Indoor cycling has really taken off in the last few years and Zwift is the most popular indoor training app, allowing you to ride and race without leaving home.
You can get started on Zwift for comparatively little outlay, or you can splash out on a top-end smart trainer or smart bike and a whole range of indoor cycling gear and even indoor cycling clothing.
Last updated on 22nd September 2025 Reformatted and intro rewritten. How to Choose, FAQs and How We Test sections outlining what you need to consider when picking the best Zwift setup for your needs, plus answering any questions you might have when considering a new Zwift setup.
What is Zwift?
We have a full guide to Zwift if you want to read more, but in brief, it's a gamified app that runs on anything from a mobile phone through a tablet to a laptop or Apple TV. Your avatar moves through virtual landscapes at a speed dependent on how hard you ride.
Zwift links up to an indoor trainer and you then place your bike on top and start riding. You can ride alone, follow workouts or training plans or join group rides. You can even race against others, with some top-level pros starting out by winning the Zwift Academy race series.
Zwift isn't the only indoor cycling option. While you'll pay a subscription to use Zwift, we have a complete guide to indoor cycling apps, some of which are free to use.
Best Zwift setup on a budget
Budget setup: Dumb trainer, speed sensor and a smartphone
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✅ Inexpensive
✅ Relatively small footprint
✅ Can probably use existing electronics
❌ Manual control of trainer's resistance
❌ Power estimate less accurate
❌ Wear on bike's tyres and other components
The humble smartphone is 32,600 times more powerful than the Apollo moon-landing guidance computers. Let's make the most of that insane technological feat by using it to ride on virtual bikes on the internet in order to increase our FTP.
Most smartphones today can run the Zwift app, and depending on the session at hand, can be balanced atop a towel draped over the handlebars, however, a phone mount will keep it sturdily in place.
A basic turbo trainer will not send any data to Zwift without a speed sensor or a power meter, so you'll need one or the other of those. For a more accurate Zwift setup, we recommend a power meter, and a Bluetooth-enabled one will forego the cost of an ANT+ adaptor. Our guide to the best power meters will help you choose the right one for you, and you can also use it for outdoor rides.
A power meter is much more expensive than a speed sensor though. Zwift has calibrated the power curves of many trainers and can use your speed to estimate your power output.
Additionally, the dumb turbo trainer won't be controllable by Zwift, so you won't have the erg mode capabilities of a smart trainer. We recommend you choose a fluid turbo trainer that has a progressive resistance curve (the harder you pedal, the greater the resistance), and you won't need to worry about manually adjusting the resistance via an often-plastic, hard-to-use 'remote'.
This is one of the more affordable solutions, assuming you already have a bike and a smartphone.
Best Zwift setup for a mid-level budget
Mid level setup: Smart trainer, laptop and a desk
✅ Resistance controlled by Zwift app
✅ Larger screen is more immersive
✅ Likely to be quieter
❌ More expensive
❌ Still need to set everything up before riding
A smart turbo trainer has a power meter built in and will adjust its resistance automatically in response to input from Zwift. It won't enable you to train outdoors with power, but it will offer a more complete setup for indoor cycling on apps like Zwift and TrainerRoad.
Smart turbo trainers come in two forms, wheel-on and direct drive. Our guide to the best smart trainers will explain all, but generally, a direct drive option will cost a little more, but be quieter and offer a more realistic road feel. The price of direct drive smart trainers has fallen recently, so a budget option may not cost much more than a dumb trainer and be worth the extra expense for the better ride experience it will offer.
A laptop is a slightly better way to run Zwift as it will have a bigger screen than a smartphone. However, you'll need to double-check your laptop is Bluetooth-enabled, otherwise, you'll need a Bluetooth or ANT+ adaptor ('dongle') in order for your turbo trainer and laptop to be able to communicate.
An iPad or tablet can be the perfect compromise between a smartphone and a laptop, as it will have a larger screen than your phone, yet will most likely be Bluetooth-enabled, unlike some laptops.
Whether you choose a laptop or a tablet, you'll need somewhere to put it. We recommend a dedicated desk, such as the Kickr Desk from Wahoo.
Best Zwift setup for those with a big budget
Premium setup: Smart bike, wall-mounted TV and Apple TV
✅ Ready to ride
✅ Some set-ups can tilt to simulate gradients
✅ Easy to adjust for multiple riders
❌ Smart bikes and high spec trainers are expensive
❌ Need a dedicated training space
A smart bike, such as the Wattbike Atom, is a dedicated smart bike that does everything a smart turbo trainer does, but better. Usually belt-driven, a smart bike is generally quieter than a bike affixed to a turbo trainer, and usually features easily adjustable touchpoints like saddle height and handlebar height.
Top-end trainers such as the Tacx Neo 3M and Wahoo Kickr Move are also an option, if you want to use your own bike indoors. Another alternative is the Zwift Ride modular smart bike, which attaches to a trainer (check compatibility) to form a complete smart bike.
Smart bikes won't fold away to be hidden in the cupboard under the stairs, and they aren't a cheap solution, but they are a worthy consideration to anyone with a dedicated indoor training space.
Given they're likely to remain in situ, they're well paired with a TV on the wall. Anything from a fourth-gen Apple TV can run Zwift (although older models can still use screen mirroring).
The best Zwift set-ups: how to choose
Here are the key considerations when choosing the best Zwift set-up for your needs:
- What's your budget? If you've got a bike to use and a smartphone or other device already, you can get going on Zwift for little outlay. If you want a more immersive experience, be prepared to spend significantly more though. Don't forget the monthly/annual subscription fee.
- What's your indoor training footprint? Some Zwifters have a permanent set-up, complete with a big screen, a fan and an indoor bike. If, on the other hand, you need to put your kit away after use, you'll want something more compact and foldable.
- Will your noise disturb others? Some trainers are noisier than others. If you live in a flat, vibration on the floor might annoy neighbours downstairs. Consider purchasing a floor mat, which will also protect your carpets from sweat and bike grease.
- What electronic devices do you have? Although you can run Zwift on a smartphone, you'll get a better experience on a device with a larger screen. A tablet is popular, but a laptop computer or Apple TV are also options. If you plan to use an older device, make sure it meets the minimum technical requirements to run the app.
- How's your connectivity? You'll need an internet connection to run Zwift. That might be through your electronic device's WiFi, using Bluetooth to connect to your trainer. But if you get serious about racing, you might want a faster connection to the trainer; many trainers now support a direct WiFi connection, bypassing the Bluetooth bridge, while others allow you to set up a wired connection to the internet.
The best Zwift setups: Frequently asked questions
What else do I need to ride on Zwift?
To ride on Zwift, you'll need more than just a turbo trainer. You'll need the electronic hardware on which to run the app, as well as a place for everything to live.
Do you even own a laptop that can run Zwift, or will you run it on your phone, tablet, or TV? All are considerations worth making before you decide, but here are three of the best Zwift setups that can, of course, be mixed and matched to find your perfect solution.
A heart rate monitor will link into Zwift and give you and the app better data on how hard you are training.
For all setups above, we recommend a fan. Things get hot and sweaty without the airflow that comes from movement. The saying 'the bigger the better' has never been truer. We found great success in our Wahoo Kickr Headwind review, but a similar performance can be had for less money with a Lasko fan or traditional box fan - or three.
We also recommend Bluetooth headphones. This way, if you decide to lose yourself in some music to keep motivation high, you won't have to play it over your turbo trainer at a volume that your whole street can hear.
You can also add to the setup by using indoor cycling clothing and shoes, which are generally designed to be more breathable. Our guide to the best indoor cycling shoes will help you choose.
What do I get extra if I spend more?
Whatever your budget and level of expertise, there’ll be a setup for you, but the more you spend, the more premium a solution you'll get. This will show itself by way of a more realistic, engaging and perhaps enjoyable experience, as well as a considerably quieter operation.
We'd highly recommend choosing a direct drive smart trainer over a wheel-on dumb trainer, for its more accurate power measurement, quieter operation, lower wear on your bike and the option to run ERG mode, where the trainer automatically adjusts the resistance level.
What's Zwift Cog?
Zwift Cog is a device which attaches to the freehub of a direct drive turbo trainer. Rather than using your bike's gears to shift, Zwift Cog has a single sprocket and provides virtual shifting by varying the resistance of the smart trainer electronically.
Zwift Cog works with bikes with speeds from 8-speed up to 13-speed and also supports ERG mode, where the resistance you cycle against is controlled automatically by the app. It works with a pair of Zwift Click controllers, which you mount on your handlebars and which allow you to change between 24 virtual gears, steer in Zwift and access its menus.
Zwift Cog saves the need to choose a cassette, which is often not provided with a trainer, and possibly to swap out the trainer's freehub body, depending on the cassette you're using. As your chainline will be straighter, it also reduces wear on your chain and noise.
Zwift Cog is a useful, relatively inexpensive upgrade to an indoor training set-up, if it's compatible with your trainer.
How we test
At Cyclingnews, we're avid Zwifters. Indoor cycling is a great way to keep up your ride frequency and maintain your fitness in the winter. It's a more engaging way to perform structured training than staring at a series of upcoming ramps on a grey screen and can inject an element of competition into your indoor riding.
To judge our dedication to indoor cycling, read Tom's piece on what he learned during 1,000 hours of riding on Zwift. It's not just about the app though. We've tested a whole range of indoor trainers, from the budget to the top-end indoor smart trainers and smart bikes.
To read more about how we approach reviewing cycling products, both indoor and outdoor, head to our How We Test page.
