliques, and erector spinae are all recruited to a high degree in a standard rollout, as well as the muscles of lats, in the back. Due to the unstable nature of the movement, ab roller exercises can build a tremendous amount of core stability, which in turn can lead to strength gains in other lifts, as well as helping you to avoid injury.'
Helping you flex and brace your spine and build strength against rotation, ab rollers also fend off the dreaded rounded back issue that many men face from a sedentary lifestyle. As well as boosting your posture, the concentration required to manoeuvre one gives your brain a decent workout too.
What to Consider
When shopping for an ab wheel you’ll want to consider comfort, stability and resistance, as well as your own fitness level. 'The most important thing to consider when buying an ab roller is high build quality and durability,' says Tracey. 'You're going to be resting your full bodyweight onto this piece of kit in an unbalanced position, so it's important that it isn't going to give way.' Think also about the following.
Wheel
Consider both wheel width and how many you want – some ab rollers come with two. The wider the wheel, the more stability you’ll have. Meanwhile some dual-wheeled ab rollers allow you to adjust their position, either creating one wheel in the middle or splitting them, with a gap in the middle, for a more stable foundation.
Traction
'Consider the type of floor you're going to be using your ab roller on, versus the tread of the wheel; you may need to ensure you have adequate grip, especially if you're going to be using it on a hard wood surface,' advises Tracey. Look for decent traction on the wheel, particularly if you’re using it on smooth flooring. Face planting as you plank is not a great look.
Grip
Ideally your ab roller will have comfortable handles so your wrists and fingers don’t give up before your core does. Look for ergonomic designs with slip-resistant foam.
Resistance
Some ab rollers include spring-loaded resistance to work those abs harder, while helping you maintain balance and form as you roll back in. Some others might use an elastic strap in a similar way.
Extras
If you’re working on hard floors and don’t have a decent exercise mat you might want to shop for an ab wheel that includes a knee pad. Some ab rollers also have foot straps so you can perform a wider range of full-body exercises.
Pros
- Spring resistance mechanism
- Pivot feature to target obliques
Cons
- Wide surface area might not be challenging enough for pros
This barrel-shaped ab roller from Perfect Fitness has thousands of five-star reviews for a reason. It uses a carbon steel spring mechanism to add resistance rolling forward and provide assistance rolling back, plus it can pivot to the right and left, helping you target your obliques.
It also has a wider surface area than the other ab rollers and wheels on this list – and not only do all these features add up to a great workout, they're also cleverly designed to keep you safe while performing an ab rollout.
The ergonomic handles are padded, while a kneepad, ab wheel exercise guide and workout plan are all included in the price.
Pros
- Resistance bands, push-up bars and knee pads included
- Can take a heavy load
Cons
- Wider wheel may not challenge the pros
Kick things up a notch with this ab wheel kit, complete with two resistance bands, two push-up bars and two thick knee pads — plus the all-important ab roller.
Speaking of, this one is extra wide (10.7cm) so is suitable for beginners, but you can get the resistance band involved to make things extra challenging.
The handles are anti-slip, the stainless steel bar through the middle means the roller can take up to a 272kg load, and it comes in black or red. Trust us, this will absolutely torch your core. Good luck with that.
Pros
- Full upper body workout
- Multi-directional travel
Cons
- Double wheels not as unstable as single
Ready to kick things up a notch? Be warned, this set of ab rollers is not for the faint-hearted. Because why should only your abs have all the fun? Give your shoulders, hips and torso a look in too with these core wheels.
They're lightweight, with foam ergonomic handles and low tread (so great for use indoors), but they're anything but easy on your muscles.
A twist on the traditional ab roller, they force you to work your arms independently, making for a great mental as well as physical challenge. Plus you can move in a range of directions, targeting a ton of muscle groups.
Trust us, your upper body (and brain) will thank you.
Pros
- Padded foam handles
- Deep wheel tread
Cons
- Some might prefer a wider wheel
This ab wheel is a sturdy, quality piece of kit that you'd expect from adidas. The wheel is made from durable rubber with a deep tread to stop you from sliding (particularly useful if you have hard floors), and the handles are pretty comfortable too thanks to padded foam.
While narrower than some of the ab rollers on this list, it's still a great option for beginners as you can keep using it as you progress – just start out on your knees if it's a bit too intense.
Amonax Convertible Ab Wheel Roller with Large Knee Mat
Pros
- Adjustable stability
- Knee pad included
Cons
- Water needed on handles when changing foam grips
Want to mix things up? With this ab wheel you can easily switch up the stability thanks to the two wheels — even have them next to each other, performing as one central wheel, or split them apart for some extra support.
A large knee mat and padded foam handles keep things comfortable, while the metal bar gives it a sturdy feel. We think you'll agree that for just over a tenner, it's an absolute bargain.
Pros
- Smooth mover
- Knee mat included
Cons
- Assembly instructions are not included
This ab wheel is one smooth operator. This is thanks to the dual-wheel design that glides easily across any indoor surface, giving you that extra hit of stability – so it's a solid option for beginners.
It's built to last too, with a steel rod and durable tread on the tyres, plus it comes with a comfy, non-slip mat for your knees.
Pros
- Pivot feature to target obliques
- Cheaper than the similar top-rated model
Cons
- No spring resistance
With a 14cm curved wheel this is similar to the Ab Carver Pro above, but at a more wallet-friendly price point. Non-slip rubber tread keeps you steady, while the barrel shape encourages obliques work (we're not just here for the vanity muscles, people).
The handles aren't as comfortable or ergonomically shaped as it's pricier competitor, and it doesn't have spring-loaded resistance for that extra oomph. But this is a well-built, versatile ab roller that will see you through many a core burn.
Pros
- Full body workout
- Narrow wheel to fully engage that core
Cons
- Pricey
This ab wheel was dubbed 'The Best Core Trainer in the World"'by the University of Berkeley, so no biggie.
Grippy tread adds stability, and thanks to the included foot straps, this ab roller can be used with your hands (abs, obliques) or your feet (hamstrings, glutes), making it a super versatile piece of fitness kit.
How to Use an Ab Roller
Don’t let the simplicity of ab rollers fool you – when it comes to using one, there's more than meets the eye. An ab wheel is a relatively safe piece of kit, but you still want to make sure you’re using one correctly to avoid injury. A good place to start is the standard ab rollout — use Tracey's guide below to master it:
- Start in a standing position, with your feet flat on the ground.
- Reach down and place your ab roller on the ground in front of your body, holding both handles.
- Roll forwards on the wheel, attempting to keep your torso rigid throughout.
- Fully extend, with your arms outstretched, upper and lower body almost touching the floor and core tight.
- Contract the muscles of your trunk and back (and honestly, nearly every muscle in your body), to reverse the movement, rolling the wheel back towards your feet and returning to a standing position.
First timer? Tracey has some tips: 'Methods to regress the exercise include starting from your knees; rolling up an incline bench to decrease the resistance; adding a band, attached to your feet, for assistance; rolling towards a wall to create a hard stop; and using a smaller range of motion by not rolling out as far. All of these regressions can be gradually built upon, working towards the full roll out.'
Ideally, the further you go, the harder the move gets. Roll to a distance that's challenging, but don't force your hips to sag — the focus of the movement should be coming from your core. As with any exercise, only do as many reps per set as you manage while still maintaining good form and control.
Alternative Ways to Use an Ab Roller
Nailed the ab rollout? Try these variations and alternative movements, recommended by Tracey:
- Lateral roll-outs: Roll out to the left of the midline of your body, before returning and repeating on the right hand side.
- Ab roller plank: Perform static holds with arms outstretched above the roller. Vary the angles to increase the challenge – the further away from your body the roller is, the more of a challenge the hold will be on your core.
- Single legged rollouts: Lifting one leg from the ground as you rollout will not only further challenge your balance, but it will also work your glutes and lower back.
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Hattie Parish is the Senior Health and Wellness Ecommerce Editor for Women’s Health, Men’s Health and Runner’s World, covering the best gym wear, latest fitness tech and wellness launches worth investing in, plus the best deals during Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day.
As well as clocking up the miles in myriad running socks, pummelling her muscles with massage guns, testing out fitness mirrors and donning dry robes every other weekend, Hattie consults leading experts in the health and fitness industry to help readers make informed decisions when shopping online.
Brought up by two medics, Hattie worked in health clinics before completing a BA in English at King’s College London. She qualified as a journalist in 2015 and has since written for titles such as Healthy magazine, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar and Red, as well as worked commercially with health and wellness clients such as Holland & Barrett, Lloyds Pharmacy and Superdrug.
Hattie is passionate about arming readers with honest, unbiased product reviews and has a particular interest in the role of technology in our wellbeing, as well as gender-based inequalities in healthcare. When she’s not putting gym wear through its paces on the Pilates reformer or kitting out her home gym (garage) with the latest equipment, she’s attempting to make progress on her teetering pile of bedside books, cycling round South East London or sampling wellness retreats for the Women’s Health travel pages.
With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds.
As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men’s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether that’s through writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, taking deep dives into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery.
Whilst constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to multiple 24 hour workout stints and (extremely unofficial) world record attempts.
You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold up a sign for ‘free pizza’ and wait for him to appear.
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