Bells of Steel Soft Glute Bench, bench only review

The Bells of Steel Soft Glute Bench, bench-only SKU GLUTE-BEN, is a specialty hip-thrust support rather than a conventional adjustable weight bench. Bells describes a slightly sloped surface, a low point of 12 inches and a high point of 19 inches, with two removable 4-inch bottom blocks. The seller's U.S. selector calls this exact option “Soft Glute Bench Only (No Bands or Straps).” That package detail is important: the bench has side D-rings, but the manufacturer says the carabiners are included only with its separate Band + Strap Pack.

A purpose-built surface, not an FID substitute

The core reason to investigate this bench is its narrow job. Bells identifies hip thrusts and glute work as its design focus, then lists glute bridges, step-ups, split squats, and incline and decline push-ups as additional uses. The page describes a sloped bench profile, not a backrest that clicks into flat, incline and decline pressing positions. I therefore treat it as a specialty bench, not as an adjustable FID option in the position finder. A low profile and a sloped top may suit some movement setups, but the published dimensions cannot establish that it fits a particular user's torso or preferred hip-thrust position.

The two removable bottom blocks are a useful fit detail because the manufacturer connects them to torso height. Bells describes their height as four inches each and the overall profile as 12 to 19 inches from its lowest to highest point. The page does not explain every configuration or give a measured user-height range, so treat those numbers as equipment geometry rather than a personalized fit guarantee. Check the pictured and written bench against the movement you plan to do and ask the manufacturer if the block arrangement is unclear.

It is compact by base area, with clearance still to plan

Bells lists a footprint of 28 by 23.75 inches. Multiplying those dimensions and dividing by 144 gives approximately 4.62 square feet for the rectangular base. That calculation is useful for an initial floor-area filter, but it says nothing about the open space needed around the bench, room to move into a hip thrust, the path to carry it through a doorway or where to store it. A small product footprint is not a complete room layout.

The current product page does not provide an assembled bench weight, a numeric load rating or an approved vertical-storage envelope. Those are meaningful omissions for a buyer planning to move, load or store the bench. The official collection feed includes a grams field for the variant, but the reviewed product page does not identify it as the bench's net assembled weight; I do not convert that field into a product-mass claim. Likewise, the site does not describe wheels or a vertical stand. The compact shape alone cannot stand in for those features.

Check the no-bands package before planning resistance work

The bench-only option includes no bands or straps by its exact selector title. Its D-rings can be a useful anchoring point, but the page says carabiners are supplied only with the Band + Strap Pack. That is the difference between a connection point on the bench and a ready-to-use accessory package. If you already own compatible equipment, confirm the connection requirements and instructions; if you want the manufacturer-named pack, compare the separate GLUTE-BEN-W-BANDS-SET rather than assuming it is inside this box.

The page does not state the number of D-rings, band resistance, accessory loading limits, or a numeric bench capacity. Nor does it describe a model-specific assembly manual or a storage method. Do not treat a product photograph showing a resistance band or a strap as proof that those parts are included in this bench-only offer. A prospective buyer who needs a documented capacity threshold, wheeled movement or upright storage should keep those questions open until Bells provides exact specifications for the selected SKU.

Who this bench-only offer makes sense for

This is a focused comparison for someone who wants a low, sloped support for hip-thrust and related glute movements and does not require the bundled resistance accessories. Its published base footprint is modest, and the removable blocks offer a defined equipment adjustment. The tradeoff is that the bench does not replace a standard multi-angle press bench, and the product page leaves load, weight, wheel and storage questions unanswered.

Before choosing it, confirm that the seller option says GLUTE-BEN and “No Bands or Straps,” measure the complete movement area rather than only the 28-by-23.75-inch base, and request the current assembly and loading instructions. If you need resistance attachments, verify whether you want to buy the separate pack and what it actually contains. This is an evidence-based reading of the manufacturer page and exact selector data—not a hands-on comfort review, load test, assembly report or promise of fit.