Inspire M2 vs M3 Multi Gym: Is the M3 Worth £700 More? (UK)

Specifications checked: 26 July 2026. Prices and stock change — always confirm the latest figures with the retailer before buying.

Affiliate disclosure: Fitness Tools Reviewed is a member of the Awin affiliate network and may earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. This does not affect our editorial judgement. This comparison is based on published specifications from the retailer and manufacturer, not physical testing.

The Short Answer

Inspire M2 vs M3: both are home multi gyms from Inspire Fitness, sold in the UK through Fitness Options, priced at £2,299 (M2) and £2,999 (M3). Based on the published specifications, the core differences are the press arm design and the weight stack: the M2 has a fixed-plus-free-motion press arm and a 72kg (160lb) weight stack, while the M3 has independently moving (iso-lateral) press arms, a heavier 95kg (210lb) stack, and a dedicated built-in abdominal crunch station. Which one suits you depends on your budget and which of those specific features you actually need — the sections below explain what each difference means in practice so you can decide.

Inspire M2 vs M3: Verified Comparison

Every figure below comes from the current Fitness Options UK product listings and the Awin product feed, cross-checked where possible against Inspire’s own official owner’s manuals for the M2 and M3

Dimensions are read from Fitness Options’ own product listings (length × width × height, both machines share the same 183cm length, with the M3 taller and narrower to accommodate its larger stack). Treat these as approximate and confirm the exact figure with Fitness Options before ordering, especially if space is tight.

What Actually Differs Between Them

Strip away the marketing language and the Inspire M2 vs M3 upgrade comes down to three things: press-arm independence, weight-stack capacity, and ab training provision.

Press arm: fixed-and-free vs iso-lateral

The M2’s press arm offers fixed pressing exercises plus a free-motion option. The M3’s press arms are iso-lateral, meaning each side moves completely independently of the other. In practice, this means each arm has to be driven separately rather than moving together — some lifters use this to work each side of the body more evenly, though how much that matters depends on your own training background and goals, and we’re not making a claim about outcomes either way.

Weight stack: 72kg vs 95kg

The M3’s listed stack (95kg / 210lb) is approximately 32% heavier by mass than the M2’s (72kg / 160lb) — (95 − 72) / 72 × 100 ≈ 31.9%. That’s a statement about the stack’s mass, not about resistance at every exercise: usable resistance at a given station depends on the pulley ratio and exercise setup, which isn’t published for either machine, so we can’t say the M3 delivers 32% more resistance at the press, the lat pulldown, or anywhere else specifically. What’s verifiable is simply that the M3 has more total plate mass to work with before you’d need to add weight.

Abdominal training: attachment vs dedicated station

The M2 handles ab work through a strap attached to the pulley system. The M3 has a dedicated crunch station built into the head pad. This is a genuine design difference — a purpose-built station versus an adapted attachment — and whether it matters to you depends on how much dedicated ab training you plan to do on the machine itself.

Points in Favour of the Inspire M2

• £700 cheaper, which is a meaningful saving if budget is a factor
• Covers seated leg extension/curl, low row, lat pulldown and pressing in one frame
• A smaller weight stack is not a limitation for everyone — it depends on what loads you actually train with

Points in Favour of the Inspire M3

• Larger 95kg stack, giving more headroom before plates need adding
• Iso-lateral press arms, for lifters who specifically want each side to move independently
• A dedicated ab crunch station rather than a strap-based workaround

Does the M3 Justify the Extra £700?

Based on the published specifications, the £700 gap buys three concrete things: a heavier weight stack, independently moving press arms, and a dedicated ab station. Whether that’s worth it depends entirely on whether you’ll use those specific features — none of them makes the M3 an objectively “better” machine for every buyer. The M2 is not an inferior machine for lacking them. If none of the three differences above matter to your training, the M2 gives you the same core exercise range for less money. If you’re weighing up whether a traditional multi gym is the right format at all, it’s also worth reading our Precor fitness equipment review for a look at another commercial-grade brand, or our Tempo review if you’re open to an AI-guided alternative to a cable-based multi gym.

Space and Ceiling Height

Based on Fitness Options’ listed dimensions, the M3 (~206cm tall) needs roughly 8cm more ceiling clearance than the M2 (~198cm), and is narrower (~101cm vs ~122cm) while sharing the same ~183cm length. If you’re installing either machine in a garage, loft conversion, or room with a sloped or low ceiling, measure your space and confirm the exact current figures with Fitness Options before ordering — published dimensions can change between product revisions.

Optional Leg Press

Both the M2 and M3 support an optional leg press attachment, sold separately from the base machine — it is not included in either the £2,299 or £2,999 price. If leg press is something you want, budget for the attachment on top of the base price and confirm current pricing and compatibility with Fitness Options before ordering.

Drawbacks Worth Knowing About

Neither machine is without trade-offs, based on what’s published:

• M2: ab training relies on a strap/pulley attachment rather than a dedicated station; the smaller stack means adding external plates sooner if you need more resistance than 72kg provides; press arms move together rather than independently.
• M3: £700 more expensive for features you may or may not use; taller footprint, so less flexibility in low-ceiling spaces; the leg press many buyers want is still a separate purchase, not included at either price point.

Both machines carry the same warranty terms (lifetime frame, 3 years parts/cables/upholstery, 1 year labour) and the same two-man delivery and optional installation service, so neither has an advantage there. Published specifications can’t tell you how either machine feels to use, how smooth the cables run, or how it holds up after months of use — we haven’t used either machine ourselves, so we’re not going to claim otherwise.

Final Verdict

Based on the published specifications, the M2 and M3 aren’t a straightforward “budget vs premium” pairing — the M3 adds three specific, verifiable features (bigger stack, independent press arms, dedicated ab station) for £700 more, and whether that’s worth it comes down to whether you’ll actually use them. The M2 is a genuinely complete multi gym in its own right, not a cut-down version of the M3.

Whichever model suits your situation, confirm current price, stock, and exact dimensions directly with Fitness Options before ordering, since all of these can change.