The Best Pull Up Bar For Your Home – Comparison and Choices Based on Our Reviews:
Slide to the right see rest of our best pull up bar review table.
As someone who’s struggled for a long time with Pull-ups, I can tell you, without a doubt, having a pull-up bar at home has been so beneficial for my progression with pull-ups and my physique.
When I first started this whole fitness thing, I could barely do a single one. Over time, after practicing and losing 50 pounds, I can now do multiple and even weighted pull-ups!
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There are so many whole-body benefits the pull-up bar has to offer. And that’s why I invested in a pull-up bar for my home.
A pull up bar is one the most convenient pieces of home gym equipment you can (and should) buy.
Whether it be a doorway pull up bar or a wall-mounted one, your body will thank you in the long-run.
However, with so many different models pull up bars, how do you choose among the crowd?
Well, that’s what this article is all about.
We’re going to look at what the market has to offer and share my top recommendation for the best pull up bars for your home.
The Best Doorway Pull-Up Bar For Doorway
| Product | Why | Where to Buy | |
Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym Elite
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The Best Pull-Up Bar
| Product | Why | Where to Buy | |
Rogue Fitness Jammer Pull-Up Bar
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Why Choose a Pull-Up Bar For Your Home?
The pull-up is one of the hardest bodyweight exercises you can perform. Because you need to work your back muscles overtime to lift and lower your entire body, the pull-up is an all-around excellent exercise for the back.
It comes to a close 2nd for me, just behind Deadlifts. The shoulders, back muscles (especially traps, lats and rhomboids) and arms benefit most from pull-ups.
Progressing your way up the ladder in pull-ups will build you a fantastic looking backside!
Limited body weight exercises have the capacity of targeting as many upper body muscles as possible and leave them quavering as fast as pull-ups can.
However, by experiencing the right training, it turns out to be a move you can finesse in a short period – take on a doorframe pull-up bar. It allows you to build pull-up power at the comfort of your home.
Pull-up bar training is essential mainly because gravity tends to work in a specific direction. You are at risk of developing muscular imbalance if all you do for your upper body is push-ups and other anterior-chain workouts, which can eventually lead to poor posture, shoulder pain or worse.
Practicing the pull-up exercise frequently will aid in your overall fitness efforts.
The Different Types of Pull Up Bars You should Know About
1. The Doorway Pull Up Bar
The doorway pull up bar is one that is portable and one which requires no mounting. It is possibly the most straightforward pull up bar you can lay your hands on.
Doorway bars offer low weight limits and require a holder on top of a doorframe to maintain balance.
If all you need is a quick pull up workout, without unnecessarily damaging your house, the Doorway Pull-up bar is the best shot you have.
However, certain doorway mounted pull up bars tend to slip down. Hence your physical well-being might be at risk. Be careful when choosing one.
We recommend this one.
Pros and Cons of a Doorway Pull Up Bar:
Pros:
- Easy to install
- Portable and Convenient
- Super simple to use.
Cons:
- Can’t do weighted pull-ups
2. Wall Mounted Pull Up Bar
These pull up bars share quite a striking resemblance with the ceiling-mounted model but have a different mounting spot.
They are durable, offer moderate-high weight capacity, and sometimes, several grip positions to work with.
They include extra pieces for the transition from wall mounting to the actual pull up bar; they might appear to be a little bit heavier.
You need to be extra careful when buying this particular type of pull up bar.
Wall studs need to be strong enough to tolerate its weight (and yours) and spacious enough to accommodate the mount.
Therefore, you need a stable version of a wall mount that offers adequate clearance for a variety of workouts without you hitting the wall.
We recommend this one.
Pros and Cons of a Wall-Mounted Pull Up Bar:
Pros:
- Allows for a higher weight capacity
- Usually higher build quality
Cons:
- Not portable
- Tools required
- Usually comes with a higher price
3. Ceiling Mounted Pull Up Bar
These are ‘one spot’ (usually) permanently mounted ceiling pull up bars. They provide ample support and weight-bearing capabilities compared to doorway pull up bars.
Their durability, rigidness, decent weight limit, multiple grip positions, and comfort is what makes these pull up bar the ultimate end game if your house permits it (oh, and ask your wife first).
The downside is that you need hardware to mount them and ‘thee’ spot because the ceiling needs to support the bar and your weight and once installed, moving it can be tough as nails.
Although they can be a little bit more expensive than doorway bars, they tend to have more strength with multiple workouts and pull-up options (weighted pull-ups for example).
Once you settle on this one, ensure mounting bars are quite long to avoid hitting the ceiling with your head.
Keep an eye on how far apart the mounting brackets are. Secure it by getting a ceiling bar model with mounts spaced the same distance as your ceiling rafters.
I haven’t included any in this article because I haven’t had one myself, but the one in this article has a ceiling-mounted version.
Pros and Cons of a Ceiling-Mounted Pull Up Bar:
Pros:
- Allows for a higher weight capacity
- Usually higher build quality
Cons:
- Not portable
- Tools required (probably 2 people to assemble)
- Usually comes with a higher price
What to Look For When Buying a Pull-Up Bar
The Weight Limit Of The Bar (and Safety)
Industrial standard weight limits for most pull up bars ranges from 250 to 300 pounds. These are cheaper while the more durable and expensive bars hold up to 600 to 800 pounds.
If you are a lighter or average user, door frame models are quite the catch since they are comfortable and a breeze to use.
“Heftier” users require a standalone pull-up frame (otherwise known as a power-tower), wall or ceiling mounted pull up bars.
Weight limit depends on the materials used in the construction of the home, and also the specific types of pull up bar you buy.
The Grip
What you want is a bar with either foam grips, knurled texture, or rubber grips. This prevents accidents or injuries during workouts.
A knurled bar is best suited for grip due to its durability. However, they are rigid and might cause calluses. On the contrary, foam or rubber grips are softer and comfortable to dangle on to although they are less durable and can easily crack or rip right off the bar.
Your grip may also slip off easier.
For the image below, it has the foam grips, however, they have lasted a long-time for me as of now.
Grip Width and Positions
For example, this is how the perfect multi-gym elite pull-up bar is set up
The most basic pull up bar serves as a straightforward bar with just narrow and wide grips. The more advanced pull-up bars level up by offering neutral grip bars that allow you to relish in an array of exercises.
My favorite doorway pull-up bar offers three grip positions. I like the very wide, neutral grip it provides.
You only get to enjoy the monkey bar style grip with an advanced pull-up bar.
Meaning you can do five different grip positions depending on your needs and the number of upper body exercises you aim at doing.
Do not forget though, the number of grip possibilities wholly rely on the price you are ready to chip in.
Door Padding
With our number one pick (The Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym Elite), rubber pads, which are patented, protect your door.
Most pull-up bars have black foam pads or glued-on pads which can protect your door, but eventually, they will leave black marks on your door (foam pads) or the glued-on pads fall off.
Make sure the pads of the pull-up bar you choose don’t fall under those categories!
Mounting Requirements
Depending on the pull-up bar, some hold onto the doorframe; others tend to screw into a wall, ceiling or rafters while others prefer an entirely freestanding device.
Benefits of Doing pull-ups often and progressing with them
That’s why you’re looking for a pull-up bar for your home most likely.
So you can do pull-ups more often. To get better at them, etc.
That’s awesome because that comes along with some other sweet benefits:
- Better Looking Physique: Pull-ups require tons of core strength, back strength, and whole-body strength. By the time you can do ten pull-ups easily you’re going to look good, but, if you can progress to weighted pull-ups your back is going to look amazing. There’s a reason why the Pull-up is (or at least should be) in everyone’s training regime.
- Back Pain Alleviation: When you seat cumulatively, be it on the couch when driving or working, it leads to an increase in physiological load on back muscles. By engaging in pull-up exercises, core and back muscles can gain more strength hence reducing back pain.
- Posture Improvement: Pull-ups strengthen core and back muscles hence improving your postures by giving you a more extended, learner posture. By bringing your shoulders back (in the pull-up motion), you are training your body to bring the shoulders back in your stance. This improves your posture and is a significant benefit to doing pull-ups.
The Best Pull-Up Bars Reviews
Now that we’ve gone over some important information that you should know when looking for a pull-up bar for your home, we’re going to go over our picks and why they made the list.
Also, we’ll look for things I liked and didn’t like for each. First up is our top #1 pick:
Our #1 Pull-Up Bar For Most People
Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym Elite
Overview
‘Versatility’ is what makes it the zing of the buck. The Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym Elite claim to fame is due to its tremendously durable and robust design with protective innovative doorframe pads made from heavy-duty steel.
When not attached to your door, you can flip it over to exercise on dips, push-ups, and sit-ups.
Due to its compactness (6.2 pounds), three padded grip positions, and portability, you can engage all upper body muscles comfortably and not hassle about storage.
The three grip positions provided allow for work out variation (pronated, wide grip, close grip, extra wide and neutral grip) complete with each having a non-slip grip handle.
This pull-up bar can accommodate effortlessly users with various weights due to its 300-pound weight limit.
With this beast, you do not have to worry about drilling. Fitting doorframes of 27 to 35 inches is easy, and installation requires minimum work.
Main Features:
- Portable: Available in four forms, the multi-gym pro, original, sport, and elite. These function as doorway pull-up bars as well as sit-ups, dips, and pushups.
- Padded handles: Features curved, wide grip, ergonomic handles designed for three grip positions to achieve a standard grip, hammer grip pull-ups, and close grip.
- Patented design: It has an in-built cushion that protects doorframes and highly adjustable to fit up to 33 inches wide and 6 inches deep doorframes.
- Sturdy: Heavy-duty steel structure with 300-pound weight capacity, making it safe to use with weight vests.
- Exercise variations: wide and narrow pull up, chin up, ab work and push-ups/dips
Check my full, in-depth video review here.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Adjustable to fit standard door frames.
- Patented door frame protectors to prevent markers on the door frame – NO DAMAGING DOORS
- Multi-grip options
- Amazingly well-built
Cons:
- “Eh’’ quality bolts.
- Foam can begin to rip after a long-time of use
Our Runner Up Pull-Up Bar
The Rogue Jammer Pull-Up Bar
Overview
The only reason this isn’t number 1 on our list is because of the price.
If you want something with incredible build quality and that will last you a lifetime, look no further than the Rogue Jammer Pull-Up Bar. It features 0.375″ thick laser-cut steel brackets and a custom-finished 1.125″ diameter bar.
The bar itself is also made out of the same material that they make their actual barbells which are already seen as the best in the world.
Although, you can choose a smooth finish as well. Regardless, Rogue still gives you the option to choose from multiple colorways for the bar itself which is a nice touch.
Main Features:
- Manufactured in the USA and uses thick laser-cut steel brackets with Rogue branding. The bar itself extends out 7″ from the base mount bracket.
- Choose your Knurl option: you can choose smooth (no knurl) or a partial-knurled version. If you choose one with knurl, then the center will be smooth but the outer-sides (where you put your hands) will be knurled. It is firm enough, but “non-abrasive” according to Rogue.
- Designed for In-Home use: this is mainly designed to go above any door frame on a wood stud wall. While it can be installed anywhere there are wood studs, you can see in the picture below a typical use-case.
- Mounted easily and the package includes all installation accessories.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- HEAVY-DUTY.
- Amazing build quality
- Knurling options
- Easy to install
- Rogue Fitness customer service and warranty
Cons:
- Relatively expensive compared to other pull-up bars.
- Needs a wall to attach to.
Although this thing may seem complicated to install, Rogue made a great 1-minute video showing how:
Another great option
Rogue Fitness P-4 Pull Up System
Overview
Again, the price is going to be higher due to the build quality that Rogue Fitness produces.
There are many variations of the p-4 Pull up system (i.e., p-3, p-5, p-6, and garage versions). These are made up of 1×2″ 11-gauge steel which is the same as Rogue’s full-scale rigs and racks. Depending on the depth and distance away from the wall or ceiling you need, you will have to choose which pull up system you need.
What NOT to Buy:
Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar
It is an impressive product for its price. However, it becomes quite a struggle for 6ft+ users to keep their feet off the ground at full stretch. Its efficiency as a pull-up bar decreases if your doorway is too wide to hold at the pull-up handle on the outside of the doorway or too narrow to grip the handle on the inside of the doorway, resulting in black marks on the door-frames.
Works efficiently in average-sized doors hence you need an extension or consider door modification.
Has a limited range of motion with four upper body workouts only and does not offer cardio-based and lower body exercises.
Simply put: don’t buy this unless you want black marks on your door-frame.
Amazon Basics Pull Up and Upper Body Workout Bar
This product is of poor quality in terms of degradation of plastic by the metal screws, which is set to give in-to the bolt holes and eventually rip of, causing major accidents and injuries during workouts.
It has paint that easily peels off; a major turn off in terms of aesthetics.
The installation instructions are screwy making installation even harder. In addition, the product and accessory assembly are disappointing, ranging from missing cap nuts on the grooves to undersized and oversized bolts and screws.
It’s a good deal when it comes to affordability. However, its reliability and quality are questionable.
Conclusion
By now you might be probably pumped on acquiring a pull-up bar.
With three of our best choices at your disposal, we are confident you will find the perfect piece of pull up machine that best fits your space, budget, needs, and fitness goals.
Nonetheless, the Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym Doorway Pull-up Bar – the Elite version – gets all the credit due to its versatility, build quality, and the fact that it won’t ruin your doorframe.
Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym Elite
In addition, the perfect fitness pull-up bar provides a wide range of 5 grip positions while the ultimate body press wall mount offers 4 grip positions with the sunny and health pull-up bar offering 2 grip positions.
Being more durable and sturdier, it can comfortably support the weight of up to 300lbs compared to sunny and health pull-up bar which supports 220lbs only.
Its flexibility allows it to fit doorframes ranging 27” and 35” wide while the ultimate body press fits 24” and 30” wide and the sunny health bar fitting 24.5” and 36″ wide.
All these and more differences give the perfect fitness multi-gym doorway pull up bar the upper hand over the two pull-up bars. It would be the ultimate touch when it comes to investing in your pull up fitness journey.
If budget allows, opt for the Rogue Fitness pull-up bar.
