There are a variety of different types of pull up bars, including doorway pull up bars, mounted pull up bars, and free standing pull up stations, also known as pull up towers. These types differ in terms of how they mount and how they can be used, but they essentially perform the same function. These pull up bars enable you to workout your upper body through a series of exercises targeted at those muscles of your body.

 

List of Pull Up Stations Reviewed

Pull Up Station	Features
	Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar An extremely fast, easy way to target the major muscles of the upper body for a solid, strength training workout session. The unique design provides for a multitude of exercises that can be done in a minimal amount of space.	Check Price
	ProSource Multi-Grip Chin-Up/Pull-Up Bar, Heavy Duty Doorway Trainer for Home Gym An ideal selection for anyone looking to develop a strong upper body in the comfort and convenience of their own home. Utilizing the principle of leverage, this unit works in nearly any doorway without requiring permanent affixing.	Check Price
	Stamina Doorway Trainer Plus This is more than just another pull-up / chin bar, it is a multifaceted “trainer” ready to take you to the next level of fitness right in the comfort of your own home.	Check Price
	Sunny Health & Fitness Doorway Chin Up Bar WLM Sunny Health & Fitness Door Way Chin Up Bar WLMStrip away all those fancy bells and whistles, all the different hand grips, all the different possible exercises, and getting back to basics. That is why Sunny Health and Fitness’ Chin Bar is the perfect, and perfectly priced, chin bar for beginners and seasoned pros who like to keep it simple!	Check Price
	j/fit Deluxe Doorway Pull-Up Bar with Comfort Grips This is a versatile pull-up bar allowing you to tackle several different exercises in the convenience of your own home. It’s unique adjustable length allows this to be used pretty much anywhere.	Check Price
	Joist Mounted Pull Up Bar with Neutral Grip Handles A great commercial quality, solidly welded piece of equipment that is suitable for even hardcore exercisers. It’s no-frills, space saving welded design is made for serious training through the many different exercises that can be performed with the unit.	Check Price
	Ultimate Body Press Ceiling Mounted Pull Up Bar The stability and ergonomics of the pull up bar are well suited for novice users to learn proper pull up technique while also giving a steady, multi-functional station for advanced athletic pull ups, leg raises, bar hangs and oblique twists.	Check Price
	Ultimate Body Press Wall Mounted Pull Up Bar This heavy duty steel pull up bar unit allows you to perform essential pull ups and chin ups, knee raises and oblique twists without taking up any floor space. Ultimate Body Press recently redesigned this piece with thicker walled steel mounting plates for an even higher quality finished product.	Check Price
	Yes4All Wall Mount Chin Up Bar A nice, simple, stylish piece of gym equipment for an entry level piece. It gives both men and women several options for toning and strengthening their bodies.	Check Price
	Weider Power Tower The Power Tower is a must have piece of equipment for any home gym. The Weider Power Tower is one of top three you must consider. Heck, even The Terminator’s workout consultant was involved with Weider starting out.	Check Price
	Stamina 1690 Power Tower A basic, indeed essential, piece to add to a complete home gym. This is a great choice to quickly and safely build your arms, legs, back, chest and abdominals. With that kind of physique, you’ll be wanting to go shirtless even in the middle of winter!	Check Price
	Body Vision PT600 Power Tower With this home gym unit, you can perform several body weight exercises quickly and efficiently within a small footprint. Added features like comfort traction grips, solid ergonomics and a company with a long history in the fitness industry	Check Price

All of the types of pull up bars are labelled based on the different ways they are set up, such as doorway, mounted, and free standing; and they are all just as you’d expect. Doorway pull up bars utilize a doorway for support, mounted pull up bars are mounted for support using a joist, wall, or ceiling, and pull up towers require no support and stand on their own. When choosing the best pull up station, you will want to take a number of things into consideration.

First, depending on the type of pull up station you get, they can take up a decent amount of floor and ceiling space. Ensure that you have enough overhead space as well as floor space for some of the larger and heavier duty contraptions. Second, you will need to determine how portable you would like your machine to be. Since they generally differ in terms of how they are mounted, portability differs with each type of machine as well. For a less portable, higher end model with all the bells and whistles, it will be heavier and larger, taking up more space and being almost permanent. Other models are extremely portable, requiring only a doorway to mount. These are essentially foldable cylinders that allow you to bring your workout with you wherever you go. There are also a range of products in between, depending on what your needs are. As types vary, their stability and reliability will change in relation to how portable they are; generally, more permanent machines are more stable and offer more features, whereas more portable models are potentially less stable and offer basic features. Depending on what you want out of your workout you will want to choose the best pull up station for your needs.

Types of Pull Up Bars

Doorway Pull Up Bars

There are two types of Doorway Pull up Bars, the traditional ones use leverage and the Extending Pull Up Bar models fits between door frames, extending to secure between them. Although both models function differently, they are constructed and function very similarly. They are typically made from metal surrounded by a foam or metal grip, with a method of securing them to a doorframe, wall, or ceiling. They allow you to perform arm, back, shoulder, and chest exercises by lifting yourself off the ground. You can work out different muscles by holding your holding your hands closer or farther together as well, but they are designed for upper body muscle workouts.

The benefits of both types of Doorway Pull Up Bars are that they are extremely small, lightweight, and portable, making them ideal for use anywhere there’s a door frame. They do not require any permanent fastening and are easy to both setup and takedown. They are inexpensive compared to many exercise machines and offer a great upper body workout. You can use this anywhere in the house, can take it to work, or even bring it to a friends house; you can also take this on vacation or to the cottage with you, so that you can stay up on your workouts while away.

 

Leverage

The Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar is a leverage mounted pull up bar that is great for pull up, push ups, chin ups, dips, crunches, and much more. It offers three different grip positions to ensure you work out various muscle groups. It fastens quickly and easily, and removes just as simply; making this an extremely easy to use piece of equipment. The ProSource Multi-Grip Chin-Up/Pull-Up Bar, Heavy Duty Doorway Trainer for Home Gym is a leverage mounted pull up bar that offers twelve different grips for the ultimate versatility during workouts. It is extremely easy to assemble and install, able to be set up and taken down in seconds. The Stamina Doorway Trainer Plus is a leverage mounted doorway pull up bar that offers multiple grip positions to target specific muscle groups. It’s made of professional quality materials that are durable and stable, ensuring you have proper support during your workout. It features thick padding and non-slip grips. This model is extremely portable and easy to store.

 

Extendable

The Sunny Health & Fitness Door Way Chin Up Bar WLM is an extendable pull up bar that can easily be set up in any doorway. It offers great support and soft grips for holding, and is good for sit ups, pull ups, and other upper body workouts. The j/fit Deluxe Doorway Pull-Up Bar with Comfort Grips (Longest Length 40” Wide) is one of the largest extendable doorway pull up bar on the market, fitting virtually any door frame. It has adjustable grip options and has pads to add comfort. It features rubber end cap stoppers to ensure that it stays secure in the door frame, so you never slip.

 

Joist, Wall, and Ceiling Mounted Pull Up Bars

Joist, wall, and ceiling mounted pull up bars are permanently fixed units that require a very strong and sturdy place to fasten them to. Just as you’d expect, the type of mounted pull up bar indicates where you fasten it. When securing any mounted pull up bar, you want to ensure that you are attaching it to a strong, sturdy, secure beam or joist, so that it will be able to bare your weight during use. Keep in mind that this isn’t a one time thing either, it will need to stand up to repeated and consistent use.

 

Joist

Joist Mounted Pull Up Bars attach to a joist or main beam. This allows for a sturdy and safe mount, and because of the height, you will have more room for your legs. These are extremely safe and good methods of using mounted pull up bars.

The Joist Mounted Pull Up Bar with Neutral Grip Handles is a joist mounted pull up bar that comes in a single welded construction. It features attached knurled grip handles for non-slip and durable grips. It is made from steel and is built to last, and offers a range of upper body workouts. The Joist Mount Pull up Bar by Ultimate Body Press is a heavy-duty joist mounted pull up bar. It features parallel grips made from a strong and durable material so it will last. It comes with everything required for set-up and installation, so you can get started right away.

 

Ceiling

Ceiling Mounted Pull Up Bars function almost identical to joist mounted options, giving you the same leg room. The only difference is that you attach them directly to a beam in the ceiling instead of across a joist. Most ceiling mounted pull up bars come with standard 48” holes for mounting so that it will fit with most 16” and 24” ceiling joists.

The Ultimate Body Press Ceiling Mounted Pull Up Bar is ceiling mounted pull up bar built for upper body workouts. It comes with everything required for installation and features high density foam grips and three different grip positions to diversify your workout, ensuring you are able to work out various muscle groups.

 

Wall

Wall Mounted Pull Up Bars attach to your wall, and offer essentially the same features as joist and ceiling mounted pull up bars. However, because of the height at which they are mounted you may lose some leg room. You also want to ensure you secure them to a strong beam when mounting them to the wall.

The Ultimate Body Press Wall Mounted Pull Up Bar is a wall mounted pull up bar that comes with various grip settings to adjust your workout. It also features padded foam grips to ensure you don’t lose your hold during your workout. Installation is simple and all parts and instructions are included. The Yes4All Wall Mount Chin Up Bar is a single piece of solid steel to ensure stability and safety. It is designed to fit all average joists with 16” and 24” mounting options. It has various grip options with padding to ensure comfort and is designed to be easily installed.

 

Free Standing Pull Up Stations & Pull Up Towers

Pull Up Stations or Towers, also known as Dip Stations, are great for pull up and dip exercises without having to mount something permanently to a wall or ceiling. These exercise machines offer entire body workouts through bodyweight exercises that help strengthen and build muscles. Consider the size and versatility of these machines, they are relatively inexpensive. This allows you to target most of your upper body as well as abs and core muscles.

Although these machines are not overly large, they do take up space. It is important to ensure you have enough room to put your unit, including ceiling space, as some of these units are taller. Just as with mounted pull up bars, these require space to do the exercise. However, those units take up less floor space and are relatively out of your way regularly, whereas a pull up tower is constantly taking up floor space. The best features of pull up towers though, is that they offer the same stability and security and the same variety of workouts as other pull up bar options, but they do not require you to fasten anything permanently to your wall or ceiling. This is good for people that rent and may not want to attach something to the wall, or simply someone that would prefer not having the unit permanently affixed.

The Weider Power Tower is a free standing pull up station featuring padded hand grips and elbow rests, to ensure comfort during use. These also ensure dips are done safely. It offers various grip options to work out various muscles. You know you are getting the best since Weider was started by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s personal trainer and has the best quality in mind. The Stamina 1690 Power Tower offers multiple exercise options including push ups, pull ups, sit ups, and dips. This machine is made of a durable steel frame and has no-slip end caps on the grips. With a 250 pound weight capacity, this machine is built for heavy duty workouts. The Body Vision PT600 Power Tower is a pull up tower that features multiple workout options, for both your upper and lower body. This machine is ideal for chin ups, pull ups, and dips, helping to build muscle and strength. Anti-slip foot grips give added support, and height adjustment options ensure the machine is suited to every individual. The pad back, arm cushions, and grips ensure comfort and safe operation.

 

Choosing a Pull Up Bar

Choosing the best Pull Up Bar for you will depend on a number of factors, but you should ensure that you choose based on what will be best for your needs and lifestyle.

The most important thing to consider when choosing a pull up bar is that the various types are identified by the way they are mounted. Determining where you want to mount your pull up bar is therefore the best place to start. A big part of deciding this is how permanent or portable you want your pull up bar to be. If you plan on using your machine exclusively at home, you may want to purchase a stationary or permanently affixed unit, such as a joist, wall, or ceiling mounted pull up bar or pull up tower. If you plan on moving your machine, even within your home, you may want to buy a less permanent machine. A free standing pull up tower can be moved throughout the home, so that is a great option if you do not want it to necessarily remain in the same place. Permanently mounting means you won’t be able to move the machine if needed, to make room for storage for example. With a free standing machine, you can still move it within your home, but it will not be ideal for a lot of transport. If you want a very portable machine, able to come with you to work, a cottage, or a friends, a doorway pull up bar is a great option. Leverage mounted doorway pull up bars are extremely portable, and extendable doorway pull up doors are even more compact, since they are essentially a small cylinder of metal. These models give you the greatest in portability. When deciding, how permanent and portable you want your pull up bar to be is probably the best place to start when deciding on which type is best for you.

That being said, there are other things that are important to consider when making your purchase. Stability, intensity of workout, weight constraints, and added features are all important when making this choice. While all pull up bars offer stability, a permanently mounted or free standing pull up bar is typically more reliable in terms of stability than a doorway mounted one. These pull up bars are also built to withstand a higher weight limit, so heavier people are able to use these units. They will also probably be best for more intense workouts, as they are built more durable and stable.

When making your decision, you will want to consider a number of these factors as they will affect how you use your machine as well as your regular convenience. For example, if you affix a unit to your wall, it may be in the way when you decide to do other things with the space. If you have a free standing machine, you are always free to clear up space and move it. If you want to be able to bring your pull up bar with you everywhere, you will want the ultimate in portability and will probably want a doorway pull up bar. Ultimately, these factors affect the way the pull up bar is utilized and will play the biggest role in determining which pull up bar suits you the best.