Nordstick NordBench – $400 For the BEST Nordic Combo?
Last updated on December 14th, 2024 at 07:01 pm
I have spent the majority of 2024 with at least TWO, and up to FOUR, Nordic Combo Machines in my garage at the same time. I have received more questions, comments, and inquiries about The NordBench than any other option on the market. It makes sense. It claims to do a lot, and comes in at under $400 on sale. It claims to have premium padding, and they’ve added a number of other interesting features that no other Nordic Combo Machine offers. Good news is, it just arrived, it is assembled, I’ve taken pictures, and I’m ready to put it to work.
The Nordstick The NordBench is now on the Review Pipeline.
Transparency Note
I reached out to the NordStick team after they first announced the NordBench, to see if they wanted to send one my way. They did, and here we are. They sent over the bench itself for free for sake of review, have provided an affiliate link, as well as a discount code.
This link and code will track back to me, give me a small kick back, and help fund the things I do here, while saving you some cash.
As always, I am not paid for what I say, nor am I required to share anything but the truth. But I like to be transparent before we dig deeper, so you know what is up.
NordBench Overview
The NordBench was announced a few months back, and in that time I have received countless requests for feedback and ideas on it. Full transparency here, I can’t remember having more affiliate referrals for a product I’ve never used before than with the The NordBench. People were excited as it fills a niche. We have a high quality Nordic Combo Machine, at an affordable price. And when we are talking about space saving, this is quite a bit smaller than my current favorite Freak Athlete Hyper Pro.
The NordBench claims to be a 5-in-1 solution, including Nordic Curls, Back Extensions, Hip Thrusts, a Slant Board, and Split Squat stand. They also have notes, similar to Freak Athlete, about all the other movements you can do.
I’ve said before, that the price of a unit makes a big difference. If I spend $1000, I’m going to inherently be pickier about smaller things than if I spend $500. Since the NordBench is quite a bit cheaper, and we are forgoing the overall size of the bigger Nordic Combo Machines, I will cut it some slack in a few areas. I will 100% point those out to you, but I think you have to be reasonable here.
NordBench Specs
- Brand: NordStick
- Made In USA: No
- Dimensions In Storage Mode: 33” L x 22” W x 9” H
- Stores Vertically: Yes
- Dimensions In Use: 47” L x 22” W x 13” H
- Area (Vertical): 22” L x 17” W
- Vertical Clearance (Stored Flat): 9” H
- Supported Heights: 4’ – 6’8”
- Hip Thrust Height: 12” – 25”
- Weight Capacity: Rated to 500 lbs
- Bench Weight: 67 lbs
- Lifetime Warranty: Yes
- Money Back Guarantee: 30 Days
- Materials: stainless steel and powercoating throughout
- Assembly: They claim 15 minutes, it took me an hour (more on that in minute)
NordBench FAQ
I’ll build this out as questions come in.
Shipping & Assembly
The NordBench ships in one box. Mine was a somewhat early release, shipped directly from the manufacturing plant, so my experience is a LITTLE different. But I have notes from the main man himself to clarify.
Mine was shipped completely dissembled, with no tools. All parts were loaded into one baggie, with everything individually wrapped and some basic blown out schematic instructions.
After talking with the team at NordStick, they are going to follow a similar path to Shogun and Freak Athlete. They will be providing tools for assembly for customers, as well as individually packaging parts and labeling for each step of the instructions. On top of this, they will have an interactive video instruction walk-through.
One thing I noted during the Freak Athlete Hyper Pro assembly, was that they managed to use almost exclusively one bolt size throughout. This makes assembly exponentially easier. With the NordBench, I had to use quite a few different sockets and wrenches, even going to my shed for my full tool set. There were multiple steps that I had to redo, even taking some pictures and realizing I had assembled pieces backwards, because the instructions weren’t clear. And remember, I’ve assembled half a dozen Nordic Combo Machines this year.
Shipping Damage
During assembly I had a few concerning signs. First, was the magnet used on the underside of the frame to hold the support bar in place. It was COMPLETELY destroyed. This piece isn’t 100% crucial, but definitely something that makes the experience better. I’m not entirely sure how this happened, but I’m assuming the screw was too tight or something.
Next was that the powdercoat already has some scuffs in multiple places. This wasn’t installation scratches. It might have received these dings during transit, or possibly out of the assembly line. I’m not positive. The box was 100% intact, so I don’t believe this was from poor handling.
The third piece was the padding, which one pad has a rip in it already. This is probably the most concerning piece of the three. I can buy a replacement magnet or just ignore it. I can completely ignore the powdercoat issues as it doesn’t impact anything. But a tear in the padding is going to get worse day after day and eventually end up ruining the entire pad unless I get it stitched in some fashion.
I shared these items with the team, and asked them how they felt due to them being the “budget” offering.
The good news here, is that the team seems confident that they are making moves to improve already, and on top of that will stand behind any issues with customers.
Nordic Curls
The NordBench has regression angles for Nordic Curls that include 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 15, 8, and then finally flat. This is missing a couple of regression options compared to the Freak Athlete Hyper Pro, but mostly gets the same job done. It also doesn’t have the decline options, but I have yet to use those, so I don’t think they are a huge missing piece for most people in their Nordic Curl training.
The entire regression process works off a ladder system, opposed to pop pins. The nice thing here compared to the Hyper Pro, is that they are quick to adjust without the need to loosen and tighten pop-pins. The 15 and 8 degree regressions use a secondary stability process. You can see the black pegs for those.
One thing that will be interesting, is that typically shorter Nordic Curl benches are more difficult. You have less the push off of out of the bottom. Being shorter also typically makes the machine tilt and tip in use. With the ability for this to slide into storage mode, but then adjust out into a much longer unit, might prove to be a big win.
Back Extensions
For Back Extensions, you have the same adjustment options and set-up, but also have the ability to adjust the hip pad in and out for different sized athletes. This is a crucial piece that the other Budget Nordic Combo Machine, the BaseBlocks Nord Plus, did not have.
The NordBench opted to have the pads split at all times, opposed to the Hyper Pro that combines together for Nordics, and splits apart for Back Extensions. So this is one less adjustment, and no need to take a pad on and off.
There is less going on in the front of the frame here as well, so we MIGHT have the ability for more extensions options with the NordBench than the other options. One downside to the smaller frame though, is potentially how this balances. Will I be able to rig up my VOLTRA I for back extensions here?
Hip Thrusts & Split Squats
The NordBench uses the same pad for the entire scope of their exercises. Where Freak Athlete takes their ankle pad off of the back and drops it out front, the NordBench relies purely on the main pads to do Split Squats and Hip Thrusts.
Out the gate my main concerns will be if the unit slides at all in use, and overall how comfortable using the hip pads is for these movements. The NordBench is only rated to 500lbs, though I have been told it can handle more. So I’ll make sure to get a good Hip Thrust in for sake of the review.
One downside of these units, compared to a BootySprout, is the lack of Hip Thrust Band options. One of the main reasons we keep both in our space.
Slant Board
This is one of the standout design changes that really caught a lot of attention. The ability for the back footplate to fold down and be used for a slant board is really creative. They also included grip tape on the footplate, which helps with the feet from sliding around. I’ll be tinkering with this in a number of ways and comparing to my Prime Solos.
One thing I believe might be lacking here, compared to the Solos, is that I probably can’t use this with anything else. As in, I would struggle to put this into my squat rack and use a Safety Squat Bar, or do split squats with these, etc. We shall see!
Vertical Storage & Mobility
The back footplate has three pin options. The first is for use with Nordics/Back Extensions, the third is for the slant board postion, and the 2nd, is for vertical storage. The unit is fairly small and can store away in a number of ways. It comes with handles on the front as well as wheels on the front and back.
Out the gate I did notice that the NordBench had the same issue with vertical storage that the TibBarGuy NBE V2 had. Since nothing locks in place, the main frame and the pads and uprights come apart in transit. More testing will determine if this is an issue or not.
The NordBench Accessories
The NordBench aims to solve a lot of problems. Not only with the common Nordic Combo Machine movements, but they have added a Landmine and Band Attachment options. For someone with a fully stacked garage gym, or even a moderately stacked one, these are unlikely to get used. But for someone setting up in their bedroom, this is a great way to add some extra bang for your back.
Currently I do not have these, and I’m not intending to review them as part of my process. Again, they won’t be in a typical garage gym, and they’d collect dust in my space.
What I’m Looking For In The NordBench
I’m going to put this thing to the test just like I did the rest of the Nordic Combo Machines. How well does it hold up to myself, my wife, my daughter, for the various exercises they claim it does? Is it going to hold up against my 6ft ~250lb frame, can it handle my strength and size? We shall see. The team certainly seems interested and ready for the challenge.
Since this is the budget option, I’ll be cutting it some slack. But it still has to perform. If this thing bends, bounces, and moves around, it isn’t going to get a thumbs up. If it struggles to do the basic movements it claims it does well, then I don’t care how low that price point gets. But if it can hang in our garage, it will likely do a good job in your space too.
I’m going to be running side by side tests with the Hyper Pro, as I am also currently testing and reviewing that. So we’ll have some comparisons from the top dog and the budget contender.
Already Making Improvements
I mentioned above that the team was already making improvements. I sent over a handful of videos and pictures and notes, and they’ve given me about a dozen notes on what they have tweaked to the production model ALREADY based on what I sent over.
I’m always concerned that what I receive as a reviewer, might be a “white glove” service compared to what you get. The company inspects every piece, makes sure everything is A+ so I give them a fantastic review, while you as the customer get the leftover scraps. This message exchange cleared that up, and I think speaks to what they hope to get from my testing and review.
Other Nordic Combo Machines On The Market
I mentioned that I have handled the other four options on the market, and I did a full side-by-side breakdown of them in this epic video.
Freak Athlete Hyper Pro
It costs double (at least) what the NordBench costs, but it also does more, is larger, has more attachments, and is the established BEST of the best Nordic Combo Machine.
I’m working on a review, which you can check out more here.
Tib Bar Guy Nordic Back Extension Machine V2
The Tib Bar Guy’s Nordic Back Extension Machine V2 released in early 2024. It takes a lot of HEAVY influences from the Freak Athlete model. Their model adjusts in a similar fashion, sets up for Hip Thrusts the same, and has a ton of exercise options.
The Shogun Nord-EX
The next one is the Shogun Nord-EX. This is the most expensive and premium offering between the main offerings out there. You could buy two The BaseBlocks The Nordic Plus and have some change leftover. That said, it is arguably the most aesthetic of the options. On top of that, they really thought through the finer details of the laser engraving, stainless steel pieces, even the instructions are FANTASTICALLY done.
The BaseBlocks The Nord Plus
The next one is the BaseBlocks The Nordic Plus. This is the least expensive offering between the main offerings out there. You could buy two of these and have some change leftover compared to the Shogun. It is far from my favorite, but if you are on a VERY tight budget and fit a VERY specific set of characteristics, I could see this fitting into your routine.
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✅ I’ll have a full review on The NordBench here and over on my YouTube channel. If you have something specific you’d like answered, let me know.
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Joe Gray
My name is Joe Gray - aka Gray Matter Lifting - and I've been lifting at home since 2013. In that time I've built a badass gym, deadlifted over 600lbs, helped grow r/Homegym to over 1 Million subscribers, created the Garage Gym Competition and written a ton of posts here on this site. I love the Garage Gym Community... If you do too, I hope you stick around.
