Rayofi Portable GYM Machine Review: A Compact Powerhouse That Humbled Me

I love fitness and working out, but I haven’t set foot in a gym since 2020. Over the past few years, I’ve built a solid home gym with kettlebells, adjustable weights, and a rowing machine. But none of them have humbled me quite like the Rayofi Portable GYM Machine.

The Rayofi Portable GYM Machine looks innocent, but it’s actually an evil hexagon of torture—sweet, sweaty torture—all in a very compact package. But before we get into the workout and why it destroyed me, let’s review the hardware. It charges via USB-C, and Rayofi includes a cable—just in case your drawer isn’t already overflowing with them.

The main device connects to a foot plate, an attachment cable, or a door anchor using a twist and lock connector that ensures nothing moves, no matter how hard you pull.

I loved the connector because I knew once I had it locked in, there would be no chance of it coming loose. It’s super easy to twist it on, and then you’re set to go, but it’s equally easy to twist it off and swap for a different piece depending on your needs. Most importantly, it feels extremely solid, and there’s no wiggle or play when it’s locked into place.

On the flip side is the tether that feeds out of the motor. That’s the part you’re “lifting,” and Rayofi includes a cable handle and an ankle strap. Like the various anchors, these clip on securely with a spring clip that clips to the inside, so there’s no chance it’ll slip off midway through a movement. The tether feels tough and strong, and it’s clear the build quality was designed for longevity.

So, it looks simple enough. The Rayofi Portable GYM Machine’s hexagon houses a motor and a strap. The power button turns it on, the up and down buttons control the tension, and the screen indicates how the tension translates to a weight. You might wonder how this innocent, well-built, and well-designed machine could possibly be nefarious.

But here’s where the evil slips in, with that tension. Traditional weightlifting has two phases: concentric (lifting) and eccentric (lowering). For example, in a bicep curl, you lift the weight toward your body (concentric), then lower it back down (eccentric).

Normally, gravity helps on the way down, but there’s no assist with the Rayofi Portable GYM Machine. The resistance stays consistent through both phases, making every rep significantly harder—and trust me, you feel it fast.

Now that we’ve discussed the general movement, imagine doing a bicep curl with a regular dumbbell. In the concentric portion, you fight gravity by bringing the weight up, but you get an assist from gravity during the eccentric portion.

With the Rayofi Portable GYM Machine, there is no assist from gravity. The tension remains on both sides of the movement, and you start to really feel it a few reps in!

You can ratchet the tension up to 30kg or 66 pounds. I showed the Rayofi Portable GYM Machine to my trainer, and she was excited to have us test it out, so she suggested I try bicep curls.

Being the cocky idiot I am, I set it for 10kg/22pounds, and I immediately regretted it. It was significantly harder than I expected, and as my trainer pointed out, I was getting additional minor muscle activation in my core and legs from planting my foot so hard on the foot plate.

This repeated across multiple exercises, from rows to deadlifts and more. I would confidently believe I could handle 10 reps, and then by the 6th or 7th rep, I was cursing my existence, Rayofi’s existence, and whoever invented weightlifting. It was an extremely humbling experience, and I loved every second of it!

As my trainer pointed out, with the accessories included, the Rayofi Portable GYM Machine is basically a portable cable machine. You can anchor it to the door or a pole, strap it to your ankle, and work on lunges, mule kicks, and other lower body exercises.

You could even anchor it over your head and do weighted lat pulldowns and similar movements. With a bit of creativity, the Rayofi can effectively work just about every muscle group.

While the hardware is nearly flawless, the same can’t be said for the companion app; it’s honestly awful. The Bluetooth connection isn’t terrible and seems to connect quickly, but that’s the only nice thing I can say about it.

First of all, the app’s language mixes English and what I’m relatively certain is Chinese. It makes it very confusing to navigate. But even that’s not impossible to figure out from context clues (though it does make for some amusing translation issues, like when it asked if my weight was “sure” or “secret”).

It also logs me out every time I use it, requiring me to enter my email and then a code—every single time.

Even if it’s as simple as starting to create a workout in the app and then answering a call, it’s enough to get me booted and logging back in, losing all the saved work along the way.

The biggest issue is that the app has a library of workouts you can create and run for programming, but the entire experience is impossible to use.

The video demonstrations are filmed from a set distance, so you have to study them to see the movement, how they hold themselves and the device, the right form, etc. In addition, some of the workouts utilize two Rayofi devices, and while it’s easy enough to modify for one arm at a time, it would be nice if it were possible to sort the videos by equipment you have on hand.

However, the worst part is that trying to make a plan is limited to the exercises in their database. You can’t create your own, which is a shame, so you’re stuck with the exercises they list. On top of that, as far as I could tell, there’s no way to save a workout as a general plan- it has to be tied to a specific day. So if you create a workout plan you like on Monday, you must manually re-create it to do it on Wednesday.

Worst of all, navigating it once you start the workout is wildly unclear. I set up 3 exercises, and while the app did show the weight I chose, it didn’t appear to track reps. I also couldn’t figure out how to move from one exercise to the next.

After a few frustrated tries, I finally gave up on the app entirely. If it improves in the future, I’ll happily revisit it, but as it stands now, it’s a wildly unpleasant experience that detracts from what’s honestly excellent hardware.

To be clear, you absolutely don’t need the app to use the Rayofi Portable GYM Machine. It’s a fantastic device; the hardware is excellent, and nothing about it depends on the odd and buggy app. My only hesitation with the lack of a good app is that I would recommend taking your time and familiarizing yourself with the exercises.

This thing is similar enough to cable machines that watching the basics of a cable workout would provide some ideas on how to modify it for home use. Take your time and listen to your body!

I’m super excited about how I can use the Rayofi Portable GYM Machine in the future. The company told us they plan to release more accessories, starting with a wide bar and a bigger footplate. These would really open up the possibilities, and I’m super excited for when they come out. I had briefly considered whether some creative use of the ankle strap and a piece of PVC pipe from Home Depot would work for wide bar needs, but an official accessory sounds much better!

Obviously, correlation is not causation, but I will say that the Rayofi Portable GYM Machine has shaken up my routine, and that’s creating some improvement. I run a 30-minute circuit with my trainer, and in January, I completed 3.3 rounds. Tonight, I did 4 full rounds in 30 minutes. I don’t think Rayofi changed everything, but I think incorporating a new way to work the same muscles has helped contribute.

For under $200 with no subscriptions or hidden costs, the Rayofi Portable GYM Machine is a steal in the world of home gym equipment. It’s versatile, portable, and brutally effective. While the app needs major improvements, the hardware alone makes this a worthwhile investment for anyone looking to level up their home workouts.

The Rayofi Portable GYM Machine retails for $192; it is available directly from the manufacturer.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Liked: Rock-solid build quality; Packs a serious punch for a compact device; Highly portable; Secure, well-designed connectors for attachments and anchors; USB-C charging; Intuitive setup; Adjustable resistance of up to 30kg ensures long-term use

What Needs Improvement: The app is severely underdeveloped and frustrating to use; No carrying case to store accessories