Top-10 Pull Up Bars

Pull-ups and chin-ups are two of the best upper body exercises you can do. Ideal for strengthening your biceps and upper back, they also work your abs and forearms too.

Pull-ups and chin-ups are popular gym exercises but that doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym to do them. All you need is a chin-up bar and possibly some gloves.

Deciding on the best pull up bar is not easy – there are so many different models to choose from. Some are designed to screw into a doorframe while others go over the top of a door or doorway. Some pull up bars are entirely freestanding.

Which pull-up bar is right for you? It all depends on your training goals, budget, and where you want to do your workout. The one thing for sure is that, if you have an indoor pull-up bar, you have everything you need to build a stronger back and arms in the comfort and convenience of your own home.

Best Pull Up Bars

1. Garren Fitness Maximiza

Pullup bars don’t come much simpler or easier to install as this best doorway pull up bar by Garren Fitness. With three sets of door mounts, you can move this bar from room to room for more workout flexibility.

Key Features

• Strong, thick bar
• 2 heavy-duty door mounts with 300 lbs. capacity
• 1 medium-duty door mount with 150 lbs. capacity
• Adjustable for doorways between 26 and 39 inches wide
• Padded, non-slip grip hand grips

Most doorway pull-up bars are designed to be installed and then left in place. The Garren Fitness Maximiza Pull Up Bar is supplied with three different sets of mounts so that you can set it up and move it to three different locations. Alternatively, you can put all three mounts in the same doorway so you can adjust the height of your bar for different exercises or users.

Pros

• Easy to install and move
• Suitable for users up to 300 lbs.
• Comfortable, non-slip grip
• Fits most doorways
• Can be used with an underhand or overhand grip

Cons

• Mounts must be screwed into a doorframe
• No option for neutral/parallel grip
• Clearance limited by the height of the doorway

The Garren Fitness Maximiza is a no-frills pullup bar that is ideal for home use. Budget-friendly and easy to install, if all you want to do is pull-ups and chin-ups, this product could be just what you are looking for.

2. Stamina Door Gyms

The Stamina Door Gym is an over the door pull up bar that allows you to do several different bodyweight exercises, including dips, push-ups, sit-ups, and pull ups. It requires no screws to hold it in place, making it ideal for users who don’t want to put holes in their doorframes.

Key Features

• Quick and easy to install and move
• Five different hand grip positions
• Padded, non-slip grips
• 250 lbs. weight capacity

Light and simple to use, the Stamina Door Gym uses your own body weight to hold it in place. This does require a sturdy doorframe so you should take care when deciding where to use this product. Because it is so easy to fit and remove, you can take it down when not using it.

The design also means it can be used for a range of additional exercises, and when placed on the floor is perfect for push-ups, triceps dips, and sit-ups.

Pros

• Versatile
• Easy to set up and use
• Provides several different hand position options
• Light, compact design
• Can be removed and stored when not in use
• Fits most standard doorways
• Very budget-friendly

Cons

• Requires a strong doorway
• Weight capacity only 250 lbs.
• Bars are quite thin

If you want to do more than pull ups, the Stamina Door Gym could be just what you are looking for. Compact and lightweight, this is not the strongest pull-up bar on the market, but it will certainly stand light or moderate use. At the price, this is one of the options available.

3. Ultimate Body Press XL

The Ultimate Body-Press XL is a sturdy over the door pull-up bar with many useful features. It’s strong, versatile, and suitable for advanced exercisers.

Key Features

• 300 lbs. weight capacity
• Easy to install
• Secure fitting
• No screws required
• Multiple padded, non-slip hand placement options

The Ultimate Body-Press XL lives up to its name. This strong and sturdy doorway pull-up bar is built for serious exercisers looking to do more than just a few chin-ups. With this device, you can train all your upper body muscles as well as your abs in the comfort of your own home.

Pros

• Will not damage the doorframe or wall
• Suitable for most standard doorways
• Delivers an effective upper body and abs workout
• Easy to assemble and store
• Thick tubing for comfort and strength
• Can be used with abs straps, suspension trainers, and other accessories

Cons

• More expensive than similar products
• Requires a strong doorway

More than just a pull-up bar, the Ultimate Body-Press XL is the ideal home workout solution for anyone who wants to build an upper body to be proud of. It’s strong, easy to use, and should last a lifetime. That quality does come at a price but, even then, it’s still cheaper than a month’s gym membership.

4. Perfect Fitness

The Perfect Fitness is light and compact and suitable for most doorways. Easy to install and use, this doorway pull-up bar also allows you to do push-ups, sit-ups, and triceps dips.

Key Features

• No screws required
• Offers wide grip pull-up option for better back development
• Three-hand positions for pull ups – wide, narrow, and neutral
• 300 lbs. weight capacity
• Light, compact design

Most pull-up bars offer a range of hand positions, but they usually don’t have a wide-grip option. Wide grip pull-ups are hard, but that’s what makes them so effective. If you want to take them to the next level, this pull-up bar is for you.

Pros

• Light and portable
• Versatile
• Easy to install and use
• Budget-friendly
• Will not damage doorframes and requires no drilling or screws
• Can be used with abs straps and other accessories

Cons

• Some self-assembly required
• Tubes/handles may be too thin for some users

Light and compact, the Perfect Fitness is a versatile home gym option for exercisers on a budget. The small-diameter tubes may not be ideal for users with big hands, but for most users, this is one of the best doorway pull up bar choices for the price.

5. Iron Age

A lot of pull-up bars are good for one exercise – pull-ups. The Iron Age is much more versatile than that and can be used for a wide range of upper body and even lower body exercises.

Key Features

• Angled handles for comfort
• Built-in center anchor for attaching accessories
• Supplied with suspension trainer straps
• Easy to install and move
• 400 lbs. capacity
• Folds flat for easy storage

If you want to do more than just pull-ups, the Iron Age is a great choice. By adding suspension trainer straps (supplied) you can do almost any exercise you would normally do in the gym, including several leg exercises. Like all good over the doorway pull-up bars, this one can also be used for push-ups, dips, and sit-ups too.

Pros

• Very versatile
• Non-slip, padded grips for comfort
• Suitable for users up to 400 lbs.
• Narrow door hooks so it will fit more doorways – even smaller than average

Cons

• Price – a little more expensive than a standard doorway pull-up bar

If you want to work out but don’t want to go to the gym, the Iron Age could be the answer to your prayers. More versatile than most doorway pull-up bars, this is a compact do-it-all at home workout station really is a viable alternative to an expensive gym membership.

6. Prosource Fit

Some doorway pull-up bars lock you into just a couple of hand positions. The ProsourceFit offers 12 different grips to make your workouts more varied, comfortable, and interesting.

Key Features

• Multifunctional 12-position handles
• Padded, non-slip grips
• 300 lbs. capacity
• Easy to assemble, fit, and move

The ProsourceFit is a budget-friendly home workout solution that is ideal for beginner and intermediate exercisers. The multi-position handles mean that you should have no problem finding the best place to put your hands for the comfortable performance of pull-ups, chin-ups, and push-ups.

Pros

• Budget-friendly
• Lots of hand position options
• Light and easy to use
• Will not damage doorframes
• Easy to remove and store when not in use

Cons

• Tubing may be too thin for some users, especially those with large hands

While you might not use all 12 handle options, it’s nice to have the choice of so many different options available. If you are looking for a budget-friendly way to do pull-ups at home, this doorway gym is a good choice.

7. Ikonfitness Ultimate 4 in 1

While most doorway pull-up bars allow you to do push-ups and triceps dips, none of them allow you to full parallel bar dips. That’s a shame because, as chest and triceps exercises go, parallel bar dips are hard to beat. However, the Ikonfitness Ultimate 4 in 1 does have this facility which means it’s a real alternative to hitting the gym.

Key Features

• Includes parallel dip attachment
• 400 lbs. capacity
• Use to perform pull-ups, dips, push-ups, and many others
• Supplied with suspension trainer straps
• Quick and easy to assemble, install, remove, and store

As home gyms go, the Ikonfitness Ultimate 4 in 1 Doorway Trainer is probably the most versatile. With the supplied dip station and suspension straps, there really aren’t many exercises you can’t do with this product. Suitable even for the heaviest of users, this is a strong and study doorway gym suitable for intense workouts.

Pros

• Use to exercise every muscle
• Large doorway hooks for security and less risk of damage to doorframe
• Can be used with a range of accessories, including abs straps
• Suitable for intense workouts and heavy use
• No screws or drilling required

Cons

• No neutral/parallel grip option for pull-ups
• Larger than most doorway pull-up bars
• Requires some self-assembly

Probably the most versatile doorway pull-up station around, armed with nothing more than the Ikonfitness Ultimate 4 in 1, you should have no problem training every muscle in your body. No neutral grip pull-up option is a drawback, but it’s such a small one that it’s barely worth considering.

8. ZinFit 

The ZinFit is a fairly standard example of this type of workout device. What separates it from many others is the addition of a set of resistance bands and abs slings so you can have a more complete workout in the comfort of your own home.

Key Features

• Cushioned, non-slip handles
• Strong, heavy-duty steel frame
• 300 lbs. capacity
• Can be used for pull-ups, chin-ups, push-ups, dips, and abs exercises
• No screws required

Each ZinFit Total Body System Pull Up Bar for Doorway comes with a set of five color-coded resistance bands with which you can train and tone any muscles not used during pull-ups and push-ups. The abs sling also make exercises like hanging leg raises easier and more comfortable to perform.

Pros

• Large selection of applications can be performed with the additional resistance bands
• Easy to install, use, move, and store
• Suitable for most doorways
• Will not damage doorframe

Cons

• Chin-up/pull-up bar is straight so limited handgrip options
• Does not fold flat for easier storage

The ZinFit is a very standard doorway pull-up bar, but the bands and abs slings make it much more versatile. If you are serious about pull-ups, this doorway pull-up bar may leave something to be desired, but if you want to combine bodyweight exercises with resistance band exercises, the ZinFit Total Body System Pull Up Bar for Doorway is a good home gym package.

9. GoFit

With its tubular construction and clever design, the GoFit is light and versatile and allows you to work all of your major upper body muscles in the comfort of your own home.

Key Features

• Padded, non-slip handles with three grip options
• Can be used for pull-ups, chin-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups
• Built-in eyelets for attaching accessories such as resistance bands and abs slings
• Enameled framework for durability

The built-in eyelets mean that the GoFit No Screw Chin Up Station Elevated, Multi-Use Fitness System is more versatile than many other similar products. It makes adding and using things like resistance bands, suspension trainer straps, and abs slings much easier so you can train more than just your upper body.

Pros

• Do wide, narrow, and parallel grip pull-ups
• Angled bar for pull-up comfort
• Use on the floor for push-ups, sit-ups, and triceps dips
• Provides an effective at-home upper body workout
• Portable
• Requires no screws or drilling
• Suitable for most standard-sized doorways

Cons

• Does not fold flat for storage
• Requires some assembly

Light, strong, and versatile, the GoFit is a good home workout option for anyone who does not want to join a gym. It’s quite big and bulky and doesn’t fold flat for easy storage, but apart from that, this doorway gym is light and easy to install and use.

10. Ultimate Body Press Joist Mount

Unlike doorway pull-up bars, the Ultimate Body Press Joist Mount is not portable or designed to be taken down easily. Instead, once installed, it provides a strong and stable place to do pull-ups and chin-ups.

Key Features

• Three padded, non-slip grips – narrow, wide, and parallel
• Heavy-duty construction
• 10-year warranty
• Very strong, stable design

If you work out in a garage or basement, doorway pull-up bars you may not have anywhere to put a doorway pull-up bar. But if you have a suitable overhead joist, this install-and-forget Ultimate Body Press Joist Mount Pull Up Bar could be a good solution. As well as being perfect for pull-ups and chin-ups, this strong overhead bar can also be used as an anchor for suspension trainers and abs slings.

Pros

• Permanent mounting
• Very strong
• More stable than doorway pull-up bars
• Suitable for home and light commercial use

Cons

• Requires a suitable overhead joist
• Once installed, not easy to move
• Height is dependent on the joist available
• Requires drilling into the joist

If you want a more permanent pull-up station, the Ultimate Body Press Joist Mount could be a good option. You won’t be able to move it once it’s installed, and you can’t use it for things like push-ups and dips. But, if you are serious about pull-ups and chin-ups, this could be the solution you are looking for.

Bottom Line

Pull-ups and chin-ups are two of the best upper body exercises you can do. Of course, both require that you can lift your own body weight using just your arms which is quite a feat of strength.

With both these exercises, the best way to get better at them is to do them often. They take time and regular practice to master. Doing them once a week at the gym won’t cut it. Having a pull-up bar at home means you can do a few pull-ups every day, and if you do that, you’ll soon find your performance improves.

Any pull-up bar will work, but doorway pull-up bars are best for most users. Some doorway pull-ups bars are so versatile that they allow you to work not just your upper body but your legs too. With a device like this in your home, you don’t even need to join a gym to get fit.

Which type of pull-up bar is best for you? Consider things like strength, functionality, and ease of installation before buying. Screw-in doorway pull-up bars are simple and cheap, but they don’t allow you to do things like push-ups and dips. They do tend to be strong and stable though.

Over the door pull-up bars require no screws or holes to hold them in place, and you can use them for various additional exercises, but their lightness and portability can mean they aren’t suitable for heavy use.

At the end of the day, you should choose the pull-up bar you are most likely to use regularly. After all, if you don’t practice your pull-ups and chin-ups, you won’t get better at them!

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