Speediance Expands Smart Home Gym Lineup with Gym Monster 3, 3S and Ultra Models

The Gym Monster 3 delivers up to 220 lb of digital resistance, the 3S reaches 260 lb, and the Ultra adds a 33-position cable system with integrated pull-up hardware. The pitch is AI coaching, a high-res touchscreen, and a footprint small enough for apartment use—though that last claim depends entirely on which model you're sizing up.

Resistance: What 260 lb Actually Buys You

The 3S tops out at 120 kg (260 lb), adjustable in 1 lb increments. That's a real ceiling for most home athletes—enough load for weighted pull-ups, heavy goblet squats, single-leg work, and progressive overload across the main compound patterns. The base 3 caps at 220 lb. Fine for general strength and conditioning. Limiting if you're chasing serious load numbers.

Nineteen cable positions on a 7.5 cm grid. Denser than most wall-mounted racks, and it gives cleaner pull angles across different body sizes. Speediance also flags reinforced welds and a stiffer arm structure—direct fixes for the wobble complaints that dogged earlier units. Hardware-first upgrade. Good.

Both machines stay freestanding. No drilling, no wall mounting required. Footprint: roughly 0.84 m² unfolded, 0.26 m² folded. For apartment dwellers, that folded number is the real headline.

Ultra: A Different Machine, Not a Bigger 3

The Ultra is a 2.27 m frame with 33 cable positions, including a dedicated overhead track for a fixed vertical lat pulldown. That matters. Most cable-only home gyms can't replicate a true vertical pull path. There's also an adjustable thigh restraint and movable lower pulleys that follow the direction of pull—closer to a commercial cable crossover than a compact home unit.

Resistance still peaks at 260 lb. The platform is 0.88 m²—64% more space than the previous generation, per the source. Fully deployed with the lat-pulldown arms, the operating footprint reaches 2.08 m². Folded, it drops to 0.59 m². So "compact" is relative. You need clear floor space to actually use it.

Hardware, Hype, and the Buy/Skip Call

The display is a 23.8-inch WQHD touchscreen (2560 × 1440) with 20 W speakers and training-responsive ambient lighting. Voice control, four resistance modes, plus Assist Mode and Partner Mode are all included. The AI-Powered Coach is the lead marketing angle—but there's no public data yet on sensor accuracy, rep-tracking reliability, or how the system adapts training over weeks. That's the first thing to verify before dropping serious cash.

The new Pilates kit—loops, straps, platform extensions, mat—is a niche add. But it broadens the use case beyond pure resistance for users who want mobility, core work, and rehab on the same unit.

Verdict: If your training is HIIT and bodyweight with light accessory work, the 3 is overkill. If you're building a real home strength setup and don't need a full cable crossover, the 3S is the value play—full resistance ceiling, same screen, same AI claims, smaller footprint. The Ultra only makes sense if you need the vertical lat pulldown mechanics and the expanded cable range for serious pulling work. Otherwise it's an expensive footprint upgrade.