With Amazon Prime Day incorporating literally tens of thousands of deals it can be hard to identify whether a bargain really is that, much less whether it's a product worth your time - and more importantly your money.
Even within the fitness section, there's substantial discounts of up to 60% on everything from weighted hula hoops to protein powders, supplements to quirky golf gadgets and even under-desk cycles to curb inactivity of working from home. But while you can filter by review ratings and look for the biggest discounts, there's nothing better than a personal recommendation.
As a Mirror shopping writer and DDP Yoga teacher I know my way round both the Amazon sale and lots of workout essentials - if I had a specialist subject it would be scoping out the ultimate non-droopy leggings. So off the back of 36 hours covering the biggest online shopping event of the year other than Black Friday, here is my roundup of the best fitness bargains worth your attention this Prime Day.
Sports Bras, Leggings and Workout Clothes
For me the key to a great workout is having gear that leaves you feeling comfortable to move freely however you need to. My deal breaker is a bra supportive enough that you don't feel insecure in it (in either senses of the word) but, at the other end of the scale, without feeling like you're in a corset barely able to breathe.
Prime Day has some solid discounts on sports bras as part of the sale including some great brands like Triumph, Champion and Puma, no matter the level of support you're after.
I was disappointed to see Glamorise didn't reduce their prices for the sale, despite prime position as a featured brand at the top of the page. However even at full price they are worth a go at around the £30 mark if you need a larger bra option. Their bras go up to a H cup and offer reassuringly strong support no matter the position you're in. But as important for me in these bigger size they're also in pretty colour ways and don't fit the over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder cliche of larger bra sizes (although for the record, they are pleasingly secure).
My top tip this Prime Day though - to the extent that I've just bought myself a couple of extra ones for my sportswear drawer - is the Under Armour Medium Support Sports Bra, reduced to just £15.99 a bargain at 41% off. It comes in a range of colours, has a racer back and is both wicking and unwired, making it pretty much the most comfortable option.
Under Armour is my go-to for sports bras anyway, (full disclosure: I seem to collect Project Rock sportswear like other people collect handbags) and at this price it's a real steal. Alternatively, if you want alternate and brighter colours after the Prime Day deals are a distant memory, Under Armour itself is selling the same style, albeit a few pounds more expensive depending on your colour choice.
Under Armour also comes up trumps with some discounts on high rise 7/8 length leggings - I especially love a high rise waist to minimise my mum tum while bending over and they're great for that. My one quibble is only some size/colour combinations are included so unravelling which can be a bit of a faff.
For more of a traditional yoga pant - and with pockets no less, the Holy Grail! - the Neppein leggings are great value at just over £14 (reduced by 28%). I especially love the mesh panel detail.
Yoga Mats
A yoga mat remains a very personal choice when it comes to buying fitness kit, with some people preferring something squishy to maximise comfort, others liking something thin to minimise wobble in challenging positions and me sitting somewhere in between with my beloved Manduka ProLite which sits somewhere in the middle.
SoulSmart has reduced the price of their thick mats by 20%, taking prices down to as little as £14.99 depending on colour choice. Not only does it come with a carrying strap but at 188 centimetres long it's a lot of mat for your money, so perfect for taller people.
If you'd rather have an ultra-thin non-slip mat then Viavito's 4mm thick option is a good choice - especially as it's been reduced to just £9.99 for Prime Day.
Away from more traditional mats, if you've ever been tempted to try a Shakti Mat then now might be the time to splurge, with both the premium brand and some dupes reduced in the sale. Acupressure mats stimulate pressure points on the body in a similar way to accupuncture but without drawing blood. Fans of the mats say they can help alleviate period pain, headaches, muscle soreness, stress and more.
The standard Shakti Mat is 20% off in a range of colours and accupressure levels - basically there are three levels of ferocity the pressure spikes can come in depending on how intense an experience you want.
If you're not sure an accupressure mat is for you then these dupes, reduced to just £17.84 for Prime Day might be a good way to try out the concept without spending a fortune and, what's more, they come with a pillow too to really get into the pressure points of the neck.
I bought a purple one like this several months ago and, while I understand it's shorter than a premium Shakti mat, I've definitely noticed the benefit incorporating it into my post-workout routine: Ten minutes lying on it after my workout sees me sleeping well with no waking up in the night despite my usually interrupted sleep patterns, while if I chill on it for 20 minutes I've been known to doze off actually on the mat.
Fitness Trackers and Heart Rate Monitors
I started out using the DDP Yoga fitness app (not part of the Prime Day sale but currently 20% off with the code SUMMERSALE2023) before braving, and eventually running my own, in-person classes. Two of the heart rate monitors I used to sync with it have both been reduced for Prime Day, and what's more they also work with Map My Run and other health and fitness apps, making them a good choice if you're not bothered by the extra functionality of a smart watch.
The Wahoo Tickr Bluetooth heartrate monitor has been reduced to £34.99 and is a great option for a HRM with a chest strap with good connectivity with not just many popular fitness apps but its own native version. But if chest straps aren't your thing - and if you're trying to tuck it under a sports bra it can sometimes looks connectivity as it moves and loses contact to your skin - the Coospoo Bluetooth Armband is the perfect choice and currently 25% off reduced to £49.
I've used both extensively and found them both really solid if you're looking for a heart rate monitor with minimal functionality. That said, gadget fans rejoice, if you want to buy or upgrade a smart watch that you can use to monitor your fitness then there are plenty of discounts on all the popular brand, including 45% off Fitbits, 51% off Garmin, 54% of Samsung Smartwatches and up to 17% off Apple Watches.
Bluetooth Scales
I know yoga isn't about weight loss for everyone, but tucked away in Amazon's fitness deals is a very handy piece of kit if you're someone who loves data and do weigh yourself.
The Renpho Bluetooth-enabled smart scales are ideal if you're keen to get a grip with your health and are aware that stones, pounds and kilos don't tell the whole story. When I started working out I began to tone up and build muscle my body shape was changing but the scales weren't always reflecting it. These scales did.
The Renpho scales measure not just body weight but also other body composition data including muscle mass, body fat percentage, water and bone density as well as BMI.
There's a very clever app you can sync with Apple or Samsung Health should you wish to, but the scales work in such a way that if you just want to weigh yourself and don't have your phone to hand the data will just sync next time the two gadgets are connected.
What's more, with them being reduced by 44% to £19.99 they're a similar price to a standard set of scales but give you loads more useful information.
