Background/aim: Physical function decline in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients has been a popular area of investigation in the last decade. It has been shown that lower levels of physical function in CKD results in poor outcomes. Nevertheless, nephrology practice does not include routine assessment of physical function. The aim of the present study is to elucidate which physical function assessment tool is better in CKD. Materials and methods: A total of 148 predialysis CKD patients and 40 healthy controls were included in this cross-sectional single-blind study. CKD patients were further divided into two groups as stage 3 and stage 4/5. A hand dynamometer, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) were applied to all study participants. Results: All physical function tests were significantly different between study and control groups. In multivariate analysis the SPPB (P < 0.001) emerged as an independent variable in CKD group. Conclusion: The SPPB is a promising, easily applicable, inexpensive, and sensitive tool that can indicate functional decline independent of age in predialysis CKD patients and can be used in clinical practice to monitor these patients.