How to Choose the Best Doorway Pull Up Bar

Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar - Extreme Edition

The least expensive category of pull up bars available for home use mount inside or above a doorway. At the lower end of the price range you’ll find telescoping bars that mount on weight-bearing brackets inside the doorway, and at the higher end you’ll find multi-grip bars that either hang or mount from the top of the doorframe moulding. If you are considering a doorway pull up bar to help you perform pull ups, chin ups, sit ups, and dips at home, read on to find out what you should know before you buy.

Dimensions Are Key

A common complaint from buyers is that a bar they purchased was too wide or too narrow for the doorway they had planned to use. The first thing you’ll need to check before buying any doorway pull up bar is the dimensions of your doorways and the dimensions supported by the product.

• For bars that mount inside the doorframe, you’ll need to measure the width of the opening at the center of the doorframe, as well as the width of the interior of the doorframe where the weight-bearing brackets will be mounted. Make sure you will be able to screw in the weight-bearing brackets with some buffer on either side so the doorframe doesn’t split when you’re exercising.
• For bars that hang over the top of the doorframe, you need to know how wide your door openings are at the point where the horizontal bar will press against the frame, how much space you have between the doorframe opening and the nearest wall, and how tall the moulding is above the doorframe. If you want to use a doorway near a corner, make sure you have enough clearance on both sides of the door to accommodate the horizontal bar. If you want to use a doorway with a door, keep in mind that most doorway pull up bars can only install so the horizontal bar presses against the side of the doorframe opposite the hinges.

Many products in this category indicate that they fit a “standard” doorframe, but manufacturers define this standard size differently. Find out specifically what range of doorway widths the bar fits before you buy.

Safety First

Bars that mount inside the doorframe typically include one or more pairs of weight-bearing brackets to secure the bar at various heights for different exercises. At a minimum, you should install weight-bearing brackets at the height where you will perform pull ups. (Brackets can sometimes be safely omitted when using these bars for sit-ups.) If you don’t want to drill holes in your doorframe, you may want to consider bars that hang from the top of the doorframe moulding or a free standing standing pull up bar. Some users reported using these bars without the included weight-bearing bracket hardware, but this poses a serious safety risk and is not advisable.

Some bars that hang from the top of the doorframe moulding may be used safely without installing brackets of any kind. Check the manufacturer instructions first before using such equipment without brackets.

Pull Up Bar Ergonomics

Consider your body size when purchasing a pull up bar that mounts inside your doorframe. You will probably need to hang from the bar with your knees bent in order not to touch the floor at the start of the exercise, and depending on the height of your ceiling relative to your doorframe height, you may run the risk of hitting your head against the ceiling. If you don’t think you can perform a pull up comfortably given the dimensions of your doorframe, you should consider a wall mounted or free standing pull up bar instead.

The ability to adjust grip width and grip padding is also important for pull up bars. For any pull up bar you’re considering, make sure the separation between the foam grips on the bar can be adjusted.

Common Complaints

Nearly all doorway pull up bars have the potential to leave black marks wherever they come into contact with the wall or doorframe. Some users wrap the offending portions of the bar in clear plastic tape to minimize the damage.

Popular Doorway Pull Up Bars

Valeo Chin Up Bar

Valeo Chin-Up Bar: This is an adjustable length metal bar with foam hand grips. Users liked that the width between the hand grips could be adjusted, and that the bar could be easily repositioned at multiple heights within the doorframe to perform other exercises.

Altus Athletic ADCUB Deluxe Chin Up, Pull Up, Sit Up Bar

Altus Athletic ADCUB Deluxe Chin Up, Pull Up, Sit Up Bar: The manufacturer description and user reviews characterize this as one of the sturdiest bars in this category. Users liked the ease of repositioning the foam grips on this bar, as well as the design of the weight-bearing brackets that prevents the bar from rotating during use. Users noted the interior of the doorframe should be at least 1 7/8″ wide for secure mounting of the brackets.

Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar - Extreme Edition

Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar: Users love the variety of hand grips and sturdiness of this product, as well as the ability to use the bar for pull ups and sit ups without mounting brackets. Though the manufacturer claims you can use this product for dips, most users agreed that the limited range of motion possible when performing dips makes this basically a joke.

P90X Chin-Up Bar

P90X Chin-Up Bar: Many users love the P90X bar and think it’s the sturdiest product in this category. Others say it isn’t good enough to merit the high price (about twice the price of many other products in this category). Keep in mind that, though the P90X looks like many other doorway pull up bars that can be used without mounting brackets, in fact you do need to use the included brackets for the P90X.

Tags: altus athletic, chin up bar, doorway pull up bar, iron gym, p90x, pull up bar, valeo, weight training equipment

This entry was posted on Friday, August 28th, 2009 at 1:00 pm and is filed under Equipment Guide. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.