7 Best Door Pull Up Bars in 2024
A doorframe pull up bar is an affordable and simple way to train your upper body at home. Thanks to the high cost-effectiveness, it’s among the first purchases for people starting a home or garage gym. I’ve narrowed down a list of the 7 best door pull up bars, let’s take a look at each and see which one is the best for you.
In a hurry?
In a hurry and can’t keep reading? How about you check out the Iron Gym Pull-Up Bar.
Like all the best mountable doorway bars, it doesn’t require screws or bolts to hold its position. The bar sits tightly in the door frame using some simple physics and design.
Our team, which includes certified pros and top athletes, tested 12 door pull up bars. Only 7 of them met our standards to be included here. We assessed them based on 5 key criteria, dedicating over 35 hours to this. Plus, we’ve looked at hundreds of reviews online. We keep this list up to date, so your feedback is always welcome!
Top 7 Best Door Pull Up Bars Reviewed
- Iron Gym Pull-Up Bar – Top Pick
- Rogue Jammer Pull-Up Bar – Runner-Up
- Titan Extreme Over The Door Pull Up Bar – Budget Pick
- Ally Peaks Pull Up Bar for Doorway Mounting – Best Detachable Bar
- REP Wall or Ceiling Mount Pull-Up Bar – Best Stationary Bar
- KAKICLAY Multi-Grip Pull Up Bar [2022 Upgrade] – Best Multi-Grip Bar
- Eleiko Classic Chin Rack Wall Bar – Premium Pick
Product | Total | Design | Adjustability | Reliability | Multifunctionality | Price/ Quality |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Iron Gym | 48 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Rogue | 47 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 10 |
Titan | 46 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
Ally | 44 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
REP | 43 | 9 | 8 | 9.5 | 8 | 8.5 |
KAKICLAY | 42 | 8.5 | 9 | 8 | 8.5 | 8 |
Eleiko | 41 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
1. Iron Gym Pull-Up Bar
- Mounting type: Door mounted, removable
- Handles: Three handle types – narrow, wide, and neutral
- Dimensions (height, length, depth): 13 x 36 x 11 inches
- Doorway size: Recommended for 24 – 32 inches
- Maximum Weight: 300 pounds
- Color: Black and gray
- Features: Door mount system, neutral grip handles, foamed grips, floor workout tool
My top choice on this list is the pull up bar for door frame mounting by Iron Gym. Like all the best mountable doorway bars, it doesn’t require screws or bolts to hold its position. The bar sits tightly in the door frame using some simple physics and design.
It comes with three basic grips found on most pull-up bars – narrow, wide, and neutral. These should provide enough workout variation for basic bar exercises such as differently gripped pull-ups and chin-ups. However, that’s not all exercises you can do with it. Since the bar is detachable, it can be placed on the floor and used as a push-up handle, dip seat, and plank rest, for example.
The door jammers are covered with foamed padding, and the door rest has a soft cushion to prevent direct contact with the surface and protect the door frame and wall from scratches and chips. Out of the box, the bar does require minor assembly, however, a safety manual and necessary tools are provided in the package.
Like all the best mountable doorway bars, it doesn’t require screws or bolts to hold its position. The bar sits tightly in the door frame using some simple physics and design.
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2. Rogue Jammer Pull-Up Bar
- Mounting type: Wall mounted, fixed
- Handles: One standard pull-up bar for wide and narrow grips
- Dimensions (height, length, depth): 8.875 x 43 x 8.25 inches
- Diameter: 1.125 inches
- Maximum Weight: not stated by manufacturer, but tested up to 300 pounds
- Material: Stainless steel
- Color: The frame is black, the bar comes in 19 color variations (varying prices)
- Features: Patented design, laser cut steel, knurled or smooth grip finish
Rogue Fitness is a well-known U.S.-based brand found in many home and professional gyms across North America. As a common sponsor of many fitness competitions, Rogue has earned the trust of both professionals and beginners for its superb equipment. Their pull-up bar is not different - it’s made from excellent quality steel with laser-cut precision, yet still comes at a competitive price.
The bar and frame are made from quality U.S.-grade steel. The design is patented, which makes this over the door pull up bar mounting system unique and only found in Rogue bars. This choice once again reaffirms Rogue’s position as an industry leader in exercise innovation.
You can choose between 19 different color patterns, with optional knurling along the bar, made with the quality and precision found on Olympic-grade barbells. The bar does require wall mounting, and it’s recommended you have a power drill with a nut driver attachment for best results.
The bar and frame are made from quality U.S.-grade steel. The design is patented, which makes this over the door pull up bar mounting system unique and only found in Rogue bars.
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3. Titan Extreme Over The Door Pull Up Bar
- Mounting type: Door mounted, removable
- Handles (types and number): Five handle types - one narrow standard, one wide standard, two pairs of neutral grips with different widths, one pair of outer grips
- Dimensions (length, width, depth): 39 & 40 x 16.1 x 9 inches
- Product Weight: 8 pounds
- Maximum Weight: 300 pounds
- Material: Steel
- Color: Black and gray
- Features: Door mount system, 5 handle types, foamed grips, one-year warranty
If you’re shopping on a budget, Titan Fitness has you covered. The Extreme Over The Door Pull Up Bar sports excellent quality and workout variety, especially in this price range. There are both lower and higher priced products, but at this price point it’s impossible to beat the Titan.
The door mounting system is covered in rubber to prevent damage to your frame and wall. With 5 handle types, it leaves you with many choices in how to approach your workout.
The inclined wide grips spread out around 40 inches, which makes them ideal for taller athletes that require a larger arm spread for certain exercises. It comes in nine separate parts, but the assembly is simple, and you get all the necessary screws with the package. Once assembled, it can immediately be used for door-mounted pull-up exercises, or as floor support for things like push-ups.
The Extreme Over The Door Pull Up Bar sports excellent quality and workout variety, especially in this price range. There are both lower and higher priced products, but at this price point it’s impossible to beat the Titan.
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4. Ally Peaks Pull Up Bar for Doorway Mounting
- Mounting type: Door mounted, removable
- Handles: Three handle types - narrow, wide, and neutral
- Dimensions (height, length, depth): 20.2 x 37 x 4.7 - 7.5 inches
- Doorway size: Recommended for 24 - 32 inches
- Maximum Weight: 440 pounds
- Material: Alloy steel
- Color: Black and gray
- Features: Door mount system, neutral grip handles, foamed grip padding, assembly tools
The Ally Peaks Pull Up Bar For Doorway mounting is another solid detachable, portable, and affordable choice. Depending on when and where you shop, this can be the lowest price product on the list. For such a low price point, the expectation would be low quality.
However, the bar is made from thicker than average steel and is capable of carrying an impressive 440 pounds, much higher than most detachable bars and on par with some mounted ones. The Ally Peaks bar is made from 0.066 extra thick steel, â…“ thicker than most affordable pull-up bars that come at around 0.040 inches.
Each bar comes with a pair of 0.15-inch thick no-trace, removable silicone pads that stop it from direct contact with the door frame, preventing scratches or damage. On arrival, it does require assembly to use. However, the necessary tools come with it, which is always a nice feature and surprising for the price point.
The bar is made from thicker than average steel and is capable of carrying an impressive 440 pounds, much higher than most detachable bars and on par with some mounted ones.
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5. REP Wall or Ceiling Mount Pull-Up Bar
- Mounting type: Wall mounted, fixed
- Handles: One standard pull-up bar for wide and narrow grips
- Dimensions (width, height, depth): 50 x 26 x 26.5 inches
- Diameter: 1.25 inches
- Maximum Weight: 500 pounds
- Material: 11-gauge steel
- Color: Black
- Features: Y-shaped mounting frame, non-slip powder coating finish, adjustable wall distance
REP Fitness is another U.S. brand of workout equipment with a high reputation in the home and garage gym community. People have learned to expect a certain quality from REP products, and the wall or ceiling mount pull-up bar delivers. The bar is made from U.S.-grade 11-gauge steel that guarantees to support up to 500 pounds when properly installed, the highest guaranteed on the list.
The bar can be installed in one of six positions on the frame, allowing for a 12 to 23 inch distance between it and the wall. It is secure enough and provides enough space that you can safely do rapid exercises common in fitness, such as kipping pull-ups, too.
The bar is 1.25 inches in diameter, which is standard for quality pull-up bars, and is covered with non-slip powder coating to protect your hands. For more exercise variety, you can attach bands, rings, or exercise straps, the maximum capacity and weight distribution will easily handle more dynamic workouts.
The bar is made from U.S.-grade 11-gauge steel that guarantees to support up to 500 pounds when properly installed, the highest guaranteed on the list.
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6. KAKICLAY Multi-Grip Pull Up Bar [2022 Upgrade]
- Mounting type: Door mounted, removable
- Handles: Four handle types - narrow, downward inclined wide grip, neutral grip, upward incline neutral grip
- Dimensions (width, height, depth): 21.65 - 36.22 x 39.5 x 8.27 inches
- Door size: 21.65 - 36.22 inches
- Maximum Weight: 440 pounds
- Material: Carbon steel
- Color: Black and gray with green details
- Features: Door mount system, foamed handles, instruction manual
Last, but not least, we have a multi-grip door-mounted pull-up bar from KAKICLAY. This bar is a jack of all trades, but it doesn’t stick out from the rest with unique features or the price. However, it’s at least worth the mention on the best door pull up bars list as a well-rounded product.
The first thing that sticks out is the multiple-inclined grips with thicker-than-average foam padding, both of which make this bar more comfortable to use in extended sessions. The bar has built-in silicone padding on the jamming system that stops potential damage to the door frame and wall.
Each package comes with two replacement foamed handles and a set of suspension straps for added workout variety. The company promises a 100% money-back guarantee in case it doesn’t hold in special doorways, so it can be a good bargain if you’re unsure.
This bar is a jack of all trades, but it doesn’t stick out from the rest with unique features or the price. However, it’s at least worth the mention on the best door pull up bars list as a well-rounded product.
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7. Eleiko Classic Chin Rack Wall Bar
- Mounting type: Wall mounted, fixed
- Handles: Single pull-up bar with inclined ends
- Dimensions (length, width, height): 20.08 x 23.62 x 23.62 inches
- Products Weight: 35 Pounds
- Maximum Weight: not stated by manufacturer, but tested up to 500 pounds
- Material: Swedish-grade steel
- Color: Silver
- Features: Square-shaped wall mounting, solid beam construction, downward incline wide grips, 10-year warranty
The Eleiko brand is a synonym for the highest quality, and many of my premium product recommendations are made by them. Like all their equipment, the pull-up bar is made from special Swedish-grade steel forged specifically for the use of Eleiko.
The square-shaped mounting system spreads out the user's weight evenly throughout the wall, easily allowing for a maximum capacity of 500 pounds. Made from solid beam construction, the bar can take more amounts of stress and will last forever, compared to hollow-beamed bars. The wall-mounted version comes topped off with a silver finish, giving it a premium look and feel.
The square-shaped mounting system spreads out the user's weight evenly throughout the wall, easily allowing for a maximum capacity of 500 pounds.
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What Are the Benefits of Using Door Pull up Bars?
✅Convenient Home Workout
Doorway chinup bars are great for at-home workouts. For the level of versatility, they require little space and are typically inexpensive. They’re also easy to store and, with proper use, don’t require too much maintenance.
Plus, if you choose a portable door jam pull up bar, you can take it with you and work out anywhere you can attach it to a door.
✅Excellent Upper Body Strengthening
Pull-up variations are some of the most popular exercises for at-home and street workouts because of their convenience. Once you learn a few pull-up variations, you can successfully work out multiple upper-body muscle groups at once.
This also makes them quite time efficient since you won’t have to do subsequent reps for different body parts. Simply by adjusting your grip type, arm spread, speed, and finishing position, you can quickly switch from exercising your biceps, shoulders, and chest to triceps, upper, and lower back, for example.
✅Improved Core Stability
When doing pull-ups and related exercises, apart from developing your upper body, you strengthen your core as well. But there are also core-specific trainings you can use your door frame chin up bar for. For example, hanging exercises such as knee raises, bicycle kicks, L-sits, one or two-arm dead hangs, or even simple swinging can be done at home with just a doorframe pull up bar.
✅Improved Grip Strength
A study published in The Lancet Journal concluded that there is a direct correlation between grip strength and decreased chances of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular mortality.
When you first start using a door hanging pull up bar, you’ll notice your maximum pull-up reps and the time you can spend hanging are determined mostly by grip strength.Over time, your grip will improve and, according to the study, your quality of life will improve as well.
✅Upper-Body Posture Improvement & Stretching
Apart from strength development, exercises involving pull-up bars naturally stretch your muscles and spine. As a result, not only will this improve your standing posture, but you’ll appear taller as well.
What to Look For in Door Pull up Bars?
1. Design
The products on the list are designed to fit the most common door frame sizes in the U.S. and Canada. Pull-up bars are simple tools that don’t vary too much in design. The main focus of this rating was how much functionality the design was able to fit in, or if there are unique features that set it apart from other bars.
2. Adjustability
A pull up bar for door frame hanging doesn’t feature too many moving parts, if any. Adjustability was mostly graded based on how easy it was to mount and dismount before and after use.
3. Reliability
Reliability is arguably the most important thing to look for in doorway chinup bars. The mounted pull-up bars will naturally be more stable than the detachable ones.
However, all doorway options on the list are tested and reliable for the average person to use. Pay attention to the sizing and get one according to your door frame, and make sure you fit the manufacturer-specified maximum capacity. If you properly check those two things, as long as you mount it correctly and don’t use it in unintended ways, you won’t have reliability issues with your bar of choice.
4. Multifunctionality
For the most part, a pull-up bar is a simple tool with a single purpose. However, manufacturers that compete in the home and garage gym markets tend to add extra features to expand the potential use of their products.
Mounted pull-up bars tend to sacrifice multifunctionality for better stability. On the other hand, detachable pull-up bars come in various shapes and sizes, particularly in the number and variety of grips.
The more workouts that can be performed with a single bar, the higher its multifunctionality rating will be. Some of the detachable bars stand out in this category even more, since they can be used for a variety of other hand-held or floor exercises, as we’ve seen.
Tips From the Champ
It's important to note that before you start any pull-up exercises, ensure that you are in a safe environment and that the pull-up bar you are using is secure and can support your weight. Remove anything from underneath the door frame, such as carpets that you might slip on once you dismount.
Once the bar is mounted in the door, pull on it in a few directions to check the sturdiness. Then try a neutral hanging position for a few seconds and, if everything’s okay, begin your exercise.
Olympic Weightlifting Champion
5. Price/Quality
Price VS quality is a common concern for many people when building their home or garage gym. Rest assured that all products on the list are of good quality. If you make sure that the specifications fit your needs, the bar will serve you well.
Usually, the products higher on the list offer the best value for money in my opinion, but yours may differ depending on your budget. On average, the more expensive product will be of higher quality build than the budget counterpart.
However, that doesn’t mean the less expensive choices are bad or that they can’t compete with the higher-cost ones. That’s why I list choices for various budgets, so everyone can make the best decision with their money.
How to Use Door Pull up Bars Right?
1. Make Sure It’s Secured
It's important to note that before you start any pull-up exercises, ensure that you are in a safe environment and that the pull-up bar you are using is secure and can support your weight. Remove anything from underneath the door frame, such as carpets that you might slip on once you dismount.
Once the bar is mounted in the door, pull on it in a few directions to check the sturdiness. Then try a neutral hanging position for a few seconds and, if everything’s okay, begin your exercise.
2. Maintain Correct Posture
Pull-ups make no sense if the execution is messy, rushed, and lacks correct body posture. Posture is arguably the #1 most important thing to properly doing an exercise - far more important than the number of reps or speed.
When you do an exercise incorrectly, at best you are missing out on important muscle groups, and at worst you risk harming yourself. A detailed study done about pull-ups confirmed bad shoulder positioning at the start of the exercise was associated with high injury risk.
Fitness experts, personal trainers, and physiotherapists know that nearly all the small, but common exercise injuries happen as a result of bad posture.
3. Try Different Pull-Up Techniques
Pull-up exercises are a tried and tested method to develop your shoulders, arms, back, chest, core, grip, push, pull, and more. There are many variations of this exercise you can try with a multipurpose pull up bar for doorway mounting.
The two basic exercise types are the pull-up and chin-up, with the main difference being the direction your palm is facing when gripping. Chin-ups have your palms facing towards you, while in pull-ups they face outwards.
Pull-ups tend to be better for triceps and back development, while chin-ups are excellent for your biceps and shoulders, for example. Experimenting with grip width is also an excellent way to expand your pull-up variations.
4. Hang From It
As we’ve already discussed throughout the article, pull-up bars are excellent for hanging exercises as well. Hanging exercises stimulate blood flow, improve core stability, and stretch your upper body. They also improve your grip strength, balance, and hand-to-eye coordination.
Here are some other hanging variations to try:
- Dead hangs
- L-sits
- Hanging knee raises
- Hanging bicycle kicks
- Hanging flutter kicks
- Swinging, and more
To increase exercise difficulty, you can try the same exercise by hanging from one arm instead of two.
5. Protect Your Palms
Anyone who uses pull-up bars regularly can tell you how easy it is to damage the skin on your palms. Some pull-up bars already come with protective padding, so you won’t need to worry. However, for bars without padding, consider using protective gloves or using hand chalk.
FAQ
Are Door Pull up Bars Any Good?
Doorway pull-up bars are an excellent choice for at-home upper-body workouts. Considering their usage variety and average price point, they’re some of the most cost-effective and great for one of your first home or garage gym purchases.
Can You Close a Door With a Pullup Bar?
Unfortunately, to mount a pull up bar that hangs on door frames, the door will have to stay open. However, if you require a solution to keep your door closed for noise or convenience reasons, for example, there are alternatives on this list too. For example, the Rogue Jammer Pull-Up Bar or REP Pull-Up Bar are meant to be mounted above door frames, so they can be used when the door is closed too.
Do Pullup Bars Damage Door Frames?
Pull up bars can damage your door frame if improperly installed or misused. However, every pull up bar for door frame use has some form of cushioning to stop it from damaging your door and wall. Whether you'll notice damage will depend more on the doorframe quality and wall paint, for example.
Conclusion
Pull-up bars are excellent home solutions for strengthening your upper body. They provide a wide exercise variety and show impressive results for such a convenient and often inexpensive product. Of the seven best door pull up bars, my favorite choice is the Iron Gym Pull-Up Bar.
However, other choices on the list are worth checking out for their pros and cons, and one of them might be better suited for your needs. Do you perform pull up exercises in your workout routines? Do you use or have you considered getting a door hanging pull up bar? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and make sure to follow me on social media for more workout tips and fitness product reviews.
Also read:
- Best Weightlifting Chains
- Best Exercise Hammer
- Ab Roller Exercises
- Weight Loss Belly Band
- Do Push up Bars Work
- Best Plyo Boxes
- Best Power Tower
- Home Gym Ideas on a Budget
- Best Gym Water Bottle
- Best Balance Boards
References:
- Prognostic value of grip strength: findings from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study // The Lancet Journal: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)62000-6/fulltext
- Can poor posture affect your height? // Spinal Carechiropractic: https://www.spinalcarechiropractic.com.au/blog/2020/9/11/can-poor-posture-affect-your-heightnbsp
- Scapula kinematics of pull-up techniques: Avoiding impingement risk with training changes // ScienceDirect: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1440244015001747
- The Pull-up // National Strength & Conditioning Association: https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/2014/06000/the_pull_up.14.aspx
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All products we select are primarily approved and tested by the Olympic Weightlifting Champion Oleksii Torokhtiy. Under his guidance, we provide honest and reasonable assessments of the products we review by checking their characteristics, packaging, design, comfort and durability features, and general product rating. We select products from only high-quality and trusted sports brands, thus vouching for their quality.
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Author: Ihor Shymechko
Pro Olympic Weightlifter, Coach
Best Results: Snatch – 208 kg,
C&J – 240 kg
Ihor has been a professional weightlifter since 1996, boasting over two decades of competition experience. His notable achievements include clinching the European Championship in 2009 and securing a silver medal in the 105kg division at the Senior World Championships in 2011. Ihor represented his country in the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Summer Olympics. After retiring from competitive weightlifting, he transitioned to coaching, leveraging his vast experience to guide athletes who now compete on both national and international stages.
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