The ultimate piece of fitness kit for a killer workout in your own home
If there’s one workout you should be doing regularly, it’s the pull-up. Known as one of the more challenging (read: brutal) exercises out there, pull-ups work your entire upper body, and not just the muscles of your back, but your abs and your biceps, too. And that’s hardly surprising, this exercise relies solely on you pulling up your own body weight.
However, due to the strength needed to perform even just the one, pull-ups can take months, if not years, to master – albeit with regular practice. Stick with it though, and you’ll be rewarded with never needing to do crunches or bicep curls again. We’re sure you’ll agree: this makes the pull-up one of the finest upper-body bodyweight exercises out there.
- Start here: The best home gym kit
This is probably why the pull-up bar has become a popular, if not essential, training accessory for people that like to workout at home. Those into fitness, strength training and muscle building have quickly realised that a good pull-up bar is one of the best bits of home gym equipment you can buy.
But deciding on which one to go for isn’t easy. Depending on your setup at home and the space you have available, there are a few key factors to consider when buying a pull-up bar. First off, you’ll have to figure out what type of bar you want: a permanent wall bar, one that hooks into a door frame without screws, or a free-standing tower. You’ll also have to ensure it can hold your weight, and fit the space you’ve set out for it.
Luckily we’re taking the hard work out for you, apart from the actual pull-ups of course, with our guide to the best home pull-up bars on the market.
Best pull up bar for athletes
Rogue Door Jammer
There’s a reason that fitness professionals around the world use Rogue equipment. Whether you’re a CrossFitter, a powerlifter or someone just looking to keep fit, Rogue makes some of the best quality kit out there today. The team constantly develop new kit to meet the needs of athletes, with designs that not only look impressive but are always built to last a very long time.
The Door Jammer removes any unnecessary design features and focuses on the things that matter: a strong, sturdy piece of equipment that will hold up to the toughest workout. As well as giving piece of mind when connected to your precious walls, the Door Jammer also comes with a number of customisable options including fancy colour options and the choice of adding a knurl finish to help when maintaining grip.
Best pull up bar on a budget
Decathlon Domyos Pull-Up Bar
So, we’ll be honest with you: these telescopic pull-up bars aren’t quite as sturdy as other types – especially those you screw into a wall. They’re the most basic type of pull-up bar and work by extending on either side to fit into any doorway. This means they’re better suited to those not taking their pull-up game so seriously, and instead are looking for something quick and easy to whip out, fit in their door frame, and bang out a few pull-ups once or twice a week.
Priced at just under £15, you can’t get better than this Decthlon offering when it comes to value for money. There’s nothing fancy when it comes to grip, but for this price, who’s complaining?
Made from durable steel, the Decathlon bar takes less than five minutes to set up, and there are no screws needed to do so. Although it’s worth noting that the doorframe you intend to use it on needs to be between 70cm and 90cm in width, and the maximum weight for this is 130kg (287lbs). There’s also a longer version available that reaches to 100cm.
Best portable pull up bar
Jayflex CrossGrips
The CrossGrips are one of the most interesting innovations in pull-up bars we’ve seen for a while. The two separate handles work like vices to grapple the door frame as you do your workout. Made from high-strength polymer they’re designed to hold up to 136kgs (300lbs) and have durable foam inside clamps which adapt to protect the doorframe.
The clever little device folds down to the size of a book, so they’re a good option for travelling or if you don’t want workout equipment getting in the way of your feng shui. Not only that, but they can be used for a variety of other floor-based exercises including push-ups, L-sits and sit-ups. In addition there are also a selection of product add-ons available to help assist your workout.
Best free-standing/tower bar
Decathlon Domyos Bodyweight Workout Rack Station
If screws, bolts and doorways aren’t your cup of tea, and you’d prefer more of a free standing alternative to a pull up bar, then the Domyos Bodyweight Workout Rack Station could be a worthy investment.
Towers might be harder to set up and more expensive to buy, but they could end up being quite a good investment, especially for the fitness fanatic, and can offer you do much more than just pull or chin-ups. It has a dip station, and if you pick up a cheap set of resistance bands to loop around the tower you’ll open up an almost unlimited world of exercises.
All you need to set it up is a screwdriver and in an hour or two you’ll be ready to go as the Bodyweight Workout Rack Station doesn’t require bolting to walls or flooring, which makes it so much less painful to put up.
There are also padded supports for both the back and forearms meaning you can perform core workouts such as leg raises or hip raises comfortably.
Weider Power Tower
Like the Decathlon Domyos, the Weider Power Tower can be used for a wide variety of workouts and is a great option if you have a a lot of space and want a cost-effective piece of kit that’ll cover you for full body workouts.
As well as a multi-grip bar, the robust unit will allow you to tick of tricep dips, core work and raised press-ups. And although the features are largely identical for both towers, for our money the Weider option is a much more aesthetically pleasing design. We also prefer the fact that the pull up bar sits to the rear of the unit, allowing for more space for the movement.
Note: For heavier users we suggest opting for the Decathlon Domyos Station as feedback from users has suggested that the rectangular build offers greater strength than the tubular design of the Weider station.
Best value pull up bar
Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar
If you’re looking for a pull-up bar that has most of the features of a premium product but don’t want to splash out your full pay check, then the Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar is definitely worth a look. The durable steel frame is set up on a door within a minute and will hold up to 100kgs (220lbs).
As well as being big enough to support a range of pull-up variations, it can also be taken down and used for a range other exercises like press-ups, sit-ups and dips.
The cheap price tag doesn’t come without a snag though, as the build of the design is not one of the most hardwearing you’ll find on the market. It’ll do the job, just don’t expect it to be a part of your your life for years to come. It’s a good option for beginners or those not sure if they want to make a big investment. Important to not that the frame will also only fit doors up to 36 inches wide.
UK only products
Best pull up bar for beginners
Gorilla Gym Gym1 Power Fitness Package
If you’re a newbie in the world of pull-ups but looking for a bar to kick off your training, then your best bet is opting for a pull-up bar starter kit, or in this case, Gorilla Gym’s Gym1 Power Fitness Package.
Boxed with a pull-up extender as well as arm straps and a core unit, the kit has been designed to help you achieve your first pull-up and increase your strength over time in the process, making it ideal for your first pull-up workout. Just because it’s for beginners doesn’t mean it’s a flimsy bit of kit, either, as it’s able to accommodate up to 135kg (298lbs) of weight.
At £89.95, it’s definitely not the cheapest bar of its category out there, but with all the extra bits and bobs to get you on your way, it works out a pretty good deal. The Gorilla Gym pull-up bar also fits virtually any standard doorway, making it an easy piece of equipment to install – suited to pretty much anyone wanting to increase upper body strength and whole-body conditioning.
Best pull up bar for folding away afterwards
Powerbar
If space is an issue, and you don’t have room to keep a pull-up bar installed permanently at home, then this nifty fold-away variation might be the one for you.
Called the Powerbar 2, this pull-up bar can be quickly fitted on a doorway – just swing out the spring-loaded arms and you’re done. It can then be folded back down once you’ve pumped your iron for the day.
Apart from its versatility, the other advantage the Powerbar 2 has over its rivals is that it’s naturally mounted higher off the ground, making pull-ups performed on it just a little bit tougher, so perhaps not the best one out there for beginners. It is, however, well suited for those looking for convenience. And for just £25, dare we say it’s quite the bargain.
Best ceiling mounted pull up bar
Hardcastle Ceiling Mounted Chin/Pull Up Bar
If your home has high ceilings, you should consider this ceiling-mounted pull-up bar from Hardcastle. Packed with anchor bolt-style fixings (check your ceiling construction to ensure it’s suitable), this mounted pull-up bar is a great choice for those wanting a permanent place to perform their pull-ups. This will save you some valuable wall space if that’s something you’re short of, too.
The bar also boasts 25mm diameter inner grip bars and a 33mm diameter crossbar so you can practice different grip types, as well as rubber grip handles on inner grip positions for a more comfortable workout. Nothing but a space-saving winner in our eyes.
Best multi-grip pull up bar
Mirafit Multi-Grip Wall Mounted Pull-Up Bar
Mastering the pull-up is all good and well, but once you’ve built your strength up performing the standard exercise, it’s always a great idea to mix up the types of grips, be it wide, narrow, or at a variety of angles.
This is when a multi-grip bar such as the Mirafit Wall-Mounted Pull-Up Bar is a worthy investment. The bridge of silver bars at different angles in its center means that it offers up a good variety of grip positions so you can hit your muscles from different angles during a workout
Coming with all the fittings and fixtures to secure it to the wall, this bar is super sturdy, taking up to a massive 150kg (330lbs) of weight. It’s also got a really nice black and silver powder-coated gloss finish, so looks the part once installed.
adidas Door Gym
Yes, adidas has its own range of gym hardware equipment, and as prices go its Door Gym pull up bar is one of the most affordable pieces of kit on the market.
As well as being one of the more attractive options to stick in your house, the design is meant to extend further away from the door than most other bars. That means it’s easier to do effective pull-ups as you inevitably swing mid-movement.
The bar has multiple padded hand grips as well as bar protectors at the extremities and comes with options for three pull-up variations. Like many of the other items in this guide, you can also take it down and use it for chest and triceps exercises. Which is handy.
Best pull up bar for climbers
Lapis Rollybar
When you’re clambering up the side of a mountain you need to know you’ve put the training in to get yourself to the top safely. Because of that the world of climbing has produced a number of interesting variations when it comes to pull up bars.
The Lapis Rollybar is one of our favourite. The unit has enclosed ball-bearings inside that rotate as you grip the bar. If you’re doing a perfect strict pull-up then the effect is minimal, but if you tend to use kipping or swing your body to achieve a pull-up then the motion is significantly harder, twisting around in the hands and moving back and forth as you pull.
As a result the Lapis Rollybar forces you to not only focus on form but also means you concentrate on building a strong core to stop you from swinging around whilst you do a pull-up. There’s also a little ridge across the bar that makes it slightly easier to hold for first-time users.
It won’t attach directly to the wall so you’ll need to wither hang it from an existing pull up bar or from a secure beam somewhere in the house.
Best pull up bar for stretching
Domyos Ladder
If you want a piece of kit in your home, and you have the space, a gym ladder offers a whole heap of additional benefits to a standard pull up bar. Not only can you work on your pull ups and chin ups, but the selection of rungs positioned at different height opens up a vast range of additional exercises; from stretching and posture to incline and decline variants for many workouts
Made from an attractive FSC-certified beech, this ladder can hold up to 120kg when attached to a wall using the supplied screws and reaches a height of 2.32m. It’s a great option for those looking for a more versatile home workout space, especially if you’re not a fan of sticking large metalic objects in your carefully designed pad.