Stacoo Adjustable Weight Bench Review: a heavy duty Beast for under $200

Is the Stacoo Weight Bench a beast of a bench? Almost! Would I call it a heavy-duty weight bench? Yes, I would. It’s not commercial grade, but it’s not far off. It’s a solid bench for the price.

A lot of users are comparing the Stacoo Bench to the benches they’ve used in their local gyms, but I personally wouldn’t go that far.

The adjustable benches you use in gyms are commercial grade, weighing around 100lb. The Stacoo Bench weighs 45lb, so while it’s not gym quality, it’s still heavy duty. 45lb for a home gym bench is pretty heavy, and it’s a good sign the Stacoo Bench is made from high-quality materials.

And this thing is stable, you have nice, wide stabilizing feet at the rear of the bench, capped in anti-slip rubber, meaning no movement even on polished floors.

Stability is most important when choosing a weight bench, nobody wants a wobbly bench, especially if you plan on lifting heavy. Stability is not a problem with the Stacoo Weight Bench.

The Stacooo Weight Bench is certainly an adjustable bench I want to take a much closer look at, and today, we’ll take a close look at all the pros and any drawbacks, as there are a few.

Also, I’ll compare the Staccoo to another heavy-duty fav of mine in the Under $200 price category, the Marcy SB-8026 Deluxe Utility Bench. It will be interesting to see how these two match up.

First a quick look at the Stacoo Adjustable Weight Bench product specs!

Why Do We Like The Stacoo Weight Bench?

Once you’ve got this bench assembled, what’s going to strike you first is just how solid this bench is. It’s rock solid, as I already mentioned in the intro, it’s really what sells this bench. There are no annoying wobbles.

It’s a sturdy, adjustable bench. And thats exsacltly what you want. If you take your training seriously, then you need a serious bench like the Stacoo.

Fast To Adjust Ladder System For Backpad

A standout feature of this bench is the ladder adjustment system for the backpad. I always reccomend when choosing a weight bench for a home gym to choose one with a ladder adjustment system.

The reason I favour the ladder adjustment system over the pull pin systems is that the ladder is so much faster to adjust, also it’s more sturdy and can handle more weight than the pull pin systems.

It makes me happy when I see manufacturers using the ladder system on their benches, not just because it’s faster to adjust, but it’s safer too, there’s no risk of pins snapping when lifting heavy, all round its just a much better adjustment system for the backpad

Click here to check price of the Stacoo Weight Bench on Amazon

8 Position Backpad but no Decline

The Stacoo boasts 8 adjustment angles for its back pad, which is more than enough for all your incline-pressing needs, but there’s no decline, and that’s due to the bench’s design. I’ve come across this frame design a few times, and none can accommodate a decline angle.

So it does mean there’s no decline pressing with this bench, which is a shame, but if you really want to add some mass to your lower pecs, get hold of a dip station and a weight belt.

Weighted dips are an excellent alternative to decline pressing, and I feel add mass to the lower pecs much faster than decline pressing.

A 90 and 78 degrees

For seated shoulder presses, the bench includes a full 90 degrees and a 78 degrees. If I owned this bench, I’d use the 78-degree angle for seated shoulder presses, as it would allow me to arch my back slightly, which, for me, provides a more stable base to press from and means more power.

With 90-degree seated shoulder presses, I feel like I’m almost falling forward, and it’s off-putting.

Still, what’s good about this bench is that you have a choice. If you like to arch your back just slightly, you can use the 78 degrees, but if you prefer shoulder pressing with the full 90 degrees, you have that too. So thumbs up to Stacoo for including both.

Ideally, I’d like to see 85 degrees for seated shoulder presses, but heck, we can’t have everything.  90 and 78 are good enough for a home bench.

4-Way Adjustable Seat

An adjustable seat is an essential feature when choosing a weight bench, especially if you plan on lifting heavy.

An adjustable seat stops your butt from slipping down the seat. It provides you with a stable base to press from when incline pressing. It’s a feature I would never go without, and a decent adjustable weight bench should always include.

The Stacoo Bench includes a 4-position adjustable seat, again, more than enough for incline pressing.

The Padding – and It’s Important

The padding for the seat and backpad is more important than you think. Too thick and soft; it’s going to cause stability issues. Too hard and thin, it will be off-putting and uncomfortable.

Industry standard for a weight bench is anything between 2 and 3″ for the padding, and the Stacoo weight bench uses 2.4″ padding, so that’s great, it’s what I expect from a well-made bench.

But what I also like about the Stacoo weight bench padding is that it’s made from high-density foam.

High-density foam is the gold standard for weight benches; it’s not too hard or too soft, it’s just right, and it’s what you should be looking for when choosing a bench for home.

Can the Stacoo Weight Bench handle 1300lb?

We know the Stacoo Bench is heavy-duty; this thing is rock solid, so I’d expect to boast a pretty high weight capacity, but I think Stacoo has been a little unrealistic with the weight capacity. 1300lb is a lot. Most commercial benches don’t even boast capacities that large.

I think the Stacoo bench might be able to handle it a few times, but on a daily basis, I doubt it. A more realistic weight capacity for a well-made heavy-duty bench that costs around $200 would be more like 800lb.

Is There Anything I Didn’t Like?

The Stacoo Weight is hard to fault for the price point. I like this bench; bang for your buck, it’s a winner.

Still, there isn’t an incline angle for the backpad, which is going to put off a few people. Also, I noticed it’s quite a long weight bench. I think the backpad is like 33″, which is longer than most.

A 33″ backpad is great if you’re a taller user, but a long bench can be problematic when used with a power rack/cage. This bench will not fit all racks, so be sure to take your measurements first if you plan to use it with a rack.

1 Hour Assembly

Sadly, this is not a weight bench that arrives fully assembled, even partly assembled, you need to put this one together yourself. It’s not difficult, just follow the instructions and take your time, it’s important you get it right.

A few users mentioned it took around an hour. There’s an assembly video on Amazon that shows step-by-step instructions, which makes the whole thing much easier.

Alternative

Marcy Deluxe Utility Weight Bench SB-8062

I first started reviewing Marcy Weight Benches more than 10 years ago, and these guys never fail to impress me, in terms of quality for the price, they’re usually unbeatable. And the Marcy SB-8062 is no different.

It’s another excellent bench for Mracy, that, just like the Stacoo bench, offers a heavy-duty build at an affordable price point.

The Marcy Bench is very similar to the Stacoo bench; both share the same frame design, and both have similar weights. The Marcy Bench weighs 50lb, and the Stacoo 45lb.

Both include the impressive ladder adjustment system for the backpad, both have 4-way adjustable seats, and both use the high-density foam for the padding; they’re almost identical benches.

Still, there are a few differences. The Stacoo bench has more angles for the backpad; the Marcy has just 6, and the Stacco 8. The Stacoo’s backpad is longer, so it can accommodate taller users.

I think the max height for the Marcy bench is about 6’2″. It’s a heavy-duty compact bench, which does have its advantages, as it can fit into most racks and cages, which, for me, is a big thumbs up.

Still, what’s so surprising about the Marcy SB-8062 is its price, right now, you can get hold of this impressive heavy-duty bench for just under $100, which is a total steal. I don’t know how long Marcy will keep this bench at this price point, but fingers crossed, they’ll keep it there a while.

To Sum Up

Stacoo has really impressed with their heavy-duty bench. It’s also had a lot of praise from its users, which is great to hear for a fairly new company, and their gym gear.  And I was just as impressed, especially with the Stacoo Weight Benches design, it’s a well-made, solid bench, those wide rear stabilizing feet help a lot with stability. No annoying wobbles for you to deal with.

The ladder adjustment system, the high-density foam, and the adjustable seat are all features I love to see on a weight bench. Ok, it’s a shame there’s no decline angle for the back pad, but it’s not a deal-killer.

Overall, a very solid offering from Stacoo, for the price, you certainly won’t be disappointed.