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Work out your abs from home, the gym, or even at the office.

Strength training is an essential part of any running routine, with core exercises being some of the most important. A strong core stabilizes your entire body, helping runners move more efficiently and quickly. Unfortunately, many of us don’t have time for lengthy gym sessions while also tackling our weekly miles. Ab rollers are a highly effective and productive way to strengthen your entire core and upper body, while being conscious of both time and budget.

All you need is one simple piece of equipment, a mat for your knees, and 5-10 minutes to work out. To help make shopping a breeze, we gathered the best nine ab rollers for spicing up your running routine and strengthening your core.

If you've never used an ab roller before, be aware that they require a decent amount of core strength to begin with, so if you don't have much core strength, you may want to begin with some basic core exercises to prevent injury. Furthermore, you’ll need to ensure that your form is good enough to protect your lower back while exercising. If your back cannot remain straight and begins to arch, you are at risk of a back pull or strain.

If you have access to a local gym, you can test out a standard ab roller and assess your fitness level. This will give you an idea if you want to select a product with an ultra-wide wheel base for extra security, or if you can go for one that adds extra resistance and difficulty. Prioritizing your comfort when using an ab roller is crucial in selecting which one will be best for you, as well as whether or not you plan to travel with it.

Since ab rolling can cause injury if not done properly or done with faulty equipment, we have chosen only rollers that are safe and reliable. The number one priority we considered was ensuring these products are both stable and grippy. Most of these have ultra-wide wheels and/or a spring-loaded resistance to offer extra stability.

We then narrowed our list down to those with the highest number of positive user reviews. While traditional ab rollers do not have much deviation in their design, these products are all unique and are best suited for athletes with a range of needs, from price, to fitness level, to portability.

Check out some more of our favorite ab machines to strengthen your core.

Ab wheels are a staple of most gym, and chances are, you’ve likely used, or at least seen this one before. It has a classic dual-wheel design with rubber traction to reduce noise and scuffing on floors. The foam handlebars are grippy and comfortable, and the narrow width is great for strengthening your core and lower back.

This is a budget-friendly product that’s perfect for athletes who are already used to using ab wheels in their gyms and want an additional product for home or traveling. If you are a beginner, however, you may want to opt for one of our other choices with a thicker wheel.

Bored with your typical plank and pushup routine? A variety of different exercises are possible with the SKLZ Core Wheels, making it easy to spice up your workout regimen. They have the basic design of two dumbbells, with rolling wheels instead of weights.

The foam handles are comfortable and can be used for extra stability during planks or pushups, or to roll one arm out at a time for a strengthening exercise. When using them both at the same time, they target the same muscles as a traditional ab roller.

Additionally, you can use one at a time to target your obliques. These wheels are super lightweight, so you can easily travel with them or do a quick at-home workout.

This ab wheel is inexpensive, portable, and durable. It features a two-wheel design for a bit of extra width which adds stability. Additionally, the handles have comfortable rubber grips and an ergonomic design to fit into your palm.

While this is a great on-the-go tool, the handles aren’t super wide, so it loses a bit of stability for your wrists and arms, and can be more difficult if you don't have a good base of arm strength.

This ultra-wide ab roller has a simple yet incredibly effective design. A carbon spring on the interior of the wheel creates extra resistance while rolling out. This makes it slightly more difficult to fully extend, working your core as deeply as possible. Then, on the way back, the spring makes it slightly easier to roll back up. This helps protect your lower back, while the ultra-wide wheel base is extremely stable.

Additionally, the handlebars are slightly downturned to protect your wrists and come with comfortable ergonomic grips. Finally, this product comes with a downloadable 21-day workout guide for inspiration.

If you’ve struggled to properly use a roller with a narrower wheel and are looking for extra stability and ease of use, this is the product for you. The Oileus ab roller uses two wide tires and a built-in spring to generate extra assistance for the exercise. This helps both with fully extending, and to roll back up while protecting the lower back.

While this is a great option for beginners, if you’re used to using a traditional ab roller, you will find that it does not extend as far as other options.

Frequently lose track of reps while working out? This smart ab roller keeps track of your reps while you put in the work. It has a wide wheel base with spring-loaded technology to provide a bit of extra assistance. The wheel is covered with a soft and smooth rubber, so noise or surface scratching are not at all a concern. The handles are slightly downturned for extra wrist support and have comfortable rubber grips.

Though it’s more expensive than other options, it’s designed to be extremely strong and can bear up to 440 pounds.

Traditional ab rollers tend to be tough on the wrist joints. This product switches it up by using elbow pads and a versatile handlebar to increase comfort and stability.

Furthermore, the elbow pads help to engage your entire upper arms, targeting your biceps and triceps as opposed to dumping too much pressure into your forearms. The wheel is wide and covered with non-slip rubber to ensure a safe experience.

Because of the elbow pads, you can do more than just a simple ab roll exercise. Elbow planks and pike roll-outs are also possible to target different muscles and work your core in multiple ways.

Looking for an ab roller that adds extra oomph to your normal workout routine? The GoFit Extreme Ab Wheel has a simple design that transforms basic exercises into core-strengthening workouts. It features one narrow wheel with grippy rubber for traction and flat handlebars with tightening straps. The narrow wheel makes a traditional ab roll exercise a bit more challenging with this model, but many less advanced workouts are also possible.

Velcro straps transform the handlebars into foot pedals, so you can practice rolling and stabilization in addition to planking or practicing sit-ups. This is a versatile product that transforms a variety of workouts into core burners.

While it may not look like an ab roller, we promise that this model will have your core burning. The purpose of this unique design is to increase the range of motion of your workouts.

As opposed to simply rolling forward and backward, you’re able to move in a circle or a diagonal direction to target obliques, as well. The three wheels are small and low to the ground, so it’s extra stable for beginners. A large platform sits on top of these wheels, with different handle options for a variety of hand positions.

Additionally, you can hold a plank and use your feet or knees on the solid base to target your lower core as well.