Best PE Equipment Companies: A PE Teacher's Guide to Physical Education Suppliers
Updated: 9 minutes ago
The equipment we use in PE has a big effect on how safe our classes are and how well students learn. After more than 30 years of teaching PE, I know how important it is to have quality gear that lasts and makes teaching easier. In this post, I'll walk through some of the top PE equipment companies to help you make smart choices for your program.
Choosing equipment is about more than personal preference. It's about finding the right mix of quality, smart design, and practicality. The companies in this post were chosen because they serve the needs of PE programs well, from traditional sports equipment to creative teaching tools.
Quick Answer: Top PE equipment companies include Gopher Sport, US Games and BSN Sports (Varsity Brands), School Specialty (Sportime and FlagHouse), School Health (formerly Palos Sports), S&S Worldwide, and Amazon. When you choose, compare quality and durability, product range, customer service, price, and reviews from other PE teachers.
Click any of the links below to jump to a section of this article:
Why Equipment Quality Matters in PE
Quality equipment keeps PE classes safe and effective. Safe, reliable equipment helps prevent injuries and accidents, so students can be active with confidence. Good equipment also helps students learn skills more easily and have more fun, which keeps them interested in PE and sports for the long run.
How to Choose the Right PE Equipment Company
When you choose an equipment company, think about these things:
Quality and Durability: Look for companies known for safe, long-lasting equipment.
Product Range: Choose companies with a wide range of equipment for different activities.
Customer Service: Choose companies with strong customer support and good return policies.
Pricing and Budget: Look for competitive prices and options that fit school budgets.
Reputation and Reviews: Read customer reviews and check the company's reputation with schools.
Partnerships: See whether the company works with education organizations or is recommended by trusted sources.
In short, look at quality, product range, customer service, pricing, and reputation. Choose companies that fit your program's goals and give you good value. Now let's look at some of the top PE equipment suppliers.
Top Physical Education Equipment Companies
For each company below, I cover its history and background, products and services, quality and durability, customer service, pricing, and what makes it stand out. Company details change over time, so check each company's website for the latest products and prices.
Gopher Sport
History and Background: Gopher has been a leading supplier of PE, athletic, and fitness equipment for more than 75 years, with a reputation for reliability. The company focuses on high-quality, creative products for PE and athletics.
Products and Services: Gopher offers a huge range of products, including balls, beanbags, hoops, jump ropes, parachutes, and more. They also share lesson plans and activity ideas for PE teachers.
Quality and Durability: Gopher is known for durable, high-quality equipment that holds up to daily school use.
Customer Service and Support: Gopher is known for strong customer service. Teachers often praise the company for being responsive and helpful.
Price and Accessibility: With competitive pricing and frequent deals, Gopher works for schools with many different budgets.
What Makes Them Stand Out: Gopher offers equipment packs for different class sizes and activities, exclusive "Only from Gopher" products, and an Unconditional 100% Satisfaction Guarantee that lets customers get replacements, credits, or refunds with no restocking fees.
Learn more at GopherSport.com.
BSN Sports and US Games (Part of Varsity Brands)
BSN Sports and US Games are both part of Varsity Brands, a family of companies focused on youth sports, cheer, and school spirit. BSN Sports focuses on a broad range of athletic and team sports equipment, while US Games focuses on PE equipment for schools. Being part of the same company lets them share resources, while each brand keeps its own focus. Their work with OPEN (the Online Physical Education Network) shows their commitment to the teaching side of PE.
For more information, visit the Varsity Brands website.
Let's look at US Games and BSN Sports one at a time.
US Games
History and Background: US Games is a well-known provider of PE equipment, with a long history of supporting PE programs through products and services made for teachers and students.
Products and Services: US Games offers traditional sports equipment, fitness tools, and activity sets. They also partner with OPEN (Online Physical Education Network), which gives teachers free resources and lesson plans.
Quality and Durability: Their products are built to hold up to busy PE classes.
Customer Service and Support: US Games is known for helpful customer service, whether you need help choosing products, using them, or solving a problem.
Price and Accessibility: US Games offers products at many price points, so schools with different budgets can find what they need.
What Makes Them Stand Out: Their partnership with OPEN for free teaching resources sets them apart. They don't just equip PE classes; they help teachers teach.
For more on US Games, OPEN, and their products, visit their website.
BSN Sports
History and Background: BSN Sports started in 1972 selling tennis nets out of the back of a car. Today it's based in Dallas and sells a wide range of sports apparel and equipment to schools across the U.S. They focus on team sports and supply athletic gear mainly to schools and colleges.
Products and Services: BSN Sports offers products for team sports like football, basketball, and soccer. Their large catalog includes everything from basic PE supplies to specialized athletic gear. They also work with OPEN to offer free resources and lesson plans.
Quality and Durability: BSN Sports products are built to handle the demands of school team sports.
Customer Service and Support: BSN Sports is known for customer service that's built around the needs of schools.
Price and Accessibility: BSN Sports balances quality and price so its products work for many schools.
What Makes Them Stand Out: BSN Sports specializes in team sports equipment for school sports programs. Its large catalog and focus on serving schools make it a strong choice.
Check out BSN Sports for more on their products and services.
School Specialty
History and Background: School Specialty, which includes Sportime and FlagHouse, is a major provider of PE and special needs products. Sportime is a longtime leader in PE equipment, and FlagHouse brings expertise in special needs, therapy, and recreation products. Together they make School Specialty a one-stop shop for PE, recreation, and therapy needs.
Products and Services: School Specialty offers a wide selection of products for PE, special needs, recreation, and therapy, covering many different activities and learning spaces.
Quality and Durability: Their products are made to hold up in both school and therapy settings.
Customer Service and Support: With Sportime and FlagHouse under one roof, customers get one place to shop and one customer service team.
Price and Accessibility: School Specialty offers products for a range of budgets.
What Makes Them Stand Out: Having so many products in one place makes ordering simpler for schools.
For more details, visit School Specialty: Physical Education.
School Health (Formerly Palos Sports)
History and Background: In 2023, Palos Sports became part of School Health, combining their PE equipment and resources. School Health also serves health services, special education, and sports medicine, so it covers both PE and health needs.
Products and Services: School Health still offers the Palos Sports line of PE equipment, plus more options for PE and health.
Quality and Durability: School Health continues Palos Sports' focus on durable, high-quality equipment for schools.
Customer Service and Support: The merger combines School Health's resources with Palos Sports' customer-first approach.
Price and Accessibility: School Health offers competitive prices for many school budgets. Palos was usually less expensive than some other PE equipment companies.
What Makes Them Stand Out: The merger gives customers a wider range of products in one place. If School Health keeps Palos' lower prices, that's a big plus.
For more on this change and their products, visit SchoolHealth.com.
S&S Worldwide
History and Background: S&S Worldwide has been around for more than 100 years. The Schwartz family started the company in 1906, and it has always focused on products that help children and special populations play and learn.
Products and Services: S&S offers PE, recreation, and learning products designed to be hands-on and fun.
Quality and Durability: S&S is committed to products that are engaging and durable for school and recreation use.
Customer Service and Support: S&S calls itself the "Helpful Company" and focuses on making customer service easy.
Price and Accessibility: S&S offers a "Nation's Lowest Price Guarantee" along with a large product range.
What Makes Them Stand Out: A 100% satisfaction guarantee, no-hassle returns, competitive prices, and strong customer service make S&S a great choice.
For more information, visit S&S Worldwide.
Amazon: Physical Education Equipment
Background: Amazon has become a popular choice for PE teachers because of its prices, huge selection, and fast delivery. It carries PE equipment from many brands, including sports equipment, fitness tools, and teaching materials. Quick delivery and lots of choices make it an easy way to equip your classes on a budget.
Products and Services: Amazon has a huge selection of PE equipment, from basic sports gear to fitness tools.
Quality and Durability: Quality varies a lot because products come from many different brands and sellers. Read reviews carefully.
Customer Service and Support: Amazon is known for fast customer service and easy returns.
Price and Accessibility: Competitive prices and fast delivery are Amazon's biggest strengths for schools.
What Makes Them Stand Out: A huge selection, low prices, and fast shipping make Amazon a convenient, budget-friendly option.
View Amazon's physical education equipment page.
Other PE Equipment Companies to Consider
The companies above are some of the most popular with PE teachers, but there are other great options too. Here are a few more to explore:
Wolverine Sports: Specializes in quality PE, fitness, and athletic equipment for schools. Learn more at Wolverine Sports.
Toledo Physical Education Supply: Offers a wide range of PE supplies and equipment made for schools. Learn more at Toledo Physical Education Supply.
Great Lakes Sports: Offers sports and PE equipment for schools and sports teams. Learn more at Great Lakes Sports.
Gear Up Sports: Specializes in custom sports apparel and equipment, including team uniforms and gear, with a focus on personal service. Learn more at Gear Up Sports.
Gym Closet: Offers a variety of PE and athletic equipment for schools. Learn more at Gym Closet.
Personal Experiences
In my 30-year career in elementary PE, I mostly bought equipment from US Games and Sportime (now part of School Specialty). Both were reliable for equipping large classes of 60 to 100 students, and returns were smooth when I needed them. Cost was always a big factor, but companies often offered special deals. I haven't ordered PE equipment from Amazon myself, but its prices are worth a look. Check reviews (ideally from PE teachers) and compare prices across companies. State and national PE conferences are also a great way to meet company reps and sometimes get better deals.
Pickett's Mill Elementary: Stations Using a Variety of PE Equipment
Final Thoughts
Quality, price, and customer service all matter when you choose PE equipment. Each company in this post has its own strengths, so there's a good fit for almost every need and budget. Once you have your equipment, check out my 15 PE station ideas to put it to work. I'd love to hear about your experiences, too. Share your favorite PE equipment companies in the comments below to help other teachers decide!
FREE Guide: Top Physical Education Equipment Suppliers
Looking for the best equipment for your PE classes?
Having the right equipment makes a big difference in PE. To help, I put together a FREE Top Physical Education Equipment Suppliers Guide in PDF format with clickable links. It gives you quick access to the companies in this post so you're ready for a great year of PE!
Fill out the form below to download your copy and keep this resource at your fingertips.
Do You Need PE and Health Resources for Your Teaching?
Cap'n Pete's Power PE is a website with tools, information, and resources to help current and future PE teachers. The blog shares practical ideas for building and running a strong PE program. It also connects you to my full library of PE and health resources on TPT, including PE activities, games, field day materials, templates, visuals, posters, sign sets, PowerPoint presentations, and much more!
Cap'n Pete's Power PE TPT Store: My TPT store is full of ready-to-use resources for PE and health teachers.
With more than 30 years of experience in PE, I've created hundreds of resources, including PE activities, games, field day materials, templates, posters, and sign sets. Each one is built from what I learned in the gym to help you teach well-organized, fun PE classes that keep students moving and learning.
About Pete Charrette
Pete Charrette is a National Board Certified physical education teacher and former Georgia PE Teacher of the Year with more than 30 years of experience teaching elementary PE. He is the creator of Cap'n Pete's Power PE and has developed hundreds of ready-to-use PE and health resources used by teachers around the world. Pete loves helping PE teachers build programs their students enjoy.
