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The best pull up bars you can buy for your home gym
The best pull up bars you can buy for your home gym
James BrainsJan 3, 2019, 21:00 IST
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Pull up bars are easy to install, can support your weight without wobbling or bowing, and are pleasant to use as you work toward your fitness goals.
The Garren Fitness Maximiza Pull Up Bar is our top pick because it has comfortable foam grips and unobtrusively fits in any standard door frame.
Pull ups are not for the faint of heart. When I was a spry young lad, I could crank out a dozen pull ups or more without a second thought. But after years of cheeseburgers and sitting at a computer, the pull ups are harder to come by. Fortunately, there are a number of pull up bars on the market that fit the needs of novices hoping to turn over a new leaf in the new year as well as seasoned bodybuilders looking for a new addition to their home gym.
We must first note that you should consult with your physician before starting any exercise program. I learned this the hard way when I tried to rattle off some pull ups after years of sedentary living and quickly tore a muscle in my shoulder.
For many motivated individuals looking to begin strength training, dips and push-ups may be better stepping stones on your way to performing a pull up. You might also try mounting your pull-up bar lower or standing on a box. Pull yourself up to the bar with your feet on the ground at an increasingly difficult angle. The Greatist has several other tips for building up to doing a pull-up. The good news is the bars we review in this guide are versatile enough to help you work up to your goals.
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One of the most popular types of pull-up bars is the cantilever-style, molding-mounted bars. They do not require a permanent alteration to your home and are easy to install and remove. They also feature several grip options. However, when shopping for these door frame pull-up bars, pay special attention to the dimensions of the bar and what size frames they work on to ensure you can get a proper fit.
Next, there is a class of pull-up bar that requires drilling and mounting the unit. We included ceiling-mounted and door-mounted options in our guide. They tend to be rated for heavier weights but are less portable. Wall-mounted bars are also available, but we didn't find any models worth recommending.
Lastly, there are power towers. These are freestanding units that do not require drilling, and you can generally perform a wide array of exercises with this equipment. The downsides are that power towers usually cost more, have a large footprint, and many models have problems with wobbling when heavier individuals are performing intense workouts.
Before deciding on the best pull up bars, we performed hours of research combing through the ratings and reviews of hundreds of customers and experts. Our guide only features models with a strong track record of durability, versatility, and ease of assembly.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.
Why you'll love it: The Garren Fitness Maximiza Pull Up Bar is easy on your hands, installs effortlessly, and is made of long-lasting chrome steel.
The Garren Fitness Maximiza Pull Up Bar is made of chrome steel and comes with three sets of mounting hardware. Two of the sets can support up to 300 pounds of weight. The medium-duty door mount can support 150 pounds and is not recommended for use above waist height.
You can also use the bar without door mounts for sit-up foot support and other light exercises. The bar is adjustable and fits doorways between 26 and 36 inches wide, and it can be installed so that you can still close the door.
The bar features non-slip, extra-long foam grips. Garren Fitness cautions against using the Maximiza for gymnastics, and they suggest applying your weight cautiously during the first few exercises to ensure the bar is safely installed (a smart practice with any pull up bar.) Garren Fitness provides a “100% Satisfaction Guarantee” so you can get a no-questions-asked full refund if you are not satisfied.
We Weight took the Garren Fitness Maximiza Pull Up Bar for a test drive and appreciated how unobtrusive it is, that it’s sturdy and strong, the grips are non-slip, and you can easily readjust the bar. Healthier Land included this model on its list of the top pull-up bars because it’s heavy duty, affordable, and can hold up to 300 pounds. However, the reviewer didn’t like that there was drilling involved for installation.
Around 90% of the people who reviewed the Garren Fitness pull-up bar on Amazon gave it a four- or five-star rating. We encourage you to read the customer reviews on Amazon because some of them are fairly entertaining. Buyers like how easy it is to install, though it may take a little work to get it to the right length. There are several buyers who use it on a daily basis and have not had any problems with it, though there are some reports of the foam grips wearing thin over time.
Pros: Comfortable foam grips, unobtrusive, solidly built
Cons: Installation requires drilling into door jamb, foam grips may wear from heavy-duty use
The Ceiling Mounted Pull Up Bar from Ultimate Body Press has three high-density foam grip positions for standard, wide-grip, and 20-inch parallel-grip pull-ups or chin-ups. This model has a powder-coat finish for added durability. The 14-inch reversible risers are designed to fit either 16- or 24-inch joists.
The mounting kit comes with instructions, a template, and mounting hardware. You will need a drill, tape or pencil, and a step ladder. Ultimate Body Press offers a fairly nebulous 100% satisfaction guarantee with this product.
Dark Iron Fitness featured this Ultimate Body Press model on its list of the best ceiling mounted pull-up bars because of its solid construction and multiple grip handles. However, it lost points because the bars are not welded to the mounting brackets, which could affect long-term durability.
Around 77% of the Amazon reviews of the Ultimate Body Press pull-up bar give it five stars. There are several buyer comments about how easy the assembly was to install with the guide for drilling into studs. One buyer said it took longer to get the right tools than the actual installation took. There are a few complaints about inconsistencies in the product. Some verified purchasers report that their bar came with damaged grips.
Pros: Three padded gripping positions, easy installation, sturdy construction
Why you'll love it: The Stamina 1690 Power Tower allows you to perform platform push-ups, sit-ups, knee and leg raises, dips, pull ups, and more.
The Stamina 1690 Power Tower is a free-standing full-body workout unit made of durable steel and fitted with padded foam in five sets of grip locations. The overall size of the assembled tower is 49 inches long by 42.5 inches wide by 81 inches high. The base of the tower features no-slip endcaps.
Stamina states that the capacity is 250 pounds, but as noted below, it’s closer to 200 pounds in practice. In addition to pull-ups and chin-ups, this model is designed for tricep dips, sit-ups, push-ups, and leg raises, though there is no backrest to assist with the leg raises.
USA Home Gym had several glowing comments to make about the Stamina Power Tower, including that the handles have comfortable padding, the footprint is relatively compact, and that everything you need for assembly comes in the box. Weight Racks and More found that for its price, the 1690 is a better option than pull-up door attachments.
The Stamina 1690 Power Tower has more than 830 five-star reviews on Amazon. The biggest complaint about this pull-up system is that it can wobble a little bit, especially if you weigh 200+ pounds and your muscles are starting to tire. To counteract the wobble, consider using a socket wrench to really tighten the nuts.
Other than that, buyers report that they have had success using the tower to build up their muscles to the point where they can easily perform pull-ups and chin-ups.
Pros: Wide range of exercises, easy to assemble – no drilling or door frame needed
Cons: Issues with wobbling, expensive compared to traditional bars, takes up a lot of space
Why you'll love it: If you are looking for a pull up bar that you can effortlessly attach to your door frame and take down when you’re done, the Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym Doorway Pull Up Bar will serve you well.
The Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym Doorway Pull Up Bar has three padded grip positions for hammer grip, close grip, and normal grip pull-ups. The 300-pound weight capacity makes it so you can use this model with a weight vest. There is some assembly required, and all of the tools needed are included with the bar.
The Multi-Gym Pro adjusts for height and works with door frames that are up to 6 inches deep and 33 inches wide. The bar can be placed on the floor to assist with push-ups and sit-ups. And, Perfect Fitness stands behind the quality of this model with a one-year warranty.
Wirecutter chose the Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym as the best pull-up bar on the market because it’s unlikely to damage woodwork, fits a broad array of doorways, and has three grip locations. Yet, the reviewers found that the wide grips were a bit too wide for people with narrow shoulders. Top Fitness Magazine also recommended this model highly because of its adjustability and affordability. And, Garage Gym Builder appreciated that the grips go beyond the width of the door frame to help you work your back a variety of ways.
Around 79% of the reviews of the Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym on Amazon are positive. Buyers like that it is easy to assemble without the need for extra tools, has flat supports on the ends of the bar to keep it from marking your door frame, and the foam grips help you avoid callouses.
However, there are several complaints. First, many recent commenters found the bolts that the bar came with were defective. Also, a few buyers found that the Multi-Gym didn’t work with their doorframe. Make sure to measure your preferred installation location before you buy this product.
Pros: Three grip locations, 300-pound capacity, unlikely to damage your doorframe
Cons: Wide grip may be too wide for some, recent quality concerns, doesn’t fit all door frames
Why you'll love it: If you are interested in doing pull ups but don’t want to spend a lot of money, the Iron Gym Pull Up Bar is an excellent solution for beginners.
The Iron Gym Pull Up Bar works much like the Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym. It hangs on your door frame and stays in place through leverage. You can also remove the pull up bar to perform sit-ups, push-ups, and dips.
The bar is made of a combination of plastic and steel, and it comes with everything you need to assemble the unit, including a hex open wrench. There are foam grips for standard and wide pull-ups. However, the parallel grip handles are fairly small and awkwardly positioned. Lastly, this model comes with a comprehensive workout and nutrition guide.
The Iron Gym Pull Up Bar has more than 3,000 four- or five-star reviews on Amazon. Buyers like how it takes about five minutes to put together and another few seconds to install or remove. There are no complaints of damage to door frames or walls.
One buyer found that their door was too narrow to support the pull-up bar so he added toilet paper rolls to the ends to make it more secure. The biggest complaint is that there are several plastic elements that have snapped after heavy use.
Pros: Inexpensive, versatile, easy to mount and remove, 300-pound capacity
