6 Best Preacher Curl Benches In 2024

If you want to build up serious biceps muscles, a preacher curl bench might be just what you need.

Also known as the bicep curl bench, it uses an angled armrest to comfortably isolate your arms and perfectly target the biceps brachii. Here are the 6 best preacher curl bench choices.

Top 6 Best Preacher Curl Benches Reviewed

1. TITAN FITNESS PREACHER CURL BENCH V3 – Top Pick
2. Valor Fitness CB-6 Preacher Curl Bench – Runner Up
3. Eleiko Seated Preacher Curl – Premium Pick
4. F2C Arm Curl Weight Bench – Budget Pick
5. PELPO Weight Bench for Full Body Workout – Best Combined
6. Deltech Fitness DF306 Pro Preacher Curl Bench

Product	Total	Comfort	Material Quality	Adjustability	Weight Capacity	Reliability	Price/Quality
Titan Fitness	58	10	10	9	9	10	10
Valor	57.5	10	9.5	10	8.5	9.5	10
Eleiko	57	10	10	9	9	10	9
F2C	56	10	8	10	10	8	10
PELPO	55	10	8	10	10	8	9
Deltech	53	9	9	9	10	8	8

What Are The Benefits Of Using Preacher Curl Benches?

✅ Better Muscle Isolation

The preacher curl bench is designed to isolate the biceps. By placing your upper body and arms on the padding, you can fully extend and contract your biceps without engaging other muscle groups, leading to better workout results.

✅ Preacher Curls Are The Superior Exercise

Studies comparing Preacher Curls to other popular biceps exercises, such as Concentration and Biceps Curls, have shown that Preacher Curls result in greater muscle activation of the biceps brachii and brachioradialis.

✅ The Bench Makes The Exercise Easy

The seated position and armrest allow you to relax the rest of your body and focus solely on your arms, while the padding supports your arms and prevents unnecessary movement. The proper technique will help you to get the most out of this exercise.

What To Look For In Preacher Curl Benches

1. Design

The commercial preacher curl bench has a simple design that is more or less the same across different manufacturers. A preacher curl bench typically comprises of a sturdy metal frame, a padded seat, an angled armrest, and a bar rack. Some designs also have weight or dumbbell storage.

When rating the design, we primarily considered how easy it was to perform the exercise and whether the shape of the bench hindered our workout in any way.

2. Material Quality

The quality of the material will affect the performance, comfort, and lifespan of your bench. Higher-quality benches not only last longer, but the material is also often easier to maintain. For example, an expensive bench with a stainless steel frame is more durable and forgiving than an affordable one with alloy steel.

Foam padding is the most popular choice for armrests and is usually covered with vinyl or faux leather. Both of these covers are good as they do not absorb sweat and are easy to clean, requiring less maintenance than real leather.

3. Adjustability

Height adjustment is an essential feature of the adjustable bench with preacher curl support. The simplest way manufacturers achieve this is by using a vertically adjustable seat to accommodate users of different heights.

However, some benches also have adjustable armrests and bar racks. Sometimes, a manufacturer will incorporate both an adjustable seat and armrest, but this often results in a less sturdy machine.

4. Weight Capacity

This is probably the simplest category to base your purchase decision on. Either the bench can support you, or it can’t, simple as that. However, it’s also one of the most important factors to consider when making a purchase decision as it directly impacts the safety and effectiveness of your bench.

5. Reliability

The reliability of your preacher curl bench can be summarized as the culmination of the previous categories. All of the bench frames are made from some form of steel, which is a highly durable material, regardless of its grading.

Steel also has a fairly high weight capacity, which means none of these benches should break under pressure unless overloaded.

The base of the bench should be wide and stable to prevent tipping or shifting during use and usually has rubber feet or non-slip pads on the bottom to keep it in place. While high adjustability may sound great on paper, too many moving parts, cranks, and bolts can make it less stable.

Additionally, the warranty coverage was highly considered for this rating. The longer and more specific the warranty, the safer your purchase.

6. Price/Quality

It’s generally true that more expensive products will be of higher quality. That said, all six listed products will perform well. Our top picks are usually the ones that offer the best value for money, based on our own findings and in comparison to other preacher curl bench reviews.

However, it's important to read the individual reviews carefully. Depending on the listed specs and the pros and cons, one bench may be more suitable for your needs than the others, regardless of its position on the list.

How To Use The Best Preacher Curl Benches Right?

1. Adjust The Height

The correct seat height is crucial for adjusting the bicep curl bench to ensure exercise comfort and reduce the risk of injury.

To achieve the optimal height, the armrest pad should be leveled with the middle of your arm. When you lean into the bench to assume the exercise position, the pad should support your chest.

Extra cushioning is provided on the back of the pad for this purpose on almost every adjustable preacher curl bench. The pad should not be too high, forcing you to raise your shoulders, nor too low to cut into your diaphragm and make breathing difficult.

When you place your arms on the padding, your elbows should be just slightly off the end of the bench. You should be able to fully extend your arms without feeling pressure and have a full range of motion. At the starting position, your armpits should comfortably wrap around the top of the pad, and the back of your arms should be rested entirely on it.

A common mistake people make is setting the height too low, assuming that the higher arm pressure will yield better results. However, this increases the risk of cutting off blood flow to your arms, making exercising uncomfortable and, at worst, leading to injury.

2. Know The Exercise Motion

To perform a biceps curl using a preacher arm curl bench, start by extending your arms onto the padding and gripping the barbell underneath. No matter which grip width you choose, make sure your arms are fully straight, and there is no bending at the elbows.

Start with your arms fully extended, as this position has shown greater activation in the cross-sectional area and muscle thickness of the biceps. Now, you can start bending or "curling" your arms upwards.

Control the ascent of your bar. At the height of the curl, your wrists should be aligned with your shoulders. Once you start lowering down, avoid fully extending your arms at the bottom. Doing so alleviates exercise tension from your biceps and places it upon your wrists and elbows.

Keep your upper back straight. Even though you're supposed to lean into the pad with your chest, you should be doing so from your core. For maximal biceps brachii muscle activation, your shoulders should be in a slightly internally rotated position.

Avoid rocking your body back and forth. Rocking adds momentum to your movement, making it seem easier and allowing you to lift higher weights, which is why many people do this to "cheat”. However, this defeats the purpose of arm isolation, which is the point of this exercise.

3. Plant Your Foot On The Ground

Remember to plant your full foot on the ground. Bending at your toes or heel can add a bit of extra power to your curls, but it can also lead to slipping and potentially injuring yourself.

Here’s an additional expert tip if you want to put slightly more exercise emphasis on a single arm, that can help you train and remove arm strength imbalance over time:

Depending on which arm you want to hit, simply extend the opposing side leg half a step forward. You should feel your targeted arm require slightly more effort to perform the curl, without the difference being large enough to make the exercise uncomfortable.

FAQ

Is A Preacher Curl Bench Worth It?

If training your biceps is a regular part of your workout routine, investing in an adjustable preacher curl bench can be worthwhile. It is a popular choice for both commercial and home gyms as it provides an excellent isolated biceps workout without adding complexity.

Just keep in mind that the preacher curl bench uses free weights for exercising, unlike the cable-based preacher curl machine commonly found in gyms. Therefore, you will also need to acquire appropriate bars and weights to be able to train effectively.

Which Bar Is Best For Preacher Curls?

The best type of bar to use on a preacher arm curl bench is the EZ curl bar, often referred to as the arm curl bar. Due to its zig-zag shape, it offers a large variety of hand grip positions, which helps reduce strain on your arms, particularly the wrists, elbows, and shoulders.

Alternatively, you can use a standard barbell or dumbbell as well. However, research has shown that the EZ bar outperforms the straight bar and dumbbells when it comes to activating the biceps brachii and brachioradialis.

How High Should A Preacher Curl Bench Be?

The commercial preacher curl bench is designed with an adjustable height feature that can accommodate a wide range of users. The seat level should be adjusted so that your arms can fully extend over the cushion without any discomfort, while your shoulders, elbows, and wrists remain aligned.

When set to the optimal height, you should not feel any tension when your arms are fully extended, and you should have a full range of motion.

Conclusion

Preacher curl benches are excellent for anyone looking to build strength and definition in their biceps. Some key features to look for in the bicep curl bench include sturdy and reliable construction, comfortable and durable padding, as well as adjustable settings that create the perfect workout angle.

Overall, the Titan Fitness Preacher Curl Bench V3 proved to be the best preacher curl bench, although other choices are worth considering in case they make a better fit for you.

Are biceps exercises a regular part of your workout? Do you prefer doing them with dumbbells or barbells, and which type? Let us know in the comment section, and remember to follow our social media for more valuable fitness content.

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References:

1. Differences in electromyographic activity of biceps brachii and brachioradialis while performing three variants of curl // PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30013836/
2. Training in the Initial Range of Motion Promotes Greater Muscle Adaptations Than at Final in the Arm Curl // MDPI: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/11/2/39
3. Effect of the shoulder position on the biceps brachii emg in different dumbbell curls // J Sports Sci Med: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24150552/
4. Bilateral Biceps Curl Shows Distinct Biceps Brachii and Anterior Deltoid Excitation Comparing Straight vs. EZ Barbell Coupled with Arms Flexion/No-Flexion //  J Funct Morphol Kinesiol: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9944112/