I am active in the dropshipping niche, with over five years of experience. I built stores in the past (and currently). While I cannot claim to be the best, I have experiences that allow me to provide you with valuable dropshipping lessons.  

Here are what you will learn:

• Understand why it makes sense to dropship p fitness products
• Top three countries to dropship fitness products
• What products to dropship and which ones to avoid

In the end, I hope I have provided you with enough guidance on starting a fitness product dropshipping store. 

If you are ready, let us begin!

Key Takeaways

• You must select a sub-niche to succeed in the fitness niche
• Product quality is of utmost importance
• It is not a good idea to dropshiphuge products like machines
• It is better to target people who want to build a home gym than big gym companies

Are Fitness Products a Good Dropshipping Niche?

Yes, fitness products are a good idea for dropshipping. While one can say that the niche has a high saturation point, it still makes sense to do it. Why? The numbers will tell us. 

In 2021, the total revenue of this niche in the US alone was $16 billion US dollars. The vast majority of the money came from the sale of sports equipment. 

Experts estimate this revenue will reach USD 21.23 billion in 2026 [1]. In this section, I will provide some reasons why fitness products are an excellent dropshipping niche. 

1. There is a market cycle

Kids today will mature in the future. These very same kids will want to take care of their health. As such, you will always have a market. Health is not a trend but a basic need. 

Even adults are health conscious. What does this mean? It means that you have a large demographic to target. People from the age of 16 can start a health journey. Some people are well into their 50s and still exercise. 

2. The niche is huge

Fitness products cover a huge area or industry. There are many sub-niches that you can penetrate. Below are some examples: 

• Sports – sports and fitness go hand-in-hand. This area alone is a big niche to fill. You can penetrate the badminton niche, soccer niche, and so much more. 
• Hobbies – many people combine fitness with their hobbies. An example of this is mountain climbing and biking.
• Indoor – indoor fitness refers to home equipment. It is a niche for people who want to build their gyms inside their houses. 
• Business – you also have the option to dropship huge fitness equipment. In this regard, your target market comprises business establishments. Particularly, these are gyms operators. 

As you can see, there are many niches to cover. Other examples are yoga, running, fitness fashion, boxing, MMA, and many more. 

3. There are many products

Health and fitness will always be part of social culture. Because of this, you can also expect a flurry of manufacturers now and again. 

You will never run out of suppliers in this niche. More importantly, if a supplier goes bankrupt, I can guarantee another company will take its place. 

You can sell goods from high-end brands or affordable items found on supplier sites like AliExpress and Alibaba.

Take a look at this: 

I typed “fitness” in the search box of AliExpress, and I now have thousands of products to choose from. I can say without a doubt that there is no limit to the kind of products you can sell in this industry. s

What Are the Risks of Dropshipping Fitness Products?

There are risks in all businesses—even dropshipping. The thing with dropshipping is that you do not keep or buy inventory. Because of this, you do not have to worry about losing a lot of money. 

Yet, regarding sales, there are some things you need to know. You will face these challenges sooner or later, and I was hoping you could prepare yourself for them. 

1. PROBLEM: High Competition

Your biggest risk in dropshipping fitness products is competition. The barrier to entry in the dropshipping industry is so low. Some can start a dropshipping business for as low as $30. 

You are not the only dropshipper. In addition, the fitness niche is not exactly special. People who start a dropshipping business will always think of fashion and fitness as profitable niches. 

In essence, I am telling you that you are competing with not a dozen but a hundred or more dropshipping stores in the fitness industry. In addition, you are also competing against big brands that have online stores.

SOLUTION: Niche down

The only solution that works is niching down. It means digging deep into the niche and finding a specific market. What you want is to become an expert in that particular area. 

Here is an example of niching down: 

Fitness > Yoga > Female Yoga > Yoga Mats

As you can see, you will sell yoga mats, not yoga clothing. There are many types of yoga mats in the market. For one, there are at least nine types of materials. 

You may say, “But I am only selling yoga mats; how will it be profitable?” 

It will be profitable because you are the authority regarding yoga mats. Your store will have thousands of them. 

More importantly, anyone visiting your website is looking for a yoga mat. No one will go there randomly shopping for fitness stuff. As such, that person’s interest is much higher than someone who is merely window shopping.

2. Product Quality

The next challenge is product quality. In my many years of dropshipping, I have had experiences where the product on the picture was not what I thought it would be. 

Sure, you want to sell affordable goods. However, remember that anyone who shells out money also expects to receive good value. 

Never sell products of low quality. Your customers will be unhappy and will not recommend you to their friends.

The question is this: how will you know?

SOLUTION: Order a sample

Yes, you have to order samples of the products. I understand that this entails cost, but it is necessary. 

Here are some things to remember: 

• Product samples are more expensive than the actual price
• Ask for a finished product sample complete with packaging
• Order only one sample per product type

Why are the samples more expensive? Well, the manufacturer has to balance the cost against the effort. If a yoga mat is worth $2 each, and you order only one piece, a person must pack it and take it to the shipping courier.  

Obviously, if they charge you $2, they lose money. They will likely charge you $10 for that sample. You are also paying for their labor. 

The main benefit of ordering a sample is that you will get to see the actual product. You will feel it in your hand. Once you have the sample, you can make an informed decision about whether or not the product is worth selling. 

3. Long Shipping Time

Dropship manufacturers and suppliers can take a long while to ship. I had this experience where the product I ordered from Alibaba took more than 60 days, and I had to cancel the order. 

If this happens, your customers may file a credit card chargeback. The first solution I can think of is to set proper expectations. You must under-promise and over-deliver. 

What does that mean? If the shipping expectation is 30 days, say 45 days in your shop. If the item arrives in 28 days, your customer will be happy because he expects it in 45 days.  

SOLUTION: Work with fast shippers

Many dropship supplier databases aggregate suppliers. Part of this process is to make suppliers go through a verification process. It means that the suppliers must meet certain conditions like fast shipping and handling. 

Here are some examples: 

• Spocket
• SaleHoo
• AppScenic

These are apps or databases where you can find suppliers for fitness products. All suppliers here must meet the company’s demands, like fast shipping. Consistent failure means that the database operators will boot them out.

4. Small Profit Margin

The last challenge you will face is a small profit margin. In today’s world, all it takes is a few taps on the phone to compare product prices. There are even ways to search for products using images, not words. 

Because of this, a customer can take a screenshot of your product and then use a program to search for something similar. In this case, he can compare prices. Your only course of action is to reduce your selling price so you can compete. 

SOLUTION: Brand your products

Many dropship suppliers do private-label or white-label dropshipping. It is a dropshipping model where they manufacture products that carry your brand name. 

Of course, it is expensive. You must pay for all the products and then ask the supplier to do the warehousing activities.

The alternative is looking for a supplier to print a card with your brand name. This paper is a card insert that they include in the shipment. 

The purpose of branding is isolation. You want a customer to “think” that yours is better than the competition. If you have a brand, you create the illusion of superiority by hiring models and creating excellent video ads. 

All these risks have a solution. The best thing I can advise is to list each risk and then create action plans below them. What you want is a list of solutions. 

Then, plan the details of these action plans. It would help if you did this before you even built your store. Preparing yourself to mitigate the problem before it even exists is the idea.  

Best Fitness Products to Dropship - Our Top Recommendations

In this section, I will briefly overview what products you can sell in the fitness niche. These top-selling products are less of a hassle to sell than others. 

1. Fitness Clothing

Anyone who wants to be physically fit needs proper clothing. Whether this person goes to the gym or not, there is acceptable attire for exercise. 

Here are some examples: 

• Leggings
• Jogging pants
• Shoes
• Tank tops

As always, I advise you to sell products based on a niche. If yoga is your niche, then you must only sell yoga clothing. Do not mix other products because your store will look confusing. 

2. Small Gym Equipment

Small gym products refer to those that are easy to ship. Most of these items are also easy to store. While some are heavy, they still are excellent products to sell because they do not cause any complications. 

Here are some examples: 

• Dumbbells
• Resistance bands
• Portable gym set
• And resistance bars
• Push-up bars

There are so many of these in AliExpress. You can buy this equipment for as little as $2 and then sell them for $20 in your dropshipping store. 

3. Accessories

The last one that I recommend is an accessory. These are items that supplement the gym experience of the person. 

Here are some examples: 

• Protective gears
• Gloves
• Punching bags
• Kneecaps
• Hand wraps like gauze and tape

If you decide to sell accessories, ensure they complement your main niche. For example, selling punching bags does not make sense if your niche is yoga. 

I suggest that you give our product database a test run. You can get our 7-day free trial now. With our product databse, you can check millions of fitness products and see if these items are selling or not. As such, you will not make mistakes. 

Just type in your competitor store and see how much of every product they are selling!

With our product database, you can type a keyword for the fitness product you want to study. There are many filter options that you can use such as: 

• Price range
• Monthly sales count
• Reveneue range per product
• Number of images for the product

Once you hit the search button, our system will show you the results. The results tab or table will now show you important details such as the price of that product per seller, their monthly sales count and revenue, how many products that store has. 

From this dataset, you will have a clear idea whether your fitness product idea is selling. If it is not selling, you know that you should not bother displaying it in your store.

Which Fitness Products Should I Avoid Dropshipping?

Now, let us talk about fitness products that I do not recommend. There are only a few, and I will also explain my reasoning behind these choices. 

• Big Equipment – big equipment refers to things like curl machines and treadmills. These things are so difficult to ship, and the buyer may not know how to assemble them. In addition, you may come across products with missing parts, and now you have a big problem.  
• Electronic Equipment – people would rather buy their fitness gadgets somewhere else. For example, it does not make sense to sell low-quality fitness products. People would rather buy something from Apple or Samsung.  
• Food Supplements – many countries ban food items. They do not allow the importation of these goods. If you plan to dropship in the US only, you can do this, but make sure your supplier is also in the US. 
• Trendy But Fake Goods – do not sell products that are copies of what you see in TV ads. For example, some companies sell these mini-machines that promise to give people six-pack abs. Most of these are fake and unreliable. 

As you can see, I really recommend products that people can use—products that do not make false promises. In addition, you must also dropship products that are easy to ship. The less weight there is, the less you pay for shipping.

Where to Find the Best Dropshipping Suppliers for Fitness Products

AliExpress is the most common place to look for suppliers. However, the marketplace is so huge that it can be overwhelming. Thankfully, there are other ways to look for suppliers. 

The three main ways are: 

• Dropship supplier databases
• Product databases
• Wholesale databases

1. Dropship supplier databases

These are companies that aggregate suppliers. Usually, they have a tool that you can integrate with your dropshipping platform. 

Here are some examples:

• Spocket
• AppScenic
• Modalyst

Think of supplier databases as a marketplace where suppliers and dropshippers meet. The suppliers list their products, and the dropshipper lists them on their site. 

Once a customer buys from the dropshipper, the supplier gets a notification. From here, the supplier packs and ships the item to the customer. 

2. Product databases

These are lists of products that companies sell. Think of it as a directory of businesses. The most common example is SaleHoo. The way it works is like this: you buy the list, and you contact the supplier. 

Unlike the supplier database, this one is much harder to use. Although the list is online, you must contact the supplier, build a relationship, discuss pricing, dropshipping terms, and many more. 

3. Wholesale databases

The last type is a wholesale database or a wholesale supplier. Occasionally, you will find a company that offers products on a wholesale basis. Some companies operate on their own.

Here are some examples: 

• Absolute Snow – supplier of snowboards
• Filamentive – supplier of 3D printing products
• Art Discount – supplier of art products
• RDX sports – wholesale supplier of fitness products

Alibaba is where you can find many wholesalers for all sorts of products. However, they do not dropship. You must order the minimum number of goods, then ship them to a warehouse. 

If you work with a wholesaler, you can either warehouse the products yourself or a  company that offers warehousing and fulfillment services, like Niche Dropshipping. 

Before you choose a supplier, I suggest you read our blog on the factors you must consider when choosing a dropshipping supplier. 

Best Fitness Dropshipping Suppliers

Now, it is time that I recommend the best dropship suppliers for fitness products. There are five, and these are: 

1. AppScenic
2. Spocket
3. AliDropship (AliExpress)
4. Dropified
5. HyperSKU

1. AppScenic – best for premium fitness dropshipping products 

I recommend AppScenic because they have premium suppliers in their database. You can find top-quality products that will last long. AppScenic also has a complete suite of tools to make dropshipping easy. 

AppScenic Features

• Integration – the platform integrates with four different e-Commerce site builders. These are Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, and eBay.
• Supplier Location – the platform does not just aggregate suppliers from China. You will find USA, Canada, and UK suppliers here. You can choose a supplier with a warehouse close to your target market. 
• Automation – after integration, you can program the system to fulfill orders automatically for you. It means once a customer orders from you, you do not have to return to the site and place the order manually. The system will do it on your behalf. 
• Product Catalogue – AppScenic has more than one million products up for grabs. 

AppScenic Pros

• Integration is possible
• There is an automation system that you can enable 
• Many suppliers here offer top-grade products 
• You can sync several stores with only one account 

AppScenic Cons

• The free account only allows you to look for a product; you cannot use the entire system with a free plan

One of the best things about AppScenic is supplier verification. They must undergo some tests to prove that they can support the dropshipper. As such, you can expect them to perform at a high standard. 

2. Spocket – best for Shopify and affordable fitness products 

Now that Oberlo is gone, I can say that Spocket took the crown as the leading dropship supplier tool. I recommend it for fitness products because they have millions of products. On top of that, they have a complete system for dropshipping, including integration and fulfillment dashboards. 

Spocket Features

• Supplier Filter – if you want to drill down your search activity, you can. A product search filter lets you choose suppliers or products based on location and where they ship. 
• International Sellers – like AppScenic, Spocket does not rely on AliExpress alone. There are many suppliers here based in the UK or the US. 
• Integration – the platform integrates well with many store builders, the most prominent of which is Shopify. Some other examples are WooCommerce, Wix, BigCommerce, and many more. 
• Winning List – if you pay for a subscription, you will receive a list of products with big sales revenues. You can check this list and see if there are products that fit your market. If there is one, you can add that product to your store. 

Spocket Pros

• Lots of integration options
• Millions of products to choose from
• The system has a complete list of tool functionalities for dropshipping
• There are suppliers from different locations

Spocket Cons

• Like AppScenic, you can only browse products with the free account; you cannot use the tools at all 

Spocket is the default option for many dropshippers. It is one of the best systems in dropshipping. Since they offer a free account, I suggest you sign up and explore their products. 

3. AliDropship (AliExpress) – best for dropshipping straight from AliExpress 

AliDropship is not by itself a dropship supplier database. Instead, it is a plugin that allows you to source directly from AliExpress. I recommend it for ease of use and the volume of fitness products you can find. 

AliDropship Features

• Store Builder – you can ask the AliDropship team to build a store. I believe that they will make your store on the WooCommerce platform. The store is not free. The minimum cost is $299. You can ask them to copy a store already earning money or build from scratch. 
• AliExpress – if you go straight to AliExpress, you must copy and paste the product details manually. With AliDropship, importing products directly from AliExpress to your online store takes a few clicks. 
• Plugin – you do not need to pay $299 to build a store. AliDropship has a separate plugin that you can install on WordPress r WooCommerce. The cost is only $89. This plugin works as a conduit between your store and AliExpress suppliers. 

The issue with AliDropship is that it does not integrate with many dropshipping platforms. The solution to this is to ask them for an API. However, it takes coding knowledge to make this happen. 

4. Dropified – best for premium goods and sourcing from eBay

Dropified is a supplier database and fulfillment tool. I recommend it for fitness dropshipping because it does not only source products from AliExpress. Here, you can also find products from eBay and Alibaba. In addition, the company only works with premium suppliers.

Dropified Features  

• Product Search – Dropified has an intensive product search functionality. In addition, you no longer have to limit yourself to looking for products in Ali Express. If you want, you can integrate the platform with eBay. There are many eBay wholesalers and dropship suppliers for fitness products. 
• Automation – the system will process orders on your behalf even if you are asleep. There is no need to return to your Dropified dashboard to click or order a product. The sellers or suppliers will process these orders while you are busy with something else. 
• Training – One thing I like about Dropified is that they offer many online courses about dropshipping. They will teach you how to build a store, market your products, and succeed. 

Dropified Pros

• Easy to use
• There are millions of products to choose from
• They give priority to premium products

Dropified Cons 

• The system is not entirely free

Dropified is what you need to use if you want a system that offers premium products. The thing is that while it is free to register, using all the tools comes at a cost. 

5. HyperSKU – best for white-label, warehousing, and fulfillment 

HyperSKU is a dropship supplier with a specific focus on bulk orders. It is where you can find suppliers who manufacture goods with your brand—including packaging. They will also take care of warehousing and fulfillment. I recommend it to medium to big fitness dropshipping companies because of these services. 

HyperSKU Features

• Sourcing – HyperSKU will look for a manufacturer on your behalf. Tell them what you need, and they will give you options and pricing.
• Warehousing – HyperSKU will store the items in their warehouses after manufacturing your products. They have warehouses in Europe and the US. 
• Fulfillment – place your order in the system, and they will ship the items to your consumers. 
• Tracking – the company boasts of fast shipping. While they typically use USPS for the US, they also work with other couriers based on the shipping destination. They will give you a tracking number for every shipment. 

HyperSKU Pros

• They offer bulk production for white-label and private-label dropshipping 
• They will take care of order fulfillment
• They ship in as fast as 7 to 12 business days 

HyperSKU Cons

• The price for their services is not standard; you need to consult them to know the cost

HyperSKU is what you need for branded dropshipping. They will look for a manufacturer who can best fulfill your business needs. On top of that, they will warehouse your items and ship them once you order. The only thing you need to worry about is marketing. 

Successful Dropshipping Fitness Products Store Examples

In this section, I will share two websites that dropship in the fitness niche. I will provide some good points about these sites to help you understand why they are successful.

1. Optimum Shape

Optimum Shape is where you will find yoga products. Based on my analysis from our product database, this store sells around $3,000 worth of items per day. In a week, they can sell at least $23,988 products worth of products.  

The store is super simple. The top menu only has Home, Catalog, and Contact. If you click on catalog, the customer immediately sees the items for sale. 

Here are some fitness products they sell: 

• Seamless leggings
• Composite yoga mat
• Waist traction therapy tractor
• Yoga wheels

They company built the store on Shopify, and they accept many methods of payment.

2. NuFit

NuFit is a Uk company that sells different types of fitness products. I explored their website, and here are the categories of their products: 

• Weight plates
• Gym equipment
• Barbells
• Cycling equipment

Based on my research, the company sells 11 to 44 items in a day, the revenue of which amounts to $879 to $4,000. In a week, they earn as much as $26,000.  They ship internationally, with option for First Class and Express shipping for UK orders. 

Dropshipping Fitness Products Throughout the World

While you can dropship fitness products in all countries, not all cultures have the same interest in health. If anything, the USA is certainly your primary market. In this section, I will provide some stats that will show you the top consumers of fitness products. 

Based on a survey by Ipsos [2], the fittest country is the Netherlands. People here are physically active and spend at least 12 hours a week exercising. Some of them play a sport.

Here is a chart from the Ipsos survey: 

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IMAGE SOURCE

Now, you may see that the US ranks number 11. So, why must you include the US as a market? The answer is money. People in the US may not exercise as much as they do in the Netherlands, but Americans have the number and the purchasing power. 

United States of America

The US is the leading consumer of fitness products, not the Netherlands. The Netherlands merely has a culture of being fit. It does not mean they spend that much money. 

Here are some facts about the US fitness market:

• Consumers spend more money on fitness than in any country. 
• The United States accounts for a third of the revenue of fitness products globally
• Consumers in the US spend about $810 per capita on fitness activities. 

Because of this, you must dropship to the United States. The best part is that there are many dropship suppliers in the US. In addition, there are dropshipping companies that offer food supplements.

Germany 

The second country I recommend is Germany. Next to the US, Germany has the most amount of money spent on gyms. In terms of gym revenue, Germany ranks second to the US, and next is the UK [3].

What does this mean? It means that you have a market. People who are willing to spend money in gyms can afford to buy gym equipment. As of the last survey from Statista, the fitness market in Germany in 2019 was more than EUR 5 billion. 

United Kingdom

The UK’s market size in fitness is £1.9 billion, and we are only talking about gym revenue. It mean that there is a massive market in this country. 

Like Germany, people in the UK have the budget to spend on gyms, which means that they have the budget to spend on fitness products. 

There are more than 7,000 fitness clubs in the UK [4]. Surely, some people would rather have a small gym in their homes. Target these people, and sell your fitness products to them. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What fitness equipment sells the most?

Many types of fitness products sell. It is only a matter of finding your niche. The best examples are fitness clothing products, dumbbells, and other small exercise equipment. 

What is the size of the fitness product market?

It is huge. In the US, the fitness product industry amounts to $16 billion US dollars in sales. Experts say that this will reach $21 by 2026. 

How do you market fitness products?

You need to market fitness products on Instagram. In addition, you should have a lot of images and videos of physically fit people. Seeing a healthy individual using your product creates motivation and reason for the viewer to buy it. 

Final Thoughts

Dropshipping fitness products can be lucrative, but only if you take the time to research them. As always, my advice is to focus on a niche and clearly understand that market. 

The next step now is for you to go on the drawing board and list down ideas about your desired niche. From here, you can break it down and ask yourself how you would about the process. If you need help, I suggest you read our guide on how to start a successful dropshipping business!