Giving calisthenics equipment as a gift is simple if you know two things: the person's level and their home. Here are 14 ideas sorted by budget, each with who it suits and what to check before buying.
Three questions before you choose
- What is their level? A beginner needs help with their first pull-ups. Someone experienced needs added weight or new movements.
- Can they drill at home? Only give a wall-mounted bar if you know their walls. If they rent or you're in doubt, stick to things that stand on the floor or can be put away.
- Do they have the space? A resistance band fits in a pocket. A pull-up and dip station takes up one square metre.
The ideas by budget, at a glance
Under €20
| Idea | Who it's for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Grip tape | Anyone who trains on a bar | A consumable: it always gets used. Sold in packs of 3, 5 or 8 rolls. |
| Resistance band, light resistance | Beginner or experienced | Shoulder warm-up, mobility, arm work. |
| Push-up bars | Beginner, sensitive wrists | They take the strain off the wrists and extend the range of motion. |
Our pick: grip tape for someone who already has their equipment, push-up bars for someone who is starting out.
From €20 to €30
| Idea | Who it's for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Resistance band, medium or heavy resistance | Beginner aiming for their first pull-up | The resistance depends on their weight: see what resistance to choose. |
| Ab wheel | All levels | Double wheel, supplied with a knee mat. Fits in a drawer. |
| Dip belt | Someone who can do 10 pull-ups | It's loaded with cast iron weight plates: check that they have some, or that they go to a gym. |
| Wooden parallettes | All levels, flat | Push-ups, L-sit, balance. Lengths to choose from: 20, 25 or 30 cm. |
Our pick: the wooden parallettes. They're useful from day one through to advanced skills, and they look good when unwrapped.
From €30 to €50
| Idea | Who it's for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Wooden gymnastic rings | Experienced | Supplied with their straps. They need a hanging point: bar, beam or branch. |
Our pick: the rings, the gift that opens up the most new exercises for someone who already trains.
From €50 to €125
| Idea | Who it's for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Weighted vest | Experienced | Sold empty, in a 20 or 50 kg version. The steel plates are ordered separately. |
| Multi-grip door pull-up bar | Beginner, someone who rents | No drilling: it sits on a standard door frame, with three grips. |
| Multi-grip wall-mounted bar | Someone with a load-bearing wall | Needs fixing to the wall: only give it if you know their walls. |
| Adjustable door pull-up bar | Someone who rents | Adjustable from 65 to 130 cm. Measure the door frame first. |
| Foam floor tiles | Someone setting up their training corner | 24 tiles of 60 cm. The parcel is bulky. |
Our pick: the multi-grip door pull-up bar. No holes to drill, three grips, and it suits all levels.
Over €125
| Idea | Who it's for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral grip wall-mounted bar | Someone who has a load-bearing wall | Needs fixing to the wall: only give it if you know their walls. |
| Wall-mounted bar with brackets | Advanced, load-bearing wall | Offset from the wall, for movements that need space. Needs fixing to the wall. |
Three bundles to put together yourself
Two small gifts that go together are often better than one big one.
- The first pull-up bundle, around €85: a multi-grip door pull-up bar and a medium resistance band. Everything needed to follow the method in your first pull-up.
- The flat bundle, around €65: wooden parallettes, an ab wheel and a light resistance band. Nothing to fix, everything fits under a bed.
- The hands and weight bundle, around €40: a dip belt and grip tape, for someone who already trains seriously.
Gifts to avoid without finding out first
- A wall-mounted bar if you don't know what they will fix it to. On a plasterboard partition wall, it can't be fixed directly: see pull-up bar on plasterboard.
- A weighted vest for a beginner. Until you have mastered your bodyweight, it stays in the cupboard.
- A door pull-up bar without the measurement of the door frame. Ask for it discreetly.
- A duplicate. If they already have a bar, give what goes around it: resistance band, rings, belt.
TipIf you can't decide between two ideas, take the one that wears out or the one that can be put away. A resistance band, grip tape or parallettes are never one too many.
Ordering in time
Delivery times range from a few days to three weeks depending on the product. They're shown on each product page. For a Christmas gift, aim to order before 1 December, especially for wall-mounted bars, which have the longest lead time.
You have 14 days after delivery to change your mind. If you order early, open the parcel and check the product before wrapping it: by Christmas, the period may have passed.
Common mistakeBuying the biggest thing to please someone. A pull-up and dip station in a studio flat or a wall-mounted bar with no load-bearing wall is a gift that gets returned. The right gift is the one that gets used the very next day.
Mentioned in this guide
Adjustable Pull Up and Dip Station, 150 kg150 kg · 165 to 219 cm, 10 positions · Reinforced steel, 1.2 mm thick121,90 €
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