Best smart indoor trainers 2023 reviewed and rated

One of the greatest benefits that the best turbo trainers – whether 'smart' or 'classic' – is that they allow you to get in a quality workout, without worrying about the weather. Just make sure to use a fan so you don’t end up wetter than you would outside.

Since the advent of smart turbo trainers, there is now the option to pair up with apps that immerse you in a virtual reality cycling world, rather than just setting the resistance level yourself. Our page on indoor cycling apps compared: Zwift vs TrainerRoad vs The Sufferfest (opens in new tab) directly looks at the differences between the most popular ones.

Part of the attraction of turbo trainers is that they are easy to fold up and store once you've finished your session. But if you are looking for a more permanent indoor setup, then our guide to the best exercise and best smart bikes (opens in new tab) should help you decide what sort is right for you. 

We've also looked at the alternative of rollers towards the bottom of the page and we've got a separate guide to the best bike rollers if you want more details.

Although the depths of winter is the peak time for turbo trainers, there are still plenty of deals to be scooped up any time of year – from a combination of retailers offering 'loss leading' discounts and new releases devaluing older models.

Our pick of the best smart turbo trainers

We've ridden and rated the top-selling smart trainers below, using Zwift (opens in new tab) as the virtual testing ground, taking into account their user-friendliness, functionality, features, and price for an overall score. 

We recognise that the top smart turbo trainers are a big investment, so if you are on a tight budget you'll be pleased to hear it's still possible to get a cheap Zwift setup (opens in new tab), especially if you opt for one of the best cheap trainers out there. 

If you are totally new to turbo training, our beginner's guide to indoor cycling (opens in new tab) has everything you need to get you up and running.

Bikes attach to turbos in two ways: with the 'wheel-on' type your bike is fixed to an A-shaped frame and its rear wheel drives a roller; with the 'direct drive' type you remove your bike's rear wheel and attach it directly via its dropouts to the turbo, which includes a cassette. Our wheel-on vs direct drive turbo trainers (opens in new tab) page weighs up the pros and cons of both. 

Entry level smart indoor trainers

Verdict

In all, the Tacx Flux S will be the best turbo for the vast majority of people. It has by far and away the best ride feel, both in terms of the ‘real world’ stability of the trainer and the simulated resistance. In these aspects, the Flux S isn’t just the best on test, it’s better than some higher end turbo trainers too.

The Tacx does have some limitations, though. It is fundamentally quite awkward to move around and it doesn’t simulate gradients high enough for vEveresting or have power accuracy good enough for eRacing. The second two points likely aren’t going to be significant considerations for most people, though, which is partly why the Flux S claims the top spot.

Those limitations are all answered by the Wahoo Kickr Core, which is much more compact and easy to move, as well as having the power accuracy and gradient stats sufficient for both those pursuits. However, it is £100 more expensive, the stability and ride feel aren’t on the same level as the Tacx Flux S, and eEveresting and eRacing are still (relatively) niche.

The Elite Zumo delivers an excellent training platform that’s really quite convenient. Its wide legs make it the second most stable, yet these can also be folded away. The light weight (lightest on test) and carry handle add to the portability.

Despite the similarly light flywheel (also the lightest on test) the ride feel is generally also really quite good. The downsides are the tendency to ‘death spiral’ in erg mode and the low resistance when free-riding. The price, however, is the lowest on test.

Finally, we have the Jet Black Volt 2. The list price is high, equal to the Wahoo Kickr Core (although it can often be found at a discount), but whilst the stats are among the highest – joint highest maximum resistance and gradient, second highest power accuracy – it is let down by the choppy ride feel when pushing moderately low power and cadence numbers while climbing. 

In missing out on the ±2% cut off for eRacing, it means that despite the rest of the spec sheet chalking up quite well, the Volt 2 can’t be pitched as a ‘numbers’ turbo, as the Wahoo Kickr Core can. 

Entry level smart indoor trainers: reviews

The Elite Zumo’s spec sheet totally belies what a well rounded trainer this is. The cheapest trainer on test, it’s also the lightest and has the lightest flywheel, the claimed accuracy is joint worst at ±3% and the maximum resistance is the lowest at 1,350w. The slope simulation stands out in being second shallowest at 12%.

Most of those points are immaterial, though. The max gradient of 12% is still more than enough for all your low cadence/high power interval needs – it’s just that you’ll be pushing a slightly larger gear than with a Tacx Neo 2T or a Wahoo Kickr. Plus, if you haven’t fiddled with the default realism settings in Zwift at all, the maximum gradient of 22% will be reduced to 11% and within the trainer’s capabilities.

The maximum resistance of 1,350w is worth a little more of a consideration than that of the other turbos on test as it’s not a number that’s unfeasible for amateur riders to top. But as an amateur rider who’s never once topped 1,300w, I still haven’t been able to test its limits.

With that out of the way, let’s get onto the more important bits. First, the ride feel. Despite having the lightest flywheel on test, the sensation riding was really very smooth - much better than the Jet Black Volt 2, which we’ll get on to later. Riding around the Sand And Sequoias map on Zwift, it responded to the gradient changes quickly and proportionally with barely any lag.

So far so good, but the flipside to this is that when riding in erg mode and doing a session such as 20/40s or 10x1min – anything where there’s a big power differential – you can quietly easily end up in something of a ‘death spiral’ of ever increasing resistance as you struggle to spin your legs up to speed.

This is something that’s true of all trainers to some extent, it’s generally a good idea to spin up your cadence just before entering those intervals to give yourself a bit of a buffer. But this was a particular issue for the Zumo – and was also a problem for the higher end Direto that we tested last year, so it seems that this is a more general problem for Elite.

And speaking of general problems for Elite, when doing turbo sessions without erg mode, I found it was quite easy to end up running out of gears and spinning out. Even with a 50x11t combination – actual road, not gravel – I had to pedal uncomfortably fast to hold 250w. 

This isn’t an issue if you only free-ride in events and the like with the realism on, and it’s not an issue if you only ride in erg mode (plenty of resistance can be provided there). But this is an issue for those who like the mental challenge of consciously holding a set wattage. And this is also an issue that Elite turbos have had problems with in the past – not the aforementioned Direto, that was fine, but the lower end wheel-on Tuo.

In all, the Zumo is super portable thanks to its carry handle, foldable legs and general lightweight build. At the same time, it’s very stable thanks to its wide footprint and the resistance is very nicely controlled and feels very smooth despite the smaller flywheel.

It’s let down by the propensity to ‘death-spiral’ when doing interval sessions with large power differentials in erg mode – an issue shared by its big brother, the Direto. And it’s also let down by the low resistance when riding without the erg more or any realism, spinning out at about 250w – an issue shared by its little brother, the Tuo.

First off, this is a really great turbo trainer. But that’s what makes this one a little frustrating, as it is just so close to being the obvious go-to for pretty much everyone. But, as it is, there will be some people for whom it’s not quite the right model – let’s go though the performance.

With the heaviest flywheel on test, the Flux S also comes in as the heaviest trainer overall. Couple that with its unique footprint and you’ve got an incredibly stable platform – I’d say even potentially a little more stable than its big brother, the Tacx Neo 2T, which I tested last year.

Likewise, the resistance and ride feel of this entry-level model is impressively close to that of Tacx’s flagship trainer. Changes in gradient were fast and smooth, whilst the resistance remained steady even when climbing at a low speed and low cadence – a challenging combination for a trainer.

The erg mode coped well with even large differences in power. The resistance would ramp up quickly whilst also not crushing my cadence in the way the Zumo did. Another point of contrast is that when riding without the erg mode on or not up any virtual gradients, I was able to push a comfortable cadence at 250w with plenty of sprockets to spare – no danger of spinning out.

In terms of the virtual ride feel and stability of the turbo, this was the best on test – and is better even than some turbos at a higher price point. The Elite Direto unequivocally and, for me, also the Wahoo Kickr – but we’ll get into that in more detail later on.

In having swept up on the fundamentals, it’s fair to ask whether it goes on to clear any of the higher bars – is there any point in buying a more expensive model? Sadly, yes there is. But only for people with quite specific use cases. 

First, the accuracy. Rated at ±3% this is the same as the Zumo. But it’s worth pointing out this doesn’t meet the ±2% cut off for the upper echelons of Zwift racing. For most people, this isn’t a consideration – the majority of Zwift users aren’t racers, and it’s only a very small subsection of them who would be racing in those categories. But it’s worth being aware of.

Similarly, for challenges such as a ‘virtual’ everesting, the rules stipulate that the realism must be set to 100%. If you’re planning on using the Alpe du Zwift for your attempt, then you’re going to fall foul of ‘the rules’, as the maximum gradient there is 14%.

Again both these points won’t matter to most people, and is part of the reason why this is the trainer that we would recommend overall. But just because this trainer is so good, it is worth being aware of exactly where the limitations are, so that there aren’t any surprises. 

The other consideration is that this is not a trainer for moving about or stowing away. The legs don’t fold and it is really very heavy.

The Wahoo Kickr Core and the Tacx Flux S line up for a particularly interesting contrast. It’s almost like a Venn diagram, but where the two circles have been pushed together so that it’s just a thin sliver on either side where there isn’t any overlap.

We’ll blast through the fundamentals pretty quickly again because, like the Tacx Flux S, the Wahoo Kickr Core executes these so well that it’s worth spending a bit more time on the hair splitting points of differentiation.

Starting with the ride feel, I’d actually argue that the Core does better (in some aspects) than the flagship Kickr V5 I tested last year (although this model has now been surpassed by the V6).

How can this be? Well, my assumption is that it’s down to the weight of the flywheels. With the Kickr V5, it always felt like there was a great deal of inertia to spin up when accelerating – for me it was a little less like riding out on the open road and a little more like that of a ‘spin bike’, with their huge fixed-gear flywheels.

True, the Tacx Neo 2T itself boasts an electromagnetic flywheel that can simulate a weight of up to 125kg, but it’s not simulating that all the time, and, in my opinion, it has more of a ‘road feel’ than that of a Kickr V5. 

Coming back to the Kickr Core, with the flywheel being 5.4kg compared to the 7.3kg of the V5, the sensation of accelerations felt just that bit more natural for me. Although this should be heavily caveated with the point that if you’re a heavier rider, you might well find the opposite.

In terms of the response to sudden changes of gradient and interval sessions with large differentials of power in erg mode, the resistance changed smoothly and quickly. It also didn’t have a particular propensity to ‘death spiral’ and force you into pushing an ever lower cadence – all very good and very similar to the Kickr V5.

As mentioned, the Kickr Core does manage to hit points that the Tacx Flux S has missed. With an accuracy of ±2%, this is one of the cheaper entry points to high-end indoor racing. Plus, with a maximum gradient of 16%, you’ll be able to cut your vEversting teeth on the Alp du Zwift and feel every ramp. It’s also an easier trainer to move around than the Flux S and takes up less space.

However, there are points which do let it down in comparison to the Flux S. First is the stability: these two-bar designs are much less stable than three leg versions – and the Flux is particularly solid. 

Then there’s the price. £100 more might not be too much when choosing between bikes, but it’s a sizable chunk when it comes to turbos.

Let’s get this out the way first: the Jet Black Volt 2 does look pretty similar to the Wahoo Kickr Core. Coming in at the same list price, simulating the same maximum gradient and delivering the same maximum resistance – you might start to wonder if anything is different at all.

On closer inspection, there are quite a few areas where the two trainers are distinct. The first clue is in the weight. At 15.4kg for the Jet Black Volt 2 compared to 18.0kg for the Wahoo Kickr Core, there’s obviously quite a chunk – to the tune of 2.6kg – that does vary between the trainers. 

Part of that is down to the heft of the flywheel, coming in at 4.7kg for the Jet Black – the second lightest on test – compared to 5.4kg for the Wahoo Kickr Core. The housing of the flywheel also varies between them, with the Jet Black having a bit more of a plastic covering. 

Rounding out the physical differences, the Volt 2’s legs are oval rather than circular and the front bar is fixed in place, whereas the Wahoo Kickr Core can be adjusted vertically. 

The performance is quite different as well – although this doesn’t reflect so well on the Australian brand. Riding the Volt 2 on steep virtual climbs, the resistance felt distinctly choppy. It was like pushing through treacle between two and four o’clock on the pedal stroke, but past that it would ease up significantly - almost slipping past - before ramping up again at two o’clock on the other crank arm. 

To be fair, this wasn’t an issue when pushing higher power and cadence numbers (around 270w and 90 RPM), but the 180w and the 70 RPM that I was having these problems at aren’t ridiculously low. Even the most powerful riders ride around that level when recovering between intervals – and for others this will be within their training zones.

I’m not entirely sure what the exact issue is here. You might think that it was the relatively light flywheel struggling with the steeper gradients, but the 7% inclines I first noticed the issue on were easily handled by the Elite Zumo – which has a lighter flywheel and a lower maximum gradient. 

Although, with that said, the erg mode wasn’t as aggressive as the Elite’s and it was possible to ride without any additional resistance from climbs or the erg mode without spinning out – so the Volt 2 does have some positives over the Zumo. 

But overall, the Tacx Flux S simply has a significantly better ride feel and, in those areas where the Flux S isn’t the test leader (i.e. accuracy and gradient simulation), the Volt 2 doesn’t ‘do the double’ either and so isn’t a compelling option.

High-end turbo trainers

The Wahoo Kickr V6 has been one of the top direct-drives ever since the original model was launched 10 years ago. The recent updates have added WiFi connectivity and a smoothed ERG mode which improve the Kickr that much further, albeit incrementally rather than fundamentally. 

Should your legs be able to get anywhere close to it, the maximum power of the Kickr V6 is 2,200W, it offers a simulated gradient of -10 to 20% and power accuracy of +/-1%. All impressive numbers. 

Our tester found that the ride feel is impressive too; smooth and responsive with a well-tuned ERG function that does such a good job at matching your torque and cadence to your power targets you wouldn't know it was happening if it wasn't for the numbers in front of you. The new ERG Easy Ramp gives you a bit of leeway to get going again should you dare slack off your effort for a few seconds. 

As well as automatic firmware updates, integrated WiFi allows for easier and more stable connection to your devices which will help you and your system keep up with the capabilities of the training apps and the ever-more immersive virtual riding experience. 

Read more: Wahoo Kickr V6 smart turbo trainer full review

Being the most expensive trainer on test, naturally it’s also the one which offers the most in terms of added features. Equally, in charging such a premium, Tacx has set a very high bar for itself that it now has to clear.

Just relating to its packability, the Neo 2T isn’t as user friendly as the other turbo trainers. Folding the legs up – rather than just sliding them together – presents a bit more of a faff, while the lack of a single carry handle means that the turbo requires a full two hands to port it around. 

But when set up, the Neo 2T does deliver a pretty unique riding experience – for one thing, it’s able to simulate the sensation of riding over cobbles, wooden boards and other surfaces really quite realistically by just modulating the resistance through the pedals. You might have thought some form of jolting or vibration would be necessary but, from my experience, surprisingly not.

There’s also a large degree of inbuilt flex to better simulate the natural sway of riding outdoors. Wahoo has attempted something similar with its new feet for the Kickr, but the result is much less noticeable. 

Finally, the Neo 2T’s electromagnetic flywheel really nails the feeling of sprinting out on the road. You get that feeling of massive torque as you first stamp on the pedals and get the gear turning, with that resistance quickly easing off as you spin up to speed – requiring fast, repeated shifts down the cassette to match that speed.

It’s all very impressive, but for sprints and hard efforts on the turbo, realism can be more of a hindrance than a help. That inbuilt flex makes the turbo feel a bit of a noodle and really hampered my top-end power output. Also, the lifelike mimicking of the resistance when sprinting means that you’re forced into really, really shifting through the gears, increasing the chances of a miss-shift as well as cognitive load.

Of course, perfecting your gear shifts while sprinting is a skill that’s necessary to learn, but that’s best done when out on the road, actually sprinting, and honing your handling and body position at the same time. On the turbo, it’s generally nicer to just focus on the effort.

The erg mode felt super fluid and the changes to resistance felt very natural – even for large swings, as in a 30s on 30s easy session. An added bonus is that the trainer doesn’t need to be calibrated, so you can just hope straight on and go, which is always nice. Also, the watts drop to zero pretty quickly, so it’s good for that aspect of Zwift racing, if not so good for sprinting.

In all, the lack of a good carry handle, the instability and resistance curve for sprinting and the high price all count against the Tacx Neo 2T. It ranks very well for realism, with that sway, resistance curve and surface simulation, but the lack of matching riser unit availability does make it difficult to fully recommend as the ‘ultimate realism experience.’

The Saris H3 is the most pared back of all the trainers on test. In terms of extras, there’s no option for a riser unit to lift the front wheel, there’s no inbuilt rocking function to simulate the sway of a bike or any other novelties to add to the indoor riding experience. 

Instead, the H3 is all about delivering a solid platform for hard efforts – which could very well be all you're after. There's little point in paying extra for features you're not going to benefit from and the H3 does undercut the Wahoo Kickr and Tacx Neo 2T on price. 

Although not the heaviest, the Saris H3 is the most solid direct drive turbo I’ve come across for sprints. That’s not to say it stays perfectly in place – not even the Tacx Neo Bike Smart does – but it represents a significant step up from other trainers. Like the Elite Direto XR-T, the resistance curve when sprinting also has a good feel to it, not requiring an excessive number of shifts as you wind up the watts.

Packing the turbo away, the legs fold elegantly into the body, leaving a width comparable to the Elite Direto XR-T, but having a significantly shorter footprint and standing a little lower. The carry handle is in essentially the same position as the Direto XR-T, which means carrying it around is equally more cumbersome than the Kickr.

The sensation of the erg mode is kind of middle of the road. I didn’t have any issues with death spirals of ever increasing resistance and the changes in resistance didn’t catch me by surprise. But it did lack a bit of a feeling of souplesse that the Tacx Neo 2T and Wahoo Kickr have been able to capture.

Onto the negatives, the fact that you do have to manually perform calibration spindowns to keep the power numbers on track, adds a bit of extra faff. Also, the body of the turbo doesn’t play nice with thru axle handles or bulky multitools – you have to use the long end of an Allen key to screw in the axle most of the way and finish the last bit in 3/4 turns.

Finally, although the H3 drops to zero watts impressively quickly when you stop pedalling – about the same amount of time as the Tacx – it consistently gives a 10 watt spike just afterwards, which will pull your avatar out of the ‘supertuck’ position for another couple of seconds.

Overall, the Saris H3 is a solid option that undercuts both the Wahoo Kickr and Tacx Neo 2T. But when you’re already spending around a grand, saving £100 and compromising on the features of the Kickr feels like a false economy – unless you are on a very tight budget or really value the sprinting stability.

The Direto XR-T comes shipped in its packed-away state, so setting it up straight out of the box is much the same as setting it up for a turbo session. Simply spread out the legs and hand tighten the screws to lock them in place – it takes about 20 seconds at most. 

With a relatively narrow profile once the legs are folded away, finding a home for it between sessions isn’t much of a challenge, although being a little taller and longer than the other turbos on test does make it a touch more imposing. The placement of the carry handle isn’t a natural feel for its centre of gravity, however, so lifting the turbo does feel more awkward than its (relatively) light weight would suggest.

Putting in some sprints and harder efforts, that lighter weight of the Direto XR-T does make itself known, shifting and sliding around. But with that said, the wide platform means that it never felt unstable at all, even if you can end up making it a reasonable way across the room.

In terms of the turbo’s resistance when winding up a sprint, there’s a nice, even sensation to it, reducing the number of gear shifts you need to make compared to other trainers – such as the Tacx Neo 2T in particular. The main benefit is to save wear on your drivetrain and allow you to focus on the effort, more than coordinating shifts.

Of all the trainers on test, the Direto XR-T’s erg mode, unfortunately, really stands out. When an erg mode is working as it should, the trainer will adjust its resistance to keep you held at a set wattage – pedal faster and it will reduce the resistance; pedal slower and the resistance will increase. It’s a good system for forcing an effort when you’re lacking the mental will to ride the set pace.

With the Direto XR-T, if you drop your cadence slightly, it will immediately ramp up the resistance – in turn, often causing another drop in cadence and thus precipitating something of a death spiral of ever increasing resistance. 

Similarly, when doing a session such as 30s on / 30s easy, you’ll want to really spin up your legs before the ‘on’ interval starts, otherwise you’ll feel like you’ve cycled straight into a brick wall. 

On the other hand, this super fast ramping up of the resistance is great for rolling courses on Zwift, with sudden and repeated gradient changes. Combined with the option of pairing this turbo with a riser unit (not reviewed), Elite stands to offer a pretty immersive virtual riding experience. 

However, one important feature of Zwift racing is ‘super tucking’ on descents – stop pedalling and your avatar will assume a more aero position and you can catch your breath for a second. Once you stop pedalling with the Direto XR-T, though, it takes well over 10 seconds for it to actually register that you’ve stopped pedalling, essentially ruling out that technique.

If you aren’t a heavy user of erg mode or an avid Zwift racer, the overall performance is really quite good and the trainer can often be found at a hefty discount. But compared to the other trainers on test, the performance is lacking and the full RRP isn’t low enough to make the sacrifices worthwhile.

Verdict

Although we’ve ranked these trainers with their star rating, each has its own unique selling point. There are possible circumstances where each of these four trainers could be the best buy for someone’s particular situation. But with that said, there are also certainly typical use cases and we’ve ordered the trainers in terms of how they perform for a general audience.

Starting from the bottom, the awkward erg mode of the Elite Direto XR-T, combined with its issues of sprinting stability and the long wait for it to read zero watts when freewheeling, compromise the trainer for both more traditional indoor training and Zwift racing. 

For the relatively small increase in price, most people would be much better off going for the Saris H3 – or else investing a bit more still and opting for the Wahoo Kickr V5. The Elite Direto XR-T can often be found on a hefty discount, though, and if you aren’t fussed about the erg mode or an extra edge for eRacing, then it can represent a real bargain.

The Saris H3 offers the most stable platform for sprinting and a perfectly serviceable erg mode. It misses out on some of the features of the Tacx Neo 2T and Wahoo Kickr, such as road surface simulation and the option to later add in a riser unit. 

The need to manually calibrate, a slight power blip when freewheeling and an awkward body shape for thru axles are all downsides which can be solved by spending an extra £100 and opting instead for the Kickr. But if you’re on a tight budget and sprinting stability is paramount, the H3 is a great option.

Most expensive on test, the Tacx Neo 2T delivers a highly impressive degree of realism, with built in sway, the ability to simulate different road surfaces, and a lifelike resistance curve for sprinting. However, the lack of a riser unit within Tacx’s range does severely dent its ultimate realism credentials, the sway and resistance curve compromise the trainer for sprint efforts and the trainer is the most awkward to pack away.

Of course, those features might well be convincing enough, especially when the excellent erg mode and lack of a need to manually calibrate the unit are thrown in. There are certainly situations where the Neo 2T would be the best tool for the job – if you can stomach the price – but it’s not exactly a unit for the everyperson.

That leaves the Wahoo Kickr V5. This trainer isn’t without its own idiosyncrasies: the relatively short central leg reduces its stability in a sprint – the Saris H3 is much better in that department.

But with an erg mode of similar souplesse to the Tacx Neo 2T, simple and compact packability, a very short time to read zero watts from stopping pedalling and not needing to be manually calibrated, the Kickr ticks more boxes than any of the other trainers on test. And it’s not outrageously expensive – at least compared to other top-of-the-range direct-drive turbos.

Spec comparison table

How we tested power accuracy

We hooked up a bike sporting the new Dura-Ace power meter crankset and a set of Garmin Vector 3 pedals (the updated version, not the original model that was beset with accuracy issues) to provide some context for the power numbers the trainers were putting out across a range of intensities. Both these power meters have a claimed accuracy of ±1 per cent.

Now, this test is in no way scientific. In using what amounts to a sample size of one for each of the power meters, there is scope for having been very unlucky and simply received a dud unit – which wouldn’t give a fair representation of the power readings that most people would be likely to receive from that model overall.

But with that said, it is interesting that both the Tacx Neo 2T (claimed ±1 per cent) and the Elite Direto XR-T (claimed ±1.5 per cent) match up more closely with crank and pedals than the Wahoo Kickr V5 (claimed ±1 per cent).

It at least goes to show that if power data from your various sensors is very important to you, there’s no substitute for testing directly against each other – particular units from model families with a high claimed accuracy can put out quite different numbers to what you’d expect.

Best mid-range turbo trainers

Elite's Suito isn't as accurate or as powerful as the top end models, but can rival most of their features at a much more accessible price point making it a terrific turbo trainer for many riders. It is a sturdy and robust turbo trainer which combines realistic ride quality with ample resistance, without creating a racket.

The legs come with adjustable supports, so you can cater for a wonky floor or patio. Extended, they create a solid base, which we found in testing was reassuring even during full-pelt sprints. They can also be tucked away, meaning the Suito inhabits minimal floor space.

With a power meter accuracy of +/- 2.5% the Suito's margin of error is wider than the most advanced trainers, like the Drivo II which can boast power meter accuracy of +/- 0.5%. But the Suito does come at a significantly cheaper price.

Best non-direct drive turbo trainers

While the price of direct-drive turbo trainers is coming down, you can pick up a wheel-on smart trainer or standard trainer for a lot less. Here are some of our favourite options:

Hands down one of the smartest looking indoor trainers available, the use of wood for the legs really sets the Elite Tuo apart visually from others on the market. This is a top spec wheel-on smart trainer offering very good accuracy levels at a wide range of power outputs. No issues with wheel slippage were had during any of testing. 

Set-up was easy with the myEtraining and Upgrado apps to update the firmware and also calibrate the trainer. ERG mode was also very responsive with programmes such as Zwift and Wahoo SYSTM. 

There were issues with power and cadence measurements when changing intensities more rapidly or doing sprint efforts. But as an introduction to using a smart trainer with very little faff, this is a very solid option. The light weight also makes it easy to move around or fold up for storage.

Read more: Elite Tuo smart trainer review

The Flow Smart from Tacx strikes a great balance between connectivity and budget, allowing you to link it up to platforms like Zwift, TrainerRoad etc and enjoy the auto-changing resistance without the big price tag.

The max power is 800 watts, and max incline is 6% which will be enough for most riders, although some stronger cyclists may well find they max it out during a full pelt sprint, or find it slightly wanting on a climb. 

The Flow Smart uses Bluetooth Smart Open and ANT+ FE-C to transmit data, has a magnetic resistance unit and provides cadence, power and speed outputs.

As well as being very competitively priced, the Tacx Flow Smart is very portable. The compact flywheel, which weighs 1.6kg, keeps the overall weight down to 9.4kg, making it very easy to fold away or transport in the back of the car for a pre-race warmup to be used as a standalone turbo trainer.

The Kickr Snap might not feel as smooth as the top end direct drive options, but it still offers a max power output of 1,500 watts before the resistance wavers, which is pretty hefty for most riders and makes it one of the best turbo trainers for a lot less.

It'll replicate climbs as steep as 12% which will be more than enough to provide a good workout. You can even combine with the rest of the Wahoo ecosystem, including the Kickr Climb for front wheel grade simulations and the Headwind Smart Fan.

The ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity enables compatibility with third party apps for auto-resistance control, and read out of power, speed and distance without connecting any extra sensors.

We found the ride feel much more realistic than with many trainers, with the heavy freewheel providing plenty of inertia, and we didn’t find get any significant wheel slip either. There’s enough resistance for the most strenuous workouts too. The Snap also comes complete with a front wheel riser block, allowing you to level out the bike when it’s in the trainer.

If you simply want a turbo trainer you can hook your bike up to and pedal away on, then Saris's Basic Mag turbo trainer should be on your list.

You can still use apps like Zwift alongside a speed/cadence sensor if you like, but you just won't get the variable resistance controlled by an app.

However, there are five adjustable levels of resistance to choose from and the linear magnetic resistance has a realistic feel so that the harder you pedal, the more the resistance ramps up.

Saris also makes a Smart Equipped version which has a built-in speed sensor so you can connect directly to your training app of choice, and even provides a one-month subscription to the Rouvy virtual training app, making it a great turbo trainer for anyone on a budget.

The super simple Saris is ideal for just getting on and riding - a perfect roadside warm up option.