The short version: for almost every first home gym, buy the FLYBIRD WB5. It’s the default budget flat-incline-decline bench, carries an ASTM-certified 800 lb rating that’s rare at this price, and adjusts from flat all the way to upright for pressing and rows. The FLYBIRD WB3is the better pick if you’re tall — its 33 to 35 in extended backrest and detachable headrest are sized for lifters up to 6 ft 5 in, though its 750 lb rating is a manufacturer figure rather than a certified one. Here’s the full head-to-head.
The quick verdict
Buy the WB5if you want one bench that does almost everything — flat, incline, and decline — with a certified capacity that comfortably handles barbell pressing. Buy the WB3if you’re tall enough that standard benches leave your head off the end of the pad, and you want the headrest and the extra backrest length that fixes it. Both are solid FLYBIRD benches; the decision comes down to your height and how much an independent capacity certification matters to you.
Meet the two benches
The FLYBIRD WB3is the tall-lifter bench in FLYBIRD’s line. It runs a 33 to 35 in extended backrest with a detachable adjustable headrest, fits users up to 6 ft 5 in, and is rated to 750 lb on a five-times-reinforced frame with 18 in base legs. It gives you 8 back, 4 seat, and 3 leg positions, weighs 27 lb, and still folds down to roughly 7.5 by 11.3 by 33 in.
The FLYBIRD WB5 is the default budget flat-incline-decline bench and the one most beginners should default to. It carries an ASTM-certified 800 lb rating, offers multiple back and seat angles, and adjusts flat to upright so you can press and row. It also folds flat for storage. It’s the more broadly capable bench of the two, built to be the single bench a home gym needs.
Capacity: certified versus stated
The gap in the numbers is small — 800 lb against 750 lb — but the gap in how those numbers were arrived at is not. The WB5 is ASTM-certified to 800 lb, an independent standard that’s uncommon at this price and one of the strongest reasons to buy it. The WB3’s 750 lb is a manufacturer rating, backed by a five-times-reinforced triangular frame and 18 in extended base legs but not by a third party.
The practical read: both cover a beginner’s body weight plus a loaded barbell with margin to spare, so neither is a safety problem in normal use. If you want the reassurance of a checked figure under you as you get stronger, that’s a point for the WB5. If you need the bench to actually fit you, that’s a bigger point for the WB3 — a certified rating is worth little if your head is off the end of the pad.
Positions and versatility
Both benches adjust, but the WB5 does more. It offers multiple back and seat angles and goes from flat all the way to upright, so you can cover flat and incline pressing, decline work, seated shoulder work, and supported rows on one frame. That flat-incline-decline range is the backbone of a complete upper-body program, and it’s why the WB5 works as a true do-it-all bench.
The WB3 offers 8 back, 4 seat, and 3 leg settings— 90 combinations by FLYBIRD’s count — covering flat, incline, and decline. What it doesn’t do is climb to a fully upright seated position the way the WB5 does. If seated overhead pressing is a staple of your program, the WB5 is the clear winner; for everything else, the WB3 has the angles you’ll actually use.
That versatility compounds over time. As your program grows to include overhead pressing, incline variations, and supported rows, having every angle on one frame means you’re never blocked by the bench — you reposition and keep training. It’s the difference between a bench that keeps up with a full program and one that quietly caps what you can do.
Storage and moving them around
This one splits in two. On stored size the WB3 does well: 27 lb, folding to about 7.5 by 11.3 by 33 in, easy to carry one-handed into a closet or under a bed. On set-upsize it does not: the extended backrest and 18 in base legs that make it fit a taller lifter also give it a longer footprint than a standard bench while you’re training on it. Our apartment home gym guide leans on gear that packs down like this.
The WB5 also folds flatfor storage, so it’s far from a permanent fixture, and its assembled footprint is the more conventional of the two. Neither bench is a burden to live with. If the constraint you’re solving for is floor space during a session, the WB5 is the tidier fit; if it’s cupboard space between sessions, the WB3 packs smaller.
Comfort and extras
Neither bench is loaded with extras, and that keeps both affordable. The WB5’s pad is on the firmside rather than plush, and it doesn’t include a leg developer or other add-ons — it focuses its budget on the frame, the angles, and the certified capacity, which for a first bench is the right place to spend. A firm pad is actually an advantage under heavier pressing, where a soft surface can feel unstable.
It’s worth being realistic about what “firm” means in practice: over a long session you’ll notice the WB5’s pad more than a plush gym bench, but that same firmness is what keeps your shoulders planted when you’re pressing near your limit. Most owners settle into it within a few workouts, and for a bench meant to grow with you, stability under load is the more important trait. If a softer sit is a top priority, that’s a fair reason to look higher up the range — but it’s rarely a dealbreaker for a first bench.
The WB3 spends its budget in one specific place instead: the extra backrest length and the detachable headrest, which is the one genuine extra either bench carries. Neither is trying to be a plush, feature-packed station, and for a beginner that focus is a feature, not a shortcoming: you’re paying for a stable, adjustable surface rather than accessories you may never use.
Price and value
We won’t quote a number, since bench prices move — check the live price on our best adjustable weight benches page before you buy. What stays true is where the value sits: the WB5 is the budget do-it-all bench, and getting an ASTM 800 lb certification at its price is genuinely rare. That certified capacity plus the full flat-incline-decline range is a lot of bench for the money.
The WB3 competes on a different axis. Its value is in fit — an extended backrest and a headrest at a budget price, where the usual alternative for a taller lifter is spending several times as much on a commercial bench. For the majority of beginners who want one bench to grow into, the WB5 is the higher value buy; if you’re tall, the WB3 spends your money exactly where you need it.
Our pick: the WB5 for almost everyone
For almost every first home gym, buy the FLYBIRD WB5. It’s the do-it-all bench — flat, incline, and decline — with an ASTM-certified 800 lb rating that’s hard to find at this price, and it still folds flat when you’re done. That combination of capability and certified capacity means it won’t hold you back as you add a barbell and get stronger, so you buy one bench instead of upgrading in a year. That’s the high-value, low-regret path, and it’s the one we recommend by default.
When the WB3 is the smarter buy
Choose the FLYBIRD WB3when you’re tall. If you’re around six foot or over and every budget bench you’ve used has left your head hanging off the end on an incline press, the 33 to 35 in backrest and detachable headrest are worth prioritizing over a certification badge — and its 750 lb rating and 90 position combinations still cover a full program. Just go in clear-eyed that the rating is a manufacturer figure and the assembled footprint is longer. If you later find yourself wanting more bench than even the WB5 offers, our WB5 vs. WB7 comparison shows where the next step up pays off.
How to decide in 30 seconds
Still torn? Run this quick check:
- Want one bench for dumbbells and a barbell?Buy the WB5 — the certified 800 lb rating has you covered.
- Around six foot or taller?The WB3’s extended backrest and headrest are built for you; it fits lifters up to 6 ft 5 in.
- Planning to press heavy off the bench?The WB5’s ASTM-certified capacity and firm pad are the safer, sturdier choice.
- Want head support on incline presses?Only the WB3 has a headrest, and it detaches when you don’t want it.
For most people reading this — beginners building a first home gym they can grow into — that lands on the WB5. It’s the do-it-all bench for a reason, and it’s mainly your height that should point you to the WB3 instead.