Best Pull-Up Bars of 2022 - SI Showcase - Sports Illustrated

2022-09-23 19:21:14 By : Ms. Cherry Luo

The products featured in this article have been independently reviewed. When you buy something through the retail links on this page, we may earn commission at no cost to you, the reader. The Sports Illustrated editorial team is not involved in the creation of this content. Learn more here.

Pull up bars are beneficial for building strength and endurance as you work towards your fitness goals. While pull up bars are often used for increasing upper body strength in your arm, shoulder and back muscles, they can also be utilized to get a full-body workout.

Multi-function home gym pull up bar systems provide versatility and convenience, with many sturdy, durable choices available for purchase at budget-friendly prices. Pull up bar options offer a range of features that can be used for a wide variety of moves, from your standard pull ups and chin ups to leg lifts to assisting with floor exercises like sit ups.

Whether you need a space-efficient pull up bar for your doorway or have room for a heavy-duty power rack equipped with a pull up bar, this list is packed with highly-rated options to help you find the best pull up bar for you.

Rogue's Hammer Pull-Up Bar mounts above your door frame to help you do convenient at-home exercise whenever you want. This USA-made pull-up bar can be added to just about any door frame on a wood stud wall and comes in 22 styles with a wide variety of colorways.

The bar is available in a smooth or knurled (ridged) texture for added grip. The 17.4-inch center part of the knurled bar has a smooth surface and dual knurl marks are situated in standard Olympic spacing at both ends of the smooth section. You can choose between a Cerakote (durable ceramic-composite) coat with the Rogue logo or a stainless steel finish without the logo in the center. The full bar is 43-inches long with a diameter of 1.125-inches and a depth of 8.875-inches from the wall.

Reviewers on the Rogue Fitness website comment that the Jammer is a high quality and durable bar. Some mention that if you are installing it yourself, having two people do the installation will make the process easier. You may want to consult with a local contractor to help ensure a safe and secure installation.

Purchase Rogue’s Jammer Pull Up Bar

Whether you are looking for a portable outdoor pull up bar or a dedicated pull up stand for your home gym, Rogue's Mil Pull Up Station is a versatile option that can be used for either. With a total footprint of 67-inch length by 48-inch width and 93-inch height, the unit gives you plenty of space to utilize for performing various exercise moves. This Mil Pull Up Station is specifically optimized to fit the Army Combat Fitness Test’s (ACFT) leg tuck requirements, with a length of 62-inches.

This pull up station is designed to be sturdy and strong, with 11-gauge steel tubing and an attachable rubber step. The pull up height is adjustable to be 86 to 90-inches and the step is adjustable to be the same as the heights on army climbing pods, 18 to 24-inches from the ground. Most of this USA-made unit features a black powder coat color and the step is red to help it stand out. You’ll also find laser-cut Rogue branding on the rear crossmember tube.

If you plan to use this unit as a portable pull-up bar station, Rogue Fitness sells a Handle Bar Kit for $115 that makes moving it easy. Reviewers on the Rogue Fitness website comment that this product is stable and simple to assemble.

Purchase Rogue’s Mil Pull Up Station

Armpow's Pull Up Bar is a budget-friendly and convenient pull up bar option that fits most doorways. It works for doorways of 21.65—36.22-inches and supports up to 550-pounds of user weight.

The durable pull up bar is made from stainless steel with non-slip soft foam grips to help reduce slipping while providing a firm, comfortable hold. It features multiple grip positions, allowing you to perform a range of exercises including wide pull ups, close grip pull ups, chin ups, tricep dips and more. For an additional $2 on Amazon, you can get the unit with resistance bands to help you practice more exercise moves.

While some door frame pull up bars can be destructive to your wall, this product’s unique design includes a protective pad to help prevent scratches and other damage. No drilling or screwing is necessary, and the bar can easily be removed from your doorway for storage.

This multifunctional pull up bar received 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon, with 74% of reviewers giving the pull up bar five stars. Many reviewers comment that the product is sturdy and easy to install. Though the pull up bar is designed to be less damaging, some reviewers say that it caused marks or other damage to their doorways.

Purchase Armpow’s Pull Up Bar For Doorway

If you are looking for a stable and affordable pull up bar, ONETWOFIT Wall Mounted Pull Up Bar may be a good fit for your needs. This pull up bar can be mounted on a solid wall indoors or outdoors. It gives you multiple grip areas to practice a range of exercises from wide pull ups to leg raises to get a full body workout. Soft handlebar cushions help provide a comfortable grip while limiting sliding.

This multi-grip pull up bar option is made with solid steel and features a powder black coating to help reduce rust and extend the lifespan of the bar. It measures 38.1-inches long by 25.5-inches wide by 21-inches high and it can support up to 440-pounds of user weight.

While this unit is extremely sturdy, you’ll want to make sure your wall meets the right requirements to be a good, safe fit. This pull up bar is best suited for concrete brick, solid cement, solid red brick or solid tile walls. Avoid installing it on hollow brick walls, honeycomb brick walls, drywall walls or sandwich panel walls. It is a good idea to consult with a local contractor to determine if your wall can support this unit.

Reviewers on Amazon comment that overall this is a solid and sturdy option for an affordable price. However, some Amazon reviewers say that the mounting hardware is flimsy and that you may want to buy extra hardware to make it safer.

Purchase ONETWOFIT’s Wall Mounted Pull Up Bar

If you’re looking for a pull up bar station the whole family can use, this sturdy, yet adjustable option may be a great choice for your needs. This unit offers nine levels of height adjustments, with heights from 58.5- to 89-inches. You can also adjust the backrest from seven to just under 10 inches. It's made with steel construction designed to support up to 330 pounds.

This multifunctional equipment features several grip areas to allow you to get a whole body workout and target different muscle groups. The top pull up bar is 43-inches wide with inner and outer cushioned grips for a wide or narrow hold during pull ups or chin ups. A dip station adds to the versatility of this unit and can be used for a variety of moves including knee raises. The center bar can be used for exercises including leg presses. Meanwhile, grips at the bottom of the machine are ideal for push ups.

This product can be self-assembled and all tools needed to put it together are included. Reviewers on Amazon say that this is a sturdy, quality product that is easy to assemble and a good value for the price.

Purchase the Relife Rebuild Your Life Power Tower Pull Up Bar Station

If you have limited space and don’t want to alter your wall, Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym Doorway Pull Up Bar provides a compact workout system that can easily be secured to your doorframe or used on the ground. It’s a top pick for apartments since it doesn’t have to be permanently mounted or drilled into your wall, helping reduce potential damage.

This ergonomic unit gives you three grip options for a variety of moves including wide, close and hammer grip pull ups. Or you can use it on the ground to assist with moves like sit ups, push ups and dips. The product fits in doorways up to 33-inches wide, supporting up to 300-pounds of user weight.

Overall, reviewers on Amazon say that this pull up bar choice is sturdy, durable and easy to assemble. Some reviewers say that it caused damage to their doorway after regular use.

Purchase the Perfect Fitness Multi-gym Doorway Pull Up Bar

If you’re into Crossfit or want to put some swing into your pull ups, you’re going to need a pull up bar that is solid and sturdy enough to do kipping pull ups. The Titan Wall-Mounted Pull Up Bar is a durable option made from 11-gauge steel that can be mounted on your wall or ceiling to support up to 500-pounds of user weight.

With a footprint of 53.5-inches long by 34-inch bracket depth by 31-inch bracket height, this pull up bar gives you sufficient room for a full body workout. You can add to the versatility of this bar by using it with ropes or resistance bands to do various suspension trainer bodyweight exercises.

Reviewers on the Titan Fitness website say that it is a solid, sturdy pull up bar for home workouts. Several reviewers comment that this unit is a good value for the price, with one reviewer commenting, “It is worth every penny.”

Purchase Titan’s Wall-Mounted Pull Up Bar

Looking for an affordable multi-use home gym rack for squatting, benching, pull ups and more for your home garage gym? This Garage Series Squat Rack with Pull Up Bar was designed after taking into consideration years of customer feedback to create an optimized product. This fitness equipment is budget-friendly without compromising on size or materials.

This squat rack has a four foot by four foot footprint with an adjustable height of up to 82.25-inches It’s constructed with durable 12-gauge steel tubing and can be bolted to the floor for extra stability as you use it for barbell support and other weight lifting and strength training exercises. This exercise equipment comes with a pair of J-cups that can be set from 13.5-inches off the ground to 70-inches off the ground. Uprights feature Westside spacing, an industry standard that allows for granular control of bar placement. The pull up bar height is adjustable from 70.25- to 82.25-inches.

Reviewers on the Fringe Sport website say that this is a great budget-friendly rack that feels sturdy and steady. One reviewer comments, “Super stable, well-made, incredibly versatile and the powder coating looks and feels great.”

Purchase Fringe Sport’s Garage Series Squat Rack With Pull Up Bar

If you’re looking for a simple minimalistic doorway pull up bar that gets the job done, this chrome plated steel bar from Sunny Health and Fitness may be a good fit for your workout. Sunny Health and Fitness is known for offering budget-friendly workout equipment, and at just $24.99, this pull up bar provides an adjustable and affordable option for pull ups, chin ups, leg lifts and more.

This door pull up bar is adjustable between 24.5- to 36-inches and features two non-slip padded grips. Its height can be positioned at various positions to perform a range of exercises including pull ups, chin ups and leg lifts. You can also lower this piece of equipment close to the ground to assist with sit ups and other floor exercises. The bar comes with two sets of brackets (weight bearing and non-weight bearing door mounts) to hold it in place at different heights.

A couple of users on the Sunny Health and Fitness website comment that this unit is easy to install and one reviewer says, “Still works after a couple months use. Very satisfied with my purchase.”

Purchase Sunny Health And Fitness — Door Pull Up Bar

Pull up bars are an exercise equipment option that can be used to help build muscle, strength and endurance. You can use pull up bar exercises to target different muscle groups such as shoulder, back and arm muscles like your trapezius, rhomboids, biceps, lats and more.

Increasing muscle strength with a pull up bar can also be beneficial for your performance and stamina doing other activities including rock climbing, gymnastics, rowing, swimming and more.

Pull up bars are often an affordable piece of home gym equipment, which help make getting exercise at home convenient and accessible.

Pull up bars can be used for a wide variety of exercises including pull ups, chin ups, dead hangs, leg raises, knee raises and more. Many pull up bars have multiple grip positions, allowing you to do a variety of exercises.

To do a standard pull up on an overhead pull up bar, you can grab the bar with your hands a little wider than shoulder width apart, palms facing forward (pronated) so that you hang vertically. You’ll then pull your body upward towards the bar until the bar is at chest level and your chin is slightly above the bar. Then lower yourself to your starting position and repeat the process.

Manufacturer instruction manuals will provide information for how to best use pull up bar equipment and some manufacturers may offer videos to show you how to do various pull up bar exercises correctly. For those who are beginners, it’s a good idea to have a fitness professional show you the correct way to use pull up bars to get the right positioning and movement for pull ups and other exercises. Incorrect use of exercise equipment including pull up bars can lead to injury, so it’s important to learn how to safely use them.

Picking the right pull up bar for you will vary based on your needs, including your budget, space available and what exercises you plan to do with the equipment. Some things to consider include:

Home pull up bars come in a range of styles including standalone pull up bars, wall mounted pull up bars, ceiling mounted pull up bars, joists mounted pull up bars, door frame pull up bars and power rack pull up bars.

Some types of pull-up bars need to be permanently mounted to a wall or ceiling, while other pull up bars are easily portable. Although most pull up bars on this list only come in one color, some brands offer multiple color and texture choices.

It’s important to check the weight capacity of a pull up bar to ensure that it can support your weight and is a safe choice for your exercise needs. The pull up bars on this list range from around 220 pounds to around 800 pounds of weight capacity.

Pull up bars can be used as more than just a pull up and chin up bar. Some pull up bars have multiple grips and usable areas that can be employed for a variety of exercises to get a full body workout. A pull up bar's features, including whether it is permanently attached to the floor, wall or ceiling will help determine what exercises work best with it.

Some pull up bars are adjustable and can be raised or lowered to help you target different areas of the body. For instance, a pull up bar that can be lowered close to the ground can help with floor exercises like sit ups.

Additionally, pull up bars can be used with resistance bands and cords to add even more versatility to your workout.

When selecting the pull up bar that is best for your needs, consider how much space you have available and the total footprint of the pull-up bar.

Smaller pull up bar options like door mount pull up bars, may be best for those with limited space. When choosing a doorway pull-up bar, it’s important to determine if the dimensions of the pull up bar are compatible to fit your door frame.

When selecting a standalone pull up bar, you’ll want to consider ceiling height (in addition to the rest of the unit’s footprint) to determine if it’ll be a good fit.

Additionally, you’ll want to consider how your own height and weight will affect what size pull up bars you can comfortably and safely use to perform different types of exercises.

Some fitness moves may also require specific size specifications. For instance, the Mil Pull Up Station is designed to fit the measurements needed to do the Army Combat Fitness Test’s (ACFT) leg tuck requirements, with a length of 62-inches.

While pull up parts range in price, there are many budget-friendly options available. Or you can invest a little more for additional features and quality. The pull up bars on this list range from around $25 to around $520.

Diameters for pull up bars may vary based on preference and brand, but a common pull up bar diameter is 1.25-inches. The MIL Pull-Up Station is built with the Army Combat Fitness Test’s “Leg Tuck” event required specs and its diameter is 1.25-inches.

Doorframe pull up bars are safe when installed and used correctly. Safety concerns to consider with doorframe pull up bars include:

If you are concerned about the safety of your doorway pull up bar, you may want to consult with a local contractor to ensure a safe and stable installation. 

Pull ups can be challenging and require a certain amount of strength and ability. According to research, many people struggle to do even one pull up. Practice and training can help improve fitness performance and the number of pull up reps people are able to complete.

Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.

Lizzy Sherman is an award-winning digital content writer and editor. This author is writing sponsored content paid for by Pillar4 and not affiliated with Sports Illustrated.