What’s The Best Gymnastics Mushroom and Pommel Horse?

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Shopping for the best gymnastics mushroom for pommel horse training but can’t find the right one? You may be able to get the answer to your questions below!

The pommel horse is the staple of male gymnastics and one of the most challenging apparatuses to master. With this in mind, having a pommel horse or a gymnastic mushroom at home could immensely help you by adding training hours into your routine.

To help you pick, we’ll have a look at a few excellent pommel horse and mushroom options below, with our primary focus being children and beginners.

And after our boys’ gymnastics mushroom reviews, we’ll talk about the important points that you should consider while looking for a good pommel horse/mushroom for home use.


Pommel Horse Mushrooms Reviews


Olympia Pommel Trainers - Boys...

Olympia Boys Gymnastics Mushroom

This gymnastics mushroom from Olympia is a rather inexpensive yet high-quality piece of equipment.

Though it certainly won’t be as long-living as a pricey mushroom or pommel horse, its heavy-duty suede top should serve you for the years to come.

The Olympia mushroom is not only durable but also convenient. It has a removable top for easy maintenance and cleaning, and the suede surface is non-slip to ensure a safe workout. The bottom of the mushroom is likewise non-slip to keep it stable on the mat.

Size-wise, the Olympia mushroom is suitable for level 4, 5, and 6 gymnastics, which makes it good for competition preparation.

To be more precise, this mushroom is sized at 20 inches in height and 24 in diameter.

Check the current price at Amazon >>

Pros

  • Fairly inexpensive. 
  • Non-slip top and bottom.
  • Rather high-quality for the price.
  • Removable top.

Why we like this pommel horse mushroom

The Olympia mushroom offers great value for the money. It’s not too expensive yet is quite durable. Not only that, but the removable top might make maintenance and cleaning a little bit easier for you.


Spalding 100 Series Tapahide Pommel...

Spalding 100 Series Tapahide Pommel Horse

If you are after a high-end pommel horse, then perhaps the Spalding 100 series pommel horse is the right option for you.

This thing is very expensive, but for heavy use, it probably is worth the money.

At the heart of this pommel horse is its durable build – namely, the metal powder-coated frame along with the Tapahide (appears to be synthetic leather) outer shell. The build quality here is astonishing – as you would expect for the price.

To prevent floor damage, the feet in the Spalding 100 series pommel horse are non-marring.

Apart from that, the legs allow for adjustment in height from 34-1/2 to 48-1/2 inches, which should be good enough for many athletes.

Notably, this pommel horse can be converted into a vault by removing the pommels and replacing them with rubber plugs.

So for the money, you are actually getting not one but two pieces of gymnastics equipment!

Get it at Amazon >>

Pros

  • Excellent quality.
  • Non-marring feet.
  • Wide range of height adjustment.
  • Converts into a vault.

Cons

  • Very expensive.

Why we like this pommel horse

The Spalding 100 pommel horse accepts no compromises to deliver excellent quality and performance. It’s very expensive, but expect it to serve for a long, long time even with heavy use.


The American Gym Colt - Pommel Trainer

The American Gym Colt Pommel Trainer

This pommel trainer from The American Gym Colt is an excellent choice for home use thanks to its compactness. We’re talking about this one.

Featuring the same hardware as a traditional pommel horse, this apparatus is half its length and weighs only 40 pounds. It’s much cheaper than a full-size pommel horse as well.

Remarkably, this pommel trainer also has 3 placement spots for its pommels, allowing for better versatility in training.

Now, you should realize that this pommel horse may be less demanding on you than a regular pommel horse – since its shorter, you won’t have to worry about keeping your legs up as much when swinging.

So you may need to improvise to push yourself to do pommel exercises like on a traditional pommel horse.

You can buy it at Amazon here >>

Pros

  • Very compact for a pommel horse.
  • 3 pommel placement spots.
  • Pretty easy to move around.

Cons

  • Won’t deliver true pommel horse experience due to its shortness.

Why we like this pommel trainer

The American Gym Colt pommel trainer is perhaps the best home pommel horse you will find on the market. It’s very compact and thus quite space-efficient.

Not only that, but it costs a fraction of the price of a good full-size pommel horse, which makes it very pocket-friendly as well.


Artoflifer Junior Pommel Horse...

Artoflifer Junior Pommel Horse

And finally, on our boys’ gymnastic mushroom reviews, we have the Junior pommel horse from Artoflifer. This thing is very inexpensive and compact, which makes it an excellent option for home use.

Now, this pommel horse isn’t quite a traditional gymnastics pommel horse – it’s much shorter, and it also doesn’t have pommels. This isn’t necessarily a problem though if that’s exactly what your kid needs.

To stay comfortable as your child grows, the Junior pommel horse features adjustable height from 25.5 to 31.5 inches. Apart from that, it has a fairly sturdy steel build that should serve your child a good amount of time.

And for parents, what is also great about this pommel horse is that its legs are detachable for more convenient storage.

Get it at Amazon here >>

Pros

  • Very inexpensive.
  • Adjustable height.
  • Portable and lightweight.

Cons

  • Doesn’t have handles like a traditional pommel horse.

Why we like this pommel horse

The Artoflifer Junior pommel horse perhaps isn’t the very best pommel horse for kids out there. However, it offers excellent value for the money, and it’s also very easy to keep at home thanks to its compact footprint.


Things To Look For In The Best Pommel Horse Mushroom


Now, to help you pick the very best pommel horse mushroom for your needs, let’s go through the key things that you should pay attention to when shopping for one.

Pommel Horse vs Mushroom

First up, you may be wondering what the difference between a mushroom and a pommel horse is.

boys gymnastics mushroom
Olympia Pommel Trainers

Well, gymnastics mushrooms are usually used by kids to start learning the pommel horse circle.

Because mushrooms have round tops, they are easier to perform circles on. Pommel horses are elongated and require more strength to maintain the legs above its surface.

Once you learn to do circles on a mushroom, your skills should transfer to a pommel horse.

Of course, there are some differences in the setup for the movement and the grip (since pommel horses have handles), but these are minor things that are easy to learn.

Both children and adults could start learning circles on a mushroom, but gymnastic mushrooms are typically fairly small and thus best suitable for kids.

Here is David Sender at Pommel Horse in 2009 Tyson American Cup. What an encouraging video!

Size

Mushrooms are usually 18-20 inches tall, and their top is about 24 inches wide. There isn’t much choice when it comes to mushroom sizes, so you don’t really need to think about it.

Just make sure that the desired mushroom is 18-20 inches tall and 24 inches wide.

As for pommel horses, competition apparatuses usually have the following dimensions (and looks like the Spalding 100 Series):

pommel horse apparatuses
  • Height – 3.77 feet.
  • Length – 5.2 feet.
  • Width – 14 inches.
  • Pommel height – 4.7 inches.
  • Distance between pommels – from 16 to 18 inches.

But as you could’ve noticed from our reviews, pommel horses can be sized pretty differently.

If you are a skilled gymnast, then go for a full-sized pommel horse. There is no reason to go for a smaller pommel horse if you easily do circles.

Otherwise, if you are a newbie or are looking for a pommel horse for your kid, you may want to look for a smaller pommel horse, like The American Gym Colt pommel trainer or Artoflifer Junior pommel horse.

Small-sized, these pommel horses make performing circles easier. And shaped very close to a traditional pommel horse, they should make the transition to it easier.

With that said, if you are a newbie, then also consider buying a mushroom. Mushrooms can be cheaper than even half-sized pommel horses yet can deliver similar results.

Adjustable pommel horse

Adjustable pommel placement

Some pommel horses allow you to adjust the inter-pommel distance from 16 to 18 inches and vice versa.

This feature isn’t a must-have, but if you doubt that the distance between the pommels is right for you, you may want to get an apparatus with adjustable pommel placement.

Materials & sturdiness

When it comes to materials, there isn’t much choice with pommel horses or mushrooms. Their tops are typically made with foam encased in genuine or synthetic leather. Synthetic leather is easier to care for, but it may not be as long-living as genuine leather.

As for the frame, it’s typically made of steel. There isn’t much choice here either. Among the very few things that you could look for in a frame is powder coating for corrosion resistance.

When shopping for a pommel horse or mushroom, you should also pay attention to its sturdiness. This is pretty easy to do when in a physical store, but online, you won’t be able to evaluate how stable an apparatus is. 

Instead, you should read reviews of other buyers, which will hopefully provide you with insight into how sturdy a gymnastic apparatus truly is.

gymnastics mushroom reviews

Also Get A Gymnastics Mat!

Apart from a mushroom or pommel horse, be sure to get a gymnastics mat. With a cushioned surface to catch you in case of a wrong movement, the risk of injury will be much lower.

Apart from that, you may start training with higher confidence knowing that there is be a soft surface beneath you.

PRO TIP: If you’re thinking about ways to get a better grip, get yourself good gymnastics chalk.


Frequently Asked Questions

How tall are gymnastic mushrooms?

Gymnastics mushrooms are typically 18-20 inches tall, though some may have an adjustable height. When looking for a gymnastics mushroom for sale, aim at 18-20 inches of height.

Can adults use a gymnastics mushroom?

Gymnastic mushrooms are mostly intended for children. But if you aren’t too tall, then you should be able to use a gymnastic mushroom as well. Otherwise, your best bet would be a pommel horse, whether full- or half-sized.

Why is it called a pommel horse?

The ancestor of the pommel horse was developed centuries ago as an artificial horse. Its original use has been helping soldiers practice mounting and dismounting horses. This is where the “horse” comes from.

As for “pommel”, it is the name of the front raised area of a saddle. The handles on a pommel horse are pretty reminiscent of a horse saddle, which probably is the reason why this apparatus is called “pommel horse”.


Best Gymnastics Mushroom – Final Words

Make no mistakes when shopping for the best pommel horse mushroom – they can be pretty pricey, and you want to get the right apparatus to train circles with.

You can’t go wrong with the best gymnastics mushrooms reviewed above. However, you should first understand what you truly need for your gymnastics training.

With this Jump-Life.com buyer’s guide though, you should be able to pretty easily determine which pommel horse is the right one for your needs.

Last update on 2024-03-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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