Rep Nighthawk Bench Review

The Rep Nighthawk bench is Rep Fitness’ newest adjustable bench.

First thing I noticed when I unboxed it, was the powder coat.

Love the beautiful metallic black finish and Rep has 6 other colors available.

It’s compact, feels lightweight, yet sturdy.

Let’s check it out!

Unboxing

There’s two layers inside the box.

First layer has both pads in their own boxes and each one comes wrapped in plastic.

The bottom layer has all the metal parts.

This includes the base, front leg, hind leg, and a piece that protects the vinyl when I stand the bench upright.

There’s 6 parts in total and the hardware.

It only requires 12 bolts and was super easy to put together.

And here it is all put together.

Very nice looking bench and the padding feels amazing.

Specs

• Material: 7 and 14 gauge steel

• Dimensions: 51″ L x 25.9″ W x 16.7″

• Weight: 88 lbs

• Weight capacity: 700 lbs

• Back pad angles: 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 85

• Seat pad angles: -15, 0, 10, 20

• Back pad length: 36″

• Pad length: 11.8″

• Seat pad length: 11″

• Pad gap: 1.57″

What Is The Rep Nighthawk?

The Rep Nighthawk is a new weight bench re-designed after the Rep AB-4100 with improvements in stability, versatility, and lifter experience.

Because it’s compact and lightweight, it’s made for home gym and light commercial use.

But with a weight capacity of 700 lbs, most people will never max it out in their lifetime.

It has 7 back pad positions, 4 seat pad positions (including decline), and a 2.5″ thick pad made out of molded polyurethane foam that’s super comfortable.

Top Benefits Of The Rep Nighthawk Bench

Vertical Storage

Ask any home gym aficionado and they’ll tell you that lack of space is their biggest enemy.

So space utilization, storage, and organization is super important to me to continue adding equipment to my garage gym.

This is why most weight benches now come with the ability to store vertically.

Rep added a rubber piece at the top of the back pad.

This adds stability and protects the vinyl when it’s upright.

It connects to the bottom of the via with a metal piece.

This is what it looks like at the bottom when it’s standing up.

Since the bench uses a closed ladder system, it prevents the back pad from opening up accidentally.

Stability

The front foot is wide, lined with rubber underneath, and comes in full contact with the floor.

This makes it more stable than the AB-4100 which has two rubber pieces under the front foot and has a gap in between them.

This is what the rubber piece looks like.

It’s 11 3/4″ wide at its widest point but doesn’t get in the way of my feet.

The rear leg is 25.8″ wide which is wider than the 20.3″ on the AB-4100.

So there’s a big difference there on the width and this wider base gives the Nighthawk more stability.

Here’s a look at the underside with two rubber pieces bolted to the frame.

The wide rear leg also makes it possible for Rep Ares 2.0 to bench inside the rack.

Easy To Move

With the Nighthawk only weighing 88 lbs and the wheels on the rear leg, the bench feels real light and easy to move.

Each wheel is surrounded with a metal frame so they’re fully protected.

You can see the front of the wheel cover is flat and that helps it to stand upright.

And the front foot has a knurled handle making it real easy to lift the bench and roll it around.

The knurl is mild and the black nickel finish makes it look bad ass.

RELATED: XMaster Adjustable Bench 2.0

Best Features Of The Rep Nighthawk Adjustable Bench

Adjustable Bench

Unlike the AB-4100, the Nighthawk is an FID bench (flat, incline, decline), but…

In order to use it as a decline bench, you’ll have to purchase an additional leg roller attachment that Rep has yet to release.

The bench goes from flat to 85 degrees so there’s 7 levels of adjustments on the back pad.

Wait, where’s the decline angle?

I’ll show you how that works in a bit…

The back post has knurled handles (vs the AB-4100’s rubber handles) and feels very stable with very little wiggle.

By the way, look at the beautiful metallic finish on this puppy.

It gives the bench great aesthetics.

Here’s a closer look at the adjustments on the seat pad.

It has two levels of incline, flat, and a decline setting.

Here’s what the seat pad looks like on the decline position.

And you might be asking yourself, “Why would I need a declined seat?”

That’s because when I incline the back pad, now it creates a decline bench.

But like I told you earlier, you’ll have to purchase a leg roller attachment separately that fits under the top of the back pad.

So let me take you under the hood so you can see where that’s going to attach….

On the bottom of the back pad, you can see the frame has an end cap and a couple of aluminum knobs.

Here is where the future leg roller and leg extension/leg curl attachments will go.

This is different than the Rep AB-4100 bench which doesn’t have an open tube.

I personally like to use this set up for prone rows.

Padding

Padding on the Nighthawk is made of molded polyurethane and feels really comfortable.

It gives a little bit but bounces right back up.

The padding is 2.5″ thick and is lined with Rep’s non-slip vinyl.

With the vinyl being grippy, there’s no shifting around when I use leg drive so that adds to the bench’s stability.

At 1.57″ wide, the pad gap is not the smallest but I also don’t feel like I’m falling into it when doing flat bench.

Closed Ladder

I like the closed ladder design because it makes it safer to store the bench vertically.

With the ladder being enclosed, there’s no way for the back pad to swing out accidentally.

Love the laser cut angle numbers on there which makes it easy to know where I’m setting the back pad.

The seat pad also has a closed ladder design.

This one doesn’t have laser cut numbers but I don’t think it’s needed on this end.

Rep Nighthawk Bench Pros & Cons

Pros

• Build: Made with 7 and 14 gauge steel so it’s lightweight but can take up 700 lbs

• Stability: Wide rear and front legs make it very stable

• Padding: Thick, molded foam, covered in grippy vinyl makes it super comfortable

• Finish: I have the metallic black finish and it’s bad ass

• Vertical storage: I can stand it upright so it’s not taking up floor space when not in use

• Colors: Frame is available in 6 colors to match your home gym

Cons

• Decline: Even though it declines, I need to get an additional leg roller attachment to do decline bench or use it as a decline sit up bench

Rep Nighthawk Bench Price

At $450, the Nighthawk is only $50 higher than the AB-4100 and just $50 less expensive than the AB-5200.

With it being compact, lightweight, and versatile, I feel this price makes it one of Rep’s most valuable benches.

Rep Discount Code

Rep currently doesn’t have a discount for the Nighthawk but it does offer free shipping.

They do have a deals page where you can see random products added periodically.

Rep AB-4100 vs Rep Nighthawk: What’s Different?

The Nighthawk is an upgrade from the AB-4100 and it’s only $50 more so I foresee the AB-4100 eventually being discontinued.

To make it easier to show you the differences between the two, I put together the table below.

Rep Nighthawk Alternatives

Rep AB-4100

The Rep AB-4100 is a solid bench and $50 cheaper than the Nighthawk.

But, the Nighthawk has better stability, a much nicer pad, and has the ability to add attachments to it, making it more versatile.

Rep AB-5200 2.0

The Rep AB-5200 2.0 is $50 more than the Nighthawk ($90 more if you decide to go with an adjustable post).

Going with an adjustable post gives it 3 decline settings.

This one has more of a commercial build since it’s made out of 11 gauge steel.

Rep Blackwing

The Rep Blackwing is Rep’s big daddy that comes with all the features, so it costs $600.

Complete FID bench with zero gap pad adjustments and the ability to add attachments to the frame.

My Experience Using The Rep Nighthawk Bench

What first caught my eye when I got the bench was the metallic finish on the frame.

If you’re into equipment looks, this one is bad ass.

I love how comfortable and grippy the pad feels and the pag gap doesn’t bother me at all.

As far as stability goes, the extra 5″ on the rear leg and the wide front leg make the bench very stable.

And yes, it can decline but I’ll need the leg roller attachment (sold separately) so that I can anchor myself down when doing decline work.

I do like that I’ll have the ability to add a leg extension / leg curl attachment in the future, so this makes the bench more versatile than the AB-4100.

Is The Rep Nighthawk Worth It?

For only $50 more than the AB-4100, the Nighthawk is well worth it’s price.

It’s more stable, looks clean, feels better, and has the ability to decline, and I have the ability to add attachments for more functionality.

4.55

Build

4.6/5

Stability

4.6/5

Padding

4.6/5

Adjustments

4.5/5

Finish

4.6/5

Check Out The Nighthawk

Shredded Dad

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