Pull ups are an excellent way to build muscle, definition and strength in your shoulders, back and arms. For busy people who can’t make it to the gym regularly, pull up bars are the perfect way to ensure you fit in your daily workout from the comfort of your home. All you need is a doorway and you’re good to go!
Don’t have time to read and just want the best pull up bar? Here are our top 5 recommendations:
- Stamina Doorway Trainer Plus
- j/fit Deluxe Doorway Pull-Up Bar with Comfort Grips
- ProSource Multi-Grip Chin-Up/Pull-Up Bar
- Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar
- Sunny Health & Fitness Door Way Chin Up
Table of Contents
Why Buy a Pull Up Bar?
Pull ups target a combination of muscles in your back, arms and chest making it a great compound upper-body workout for strengthening grip, building your upper body muscles, burning fat, and increasing your metabolism. Unlike many workouts which need heavy and expensive equipment to do properly, pull ups can be done simply with the use of a doorway pull up bar and your own body weight. This makes it one of the most effective pieces of home fitness equipment, especially at this price point.
There is a slew of advantages to using a home pull up bar, some of the top ones include:
Convenient
Pull ups are one of the most convenient exercises you can do since they can be done from practically anywhere. Simply attach your pull up bar to a suitable door frame and you are ready to work out!
Inexpensive
A lot of home gym equipment can be quite expensive. Treadmills, rowing machines, spin bikes, etc can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Or you can purchase a quality pull up bar for less than $50 and get in a great workout at a fraction of the cost. There’s no need to break the bank to start working out, so you have no excuses!
Easy to Assemble/Disassemble
Installing a doorway pull up bar couldn’t be easier. Leverage pull up bars have arms that connect to both sides of the door frame and simply use your body weight to remain in place using leverage. When you want to take it down, simply lift up and you’re done. Telescopic pull up bars extend outward (usually by twisting the bar) and have rubber ends press against the side of your door frame and use friction to stay in place. In most cases it takes less than a minute to get one installed and disassembling it is just as easy.
Easy Storage
It’s not recommended to keep your pull up bar permanently attached to your door (unless you have a dedicated fitness room in your home) but luckily, you don’t need much storage space for a pull up bar. This simple piece of equipment is very compact and can easily be stored under your bed or inside your closet.
The advantages of buying a pull up bar for home are many, and this is one of the home fitness products I recommend most to my clients. Pull ups are one of the most effective compound movements for building your upper body and are also great for ramping up metabolism and burning fat. This small investment can have huge returns when used consistently, and it feels great to see your progress as your repetitions get higher and higher.
The 5 Best Pull Up Bar for Your Home Gym
There are a ton of options our there when it comes to pull up bars for your home, and honestly, most of them will get the job done just fine. That said, there are a few that stand out in terms of features, ease of use, and quality. Below are our top 5 recommended pull up bars:
Stamina Doorway Trainer Plus
Key Features
- Multiple Grip Positions
The Stamina Doorway Trainer Plus has five grip positions for building tone and strengthening muscles. The multiple grip positions allow you to tailor your focus on a particular muscle group. The narrower grip works your arms and chest, while the wider grip uses your back more. This is a great feature to allow for a complete workout.
- Non-Slip Comfort Grips
You’ve been working hard and have built up a sweat when suddenly, your sweaty palms cause to slip from the bar. There’s nothing more annoying than this scenario when you’re caught in the adrenaline of working out. Luckily, the Stamina Doorway Trainer Plus has thick padding and non-slip comfort grips so you can keep going until you’re ready to stop.
- Portable
This leverage doorway bar is easy to assemble and install on your door and can be easily carried around for exercise wherever you want.
Drawbacks
The Stamina Doorway Trainer Plus is 37 inches wide so it may not fit older doors. However, it’s important to measure your door frame properly before purchasing any pull-up bar and the Stamina Doorway Trainer Plus should fit all standard doors in a modern home.
The Verdict
This is a great leverage bar that is sturdy and well designed. The grips feel comfortable and offer good support and the non-slip design works well. You can use the Stamina Doorway Trainer Plus for doing triceps dips, push ups and sit downs, as well as pull-ups, so you’re getting a great device for a complete upper body workout all in one.
j/fit Deluxe Doorway Pull-Up Bar with Comfort Grips
Key Features
- Wide-Fit
Most telescopic bars tend to dip in the middle of wider door frames, but the j/fit Deluxe Doorway Pull-Up Bar is made to counter that. The Longest Length bar available, this pull-up bar is designed to fit frames up to 40 inches long.
- Adjustable Hand Grips
This bar has handy removable hand grips that you can place wherever is most comfortable for you. This allows for optimal comfort when working out, while also allowing the grips to be adjusted for a targeted workout. The grips velcro closures that are easy to adjust and replace.
- Mounting Bracket
The j/fit Deluxe Doorway Pull-Up Bar comes with mounting brackets so you can use it in multiple locations in your home. You can easily adjust it at different heights to help you to perform chin-ups, crunches and hanging leg raises.
Drawbacks
As with all telescopic bars, the j/fit Deluxe Doorway Pull-Up Bar will bend if used on a very wide frame or if you weigh over 200lbs. However, this bar is built specifically for wider doors so it can counteract this more than most telescopic bars. If you are under 200lbs, you can use this exactly as described on a door as wide as 40″ and if you’re over that weight, it’s simply a matter of using this bar on a narrower door to achieve the same great results.
The Verdict
This is a fantastic telescopic pull-up bar that can be adjusted for a great upper body workout and the removable grips are easy and comfortable to use. The wide fit, in particular, is a great feature as it allows for use on wider doors, great for people who have been struggling to find a bar that will suit their needs and could only find ones to accommodate the standard narrower door frame.
ProSource Multi-Grip Chin-Up/Pull-Up Bar
Key Features
- Multiple Grip Positions
The ProSouce Multi Grip Bar is very multifunctional with 12 grips available for six pull-up positions. Like the Stamina Doorway Trainer Plus, this allows you to perform a number of wide, hammer and close-grip exercises for a complete upper body workout.
- Durable Steel
Made from high-grade steel, the ProSource Multi-Grip bar is made to built to last and can hold weights of up to 300lbs. This is a great feature that allows you to keep building your strength without being held back by a flimsy design.
- Easy Installation
As a leverage pull-up bar, the ProSource Multi-Grip bar is very easy to install in most standard door frames. The easy installation makes working out a breeze as you can quickly attach and remove it from your door in seconds. However, it also comes with optional J brackets if you want to install it to a particular frame permanently.
Drawbacks
The one drawback I found with the ProSource Multi-Grip bar is that after a while of use, it left small scuff marks on my door frame. However, these came out pretty easily and applying some simple padding through the use of an old t-shirt, towel or even duct tape is an easy way to fix this minor flaw.
The Verdict
This is a very sturdy pull-up bar that holds up well even under heavy weight. The easy installation that is standard with a leverage bar means you can start exercising just minutes after you receive it and the multiple grips allow for an excellent compound workout.
Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar
Key Features
- Durable Steel
The durable steel construction of the Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar is sturdily built and designed to hold weights up to 300lbs. The durable design will offer you great support as you complete your pull-ups so you won’t be slowed down when you want to speed up.
- Compact
The small, no-fuss design is ideal for easy storage. Neat and compact, the Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar offers a great workout while taking up little room, unlike many space-intensive exercise equipment out there. When not in use, you can easily squeeze it under your bed or stuff in in your bedroom closet.
- Multifunctional
Not just great for pull-ups and chin-ups, the Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar is multifunctional too. When you’ve finished your pull-ups, easily detach it from the wall and move to the floor where you can use it to perform push-ups, tricep-dips and sit-ups.
Drawbacks
Unlike the Stamina Doorway Trainer Plus and the ProSource Multi-Grip Bar, the Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar only has 3 grip positions. However, that isn’t much of a disadvantage as 3 is all you need to complete inner and outer back training with narrow, neutral and wide positions. You’ll still have no problem completing a full workout even with fewer grip positions.
The Verdict
This is a great leverage pull-up bar that’s slightly smaller than the other leverage bars on this list, which makes the standard easy storage even easier! It seems very stable and sturdy during use and ensures the only thing preventing you performing pull-ups, is your own stamina.
Sunny Health & Fitness Door Way Chin Up
Key Features
- Foam Grips
The foam grips of the Sunny Health & Fitness bar ensure comfort while exercising and reduce the risk of hand fatigue. These soft foam grips are padded and non-slip to you can keep a steady hold while working out.
- Rapid Installation
The telescopic design of the Sunny Health & Fitness bar makes installation a breeze. You can set this up in your preferred door in seconds as it uses the friction of the bar against the door frame to hold itself in place. Screw and installation brackets are included for added security and a secure hold.
- Chrome Plated Steel
The chrome plated steel bar is strong and secure with a maximum weight capacity of 220lbs. Even without the optional installation brackets, the steel design of the Sunny Health & Fitness bar holds up well with just the friction hold.
Drawbacks
The Sunny Health & Fitness bar fits doorways up to 32″. While this means it isn’t suitable for those with wider doors, this is actually great news for those with smaller-than-average door frames which may have been struggling to find a bar suitable.
The Verdict
This is a good telescopic pull-up bar that holds well in any door I tested it in. The foam grips feel comfortable to hold and even without the added installation brackets, the Sunny Health & Fitness bar felt secure under my weight.
Types of Pull Up Bars
There are two main types of doorway pull up bars to choose from:
Leverage: Leverage bars go over the door frame and are held in place by your weight pushing them down. Assembly is typically required but is very quick and straightforward. Leverage bars have more structural rigidity than telescopic bars so they can handle weights of up to 300lbs.
Telescopic: Telescopic or chin-up bars are wedged between the door frame and stay in place due to friction but can also come with cups for added support. They tend to have a weight limit of 250lbs, but they can sometimes start to bend in the middle over 220lbs, or if the door frame is too wide.
The Winner
A pull up bar is potentially the best and most cost-effective addition to any home gym, offering you the opportunity to get a great upper body work out any time for under $50. Installing a pull up bar in your home is not only extremely quick and easy but can help you feel at ease as you build your upper body strength in the privacy of your own residence.
Personally, I recommend the Stamina Doorway Trainer Plus as my favorite of the bunch. I felt most comfortable and satisfied while using this bar. The best feature is the multiple padded, non-slip grips which do exactly as advertised and offer supreme comfort when working out.