There are so many benefits to having home exercise equipment and skipping the busy (and expensive) gym. And a pull-up bar stand or Power Tower is must-have for your home gym. Not only for pull-ups (which are a killer exercise that should be part of any workout routine) but for the many other workouts you can use these power Towers for.
From forearms to back to core, a free-standing pull-up bar can help build muscle and tone your upper body. Even by itself, it will allow you to create an intense yet simple workout routine that you can do at home. Here, we gathered some information about free-standing pull-up bars and their key benefits.
And the best part is that these power towers are not as expensive as you might think! We’ve included some really affordable options below.
- Our Top Pick:
- RELIFE Power Tower
- The 6 Best Pull-up Bar Stands
- Benefits of Mastering the Pull-up
- They strengthen your back, arm and shoulder muscles
- They increase your grip strength
- You can easily target different muscle groups
- They’re easy on your joints
- Things To Consider Before Buying a Pull-up Bar Stand:
- Types of pull up bars
- Benefits of a Free-standing Pull-up Bar Stand
- Our Reviews of the Best Free-standing Pull-up Bars
- RELIFE Power Tower
- MaxKare Power Tower
- Shumelizi Power Tower
- Gold’s Gym Power Tower
- LiveBest Power Tower
- Body Champ Power Tower
Our Top Pick:
RELIFE Power Tower
The 6 Best Pull-up Bar Stands
| Image | Brand | Details | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| RELIFE | Price: $$ Adj. Height: Yes Max Weight: 330 lbs |
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| MaxKare | Price: $ Adj. Height: No Max Weight: 380 lbs |
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| Shumeilizi | Price: $ Adj. Height: Yes Max Weight: 220 lbs |
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| Gold’s Gym | Price: $$ Adj. Height: No Max Weight: 300 lbs |
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| LiveBest | Price: $ Adj. Height: Yes Max Weight: 600 lbs |
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| Body Champ | Price: $$ Adj. Height: No Max Weight: 250 lbs |
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Benefits of Mastering the Pull-up
They strengthen your back, arm and shoulder muscles
If you are looking for ways to improve the strength of your forearms and shoulders, pull-ups are one of the best exercises you can do. Doing them properly is important though and a free-standing pull-up bar gives you plenty of space and opportunity to get your form right. When you’re starting out, you can do assisted pull-ups (using exercise bands for example). Then, as you increase your strength, the pull-up bar gives you plenty of height to do them hanging a few inches off the ground.
They increase your grip strength
Grip strength is vital in doing many sports like tennis, bowling, golf, and rock climbing. They also improve your bench press, curls, and other strength exercises in the weight room. Plus, good grip strength comes in handy when performing daily tasks like carrying groceries, walking your dog on a leash, opening jars, and shoveling snow.
You can easily target different muscle groups
By simply changing your grip position for your pull-ups you can target different muscle groups. Chin-ups, for example, will target your biceps. You can hammer grip, wide grip, or classic pull-up — each will target different muscle groups for an overall great upper body workout.
They’re easy on your joints
Weight training can be strenuous on your body and joints — which is why it’s so important to stretch. Pull-ups, however, don’t compress your joints and are therefore a great exercise for anyone with joint issues (or anyone trying to prevent joint issues).
Things To Consider Before Buying a Pull-up Bar Stand:
Types of pull up bars
There are lots of different types of pull-up bars available on the market today. The design ranges from door pull up bars, wall, ceiling, parallel pull up bar, to free standing pull up bar. Each of these comes with different advantages that will address your needs.
Doorway Pull-up Bars
Doorway pull-up bars are pull-up bars that you can hang within existing door frames. They will be your least expensive option and are great for anyone that is looking to work out in a smaller space.
While doorway pull-up bars can be a great option, they will limit your workouts and are typically not high enough for the average adult — so your feet may touch the ground while doing pull-ups.
If you do plan on getting a doorway pull-up bar, check out our favorite pull-up bar on Amazon.
Mounted Pull-up Bars
Mounted pull-up bars, as the name implies, are pull-up bars you mount to the wall. These can be a great, inexpensive options for anyone with a home gym or a garage.
They are less expensive than free-standing pull-up bars, but are also less versatile — meaning you can really only use them for pull-ups and not many other exercises.
Since they are mounted to the wall, they also require extensive installation are not easy to move around.
There are lots of great options for mounted pull-up bars available on Amazon.
Free-standing Pull-up Bars (Power Towers)
Free-standing pull-up bars or power towers are great because you can do pull-ups, dips, abs, and many more essential exercises on them. They are a great addition to your home gym if you have room for one.
They are a little pricer and a little bulkier than doorway pull-up bars and mounted pull-up bars, but they also come with a ton more features.
If you have the room — we would definitely recommend adding one to your arsenal.
Benefits of a Free-standing Pull-up Bar Stand
We prefer a free-standing pull-up bar over the other types of pull-up bars due to its versatility. It’s a piece of equipment that can be used to work out your whole body to achieve a more balanced physique. Pull-up bar stands can work out your chest, triceps, biceps, shoulders, abs, and add definition to your forearms and core.
Free-standing pull up bars also give you much more space to do exercises properly compared to doorway pull-up bars.
Besides their versatility, another reason we prefer power towers over wall-mounted pull-up bars is the fact that you can move your power tower around — in case you want to rearrange your home gym.
To help you pick the right pull-up bar stand for your home gym, we reviewed, tried and tested the most popular power towers and compiled this list:
Our Reviews of the Best Free-standing Pull-up Bars
RELIFE Power Tower
Pros
- Very sturdy – doesn’t move during workouts
- Handles, Armrests, and Backrest are comfortable
- 9 levels of height adjustment (4 for backrest)
- Easy-to-follow instructions
- Easy assembly (doable by one person)
- 1-year warranty
Cons
- Armrests are fairly short
The RELIFE Power Tower is an awesome addition to any home gym — at least according to thousands of customers who have been happy with this power tower.
You can adjust the height of the pull-up bar, the backrest as well as the handles — so this power tower can be used by anyone.
The RELIFE power tower is also built really well is really sturdy so you can work out without worrying about the tower crashing down on you during exercise (it supports up to 330 lbs).
While the RELIFE power tower is slightly more expensive than other free-standing pull-up bars on this list, it’s well worth the investment.
MaxKare Power Tower
Pros
- Very affordable
- Made out of heavy-duty steel; very sturdy during workouts
- Tall pull-up bar; great for anyone up to 6’6″
- Comfortable, cushioned pads and grips
Cons
- Not adjustable
The MaxKare Power Tower is simple and affordable. It’s a great free-standing pull-up bar for most home gyms — at a very low price.
While the MaxKare Power Tower doesn’t adjust, it over 7 feet tall — so you can easily to pull-ups and have your feet off the ground up to a 6′ 6″ height.
The power tower is also made out of heavy-duty steel and is therefore sturdy during exercises. All while the cushioned pads and grips provide a comfortable grip.
If you’re looking for a simple and inexpensive free-standing pull-up bar — the MaxKare Power Tower should be on top of your list.
Shumelizi Power Tower
Pros
- Very affordable
- Adjustable pull-up bar height (up to 7’5″)
- Heavy-duty steel structure for a wobble-free workout
- Comfortable, cushioned pads and grips
Cons
- Supports weight only up to 220 lbs
The Shumeilizi power tower is another very affordable, yet simple power tower.
What we like most about this power tower beside the price is the fact that it has an adjustable pull-up bar height — up to 7’5″ (90.5 inches).
While the adjustable height supports most adults, the Shumelizi power tower unfortunately only supports a maximum weight of 220 lbs — which is it’s the biggest downside.
The power tower is built with durable steel and the design ensures that you can do pull-ups and dips without the power tower wobbling.
The pads and grips also provide great comfort during exercise.
So if you weigh less than 220 lbs, and are looking for a simple and very affordable free-standing pull-up bar then the Shumeilizi is a great option.
Gold’s Gym Power Tower
Pros
- Well-known brand
- Great quality material and design; not wobbly during workouts
- Pull-up bar and dip station on opposite sides; more room and allows use at the same time
Cons
- Design takes up a lot of room
- Fairly pricey
Gold’s Gym is a well-known brand in the gym and home exercise world. So no surprise that this power tower made the list.
The biggest difference between this free-standing pull-up bar and others on this list is that the pull-up bar is on the other side of the dip station. This gives you extra room for each of the exercises and allows you to use this station with multiple people at the same time. However, this setup also requires more space as you can’t back it up against a wall.
If that setup works for your home gym, then the Gold’s Gym power tower is a great quality piece of equipment.
LiveBest Power Tower
Pros
- Very affordable
- Made of heavy-duty steel; very sturdy during workouts
- Supports maximum weight of 600 lbs; most on this list
- Fully adjustable height with 8 different levels
Cons
- Fairly tough assembly
- No push-up station
The LiveBest power tower is an incredibly sturdy and durable pull up bar stand. It is made of black heavy duty steel which can hold up to 600 lbs! This weight capacity exceeds all other free-standing pull-up bars on this list — so if you’re heavier, then this is the pull-up bar for you.
The design of this home pull up bar is ideal for a wide range of exercises as it features a multi-grip pull-up station and dip station. Another thing to love about this pull up bar stand is how it gives you the freedom to adjust the height – to up to 7 feet. This should accommodate most adults.
The LiveBest Power Tower pull up bar stand also has a back cushion and elbow pads to add comfort and relieve pressure on the spine. This reduces the risk of injury. Plus, it also features grips on all handles to minimize slippage.
