Pull-Up Game Strong: The 8 Best Pull-Up Bars

Whether you’re a climbing enthusiast or you just wanna make ’em say “baby got back (muscles),” there’s no better bodyweight exercise for targeting your back and arms than the totally underrated pull-up.

Pull-ups may be simple, but they’re not easy — and one of the big barriers is actually finding a place to do them safely.

Good news: Whether you’re renting a tiny apartment or assembling your very own pro-level home gym in your garage, there’s a pull-up bar for you. And we’ve pulled (heh) no punches in finding the 8 best pull-up bars for any space and any skill level.

• Best-rated: Rogue Jammer Pull-Up Bar
• Best wall-mounted: Titan Fitness Wall-Mounted Pull-Up Bar
• Best for doorways: ProsourceFit Multi-Use Doorway Chin-Up/Pull-Up Bar
• Best portable: Jayflex RYZE-UPS
• Best freestanding: ProForm Carbon Strength Power Rack XL
• Best ceiling-mounted: Ultimate Body Press Ceiling Mounted Pull Up Bar
• Best pull-up bar station: Sportsroyals Power Tower Dip Station
• Best for outdoors: Stamina Power Tower

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If the sheer variety of pull-up bars on the market is any indication, the universe is conspiring for everyone in the world to do pull-ups. Here’s how we narrowed down the crowded market into a more concise list you can trust:

• Type of pull-up bar. There are doorway-mounted, ceiling-mounted, wall-mounted, and freestanding pull-up bars. We included a range of solid options that are known for being sturdy and durable.
• Warranty. We passed on any products that didn’t include some kind of warranty. Even a short warranty can give you some assurance that a company stands behind its product.
• Installation. Super hard to install? Bye. We only included options that receive high marks from reviewers on the installation process.
• Max weight. Every pull-up bar on our list has a weight limit of at least 300 pounds (lbs.), with the exception of one travel option — and some have much higher limits.
• Price. Not everyone wants to drop all their cash on a new piece of fitness equipment, so we included a range of price points to suit many needs.
• Reviews. We sorted through each product’s reviews to make sure real customers actually love it.
• Vetted products. We put every product we considered through a thorough vetting process that checks for unsupported health claims and shady business practices. Only products that passed this process made our final list.

Here’s a closer look at our picks to make it easier for you to decide which bar you wanna pull up on. 😉

Best-rated pull-up bar

Rogue Jammer Pull-Up Bar

• Price: $$
• Type: wall-mounted
• Installation: Mount above a doorframe on a wood stud wall.
• Weight limit: 500 lbs. (227 kg)
• Bar length: 43 inches (in.) (109 cm)
• Warranty: limited lifetime warranty on structural welds and frame

Rogue is a favorite brand in the fitness community known for making high quality fitness equipment that’ll make any home gym feel like a professional setup. The Rogue Jammer Pull-Up Bar is highly rated and is a top pick for a bunch of reasons.

First, it’s designed to be mounted on a wall above a doorframe, so it’s sturdier than a typical doorway-mounted bar but still saves on space. That means it can also hold more weight than your average doorway bar — up to 500 lbs. when properly installed.

We also love that you can customize it. You can choose from 22 colors (so fun) and either a smooth or knurled (textured for better grip) finish.

It’s got nearly 400 excellent reviews on the Rogue Fitness website, with many praising it for ease of installation, quality, and sturdiness. A few recommend installing it in a walk-in closet to keep it out of view when you’re not using it.

And finally, Rogue backs this baby up with a lifetime warranty, so you can trust that this thing is built to last.

Best wall-mounted pull-up bar

Titan Fitness Wall-Mounted Pull-Up Bar

• Price: $$
• Type: wall- or ceiling-mounted
• Installation: Mount on 16-in. wood studs or a concrete wall. Hardware not included.
• Weight limit: 500 lbs. (227 kg)
• Bar length: 53.5 in. (136 cm)
• Warranty: 1 year

This Titan Fitness pull-bar hits every sweet spot: good price, solid weight limit, easy to install, amazing reviews, and a warranty to back it up. Plus, it’s made by a brand that athletes know they can trust.

It’s a great pick for your garage gym because you can mount it to a wall or the ceiling, so you have a little flexibility with how you can configure it.

It takes up a lot of space for a wall-mounted pull-up bar, so a garage is prob the best home for it. But many reviewers love the bigger footprint, saying they appreciate that there’s some distance (about 34 in.) between you and the wall while you werk.

Reviewers say it’s super easy to install — even though it doesn’t come with the hardware. They also say it’s sturdy and a great value for the price.

Best pull-up bar for doorways (no screws required!)

ProsourceFit Multi-Use Doorway Chin-Up/Pull-Up Bar

• Price: $
• Type: doorway-mounted
• Installation: no installation required
• Weight limit: 300 lbs. (136 kg)
• Bar length: 41.25 in. (105 cm)
• Warranty: limited lifetime

Maybe you’re not particularly handy, maybe you don’t own a screw gun (or even a regular screwdriver … we don’t judge), or maybe you’re renting and not interested in putting holes in your walls. Whatever your reason, a doorway-mounted pull-up bar could be the way to go.

This one is v. cheap, has more than 14,000 rave reviews, requires zero installation, and still holds up to 300 lbs.

It’s also more versatile than your average pull-up bar. There are 12 grip options to allow you to do wide, hammer, and close-grip pull-ups. You can even put it on the floor to use for push-ups or triceps dips. Nice.

Reviewers are thrilled with it overall, especially considering the low price. Some folks complain about durability issues, but luckily it comes with a limited lifetime warranty, so any defects should be covered.

Best portable pull-up bar

Jayflex RYZE-UPS

• Price: $$
• Type: doorway-mounted
• Installation: none (Make sure your door molding is 2–6 inches high and your wall and trim thickness is 4.25–8.5 in.)
• Weight limit: 275 lbs. (125 kg)
• Bar length: N/A — length between handles is customizable
• Warranty: 2 years

These handles from Jayflex are perfect for pull-ups on the go. They attach to nearly any doorway with no installation required. You can place them as far apart as you want and adjust the handles for a variety of grips.

When you’re done, they fold up to the size of a book, and the whole set weighs less than 4 lbs. (2 kg). They’re also TSA-approved, so you don’t have to worry about getting stopped on your way outta town. We’ve never wanted to do pull-ups on vacay — until now.

Some reviewers mention issues with durability, so you might want to reserve these for travel only. But the brand offers a 2-year warranty and promises to fix or replace them for free.

Best freestanding pull-up bar with squat rack

ProForm Carbon Strength Power Rack XL

• Price: $$$
• Type: freestanding
• Installation: Assemble using included hardware and instructions or pay extra for assembly ($199).
• Weight limit: 610 lbs. (277 kg)
• Bar length: 67 in. (170 cm)
• Warranty: 90 days (extended options available at additional cost)

If pull-ups are just one part of your home strength routine, you’re gonna want a freestanding option with a squat rack — aka a power rack.

We like this one from ProForm because it strikes the right balance of quality and price. While some higher end power racks can go for more than $1,000, this one’s only $599 — plus, it’s made by a reputable brand known for makin’ the good stuff.

It not only comes with a pull-up and chin-up bar but also has storage for your weights, resistance band pins, and spotter arms for heavy lifting. If you’ve already got a weight bench, this rack is a perfect addition.

Note: It’s huge, so you’re gonna need plenty of space — and at least 8 feet (244 cm) of vertical clearance — for this rack to be at home in your home gym.

Also note: Reviewers recommend having a helper for assembly. While many say it wasn’t particularly complicated to set up, it’s hard to hold parts while screwing in bolts at the same time.

Best ceiling-mounted pull-up bar

Ultimate Body Press Ceiling Mounted Pull Up Bar

• Price: $
• Installation: Use included hardware and instructions to mount on ceilings with 16- or 24-in. joists.
• Type: ceiling-mounted
• Weight limit: 300 lbs. (136 kg)
• Bar length: 42 in. (106 cm) wide grip, 20 in. (51 cm) parallel grip
• Warranty: 10-year limited

We appreciate ceiling-mounted pull-up bars because we love just hangin’ out, and this one’s giving us serious monkey bar vibes (which is a definite plus). It’s also great if you’re tight on space because … your ceiling? It’s free real estate.

But for real, it’s better than many other ceiling-mounted options because it offers multiple grips — most don’t.

We found a few multi-grip options that almost made the cut, but folks often complain that they’re really hard to install. We like this one because it comes with all the hardware you need and a template to help you drill the holes in the perf places.

Most reviewers love the pull-up bar and say it’s v. sturdy. But a few complain that the parallel bars are a bit too narrow for them.

Best pull-up bar station

Sportsroyals Power Tower Dip Station

• Price: $$$
• Installation: Assemble using included instructions or pay extra for expert assembly ($119.99).
• Type: freestanding
• Weight limit: 400 lbs. (181 kg)
• Bar length: 41.2 in. (104 cm)
• Warranty: 1 year

A pull-up bar station gives you a little extra versatility in your workouts. Of course you can do pull-ups and chin-ups, but you can also do push-ups, triceps dips, vertical knee raises, and more.

It has an adjustable backrest that you can change based on height, which is key for getting the most out of this piece of equipment. That also means you can fit it in places with lower ceilings, like your basement.

It’s highly rated (more than 10,000 glowing reviews on Amazon), with tons of reviewers saying it’s sturdy without feeling super bulky. Many also say it ships fast and is really easy to assemble.

Some say they received an outdated instruction manual, so if something seems off, check the brand’s website for the most up-to-date version.

Best outdoor pull-up bar

Stamina Power Tower

• Price: $$$
• Installation: Assemble using included instructions or pay extra for expert assembly ($119.99).
• Type: freestanding
• Max weight: 300 lbs. (136 kg)
• Bar length: 50 in. (127 cm)
• Warranty: 90 days parts, 3 years frame

OK, this one’s just fun! We love seeing outdoor fitness equipment at parks, and now you can bring it to your own backyard. This super-heavy-duty tower is great for a total-body outdoor bodyweight workout. It’s basically the outdoor version of our power station pick.

We also love that it’s built specifically for being outdoors. The brand says it’s weather-resistant and won’t chip or corrode. It even has UV protection to keep the paint from fading.

Reviewers say it’s easy to assemble and has a really sturdy feel. But some complain that the grip on the pull-up bar is a touch thicker than they’d like.

Pull-ups are a solid addition to any at-home strength workout, regardless of your fitness level. While you may not be able to start churning out pull-ups right off the bat (er, bar?), there’s no better resistance than your own body weight.

A pull-up bar also has other benefits. You can use it to anchor a suspension trainer like a TRX system, opening up a whole new world of workout possibilities.

Because several decent installation-free pull-up bars are available pretty cheap, we think they’ve earned a spot in any home gym.

Aside from price, here’s what to consider when you’re choosing a pull-up bar for your home gym.

Type of pull-up bar

Again, there are a few diff types of pull-up bars that have different benefits. Here’s what to consider about each type:

Doorway

Most doorway pull-up bars don’t require any screws or installation, so they’re great for renters or people who don’t have the tools/skills to do a more involved install. Some require a few screws for basic stability, though — so make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Doorway pull-up bars are also nice because they don’t need a ton of space.

The downside? They usually have the lowest weight limits.

Wall- or ceiling-mounted

These require more intense tools and more space, but they’re also more stable and have higher weight limits than doorway options.

Freestanding

These require a good deal of assembly and the most space of any pull-up bar type, but they also have the highest weight capacities. If you opt for a station or power tower, you’ll also be able to do other kinds of exercises.

Bar length and grip

You want a bar wide enough to allow you a comfortable grip. If you’ve got broad shoulders, you’ll probably want a wider option — we recommend something at least 40 in. wide.

For parallel grips, look for something at least 20 in. wide.

Max weight

You obvi want one that can hold your weight, so make sure to check the max weight before buying.

Also, look through reviews to determine whether a product lives up to its stated weight capacity. Reviewers aren’t shy about sharing experiences of bars breaking or coming loose.

Dimensions and specs

No matter what kind of pull-up bar you’re eyeing, make sure it’ll work for your space.

For a freestanding bar, check the dimensions and make sure you have room to set it up.

For a doorway bar, make sure your doorway isn’t too wide or narrow.

For a wall- or ceiling-mounted bar, you’ll need to know where the studs in your wall are so you can correctly install the bar.

Reviews

It’s always a good idea to check out the reviews.

In our search, we found some cheap pull-up bars that had great reviews and some expensive ones that had numerous reports of injuries on the very first page of reviews — so a higher price doesn’t necessarily guarantee a safer product.

Make sure to do your research so you don’t end up on the floor!

Is it worth getting a pull-up bar?

Yes! Pull-ups are an amazing way to build upper body strength, and pull-up bars make it easy AF to do them at home.

Just make sure you’re set on the type of pull-up bar that would work best for your goals, weight, and space. It’s definitely not worth buying a pull-up bar that doesn’t have the features you want, doesn’t hold your weight, or doesn’t fit where you want it to go.

Do pull-up bars damage walls?

No matter which way you slice it, it’s likely a pull-up bar that you use a lot will end up doing a little bit of damage to your walls — unless you opt for a freestanding version and don’t put it anywhere near a wall.

Obvi, pull-up bars that require screws will put holes in your walls, but holes can be fixed with the right tools.

Doorway pull-up bars might not put holes in your wall, but they might scuff up your doorframe or walls a bit. It’s also possible that the pull-up bar could break your doorframe, but that can *usually* be prevented by buying high quality products (read reviews!) that can hold your weight.

Do no-screw pull-up bars work?

Sometimes. Many people have had success with their doorway pull-up bars, but others have had issues with stability or have even broken their doorframes or fallen to the floor.

Usually, it comes down to quality and dimensions. Make sure you’re buying from a reputable brand that gets great reviews and backs up its products with a warranty. And measure your doorframe to verify that it’s compatible with the product you’re eyeing.

Can a pull-up bar break your doorframe?

Yes, if you buy a pull-up bar that doesn’t fit your doorframe or isn’t built to hold your weight. But it’s usually more likely that the bar will break.

A pull-up bar is a foundational piece of equipment for your home gym, no matter how tricked-out (or how tiny and cramped) it is or what your skill level is.

Pull-ups aren’t just for showing off — they’re actually one of the best bodyweight moves you can do to build some serious strength, even if you need some assistance to do one. So grab a bar and 🎵 ahh, pull it — pull it real good! 🎵