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In this article we will take a look at the best pull-up and dip stations for the home gym.
Reviewing this type of exercise equipment takes me back to those distant days when I was preparing for Royal Marines Commando training. For a year or more my daily diet consisted of running, press-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and dips (and more running!). Nothing fancy. No gimmicks. No newfangled nonsense. Just plain old callisthenics – aka body weight exercises. It did the trick though.
I can’t honestly say if my bias toward this style of training is a consequence of years of indoctrination, Google searches, or simple-mindedness, but you can’t beat body weight exercises. They tick all the right boxes.
You want to improve your strength to weight ratio? Pull-ups are your answer. Beach season’s on the horizon and you want to show off your six pack and super chiselled chest? Dips into hanging leg raises should do it.
Back in the day whenever I wanted my body weight exercise fix I’d normally conclude a run at a local car park so that I could complete my obligatory daily 10 to 1 pull-ups on the height restriction barriers. But this always left the smell of rust lingering on my hands for hours afterwards.
Thankfully things have moved on and for a few quid you can procure a pull-up and dip station - also know as a 'Power Tower!' And let me just make one thing explicitly clear before we go any further, you can do so much more on this piece of kit than the two exercises from which it takes its name.
Behold! the staggering array of exercise that can be performed on a pull-up and dip station:
1: Pull-ups (obviously)
2: Dips (obviously)
3: Hanging leg raises
4: Muscle-ups
5: Hanging flutter kicks (that's genuinely an exercise - honest)
6: Incline press-ups
7: Handstand press-ups
8: Toes to bar
Including the standard exercises you also have the option of wrapping a pair of TRX cables over the crossbar enabling you to do some really naughty things to yourself.
Additional applications
I can’t speak on your behalf, dear reader, but I’m of the opinion that no circuit is quite complete without a set of pull-ups (numerous sets) and dips and hanging leg raises. By installing a pull-up and dip station we can ensure that all future circuits are complete and not missing these truly vital exercises.
1: Ultrasport Power Tower, Multifunctional Weight Station (£127)
Product Details (click image for availability)
Proven quality: The Ultrasport Power Tower is a well designed fitness centre; the result of our years of experience and the high expectations of our customers in the sports and fitness sector.
Effortless training: The arm and back supports are padded with soft foam to prevent pressure points.
Safety: The solid steel construction with non-slip feet ensures maximum stability.
Dimension: W83 x D65 x 1H90-230 cm
By all accounts this is a quality piece of kit. Praised for its durability this is a pull-up/dip station built to last.
Though Ultrasport’s Power Tower is undeniably as simple as they come, I shall defer my defence to the sagacious words of an American businessman: Perfection is reached not when there’s nothing more to add but when there’s nothing left to take away. (I concede, my paraphrase is not as prosaic as the original, but you get what I mean.)
Another noteworthy feature is the telescopic function of the pull-up bar. By providing a range of height options Ultrasport’s Power Tower will accommodate the short arse as much as it will the beanpole.
4.5 stars with over 270 customer reviews
2: TecTake Dip & Power Tower (£315.00)
Product Details (click image for availability)
Integrated pull-up and dip station
Barbell rack: 3 height adjustable
Foldable weight bench l Dip bars l Pull-up bar
Total dimensions: (LxWxH) 180 x 95 x 210 cm
Non-slip handles
Well constructed, durable design
Few products are as well rated as TecTake’s power tower. Customers rave about its robust construction and indomitable build quality. Yes you could well argue that it is twice the price of Ultrasport’s product, so we would expect much more for the money.
However, we might well reflect on the fact that TecTake’s power tower comes with a number of added features. For example, that foldaway bench provides you with the option of incorporating a whole host of resistance exercises into your session. But - and here’s the genius - the bench also doubles up as back support for when you want to perform a set of leg raises.
More besides. The guys and gals at TecTake have invested a bit of thought into their product. From the uprights two steel supports protrude enabling you to rack a barbell if you happen to have one lying about the place.
4.5 stars after nearly 200 reviews
3: YOLEO Multi Function Pull-up Station (£164.99)
Product Details (click image for availability)
Yoleo latest upgraded power tower is ideal for bringing the best experience for every user. 220 lbs weight capacity, 125cm extended.
Luxurious appearance and reinforced steel construction of this pull-up dip station is going to last for years to come.
6 levels height adjustment system.
Yoleo adjustable power station is an approved product.
Irrespective of the fact that this product hasn’t received half the reviews of its competitors, the vast majority of the feedback speaks very highly of YOLEO’s power tower.
It ticks all the boxes we’ve come to expect of fitness kit: durable, constructed from quality materials and built to last.
Beyond the basics the only other feature of note is the non-slip material which has been applied to all hand grips. Thus you can close your eyes at night concern free that you might slip whilst slinging yourself into a muscle-up.
4.5 stars with 40 reviews
4: DIY Outdoor Pull Up & Dip Power Tower (£219.00)
Product Details (click image for availability)
Super durable industrial grade Galvanised Steel.
Stabilisers that protrude from the base of the power tower will keep this beast riveted to the floor when you wing yourself into a muscle-up.
Multi function design enables you to perform a myriad of exercises.
This thing’s a bit of a beast. It looks more like a medieval torturing contraption than it does home fitness kit. I can just see the Inquisition threatening a heathen to repent on pain of a pull-up into dip superset. Ouch! Hell, even I’d renounce my blasphemous views at the thought of dip-induced triceps burn.
So what are you getting for that small stack of twenties? Well you’ve got the standard features – pull-up bar, dipping arms, press-up protrusions – but also you’ll get one obscenely indestructible piece of exercise equipment. As the manufacturer maintains, this power tower is 'made from 34mm Galvanised Steel pipe and clamps, this isn't your average bit of flimsy gym kit.'
In addition, it offers a number of locations from which a resistance band can be strategically strapped. Those resistance bands turn this power tower into a highly versatile training tool. It’ be what Daniel C. Dennett calls a combinatorial explosion. By adding resistance bands below and above the dipping arms you’ll be able to perform 10 X the number of exercises.
Also, you could attached the bands when performing pull-ups, dips and/or press-ups, and because they are in two positions you have the option of increasing or decreasing loads.
5: RELIFE REBUILD YOUR LIFE [that’s the company name] Power Tower Pull Up Bar Dip Station (£122.99)
Product Details (click image for availability)
The pull up bar made of thickened steel, and the maximum weight capacity is 150kg (280LBS).
Adjustable Design: 6 levels can be adjusted, the height level is 1.64-2.13m, the distance between holes is 10cm.
One year quality promise for the main parts and lifetime promise for the other parts.
Here we have your basic, run of the mill, box standard, no thrills, Happy Shopper pull-up/dip station.
4.5 stars with 22 reviews
Best Pull-up and Dip Station – Buyer’s Guide
Before rushing headlong into purchasing your very own pull-up and dip station, you really ought to consider a few things first. For example:
Size
Now, if you’re related to a Hobbit, you can go ahead and skip this section as all pull-up/dip stations will happily accommodate the vertically challenged. If, however, you’re knocking on to six foot you might want to check the size of the station before splashing out the cash. Because you're going to be proper peeved if, after spending twenty minutes meccanoing your power tower together, your knees clang off the floor when performing pull-ups.
Also, size up the room that you plan to install it in. If you live in a property built in the Dickensian era you'll probably have to store your power tower outside. Just saying is all. The ‘average’ size station is around 220cm(h) X 135cm(d) X 100cm(w).
Max Weight Capacity
Again, Hobbits can move on (unless, that is, you’re proportionally similar to Samwise Gamgee – the tubby one). Most pull-up/dip stations have an upper weight limit of 100kgs. If you’re close to 100kees or heavier then I suggest investing in an industrial scaffold rig. For you don’t want to run the risk of the station crumpling under your colossal mass.
Station Variations
Don’t rush into your purchase until you have sized-up the competition. Some manufacturers have designed their pull-up/dip stations with a number of nifty features; such as weight benches, barbell racks and resistance bands. Consequently, it’s worth considering future application and your prospective development as a physical entity. Is a simple pull-up and dip station going to be enough for you in a year or twos’ time? Or will you need those additional features?
Listen, all I’m saying is, don’t rush into things. Spend a quiet evening weighing up your options and, if you really can’t make a decision, either flip a coin or talk it over with your mum. That always helps me.
To Conclude
I assume what brought you to this article was the desire to learn a little bit about pull-up and dip stations. Hopefully, having now consumed this content, you are wiser on the whys and wherefores of pull-up/dip station usage and best products.
If when we depart company you feel more confident in selecting a product to match your preferences and predilections, I have achieved my aim. If not . . . not. Either way, be so good as to let us know.
(As we are very interested in user feedback at Hungry4Fitness, I would be very grateful if you could take a few seconds out of your day to leave a comment. Thanks in advance!)
Blog Author
Adam Priest is a former Royal Marines Commando, personal trainer, lecturer, boxing and Thai boxing enthusiast.