You want a pull-up bar at home, but a quick look online shows there’s more than one type (each claiming to be the best). Do you need one that bolts to the wall, fits in a doorway, or can be moved to different locations? Here’s exactly what you need to know about the most common types of pull up bars, so you can make the right choice.

Benefits of Having a Pull-Up Bar at Home

Having a pull bar at home removes every excuse. You can knock out a set of pull ups between calls or every time you make a coffee.

Pull-ups are one of the most effective upper body exercises you can do - they work your lats, rhomboids, rear delts, biceps, and core. They also develop functional strength that is useful in daily life.

Beyond pull-ups, a good bar opens up loads of other exercises. Hanging leg raises for core work, dead hangs for grip strength, you can even add gymnastics rings to the bar.

Comparing Pull Up Bars Pros and Cons

Wall Mounted Pull-Up Bar

This is the serious home pull up bar option. Wall mounted bars bolt directly into the wall, creating a permanent, solid anchor point.

Pros: bomb-proof stability, multiple grip positions, always ready to use. Ours sits 900mm away from the wall, so you can do levers, muscle ups, and other calisthenics exercises.

Cons: permanent installation required, needs solid wall mounting, not portable.

Best for: people with a dedicated training space who want maximum stability for pull ups and advanced movements like muscle-ups, weighted pull-ups, levers.

Why choose it: if you have the wall space, nothing beats the stability and permanence of a wall-mounted bar.

Door Pull-Up Bar

The classic pull up bar option that launched a thousand teenage fitness journeys. Door pull up bars expand to the width of your doorframe and lock in place.

Pros: no screws or installation needed, won’t damage the doorframe, removable after each use if necessary, budget-friendly.

Cons: door frame width might limit your grip width, and door frame height will limit the movements you can do.

Best for: renters, people with limited space, anyone wanting to test the waters before a larger investment.

Why choose it: great first pull-up bar so you can start training immediately, a quality real steel door pull up bar tested by athletes.

Portable Pull Up Rack

The Swiss Army knife of pull-up bars, our best-selling portable pull up rack is a freestanding frame for pull-up bars at different heights plus dip stations and much more.

Pros: multiple calisthenics exercise options, different bar heights, no wall mounting needed, comes with storage bag, portable, fast to put up and take down.

Cons: takes up space, requires assembly, not as stable as wall-mounted pull up bar (although our extension kit adds stability).

Best for: people wanting a complete calisthenics training station, people with a garden or training space.

Why choose it: for maximum exercise variety and a portable option, this is a complete calisthenics setup in one unit.

Statics Bar

Our athlete-designed statics bar is every calisthenics fan’s choice for simple, effective upper body training indoors or outdoors.

Pros: weather-resistant construction, great stability, and nice bar diameter for holds, levers, dips, planche and more.

Cons: not as tall as other pull up bar options, more of an all-rounder than true pull up equipment.

Best for: calisthenics fans who want a versatile statics bar for working on a variety of calisthenics movements.

Why choose it: you love calisthenics and want an athlete-approved piece of kit for your holds, levers, dips, planche and more.

Which Pull Up Bar Wins The Ultimate Battle?

Each of these options would be a great choice, but the best one depends on your situation.

For beginners or renters: start with the door bar – it’s affordable, easy to use, and great quality (ours is proper steel, no horrible foam!)

For people with wall space: choose the stability and permanence of our wall mounted pull up bar – designed with enough clearance for muscle ups and levers too.

For maximum versatility: there’s a reason our portable pull up rack is a best-seller, the exercise variety is incredible and it’s so easy to move around.

For calisthenics athletes: the statics bar is a great addition to your calisthenics training collection, for levers, planche, holds and more.

The best pull-up bar is the one you'll actually use consistently. Don't overthink it, pick the option that fits your current situation and start training. You can always upgrade later if your goals or environment change.

Explore the collection at the Gravity Fitness site, and let us know if you need help choosing!