The best doorway pull-up bar, when compared to other fitness options, are more affordable, easy to setup/use, and more versatile than you might expect.
With added features that enable additional exercises and advanced variations, pull-up bars and pull-up workouts aren’t just for military recruits anymore.
Whether you’re a personal training guru or a busy student who like to stay fit, keeping a free standing pull-up bar around your home gym can let you get a strong burn on a short notice.
Long hailed one of the most effective piece of equipment for not just the back muscles, but the entire upper body. Our team members are big fans of the pull up bar, which is why reviewing and ranking the best ones was a burden-less task.
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10 Highly Rated Pull-Up Bars
If you have a suitable doorway and basic assembly skills, then a doorway pull-up bar can provide hours of exercise in your home gym.
Location is a primary concern for whether a doorway pull-up bar is ideal for you, but some of the other options might influence your decision.
For example, some of the pull-up bars on this list have multiple grips to accommodate different types of pull-ups, and alternate positions to permit push ups, crunches, and other workouts.
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The top doorway pull-up bar spot goes to. . .
#1 – Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym
Highlights
- Complete upper-body workout
- Designed to protect your doorframe
- Easy Install: No Drilling Needed
What is it?
As the least expensive door-mounted pull-up bar on the list, this Perfect Fitness Multi-gym enables dips, pull-ups, sit-ups, and push-ups. Emphasizing padded parts that will not harm your doorframe, this pull-up bar by Perfect Fitness is made to be easy to set-up and use.
You won’t even need a drill to have this hanging from a doorway in your home gym and allowing pull-ups and chin-ups up to 220 lbs.
Who Makes It?
Perfect Fitness manufactures a variety of equipment for pushing, pulling, developing the core, and enhancing strength. Aside from their series of Multi-gym pull-up systems that start at $29.99, Perfect Fitness is also famous for their Perfect Pushup and their Ab Carver.
Key Features
One exceptional feature of this pull-up bar is that it extends past the doorway itself. This detail enables wide gripped pull-ups, a variation that maximizes different combinations of muscles in the lats, arms, and back.
Also notable is that this pull-up bar is adjustable to a fairly wide range of 27” to 35” inches, so it will fit the vast majority of doorways.
Critique
The Perfect Fitness Pull-up Bar covers the basics in a reliable manner, but without a lot of the options found in more expensive bars. The bar is strait and wide enough to enable different grips, but some of the heavier customers complained that the padding wore off quickly, or damaged their door frame regardless.
Other complaints addressed the cheapness of the assembly parts, so it seems that the padding and tools are the areas where they skimped to cut costs.
Bottom Line
If you’re well under the 220 pound weight limit and have a free doorway, then the Perfect Fitness Multi-gym may be ideal for you. This is especially true if you need to save money, as the Perfect Fitness Multi-gym is among the least expensive options on the market.
#2 – Gorilla Gym Power Pull-Up Fitness Package
Highlights
- Includes Ab Straps and Pull-up Extender
- 300 lbs weight limit
- Fits 24-36 inch doorways
What is it?
The Gorilla Gym Power Fitness Package is an elaborate and heavy duty pull-up bar that is among the most expensive on the market.
The included Ab Straps will aid with core workouts, and the numerous grips and variations will provide a lot of different pull-up options to master.
Most importantly, the Gorilla Gym Power Fitness Package claims to be much more reliable and stable than competitors, and those are important factors with a pull-up bar.
Who Makes It?
Gorilla Gym makes a wide variety of innovative fitness equipment, including slightly different variations of their pull-up bars. One interesting twist is that they market their heavy-duty pull-up bar as a child’s indoor swing set, but Gorilla also sells other athletic gear for sports like boxing and yoga.
Key Features
Aside from included extras like Ab Straps, the most significant key feature of the Gorilla Gym Power Fitness Package is its extra strong padding and vice grips.
While cheaper pull-up bars are known to be less reliable, and run the risk of falling during a workout, this bar by Gorilla went to great lengths to be safe for your doorway, and ideal for the most hardcore athletes.
Critique
At a price tag of $70 or higher, the Gorilla Gym Power Fitness Package wreaks havoc on your wallet. While it comes with some extras like a Pull-up Extender and Ab Straps, the fact that there are highly-reviewed pull-up bars available at less than half the price can be considered a drawback.
The biggest complaint otherwise is that flat space is needed on both sides of the doorframe, so compare the product closely with your doorway to avoid disappointment.
Bottom Line
If you don’t mind paying premium for a heavy-duty pull-up bar with a nice array of grips and features, then the Gorilla Gym Power Fitness Package might be the ideal choice for your home gym.
#3 – Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym Pro
Highlights
- 300 pound weight limit
- 4-in-1 gym workouts
- Includes SEAL inspired workouts
What is it?
As an upgraded version of the aforementioned Perfect Fitness Multi-gym, this “Pro” version is built with a useful wide grip that angles out from the standard bar.
This extra technique can help create the “V-cut” look, where your shoulders are broad and muscular, appearing to form a “V” from behind.
Who Makes It?
Perfect Fitness specializes in just about anything fitness related, including heart rate monitors, cooling towels, and various versions of their Multi-gym pull-up bars. Their website provides workout advice for using the pull-up bar to work the arms, chest, core, and back.
Key Features
Along with the features of the original Perfect Fitness Multi-gym, which include padding that’s designed to not harm your door frame, this pro version features a wide-grip that protrudes out at about a ten degree angle.
Additionally, the pro version extends out further from the wall than the original, so for the $10 increase, there were some key upgrades made to the Perfect Fitness Multi-gym Pro.
Critique
While reviews and comments are overwhelmingly positive for the Perfect Fitness Multi-gym Pro, there were consistent complaints involving the cheap packaging.
Also, it’s not necessarily a drawback, but it is important to note that you need a strong doorway to support any pull-up bar, especially one as elaborate as the Perfect Fitness Multi-gym Pro.
Bottom Line
This pull-up bar from Perfect Fitness comes with a multitude of interesting features with very few complaints and a reasonable price tag at around $40.
#4 – Stamina Boulder Fit Doorway Pull Up Bar
Highlights
- Rock climbing grips included
- Red and Black Coloring
- 250 pound weight limit
What is it?
Unlike anything else on the list, the Stamina Boulder Fit Door Gym has unique grips that are distinct to rock climbing.
In addition to the standard narrow and wide pull-up grips, this bar by Stamina has looped grips for pulling yourself up at various angles, and small, knob-like grips that are ideal for strengthening forearms.
Who Makes It?
Stamina has been making fitness products since their founding in 1987, and continues to develop innovative equipment like the Boulder Fit Door Gym. They specialize in a huge range of creative products, including automatic outdoor exercise stations, adjustable weight sets, and elaborate rowing machines.
Key Features
The rare and unique grip variations are key features, because they are found in so few other products. Forearm workouts are valuable to a lot of bodybuilders, so the small rock climbing grips are a valuable addition to the standard list of pull-up options.
Critique
This interesting variation on a pull-up bar from Stamina has nearly perfect reviews, but with some recurring complaints regarding the complex assembly and some concerns about large-fingered customers having trouble with the rock climbing grip.
Bottom Line
For a pull-up bar that is both heavy duty and highly-unique, the Stamina Boulder Fit Door Gym is an absolute winner. At just over $40, this is an interesting take on the pull-up bar that is unlike anything else out there.
#5 – ProSource Multi-Grip
Highlights
- 12 Different Grips
- Fits 24” to 36” Doorframes
- 300 pound weight limit
What is it?
The ProSource Multi-grip Chin-up/Pull-up Bar stands out for its multitude of grips, heavy build, and affordable price tag. For anyone needing an especially sturdy pull-up bar at just under $30, this might be the optimal piece of fitness gear.
Who Makes It?
ProSource specializes in calisthenic-based fitness gear, including Yoga and Pilates equipment, mats, and cross-training accessories. They also sell strength oriented equipment, such as kettlebells, core trainers, and pull-up bars.
Key Features
Twelve grips is significantly more than most other pull-up bars on the shelf, and considering each grip enables different variations, then that greatly increases the exercises you can do.
Furthermore, the 300 pound max is pretty strong considering the light, $29.99 price, so heavy weights who are on a budget will appreciate this pull-up bar from ProSource.
Critique
Although padding is significant to not damage doorways that fit the measurements, there were some reports of black scuff marks after long term use, but that can be easily alleviated with other padding materials.
Bottom Line
As the second least expensive door mounted pull-up bar on this list, the ProSource Multi-grip Chin-up/Pull-up Bar provides solid construction and twelve different grips, assuring a lot of effective workouts if your doorway fits properly.
#6 – Wacces Stand Alone Pull-Up Bar
Highlights
- Pull-up Bar Narrow, Wide, and Standard Grips
- Attaches to 24” to 32” Doorframe with Trim
- Relatively high 300 pound weight limit
What is it?
This simple pull-up bar by Waccess requires little assembly and no tools to mount on your doorway. Once mounted, it offers sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups with three different grips, all at $19.99 which is about as cheap as you’ll find any pull-up bar.
Who Makes It?
Wacces produces unique fitness equipment, ranging from pole dancing accessories to foam rollers. Their strength products include multiple variations of pull-up bars, including a simpler chin-up bar, and much more elaborate home gym systems.
Key Features
Simplicity and affordability are the key advantages of this pull-up bar by Wacces. At arguably the lowest price you’ll find on the shelf for this type of fitness product, this could be a worthy purchase for athletes with a fitting doorway.
Critique
Being the least expensive pull-up bar on the list comes with drawbacks, and some of those include reports of thin padding that has damaged a door frame or two, and a lack of grips and options compared to competitors.
Bottom Line
If your priority is to get a solid yet highly-inexpensive pull-up bar that will cover the basics, then this one can provide effective workouts at just under $20. Just do enough due diligence to ensure that it will attach to your fittings.
#7 – Elevated Free Standing Chin Up Bar by GoFit
Highlights
- Plastic Pull-up Bar
- Mounts Using Leverage
- 300 pound weight limit
What is it?
This fairly elaborate pull-up bar assembles easily, then mounts into a doorway that fits the range of 32” to 34”.
With more grips and variations than cheaper competitors, this pull-up bar by GoFit comes with a nice slew of options at a reasonable price.
Who Makes It?
With the motto of “Train, Recover, Repeat”, GoFit has been producing fitness gear since 1999. With sales and promotions on kettlebells, home gym towers, massage rollers, and more, GoFit covers all-things related to staying fit and strong.
Key Features
Once this pull-up bar is assembled, the mounting is pretty much instantaneous, so that’s a convenient feature. Additionally, the multi-angled handles and fact that the bar is elevated above the doorway are traits that set this product apart from competitors.
Critique
Although there are many fans of the Elevated Chin-up Station from GoFit, it should be noted that it is plastic, not metal, so it won’t be as durable as metal competitors. Also, some reported the padding wearing off after a month, and others had some assembly issues.
To alleviate this, make sure to assemble the product shortly after getting it in case any pieces are missing or you have to make a return.
Bottom Line
For those with a satisfactory doorway, the Elevated Chin-up Station from GoFit can provide a solid workout via different pull-up variations. The fact that it’s raised will be a benefit to taller athletes, but those in need of a really tough, metal bar should look elsewhere.
#8 – Big Mike’s Fitness 3-in-1 Home Gym Pull Up Bar
Highlights
- Simple Assembly
- 300 pound limit
- Supports Pull-ups, Push-ups, and Sit-ups
What is it?
Basic in appearance, this silver and black pull-up bar from Big Mike’s has eight padded grips. It only takes seconds to use once assembled, as the bar rests on the opposite side of your door trim, evenly distributing pressure throughout.
Who Makes It?
Big Mike’s is a fitness company dedicated to stylish apparel and effective gear. In addition to their 3-in-1 Door Gym, Big Mikes is known for everything from stamina ladders and cooling towels, to sauna suits and ab rollers.
Key Features
Simple and sturdy, this pull-up bar is made to deliver on its promise of a reliable pull-up workout using various grips within seconds. Narrow grip options in this one are not found on most pull-up bars, and are useful for isolation specific muscle groups in the arms.
Critique
This is the least expensive of the mounted pull-up bars reviewed here, and the few common complaints derive from this cheapness, especially regarding its parts and assembly.
For those who had no problems with assembly, the product worked consistently well.
Bottom Line
If you can get past the assembly stage without missing screws or breaking any parts, then Big Mike’s Fitness 3-in-1 Door Gym can provide quick and reliable workouts at right around the $25 price tag.
#9 – Yes4All Deluxe Stand Alone Chin Up Bar
Highlights
- 12 Distinct Grip Positions
- Fits 30-37 inch Doorways with 4.75-6.25 trim width
- High-quality padding: PVC & Rubber
- 300 pound weight limit
What is it?
Featuring an above average 12 grips, including some that are looped and parallel, there is a lot to like about the Yes4All Chin Up Bar.
Made of thick steel and available for less than $30, this chin up bar is clearly among the best for those who have a reliable doorway that converts to a gym.
Who Makes It?
Yes4All is more like a superstore than a typical fitness company, with an array of electronics, pet supplies, and gardening equipment as well as sporting goods. Their massive inventory of fitness gear has everything from balance trainers to resistance bands, and includes at least five varieties of chin-up bars.
Key Features
The Yes4All Chin Up Bar is a diamond in the rough for quick hook-up doorway gyms. Offering twelve grips in various positions is an excellent bonus, and enables a lot more workouts than most pull-up bars.
For example, you can do climbing drills by switching between the many positions, and execute a unique variety of pull-ups, dips, push-ups, and more.
Critique
As with most door gyms, the majority of complaints for this chin-up bar by Yes4All involved the assembly and small black marks on the door frame. Fortunately, both of these issues are easy to alleviate.
To avoid marks, add a sock, rag, or tape to the part that touches the door frame, and for the assembly, it’s important to ensure that each bolt is tight to ensure that the pull-up bar is rigid.
Bottom Line
Compared to comparable pull-up bars in the same price range, the Yes4All Chin Up Bar is on a whole other level. At under $30, it offers more grips than most, in a better variety than most, including narrow grips and looped grips.
As with others, much of the key to being satisfied with this product lies in proper assembly and having a compatible doorway.
#10 – Functional Fitness Deluxe Free Standing Chin Up Bar
Highlights
- Claims to fit 34” to 42” Doorways
- Typically used for P90X
- 315 pound maximum
What is it?
This black pull-up bar by Rubberbanditz is priced twice as high as most of its competitors, and has a dozen different grip positions on the bar itself and on two extended grips.
No screws are required to install this pull-up bar, as it relies on leverage to stay up in the doorway.
Several add-on accessories are available from Functional Fitness, such as resistance bands that add additional workouts.
Who Makes It?
Rubberbanditz is a unique fitness company that specializes in products that utilize resistance bands. Their website suggest doing assisted pull-ups that include a resistance band wrapped around the legs, among other band-related workouts.
Other products include kits for everything from Parkour to Crossfit, and numerous accessories for your home gym.
Key Features
The vast amount of grips on the Functional Fitness Deluxe Pull-up Bar is commendable, especially since they include the coveted narrow grip which is particularly useful. This is otherwise a pretty basic pull-up bar with an almost $40 price tag.
Critique
Multiple complaints for this product said that the listed measurements claimed it fits a 40” door, but that is not accurate. The true measurements annotated in the instruction manual clear this up, and list it as 24” to 34”, which is a common range for most pull-up bars.
Aside from that, the nearly $40 price tag is steeper than far more advanced competitors on the shelf. They very likely get away with the inflated price because of their marketing alliance with P90X, and because of the vast array of resistance bands they sell as accessories for the pull-up bar.
Bottom Line
While definitely functional, this Functional Fitness Deluxe Free Standing Pull-up Bar tries to stretch customers’ wallets with a $39.99 price tag when less expensive pull-bars come with far better features and higher quality material.
Beginners Guide to Pull Up Bars
Before exploring ten of the hottest pull-up bars on the market, we delve into the origins, benefits, and popularity of the simple yet effective exercise known as the pull-up.
What Is a Pull Up Exercise?
While pull-up used to refer to a wide-variety of exercises including rows and chin-ups, it now refers mostly to the knuckles forward method of pulling your chin over a bar repeatedly.
Exact origins of the pull-up as a workout specifically are unclear, but it has been an active part of physical testing in military branches like the Marine Corps for decades.
A recent controversy surrounding pull-ups in the military is that the female requirement was postponed in 2014 because more than half of the recruits could not do three pull-ups. As a highly-credible exercise that works multiple muscle groups, pull-ups have earned a respected place in society as a challenging and effective workout.
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Where Are Pull Up Workouts Used?
As one of the key exercises often required in police academies and boot camps, the pull-up has a lot of functional value. Although the average police officer would have to pull themselves up over the edge of a cliff, their jobs may realistically call for climbing fences and other objects as quickly as possible.
The pull-up is excellent training for climbing, parkour, and upper body explosiveness in general, as it includes over a dozen variations that work many important muscle groups.
For the average person, the pull-up functions like a bench or a kettlebell in that it provides enough variations to work multiple parts of your body.
Three Advantages of a Pull-Up Bar
No fitness gear is perfect, but the pull-up bar does have notable advantages that separate it from other equipment on the shelf. The first significant advantage of the pull-up bar is that it’s highly-affordable in comparison to most fitness gear.
A reliable pull-up bar with multiple grips and features will often cost around the same as a lightweight kettlebell.
The next main advantage of a pull-up bar is versatility, because the variety of pull-ups and option for hanging leg raises provides ample opportunity for upper-body and core workouts. Finally, pull-up bars come with a lot of potential for advanced exercises.
With the ability to add weights, do one hand pull-ups, or practice challenging variations like muscle ups, you’ll never outgrow your pull-up bar.
Three Drawbacks of a Pull-Up Bar
If you’re considering getting a pull-up bar for your home gym, it’s good to know exactly what they won’t do for you as well as the advantages. The first limitation of a pull-up bar is that, unless you plan on trying some gymnastics, they won’t do much for working your lower body.
The second limitation involving the pull-up bar is cardio. Pull-ups are a strength exercise, and it’s pretty much always the case that your arms will get fatigued long before you get a decent cardio workout from pull-ups.
The third limitation of owning a pull-up bar is that it’s a harder workout than most, and a good percentage of amateurs won’t even be able to do a single pull-up.
Furthermore, a lot of people will only be able to do a small amount of pull-ups at first, but with consistent practice, the pull-up bar can be a highly-rewarding piece of fitness gear regardless of skill level.
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Freestanding vs. Wall Mounted Pull-up Bars
The main varieties of pull-up bars on the market are either mounted in a doorway or nailed to a wall, and the option that’s best for you depends primarily on the space you’re working with.
Doorway pull-up bars require a stable doorway that fits the product’s specifications, so it’s important to know which doorway and what its measurements are before purchasing.
Alternately, a mounted bar will require nails and a suitable space, so understanding where the hard studs are in your home gym is advisable.
Another concern is that doorway pull-up bars usually don’t require screws, and can be easily removed for push-up or sit-up modifications. Before purchasing either pull-up bar, it’s worth considering what the optimal spot for it is within your home gym.
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Chin-up Bar vs. Pull-up Bar
As mentioned, chin-ups and pull-ups are known as distinctly different workouts, with chin-ups typically referring to the position where knuckles are facing towards you.
This difference extends to the products as well, as chin-up bars are more typically known for having a single feature, whereas pull-up bars often include multiple positions for different grips.
As with push-ups, the subtle difference in hand positions can make a drastic impact on the muscle groups used in your workout. For example, pull-ups with a grip that’s close together will work different muscles than a wide grip pull-up or commando pull-up.
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Workouts for the Stand Alone Pull-Up Bar
The dozen or so variations of pull-ups each have different advantages in terms of the muscle groups they work.
Much like the difference between close and wide grip pushups, using different grips for pullups will emphasize shoulders, arm, and core muscles in varying proportions.
Additionally, having one or both hands facing towards you instead of away, and altering your lower body position while doing pull-ups will work different muscles. Some of the most popular exercises on the pull-up bar include the flexed arm hang, chin-ups, kip-ups, and traditional pull-ups.
Beginners Exercises Using the at Home Pull-up Bar
If you are new to exercising in general, there are ways to use the pull-up bar even for those who can’t do a pull-up.
The exercise that is considered a good training tool for learning pull-ups is the flexed arm hang, a technique where you use assistance to get your chin over the bar, and then try to hold your body weight up as long as possible.
Other techniques that are easier than a pull-up include assisted pull-ups where you stand on a stool to decrease the length of the motion, and butterfly pull-ups which use the force of a kick to boost your chin above the bar.
Which Muscle Groups are Worked?
Major muscle groups worked while practicing pull-ups include the back, shoulders, forearms, and biceps.
Abdominal muscles can be worked with the use of knee raises, and various sections can be isolated with different grips and positions. In one example that emphasizes the back, the pull-up is executed until the back of the neck touches the bar.
Chin-ups work a slightly different combination of muscles than pull-ups, as you’ll notice that the amount someone can do of each exercise is not typically equal.
Working the Core
An underestimated use of the pull-up bar is as an effective alternative for core abdominal workouts. Hanging leg raises, leg circles, high-knees, and crunches function in the same way as floor exercises, with the added strength building aspect of hanging from the bar.
For those who want an extra option for the ever-so-vital core workouts, the pull-up bar is a simple piece of equipment that won’t drain your wallet.
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Advanced Pull-Up Bar Workouts
Anyone who’s been to Muscle Beach in California or seen elite fitness videos online knows that there are some pull-up workouts that are way too advanced for the average person.
Among these are muscle-ups, in which you transition from a pull-up with enough explosive force to end in a full dip position with arms straitened over the bar.
Other challenging variations are inspired by gymnastics, rock-climbing, and Crossfit, and include everything from one-handed pull-ups to weighted pull-ups. With such a massive variety of modifications for elite athletes, the pull-up bar can provide endless training regardless of skill level.
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Should You Add One to Your Home Gym?
A pull-up bar that fits your home gym can be a convenient way to add this effective exercise into your routine. In the world of innovative gym equipment, pull-up bars are one of the least expensive options.
It should be mentioned that the pull-up bar assumes that working out with your own bodyweight is feasible, so those who are severely obese should start with other exercises.
Pull-ups are much more challenging than the average workout, but highly rewarding in both the short and long term.
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Prepping Your Home Gym for It
The first preparation you’ll want to make is to know exactly where you’re planning to put the pull-up bar. Unlike other more portable equipment such as kettlebells, a pull-up bar must be installed in a single place, so establishing a location first is smart.
Secondly, you’ll want to measure that location. While most doorways are a standard size, measuring will guarantee that you get a pull-up bar that matches the fittings of your home gym.
Once you have a spot in mind and measurements are complete, it’s a good idea to know what features you’re into if any, and to have an idea in mind of an appropriate price range.
Setting Up Your Doorway Pull-Up Bar
Pull-up bars either come in doorway variations which wedge tightly between the gap in a door opening, or mounted variations which screw into a stable wall.
Which choice is ideal for you will depend on your home gym design, amount of space, and availability of walls and doorways.
While both versions provide effective ways of executing various pull-ups exercises, each has subtle advantages and disadvantages that can make a significant difference pending your fitness needs.
One Last Rep Before You Go!
These stand alone pull-up bars only require a strong wall or door overhang that can handle the weight.
The ten above are among the best on the market, so after sorting through the detailed options and extras, hopefully you’ll have a solid idea of which free standing pull-up bar is ideal for you.
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