Staying in shape when you have a busy schedule can be very challenging, so it always helps to have easy ways to work out at home. A doorway pull up bar gives you an easy way to tone your upper body without having to go to the gym.
When investing in a pull-up bar for your doorway, it’s important to find a high-quality option that is stable and effective. In this article, we’ll review the top pull up bars and give you tips and tricks to help you find the best pull up bars.
What Are The Benefits Of Using a Pull Up Bar?
There are many benefits to having a pull-up bar in your home. The first and most obvious is that you don’t have to go to the gym to use a pull-up bar. By having a pull-up bar installed directly in your home, you can give yourself a strength workout whenever you want.
This is ideal for anyone who likes to work out very early in the morning or late at night and might not be able to get to a gym. It’s also great for those who can’t afford to pay for a gym membership, but still want to stay in shape at home. The cost of a good pull up bar is still much less than a long-term gym membership.
There are also many benefits to doing pull-ups themselves. Pull-ups are very effective for toning your entire upper body because they use several different groups of muscles. They engage the muscles on all sides of your arms as well as in your back and chest.
Additionally, pull-ups strengthen your forearms and your grip, which are used in sports such as rock climbing, wrestling, and martial arts, just to name a few.
How to Select A Pull Up Bar
There are a few things to consider when choosing a pull-up bar. The first thing you’ll need to consider is how the bar is mounted. Determine where in your home would be the best place to mount the pull-up bar, and then look for a product that is the appropriate size and configuration for this.
There are pull up bars that mount to the door, the wall above the door, and the ceiling. Which one you choose will depend on your personal preference.
Additionally, you’ll want to consider the durability of the pull-up bar and the material that it is made of. The bar should be very strong and able to withstand extensive use. The mounting should be stable enough that it won’t shake or wobble when you are working out.
In addition to the durability of the pull-up bar, you’ll also want to consider the ease of installation. Ideally, the bar should be very simple to mount to the wall without the help of too many extraneous tools.
Where to Install Your Pull Up Bar
You should install your pull up bar somewhere in your home where it won’t get in the way of general traffic flow. The door to a walk-in closet is often a good place to install one, but if you don’t have a walk-in closet, the door to your bedroom is usually a good place as well.
Make sure there is enough vertical and horizontal space around the pull-up bar for you to safely complete a pull-up
Best Pull Up Bar Reviews & Ratings
There are many pull up bars available to choose from, and it can be difficult for the at-home fitness enthusiast to select the best one. Here are our reviews of five options that provide great value.
1. Sportneer Pull Up Bar Doorway Trainer
This heavy-duty pull-up bar is great for the serious at-home athlete. It stands out from other pull up bars because there are 12 different grips that you can use, so you can do much more than just pull-ups to give your entire body an effective workout.
The handgrips are padded with foam to keep you safe, and the bar itself is very heavy duty, holding up to 330 pounds. Although the design looks fairly complicated, it is actually easy to put together and doesn’t require extra tools or expertise.
The pressure of the door frame will hold the bar up, but it also comes with a mounting back to keep it even more stable. The quality of the materials are very good and will last through consistent use.
However, since the bar is relatively large, you will need to be careful when installing it to make sure it does not scratch or damage your door frame. Some customers have found that the bar digs into the doorway trim and leaves marks.
Pros:
- This pull up bar has 12 different grip options, making it easier to get in a full-body workout.
- The grips are all padded, which makes your workout easier and keeps you safer.
- The bar is very durable and can hold up to 330 pounds.
- The bar is easy to assemble and the instruction manual is clear.
Cons:
- You need to be very careful during installation to make sure this does not damage the door frame.
2. Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar
This simple, lightweight bar is very easy to install and convenient to use. It pressure mounts into the door frame, so you don’t need to use additional tools to keep it in place. You may notice small black lines on the door trim, but no denting or holes.
There are three padded grip positions so you can easily vary your workout. The grips are padded to help you keep your hands in place, and they feel nice and soft on the skin, so they won’t cause callouses.
The bar is made from durable steel that holds up to 300 pounds. It is very easy and straightforward to use and fits in most residential doors. However, there are a few small plastic pieces that are not as durable and should be checked every so often for safety. The pieces of plastic are easy to replace if they do break.
Pros:
- This bar is extremely easy to install and requires no extra tools.
- There are three padded grips so you can vary your workout.
Cons:
- The plastic pieces on this bar aren’t as durable as some other pull up bars available.
- The mount may leave a black line on your door trim.
3. Ultimate Body Press XL Pull Up Bar
This heavy-duty pull-up bar provides tons of workout options for anyone trying to tone up at home. The unique design allows you to do many different types of exercises, such as dips, rows, and sit-ups while hanging from the bar, as there are five different grip options to experiment with.
The grips are made from high-density foam and are very supportive and easy to grab onto. They won’t wear down over time or cause any damage to your hands. The bar ends fit most standard door frames, and the construction is very high quality.
The bar supports up to 300 pounds. Although the design is quite large, the bar is very strong and will not move during your workout. It is extremely durable, and won’t move or break as you continue to use it. However, because of the large size, it is important to place the bar somewhere where there’s plenty of room so that you won’t hit your head or injure yourself.
Many people really like the unique design of this pull-up bar, because it facilitates correct form while you work out. The bar is fairly simple to assemble and comes with easy-to-understand picture instructions.
Pros:
- It has a very unique design that facilitates a full-body workout and promotes correct form.
- The pieces are high quality. It is very durable and won’t break, bend, or wear down as you continue to use it.
- The bar is easy to put together and fits in most door frames. It comes with an extension piece as well.
Cons:
- This bar is very large and heavy. You will need to position it so that you can use it safely.
4. Maximiza Pull Up Bar
This simple pull up bar has a streamlined design that will fit in virtually any doorway. It is very compact, which means that you can put it virtually anywhere around your house.
It has a kit with multiple different screw-in door mounts, which increases the number of possibilities for places where you can put your new pull up bar.
The bar is quite thick and steady and can hold up to 300 pounds when installed properly. Because it is so thick and does not have any extra moving parts, it does not wobble or move around while you are completing your workout.
It has long foam grip pads running across the entire bar, which makes it more comfortable to use and prevents your hands from slipping or chafing on the bar.
This bar is very useful because of the streamlined design and easy installation process. Since there’s no mounting bar, all you need to do is screw in the bolts on each end. Because it extends on both sides, you can mount it in some closet doors as well.
If you keep it in your closet, you can also use it as an additional hanging rack for storage. The only downside is that there is no locking mechanism when you install it, which means that you’ll need to check periodically to make sure that everything is screwed in as tightly as possible.
Pros:
- It has a slim design that means the bar can fit virtually anywhere in the house.
- It has long, comfortable grips running down the length of the bar, and it is very sturdy. This keeps you safe while you work out.
Cons:
- You’ll need to continually check the sturdiness of this bar because it does not lock.
5. j/fit Deluxe Doorway Pull Up Bar
It come with mounting brackets that are very easy to install and will allow you to move the bar from one height to another. This allows you to adjust the height of the bar for different exercises. Although the bar is very sturdy, it will not damage your door. This bar works well for gymnastics training exercises and other workouts in addition to pull-ups.
Pros:
- It is much longer than virtually all other pull up bars on the market.
- It has adjustable handgrips to fit your stance.
- It is very easy to install.
Cons:
- You’ll need to periodically check the screws for safety as you use it.
Conclusion
All of these bars are helpful to anyone who likes to work out at home. Installing a pull-up bar in your room is a convenient and easy way to stay in shape. Although all of these bars are of great quality, we think the Ultimate Body Press XL bar is the most effective because of the unique and sturdy design.