RitFit M1 vs PSR05 – Our Review

You’ve (hopefully!) watched and read our reviews of RitFit’s M1 and PSR05 racks (and if you haven’t you need to ASAP!), but now you’ve got a decision to make.

Which rack is it going to be?

(I know that some of you may be like, “whoa, man…back up for a minute; I just Googled ‘RitFit’ or ‘Smth Machin/rack combo’ or something and want some basic info!” If this is the case, check out those reviews linked above when you’re done here!)

Truth be told, the M1 is definitely a more “complete” piece of equipment. Being fully capable of accommodating free weight, Smith Machine, and cable pulley exercises ensures that just about anybody would wear themselves out long before they ran out of exercises to try.

However, the PSR05 is a pretty nice basic Smith Machine, with included accessories and overall accessory compatibility putting it a few steps ahead of other “standard” Smith Machines.

You got certain lifting needs (not to mention a list of specific exercises in your training regimen); we” help you decide which of the two will help you meet them.

RitFit M1 vs PSR05

We understand that there is a slight possibility that you haven’t gotten a chance to check out our individual reviews of these two racks. If this is the case, here is a brief rundown of what you’ve missed so far!

RitFit, the company behind these two beasts, describes the PSR05 as being “designed for home use, this Smith Machine provides a compact and efficient solution for home workouts, maximizing space utilization without compromising on exercise variety and effectiveness.”

Meanwhile, they describe the M1 as “a groundbreaking integration of versatility, efficiency, and unique design, tailored for an unparalleled home gym experience. This all-in-one fitness companion transcends conventional boundaries, meticulously designed to meet the diverse needs of both beginners and seasoned fitness enthusiasts. Getting the full functionality of power cage, M1 features conspicuous smith attachment and advanced cable system additionally, integrating powerful storage capabilities.”

(is it just me or did one these descriptions get prioritized a lot more highly than the other?!)

Those intros aside…

Exercise Functionality

Despite these racks, for the sake of this review at least, being in “competition” with one another, they are quite a ways apart when it comes to overall functionality.

The PSR05, especially now that it has been updated to the 2.0 model (smoother barbell path, upgraded steel), allows for any type of training you would ever want with a Smith Machine. The additions of components such as the lat pulldown and landmine attachments, combined with the multi-grip pull-up bar and low lat pull footplate allow for taking Smith Machine training a step further.

However, to get the most out of the landmine attachment, a barbell (not the Smith Machine bar) is necessary, and the Smith bar’s positioning makes pull-ups a bit awkward.

It’s certainly nice that this extra hardware is included (and that it can be supplemented even further by RitFit’s range of accessory items), but in some cases, it just makes you wish you were lifting in a more comprehensive/all-encompassing rack…

…like the M1…

You know all of those movements we just mentioned that you can perform with the PSR05? Yeah…you can do all of those with the M1…and a whole lot more.

I understand that there is a demographic of lifters who would be satisfied solely lifting in a Smith Machine, but I would argue that the vast majority want (need?) to be able to perform free weight work and most would really appreciate a cable pulley system.

With the M1, you immediately gain this additional functionality, and in a less awkward manner. The pull-up and dip handle placements are not impeded by the Smith Machine components. Also, since the j-cups and safety bars stick out from the exterior of the rack, performing free weight work almost feels like you’re using a freestanding rack and not like something attached into a larger 2-in-1 machine.

I would argue that the only real problem with the machine (and it isn’t even really a “functionality” problem, but more of a “this is kind of tedious” issue) is the effort necessary to change the positioning of the pulley attachment heights. Each pulley must be screwed in and out of place (as opposed to popping a pin or something similar), seriously disturbing my lazy, “it should be easier to adjust!” sensibilities!

In some ways, it is somewhat unfair to compare these two racks, considering just how advanced the M1 is compared to the PSR05. With that being said, with a little bit of creativity, it isn’t difficult to get a very comprehensive workout from the latter, even if, in many cases, it would probably just make sense to have the M1 to train with/in!

Winner: M1

Assembly

Any time you’re dealing with a Smith Machine, assembly gets a little bit more…involved. Regardless of this indisputable fact, there isn’t anything too tedious, annoying, or tricky about putting either of these two together.

As you might expect, the PSR05 is the more straightforward of the two. Although the included hardware isn’t completely organized, everything that is necessary to put it together is included. Using only the included hardware and tools (which amount to a few very basic wrenches) I was able to put the rack together (solo!) in right at 2 hours.

Like most racks, a socket wrench speeds things up considerably, as does a second set of hands (which, in place of a socket wrench, really helps with bolt tightening). However, 2 hours for an uncomplicated solo build is pretty good in my book.

Despite the more comprehensive rack components, the M1 actually isn’t any more “difficult” to assemble than the PSR05…it only takes a little more than twice as long to put together.

Upon first unboxing, the M1 is actually quite a bit more “intimidating” than the PSR05 due to what seems like exponentially more hardware and pieces. However, once organized, it only really becomes a matter of following the surprisingly easy-to-follow pictorial instructions.

At this point, I’m probably more experienced at putting racks together than most people are so the 4.5 hours it took me to put the M1 together might look closer to 6-7 hours for those with less experience. A “helper” will speed things up considerably, but their presence isn’t completely necessary.

The PSR05 definitely wins this round due to the very little time needed from the unboxing state to the “ready to use” state, but neither assembly process should have you pulling your hair out or reaching out to handy, long-lost relatives for assistance.

Winner: PSR05

Stability

I would argue that the worst feeling is when you use some cheap, flimsy piece of “home gym equipment” for the first time after years of growing accustomed to the commercial-grade stuff from the bro gym down the street.

Being legitimately concerned that the rack is going to shift when you drop the bar into the J-cups or is going to tip if you even think about attempting a kipping pull-up sucks.

Thankfully, I haven’t experienced much, if any, sway with either of these racks. I also haven’t felt overly concerned about the integrity of either of the Smith Machines, even when they are more heavily loaded up.

Both machines are quite stable on their own, but, if you are concerned about added stability, each can be screwed into the floor (or simply into the gym mat beneath it) to better anchor it to the floor. Additionally, the positioning of the plate holders makes it easy (and out of the way) to add plate weight to help the racks hold firm both when they are in use and not.

The “loose” portions of the PSR05 jiggle just a tad when knocking out bigger sets of exercises like dips, but nothing feels like it is going to come apart or that it will impede my set. The M1 doesn’t budge at all (probably due to its heavier mass), even when dropping decently-loaded barbells (I tested with 225 pounds) onto the safety bars.

Winner: M1 (barely)

Price

You remember how we mentioned that it is somewhat difficult to compare the functionality of these two racks because the M1 is simply so much better equipped?

This is where the PSR05 gets its revenge…when it comes to price, it’s in an entirely different league.

RitFit’s equipment is priced pretty generously. When you consider that the base price of the PSR05 is on par (or, in some cases, is priced lower than) more “bare bone” Smith Machines, there is no doubt that it is a very competitively-priced machine.

The M1 holds up pretty well against other racks in its (higher) class, as well. Due to its sheer amount of hardware, parts, accessories, etc., it can’t compete with the PSR05, but in relation to other Smith Machine – power cages, it’s in line with most others (if not slightly priced below some of its competitors).

Whichever item you ultimately decide on, both are priced well in relation to competitors and will likely prove to be good value purchases.

Winner: PSR05

Customer Reviews

At the time of this posting, the PSR05 sports a perfect 5 out of 5 cumulative score on the RitFit website while it scores slightly lower on Amazon, clocking in at a 4.6 out of 5. Neither of the respective sample sizes are overly large (20 reviews on RitFit, 59 on Amazon), but they’re not small, either.

Overall, it grades out at a 94 out of 100 (that was just an “A” when I was in school) from users.

The M1, though…man; that kid really studied for the test!

Although it only has 19 reviews (in total) so far, only one of these (a 4-star review) has been lower than 5 stars. A cool 99 out of 100.

Nobody has complained about the M1 at this point, although there were some calling to question some of the PSR05’s hardware while a few people thought the instructions were a little hard to follow.

19 reviews isn’t the biggest sample size, but the sheer number of 5-star reviews push the M1 over the top here.

Winner: M1

Overall Winner

According to our metrics, the M1 is the winner.

It is objectively a more complete and functional rack…with a handful of happy customers sharing their (affirming) sentiment.

However, you can do a lot with the PSR05 and that price tag might be a little too difficult for most people to pass up. If you’re a “Smith Machine only” type of lifter, it may very well be the “winner” for you.

Our Testing Process

As someone who has gotten a lot of opportunities to test racks over the last 6 months are so, I’ve become pretty well versed in what makes something good and also…what’s not so good. I can assure you that if something is awesome, you’ll know about it…and if it sucks…you get the point!

It also doesn’t hurt that these two racks are currently “on display” in my garage at the moment. Between both of the racks being available at the same time, I have been able to complete roughly 80 percent of my current hybrid hypertrophy-powerbuilding regimen programming (if you count the dumbbells he has on hand, this percentage jumps to roughly 95 percent).

We’re probably not at the same level of training experience, ability, or…handiness, but I’m confident that your experiences with either of these machines will closely mirror my own.

Frequently Asked Questions

Choosing between the PSR05 and M1 is one of those critical life decisions. Let’s cover a few more questions before taking the plunge:

Conclusion

Our two RitFit contenders aren’t going to fool anybody into thinking that they’re working on the same ~$10,000 Hammer Strength machine that the Dallas Cowboys are loading up for offseason strength and conditioning workouts.

Looking at those price tags, I’m going to assume you already knew this.

On the contrary, either rack is a solid option for a home gym enthusiast with most lifters likely drifting closer to the exponentially more functional M1.

In either case, the overall functionality, stability, and general durability metrics are in line with, if not slightly higher than similarly-priced pieces of equipment ensuring a “feel good”/”good value” purchase.

…plus, who doesn’t like to say something like “Rit Fit” out loud?

As we finish things up, I encourage you to check out our definitive guide to the best Smith Machines on the market today. If neither of these turns out not to be the piece for you, maybe one of the ones on our list will work out better!