Three things decide which pull-up bar you need: your wall, your ceiling height and what you want to do with it. This guide shows you how to choose a pull-up bar in five minutes, then which model to pick from our pull-up bars.
Why have a pull-up bar at home
A bar is enough to train your whole upper body: back, biceps, shoulders, forearms, and your abs with leg raises. It takes up little space, goes up once and lasts for years. Above all, it works at every level: band-assisted pull-ups to start, weighted pull-ups when bodyweight is no longer enough.
The 3 questions to ask yourself before choosing
1. Can you drill, and into what kind of wall?
A wall or ceiling bar needs something solid to fix into: concrete or solid brick. If you rent, or if your walls are plasterboard, go straight to door pull-up bars and free-standing pull-up bars.
Common mistakeFixing a wall-mounted bar to a plasterboard partition. Your moving bodyweight ends up tearing out the fixings.
2. How much height do you have?
Measure your ceiling height first. A bar too close to the ceiling stops you getting your chin over it. A bar too low forces you to bend your legs. The figures are further down, in the mounting height section.
3. What do you want to do with it?
- Strict pull-ups and dead hangs: any type of bar works.
- Added weight, rings, advanced movements: you need an offset wall-mounted bar, securely fixed.
- Pull-ups and dips in one place: a pull-up and dip station does both.
The 4 types of pull-up bar
| Type | Drilling | Space taken | Best for | Downside |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Door pull-up bar | No | None, it comes down | Renters, beginners, small spaces | Strict pull-ups only, solid door frame required |
| Wall-mounted bar | Yes, solid load-bearing wall | Small | Regular training, added weight, accessories | Permanent installation |
| Ceiling bar | Yes, concrete slab or joists | None on the wall | Rooms with no free load-bearing wall | Harder to install, height to check |
| Free-standing bar | No | Less than 1 m² of floor space | Pull-ups and dips with no drilling | Bulky, less rigid than a wall fixing |
Door pull-up bar
A telescopic door pull-up bar locks in place by pressure between the two sides of your door frame. You put it up in a few minutes, with no drilling, and take it down whenever you want. It's the obvious choice if you rent or are just starting out.
Before you order, check two things on your door:
- The inside width of the frame, from one side to the other: it must fall within the bar's adjustment range.
- What the frame is made of: solid wood, masonry or metal. Never plasterboard or a hollow frame.
Our doorway models:
- Door pull-up bar: 65 to 100 cm or 90 to 130 cm, for door frames from 70 to 120 cm. Foam handles, manufacturer's stated maximum load: 200 kg.
For more grip options, our multi-grip doorway pull-up bar offers wide, close and neutral grips. Check frame compatibility and the installation requirements on its product page before choosing.
The downside: a door pull-up bar is made for strict pull-ups, with no swinging. Forget the muscle-up and swinging movements. There are also hook-on bars that sit on top of the frame: they need a compatible ledge and wall thickness.
TipAlways test your door pull-up bar with both hands, feet on the floor, before you hang from it.
Wall-mounted pull-up bar
Fixed to a solid load-bearing wall, a wall-mounted bar is the most stable option. It suits regular training several times a week and continued progression. Several configurations are available.
The multi-grip bar
Several handles let you vary the width of your hands: wide, standard or narrow grip. It's the most versatile design for beginners. Our multi-grip wall-mounted bar with 6 handles comes with 8 wall plugs and screws.
The downside: the handles are fixed. You can't place your hands freely as on a straight bar.
The neutral grip bar
Parallel handles place your palms facing each other. Many people find this grip more comfortable for their elbows and shoulders. Our wall-mounted bar with parallel grips also offers a wide grip on its angled ends.
The downside: only two grips, neutral and wide.
The offset bar with brackets
Two brackets hold the bar away from the wall. You can bring your chin above it without hitting the wall and have room to hang rings or a band. This design suits weighted pull-ups and preparing your first muscle-up. Our offset wall-mounted pull-up bar is a straight steel bar, allowing both overhand and underhand grips.
The downside: it can only be fixed into concrete or solid brick, and bare steel is more slippery than foam. Get some grip tape if your hands sweat.
The wall-mounted bar with dip station
The wall-mounted pull-up and dip bar combines pulling and pushing on one piece of equipment and keeps the floor clear. It must be drilled into a solid load-bearing wall: check the support and fitting instructions before buying.
Ceiling pull-up bar
A ceiling bar is fixed into a concrete slab or wooden joists. It's useful when no wall is suitable: it keeps your walls free and leaves space all around you. On the other hand, it's harder to install and the bar hangs below the ceiling: check you still have enough height to hang. If your ceiling is the only solid surface in the room, a free-standing pull-up bar is often easier to set up.
Free-standing pull-up bar
A power tower or a pull-up and dip station stands up on its own. You don't drill anything and you get dip bars on the same frame. You need a flat, hard floor, less than 1 m² of floor space and enough ceiling height.
The downside: a free-standing station is still less rigid than a bar fixed to the wall. It suits strict movements, not swinging, and its stated maximum load includes your bodyweight and any added weight. To organise the rest of your space, read how to set up a training corner at home.
The 5 things to check
- The maximum load. Add up your bodyweight and the added weight you plan to use one day, then leave a margin. The stated figure applies to a bar correctly fixed into a suitable surface.
- The distance from the wall. The further the bar sits from the wall, the more room you have for your head, knees and accessories.
- The grips. Foam is comfortable for beginners; bare steel lasts longer but is more slippery. A thicker bar works your grip harder.
- The fixings. Check that they're supplied and that they suit your wall.
- The space it takes. A door pull-up bar goes in a cupboard, a wall-mounted bar stays in place, a station takes up a corner of the room.
How high to mount your pull-up bar
Two constraints pull against each other: the space above the bar and the height below it. Start at the top: leave 40 to 50 cm between the bar and the ceiling to get your head and shoulders over.
Under a standard 2.50 m ceiling, the bar ends up at around 2 m to 2.10 m from the floor. At that height, you can grab it without jumping and you hang with your knees slightly bent: that's normal, and it doesn't affect your pull-ups.
If you have more height, place the bar at least 20 to 30 cm above your head. For the muscle-up, you need much more: your whole torso goes over the bar.
How much to budget for a pull-up bar
Compare current prices for doorway bars, wall-mounted bars and freestanding stations on their product pages. Displayed prices depend on the model and selected delivery market.
What pushes the price up: the number of grips, the distance from the wall and, for a station, a frame that also holds the dip bars. Price doesn't buy safety: what counts is what the bar is fixed into and how well it's fixed.
Which pull-up bar is right for you
| Your situation | Our advice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You're a beginner and can drill | Multi-grip wall-mounted bar | Several grips, fixings supplied |
| You rent or your walls are plasterboard | Door pull-up bar | No drilling, comes down in a few minutes |
| Your elbows or shoulders are sensitive | Neutral grip wall-mounted bar | Palms facing each other |
| You're aiming for added weight, rings or the muscle-up | Offset wall-mounted bar with brackets | Straight bar held away from the wall |
| You're short of space | Multi-grip door pull-up bar | They pack away after your session |
Progressing with your bar
- You can't do a pull-up yet. A pull-up resistance band takes some of your weight. See what resistance to choose, then follow the method to get your first pull-up.
- You can do around ten strict pull-ups in a row. It's time to add weight. Compare the weighted vest and the dip belt.
- You want variety. Leg raises, dead hangs, rows: an offset bar also takes gymnastic rings.
In short
With a solid load-bearing wall, get a wall-mounted bar: multi-grip to start, offset with brackets to progress. If you can't drill, get a door pull-up bar for strict pull-ups. Every model is in our pull-up bars collection.
