Best turbo trainers 2025 — improve your cycling and get fitter by training indoors

Wahoo's Kickr was already one of the best smart trainers you could buy in its previous iterations, and the latest sixth version has been upgraded again with Wi-Fi connectivity and a more refined ERG mode. 

The ride feel is high quality, it's highly accurate with power accuracy a claimed +/-1%, and not even world-class sprinters will trouble its wattage ceiling at a huge 2,200 watts. The Wi-Fi connection is claimed to be 65% faster than Bluetooth or ANT+, so if you race on indoor training platforms like Zwift it's probably the best on the market for ensuring nothing cuts out mid-event. 

Are the upgrades worth the extra £100 over the Wahoo Kickr v5, that is now further discounted in various places? For most of us it's not a big step up; but then again this is the Rolls-Royce of turbo trainers according to our reviewer, who added: "If you want to elevate your Zwift racing experience and ensure your connection is rock-solid and stays uninterrupted, there's nothing quite like the immersive experience offered by the Wahoo Kickr v6 smart trainer." 

There's now the Kickr Move too - essentially the Kickr with some added movement that is also recommended in this guide - but it's hard to justify the extra cost, so we still reckon the latest Kickr is currently the best smart trainer on the market. 

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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. 

The Kickr Core 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 with sub-£500 smart trainers, 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. 

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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. 

It's not the quietest, but that's to be expected at this price point. Overall, this is a very capable proper smart trainer at an impressive price point. 

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If money is no object and/or you like some movement while you train indoors, then Wahoo's newest smart trainer could be just the thing you're after. 

Essentially the Kickr Move is the Wahoo Kickr but with some fore/aft movement and a little bit of side-to-side. The motion provides some extra realism and dynamism, and while it's not exactly like riding outside, our reviewer said it's nice not being stuck in the same position all the time. When seated you're just moving a fraction or two back and forth, and during sprints it's impressively stable. We did find that the movement is a bit distracting during sprints, and the wobble isn't really appreciated - luckily you can lock the trainer out, which we'd recommend for racing or sessions with lots of big sprints. 

Everything else is just as good as the standard Kickr: WiFi connection, 2,200W max power, 20% max grade, +/- 1% accuracy etc, and the ride feel is smooth, accurate and refined. Our reviewer felt it's not quite worth it over the standard Kickr, but if your budget allows then the movement is a nice option to have. 

Elite's Qubo Digital Smart B+ has been around a while now, and that means you can enter into smart training for under £300. If you're not sure if indoor riding is for you and therefore aren’t keen on splashing the cash on a more high tech direct drive model, then this is an excellent and simplistic wheel-on unit for you to try. Compatibility wise, this particular wheel-on turbo trainer allows for wheel sizes ranging from 20” to 700c.

Interestingly, according to Elite, they claim that the maximum resistance offered by the Qubo is 1,070W, which for the vast majority of people would be enough, however if you are someone who often sees past this output then this is unlikely to suit your needs. On the other hand, the accuracy for measuring power is pretty impressive given it’s one of the cheapest smart trainers on the market. In addition to the impressive accuracy, for a wheel-on turbo trainer, this unit is pretty quiet in comparison to others of a similar design, but it unfortunately cannot beat the quiet nature of the direct drive turbos. 

Overall, if what you are looking for in the best turbo trainer is a cheap smart trainer that’s reliable, simple and accurate then this is a solid option. Compared to other wheel-on turbos this one will be hard to beat, but for the money, it’s a no-brainer if you just want to try out indoor riding or are on a budget.

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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, so if noise is an issue for you it might be worth considering quieter trainers such as the Saris H3. 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.

Overall, the Suito is a good piece of equipment for the price. It’s easy to set up and use, and offers good repeatable data with excellent cadence accuracy. 

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