In a well-rounded workout routine, a pull up bar is hard to ignore. Working the upper part of your back and especially your lats is very difficult to do without a pull up bar. Frankly speaking, it’s the first piece of equipment that you should consider purchasing, and it could also be the only piece you need. Therefore it’s important to get a pull up bar that fits you.
Before we jump into looking at the different pull up bars and which one could be right for you, let's just have a look at the people who don't need a pull up bar and therefore don't need to read any further.
Henrik testing "Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar"
People who don't need a pull up bar
- People who already have a ton of fitness equipment that they don't use.
- People who just care about condition
The chances are that a pull up bar will end on the long list of fitness equipment that you never use. What you need is motivation and a good workout plan to follow. Please look here instead of wasting more money on equipment.
If your only goal is to improve your condition and especially for long distance running and bicycling then a pull up bar will be of very little help for you. I don't say that you shouldn't do strength training, but you can probably skip pull ups and chin ups and instead concentrate on core and leg strength.
Good, with that in place the rest of you can continue to read on.
What is your pull up level?
What we want to consider next is how far have you come in your pull up skills and how far do you want to bring it?
If you are a complete beginner and still can't do one pull up or if you are really strong and looking into bar muscle ups will determine what type of pull up bar you should look for. Therefore be aware of those comments when we go through the different pull up bars.
For your convenient, I have a pull up progression template which you can follow here and which will also give you an idea of what kind of exercises you will be doing on the pull up bar. Understanding this is crucial for succeeding with pull ups.
Type of pull up bar
Besides the traditional pull up station, there are three types of pull up bars. They are:
Doorway pull up bar
Wall mounted pull up bar
Ceiling mounted pull up bar
What we will be looking at
A good review always comes down to what we decide to base the review on. For me, a good review selects relevant areas with the goal and purpose in mind.
In other words, we buy a pull up bar because we want to become stronger in the upper back and lats. Therefore the review should be based on how well the pull up bar will help us during that journey.
From my experience below are important parts to look at.
Durability/Stability
If the pull up bar breaks after some time, you won't become stronger. Also if you feel insecure when exercising with your pull up bar, you will not focus on your workout, and it will become a bumpy ride. You might even give up. Therefore we want a stable and durable pull up bar. Where we can focus 100% on the workout.
Comfort
If we are not comfortable when doing our workouts, our focus will again be more to the uncomfortable situations than the workout itself.
How is the grip? Do we feel secure? Can we give all?
Price
Price should reflect the overall quality, and we should ask ourselves if it’s worth spending a bit more or if we could save some money by selecting a cheaper model. We simply want to ask the question, if it’s worth it.
The pull up bars
Now let's have a look at the pull up bars that we will review. As mentioned we split them into three groups.
Iron Gym Pull up bar
ProSource Multi-Grip Pull up bar
Sunny Health & Fitness Door Way Chin Up
Maximiza Pull up Bar
Rogue P-4 Pull up System
Ultimate Body Press Wall Mount Pull up Bar
CFF Wall Mounted Pull up Bar
Rogue P-6V Garage Pull up System
Ultimate Body Press Ceiling Pull up Bar
Stud Bar: Ceiling Mountable Pull up Bar
Doorway pull up bar
The doorway pull up bar is the most inexpensive and flexible solution. In other words, it’s one of the easiest pull up bars to get started with.
Common for all of them is that you mount the pull up bar temporarily in a doorway and when you are done you simply remove it again. So if space is a limitation for you, this might be a good option.
The doorway pull up bars comes in two versions. The one that are formed like a stick and which have to be placed inside the doorframe and the ones that are resting against the doorframe.
As you will see below, it’s rather important that you select one that fits your pull up level, or you will soon band the pull up bar.-pp
I wouldn't recommend a doorway pull up bar for pull up styles like kipping and butterfly. Also if your goal is to do bar muscle ups, you can't use these types.
The price range of the selected doorway pull up bars is 15-35 US
Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar
This pull up bar does not require any kind of mounting. It will rest against the door frame and the doorway molding/trim. It is designed to fit residential doorways 24" to 32" wide and trims up to 3 ½ inches wide.
Best match
- People who already can do a couple of pull ups
If you can't do pull ups yet, it’s great to start with horizontal pull ups and negative pull ups. For that purpose, we need a pull up bar that can be placed in a lower position, and the Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar can't do that.
When doing negative pull ups, we want to jump to the top and lower ourselves slowly. Due to the door frame mounting it’s not ideal to do such movements on the pull up bar.
- People who need a portable pull up bar
It’s extremely easy to move around.
- People with a wider doorway
In narrow doorways, you will only be able to take a hammer, and narrow pull up/chin up grip. This is a big limitation.
- People who only want to do strict pull ups and chin ups
- People who are all right if the pull up bar only last 6 months
- People not weighing more than 300 lbs
- People who can live with potential marks on the doorframe.
Durability/Stability
The Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar is designed to hold 300 lbs but as it’s resting against the doorframe it of course also depends on how solid the doorframe is and especially the trim.
The majority of customers are happy with the durability and stability, at least for the first couple of months after that you do see some issues with breaking parts and bad stability. Therefore do not expect this to last for years if used frequently.
As for this kind of mounting you should not do any explosive movements as it could jump off the doorway trim. But as long as you do smooth pull ups you should be fine.
Another issue with these types of pull up bars is that they tend to leave marks on the doorframe. Some people put toilet paper rolls around the points to prevent it from happening.
Comfort
The pull up bar has three possible grip variations however if your doorway is narrow that could go down to two. At least if you only count grips where the pull up bar is covered with foam. The possible grips are hammer, narrow and width chin up/pull up but please be aware that it could change to only narrow chin up/pull up.
The height of the pull up bar is limited to the height of the doorway which means that most people will have to bend their legs to get a full range of motion for the pull up.
As with most doorframe mounted pull up bars you always have a feeling that it could collapse, not saying that it will, but it’s hard to avoid the feeling.
Price
Price is really low, and it seems like good value for the money. What you should ask yourself is if you should offer a few more dollars and get more grip options.
ProSource Multi-Grip Chin-Up/Pull up Bar
Another pull up bar that is more about resting on the doorframe but with more grips. It’s supposed to be able to handle 300 lbs of bodyweight, but again the doorframe plays a big role in this as well.
Fits all standard door frames (24”-36” wide)
Best match
- People who already can do a couple of pull ups
Same reason as with the Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar (see above)
- People who need a portable pull up bar
It’s extremely easy to move around.
- People with a doorway and trim where it fits
A lot of people complain about this issue.
- People who only want to do strict pull ups and chin ups
- People not weighing more than 300 lbs
- People who can live with potential marks on the doorframe.
Durability/Stability
We already went through this stability issues with doorframe resting, pull up bars, and the possible marks they will leave on the doorframe.
Very few people complain about the durability, so it seems like good quality. What people mostly complain about is the fitting in the doorframe and the trim, as well as the marks it leaves on the frame.
Comfort
We have the same issues with the height that is limited to the doorway and the insecure feeling of a pull up bar only resting on the doorframe.
However compared to the Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar we have more grip options which are of big advantage. So no matter the size of your doorway you will always be able to get a width grip.
The grips are covered with foam.
Price
The ProSource Multi-Grip Chin-Up/Pull up Bar is a couple of dollars more expensive than the Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar. So here we get even more for our money. This is due to more grips and quality that seems to last longer.
Sunny Health & Fitness Door Way Chin Up
This is a pull up bar stick which is mounted on the door frame when used. It can easily be stored away when not using it.
The Sunny Health & Fitness Door Way Chin Up is supposed to fit inside a doorframe of 24.5 to 36 inches and can handle a capacity of 220 lbs.
Best match
- People who can't do pull ups yet
If you can't do pull ups yet, it’s great to start with horizontal pull ups and negative pull ups. For that purpose, we need a pull up bar that can be placed in a lower position and the Sunny Health & Fitness Door Way Chin Up can do that.
When doing negative pull ups, we want to jump to the top and lower ourselves slowly. As the pull up bar is mounted in sockets, it feels more secure to do that.
An extra pair of sockets might be a good idea.
- People who need a portable pull up bar
It’s extremely easy to move around.
- People who only want to do strict pull ups and chin ups but don't need a hammer grip.
- People not weighing more than 220 lbs
- People who can live with sockets mounted to the door frame or the insecure feeling of no sockets.
Durability/Stability
The pull up bar comes with brackets which should be screwed into the door frame and then placed inside them. However many people say that they use it without the brackets and that it works fine.
Most complaints are that the screws that come with the brackets, people say that they are not good.
The pull up bar itself is solid and doesn't break. When the pull up bar is mounted properly in the brackets, people seems to feel secure and not nervous about falling down.
Beside the brackets for pull ups comes some smaller brackets that can be used for lower placement where the pull up bar then works a sit-up support bar.
Comfort
The grip is limited to shoulder width chin-up and pull up which on the other side should be sufficient for most people.
Where the previous pull up bars left marks on the doorframe, the Sunny Health & Fitness Door Way Chin Up will leave holes for the sockets if mounted correctly and for some, this is not acceptable.
Still, people say that it can be used without the sockets but that at the same time give a potential insecure feeling.
As the pull up bar is placed inside the doorframe, you could get issues with pulling your head into the trim, but as the pull up bar can be adjusted in height, it can be avoided.
Again the doorway height sets limitation for how high you can have the bar, and therefore most people need to bend their legs when doing pull ups
Price
Price is as low as it can be and if you manage to mount it correctly, it seems to last for a long time.
Maximiza Pull up Bar
Another pull up bar in a stick form but around double the price when compared to Sunny Health & Fitness Door Way Chin Up.
It fit standard doorways between 26 and 36 inches and can handle up to 300 lbs.
The pull up bar comes with three sets of sockets. Two which can handle 300 lbs and one set that can handle 200lbs.
Best match
- People who can't do pull ups yet
If you can't do pull ups yet, it’s great to start with horizontal pull ups and negative pull ups. For that purpose, we need a pull up bar that can be placed in a lower position, and the Maximiza Pull up Bar can do that. Actually, it comes with two sets of heavy-duty brackets so you can work on both horizontal pull ups and standard pull ups.
When doing negative pull ups, we want to jump to the top and lower ourselves slowly. Unfortunately, the pull up bar is not good for explosive movements - so that might not work.
- People who need a portable pull up bar
It’s extremely easy to move around.
- People who only want to do strict pull ups and chin ups but don't need a hammer grip.
- People not weighing more than 300 lbs
- People who can live with sockets mounted to the doorframe.
Durability/Stability
Customers rate this product very high and you see very few comments about bad quality. For wider doorways where the pull up bar has to telescope to each full length, some people say it starts to feel flimsy, but it still holds.
When mounted in the brackets people say it’s stable.
Where the Sunny Health & Fitness Door Way Chin Up is more or less stable without the brackets, the Maximiza Pull up Bar seems to only hold if mounted in the brackets. So making holes in your doorframe is needed.
Comfort
The pull up bar is stable but can feel a bit flimsy when fully extended for width doorway mounting. As soon as it’s placed in the brackets, people says it feels stable, but it can spin a bit in the brackets. Brackets are absolutely needed.
Most of the bar is covered with foam so the grip can be variated from narrow to wide.
No explosive movements should be done as the pull up bar can jump out of its brackets.
Some people will have an issue with banging their head into the trim of the doorframe.
Price
It’s around double of the price of the Sunny Health & Fitness Door Way Chin Up. For that, you get one additional set of brackets and quality that seems to hold longer.
On the negative side, you have to use the brackets for this pull up bar.
Wall mounted pull up bars
If space allows it a wall mounted pull up bar might be the right solution for you.
Some of the advantages is normally a more stable feeling and therefore more focus on the workout. Also the possibility of doing more explosive pull ups like kipping and butterfly and even bar muscle ups if the ceiling height allows it.
Price differs but expect something between 50-150USD
Ultimate Body Press Wall Mount Pull up Bar
The pull up bar is placed 14 inches from the wall and the hammer grip 21 inches. It offers a narrow grip and a 42-inch wide grip.
Full assembly and mounting instructions for residential installation are provided, and all mounting hardware is included.
Best match
- People who at least can do a couple of pull ups
- People who have some space for a permanently mounted pull up bar
- People who only want to do strict pull ups and chin-ups
- People who really want a solid and durable solution
Durability/Stability
The pull up bar itself is stable and won't break. It all comes down to the mounting.
All the needed hardware for mounting is included, but it might not work for some people depending on the walls you have at home. Therefore be prepared to buy a different type of mounting hardware for optimal stabilization.
Comfort
The Ultimate Body Press Wall Mount Pull Up Bar provides plenty of grip options. Hammer, narrow and width and all are covered with foam.
When mounted correctly you should also feel very secure when working out.
The issues can be the short distance to the wall. 14 inches for pull ups and 21 inches for hammer grip. This will require a smooth pull up with little swinging.
If the ceiling height allows it the Ultimate Body Press Wall Mount Pull Up Bar can be placed, so you don't need to bend your legs.
As there is no door frame above you, it also avoids the risk of banging your head into it.
Price
Looking at other wall mounted pull up bars the price is really good. What you need to ask yourself is if you want to pay the double for getting more distance to the wall and thereby more pull up options.
CFF Wall/Ceiling Mounted Pull up Bar
The 46-inch wide bar sits 30 inches from the wall and can handle up to 300 lbs.
All needed hardware is included but for more secure mounting additional might be needed.
Best match
- People who at least can do a couple of pull ups or want to add gymnastic rings for ring rows.
- People who have plenty of space for a permanently mounted pull up bar
- People who want to do all sorts of pull ups.
- People who really want a rock solid and durable solution
- People who want to do CrossFit workouts
Durability/Stability
As with the Ultimate Body Press, Wall Mount Pull Up Bar has stability and durability of the actual pull up bar is excellent - no need to worry about that.
The issue that can appear is again related to the mounting.
A lot of people mount boards behind the bar for more stability, especially if the studs in the wall does not line up with the pull up bar. When such mounting is done, you get a rock solid pull up bar that will last for many years.
Comfort
We are now moving into pull up bars that can take a good amount of beating.
This also means that we cut down on things that can break and just focus on stability and durability. What you get is a long pull up bar where you can have a narrow and width grip. The bar doesn't have any soft foam protecting your grip.
Depending on the ceiling height you can place it, so you don't need to bend your legs and even be able to do muscle ups.
The bar is placed 30 inches from the wall which means you can do kipping and butterfly pull ups as well. Also, you have the possibility to attach roman rings for dips.
Price
We are now above 100 USD, and we are moving into the serious equipment. The bar will last forever so if you really mean it, the price is absolutely fair.
Rogue P-4 Pull up System
Rouge delivers high-quality workout equipment and is especially focusing on CrossFit.
Everything is made in the USA.
The bar is 52 inches and 30 inches from the wall. The bar is supposed to be able to handle up to 500 lbs
Best match
- People who at least can do a couple of pull ups or want to add gymnastic rings for ring rows.
- People who have plenty of space for a permanently mounted pull up bar
- People who want to do all sorts of pull ups.
- People who really want a rock solid and durable solution
- People who want to do Cross-Fit workouts
Durability/Stability
As with the CFF Wall/Ceiling Mounted Pull up Bar it all comes down to the mounting as the pull up bar itself will probably last forever.
Again placing it on a board or string seems to be a good solution even if you can mount it directly into the studs.
As the bar is moveable, any distance between the studs will work as long as it is not wider than the 52 inches.
Comfort
Basically the same as the CFF Wall/Ceiling Mounted Pull up Bar, but we get 6 inches more of the pull up bar.
You are able to do all kinds of pull ups including kipping and butterfly and even bar muscle ups if height allows it. Attaching roman rings is also possible.
The grips are not covered which is standard for these types of pull up bars.
Price
Basically same price as CFF Wall/Ceiling Mounted Pull Up Bar, but you get 6 inches more on the pull up bar, and it’s coming from a high-quality brand.
Ceiling mounted pull up bar
Ceiling mounted pull up bar is normally for people who are looking into a garage gym.
It requires some space and also a good height to the ceiling.
What you get is a stable solution where even bar muscle ups are possible to do if the ceiling height allows it.
Ultimate Body Press Ceiling Mounted Pull Up Bar
Ceiling mounted pull up bar for homes with 16 inches or 24-inch joists measured ‘on-center.'
Includes ceiling mount pull up bar hardware, template and instructions.
Best match
- People who at least can do a couple of pull ups or want to add gymnastic rings for ring rows.
- People who have plenty of space for a permanently mounted pull up bar
- People who want to do all sorts of pull ups.
- People who want a solid and durable solution
Durability/Stability
As with the wall mounted pull up bars there is close to no issues on the pull up bar itself. The issues are about the mounting.
The biggest problem is to find the joists in the ceiling for proper mounting. Once that is done correctly there seems to be close to no issues regarding stability and durability.
Where issues could appear is on the foam that covers the grips. After some usage, it might start to fall apart.
Comfort
The Ultimate Body Press Ceiling Mounted Pull Up Bar have three grip options which are all covered with foam. You can hold a hammer, narrow and width grip.
When properly mounted, the pull up bar has a stable feeling which makes you able to focus on your workout.
As its ceiling mounted you avoid the risk of bombing into walls and are able to do kipping as well as butterfly pull ups.
With ceiling mounted pull up bars you also have the possibility to add roman rings for dips or ring rows.
Price
Below 100 USD you get a solid pull up bar that will last for a long time.
Rogue P-6V Garage Pull up System
Another product from Rogue which puts expectations on the quality. Made in the USA and have been tested with 1000 lbs. Depth from mount to the bar is 30 inches, and the bar itself is 52 inches. Mounting hardware is not included.
Best match
- People who at least can do a couple of pull ups or want to add gymnastic rings for ring rows.
- People who have plenty of space for a permanently mounted pull up bar
- People who want to do all sorts of pull ups.
- People who want a rock solid and durable solution
- People who want to do Cross-Fit workouts
Durability/Stability
The pull up bar itself is rock solid, but there can be a bit slack from side to side. Not saying that it feels flimsy nor that it will break.
When the mounting is done correctly, you have a very durable and solid pull up bar.
This pull up bar will last as long as you want it to.
Comfort
The brackets can be mounted on the ceilings joints, where any width will work. You can even mount it on the wall. Also, you could select the P-4V model where you have a shorter distance from the bar to the brackets and even two possible distances.
As with all ceiling mounted pull up bars you can do kipping and butterfly pull ups as well as adding gymnastic rings or TRX
There is no foam on the pull up bar, and you might want to use chalk when working out.
Price
We are a bit over 100 USD, but you get a pull up bar that has little to wish for and a very long lifetime.
Stud Bar: Ceiling Mountable Pull Up Bar
Schwinn has been building bicycles since 1895 and exercise bikes since 1966.
Best match
- People who at least can do a couple of pull ups or want to add gymnastic rings for ring rows.
- People who have plenty of space for a permanently mounted pull up bar
- People who want to do all sorts of pull ups and bar muscle ups
- People who want a rock solid and durable solution
- People who want to do Cross-Fit workouts
Durability/Stability
People who bought the pull up bar are extremely happy with it and do not report any quality issues.
For the mounting, it’s less flexible than the Rogue P-6V Garage Pull up System as you need to mount the brackets with 48 inches between them.
The issue that most people complain about is the quality of the hardware that comes with the pull up bar. Some people prefer to buy their own.
Comfort
The Stud Bar is very similar to the Rogue P-6V Garage Pull up System, but the biggest difference is that you can select difference sizes and thereby get different distances to the ceiling. With the biggest option, you are actually able to do bar muscle ups without bumping your head against the ceiling, but that again requires a high enough ceiling - preferred above 10 feet.
It doesn't have any foam around the grips, but that shouldn't be expected for these types of pull up bars.
Price
It’s a bit more expensive than Rogue P-6V Garage Pull up System, but for that, you get the possibility to do bar muscle ups as well.
I hope this review have helped you to decide which pull up bar suits you and your needs. As mentioned earlier you can find a pull up progression template here.
Some final thoughts
- A pull up bar will not make you able to do many pull ups - a good progression template will do that.
- A bad quality pull up bar will make you focus more on the bad quality than the workout itself
- Make sure to be aware of your current level as well as your goal - this determines which pull up bar you should buy.