Looking to take your riding indoors? Here’s our selection of the best turbo trainers plus everything you need to know before buying

The Kickr Core is the most affordable direct drive offering in Wahoo's range alongside the updated Kickr Core Zwift One, and you'll be pleasantly surprised to know that it sacrifices very little compared to the top-end Kickr trainer. We found it to be smooth and stable while providing impressively accurate power data. We were also particularly impressed with the ERG mode. 

It can handle a maximum of 1,800 watts of resistance and comes with a 5.4kg flywheel that's controlled by an electromagnetic resistance unit. It's virtually silent and gradient simulation is up to 16%, plus you get all the bits for attaching disc or rim brake bikes in the box. It's not exactly portable and doesn't have a carry handle, but if you have a dedicated space to train this won't be an issue. 

The accuracy is excellent considering it's not a top-of-the-range trainer, and we found it to be consistently within +/-2% of our power meter in comparison tests. Recalibration is only required when you move the trainer, so it's literally plug and play in most cases.  

While it's now not the cheapest since other players have come into the market, very few riders will be disappointed if they go for the Kickr Core. Wahoo has also now launched the Kickr Core Zwift One that is compatible with Zwift's Cog system, meaning you won't need a cassette and can shift virtually instead. They're both the same price and the cassette-driven Kickr Core is still going to be in Wahoo's range for the foreseeable. 

The Saris Fluid2 is straightforward, affordable and simple: a classic wheel-on style turbo trainer which does its job very well, which is why the design hasn't really changed for years. At under 100 quid at numerous online retailers at the time of writing, there's little reason why you wouldn’t pick one up to use on the less than favourable winter days, unless your budget stretches a lot further of course. 

The Fluid2 uses fluid resistance as the name suggests, which technically means there is no limit to how much resistance this trainer can handle (although it will start to feel unstable if you really sprint). There's a handy click mechanism at the back to tell you when your tyre is properly mounted, so there's no guesstimating involved during set up. 

But, just because this offering from Saris is cheap, it doesn’t mean you have to miss out on riding with friends or using your favourite indoor riding apps. Usefully fitted with a speed/cadence sensor, this means that the unit works with training apps like Zwift and Rouvy. Therefore, although basic, you can still enjoy some visual stimulation and motivation for a fraction of the price of other turbo trainers. That being said, it isn’t as quiet as a direct drive turbo and the simulated power reading will just be an estimation. 

If what you want is a standard, simple, easy to use turbo trainer that is both user-friendly and much cheaper than what’s currently available on the market, the Fluid2 is a very good option. It’s basic, but it does the job and does it well. 

At its current bargain price, the Pinnacle HC Turbo Home Trainer is very affordable for a direct-drive unit. It works seamlessly with all your favourite training apps and you can expect mostly reliable figures from its built-in power and cadence sensors.  

Although it doesn't fold up for easy storage, if you have a dedicated space then the set-up is nice and easy. The freehub is designed for Shimano and SRAM cassettes, and adaptors for rim or disc brake bikes are included. A riser block to keep your front wheel fixed in place is also included. 

We found the Pinnacle offers a smooth ride feel from its 5.7kg flywheel and it fels nice and natural, and the power delivery is good. The maximum gradient simulation is 20% and the wattage ceiling is a huge 2,500 watts, which no mortals will ever trouble. Our reviewer found the power to read around 3% higher in a comparison with a power meter crank, but this was mostly consistent throughout the sessions with only occasional drifting. 

The Flux S direct drive turbo is an excellent and pretty affordable smart trainer from one of the biggest companies in the business: Tacx. This pick in our best turbo trainers selection offers a smooth ride quality and doesn’t produce much noise at all. It’s also very accurate and offers great consistency of numbers, so it’s a great option for those wanting an indoor trainer for the colder months or to mix up their training. 

Tacx claims the Flux S reads your power to an accuracy of +/- 3%. As well as that, this model can also simulate a maximum resistance of 1,500W which is very reasonable and good enough for most riders and their training needs. Additionally, the Flux S can simulate a climb of up to 10%. It’s also worth noting that the latest version now allows for the use of both gravel and mountain bikes as it has enough clearance for a long-arm derailleur.

Overall, the Tacx Flux S smart trainer is a solid option for training purposes. It’s easy to set up and connect to your other devices which is great, but on the other hand, the max resistance offered is a little lower than other direct drives. Also, it does notably struggle at delivering lower levels of resistance. But for the price, it’s a great option.

Elite's Suito sits at the cheaper end of the direct drive trainer market, but it's well made and the performance is great for what you pay. As the basis for a lower budget smart set-up it's without a doubt an excellent starting point. It’s also compatible with training apps, easy to set up and the Suito-T version also comes with a  Shimano and SRAM-compatible 11-speed cassette; a useful feature if it's compatible with your bike and/or if you aren’t too sure on how to fit one.

Although this turbo trainer is well priced for what it offers, it is unfortunately a bit noisier than other direct drive options. We also found the power accuracy isn't quite as good as more expensive trainers such as the Wahoo Kickr, but it's definitely good enough to provide you with repeatable training numbers if that’s what your main focus is.