A power rack is essential for any serious strength training gym. It’s an all-inclusive piece of equipment that allows you to do every compound exercise you need for a full-body workout, from pull-ups and dips to squats and deadlifts. The best power racks are built like tanks with sturdy construction, bolt-together frames, and high weight capacity. With a power rack in your home gym, you won’t have to walk around the gym between exercises or move various machines into place.
Power racks allow you to do all of the big lifts with heavy weights while ensuring your safety through spotters and different safety bars that prevent injury if you fail a rep. A good power rack will also allow you to add on other equipment such as cable crossovers and lat pulldowns to become the central hub of your home gym.
How we chose the best power racks
Power racks are a fantastic way to get stronger and cut corners on the price of your gym membership. Don’t be intimidated because they’re available in different sizes, with various features, and even require you to lift some weight in them. Those things will probably seem like excuses not to buy one when you first hear about them. The main thing is that power racks are great for ensuring that you have a stable surface for your barbells or dumbbells to rest on during your routines. That’s what matters; it’s just nice to know that all your hard work will be rewarded when you finally finish each set or reach your goal weight!
We picked this favorite rack because it has two very important features: It doesn’t roll around, which makes it easy to store, and it pulls out in two directions so that you can do any exercises from either end. The pull-out feature is great for when you want overhead presses or rows from one side of the rack but want seated rows from the other side.
The best power racks
The best power racks are the ones you can use for squats, bench presses, and pull-ups. Although some terrific boards have been released in recent years, they’ve all had issues with supporting the weight of people attempting to do more than one movement at a time.
The problem stems from their size. When you’re setting up in a power rack, the support structures are built so that each piece is designed to support only one of these three exercises at a time, thus leaving little room for users to use other equipment as well… except when you add an ab machine, which slides underneath and allows people to do all three movements at once! And because most people can squat far more weight than they can lift on a bench press or pull-up bar (and vice versa), it’s hard to find the appropriate amount of resistance for each exercise… unless you build your machine by selecting the right pieces.
So if you’re looking for the best power rack, find one that’s sturdy enough to hold large loads and has space underneath for additional equipment. You may also want to consider picking up some lat bars or overhead devices—whatever works best with your body type; as long as you have access to it.
1. Rogue RML-390F Flat Foot Monster Lite Rack
The Rogue RML-390F is a flat-foot rack at about $1,350. This power rack should hold up against some pretty aggressive use if you’re looking for durability. The flat foot design means that it won’t rock or wobble when you pull on the bar, and it’s also sturdy enough to handle a couple of thousand pounds without relenting.
But arguably, the most exciting part about the RML-390F is the wide array of attachments available from Rogue, ranging from safety straps and dip bars to landmine systems and squat stands. With all of these options available, your training can become as creative as your imagination allows.
2. Marcy Home Gym Cage System Workout Station
The Marcy Home Gym Cage System is another solid option for anyone looking for a power rack that does everything. It’s a versatile piece of equipment, with 16 total adjustment positions for the safety spotter bars and 32 different workout options. This means you can get as creative as you want and adjust your workouts in ways that challenge your body consistently. There are two weight pegs on each side of the rack, giving you ample room to store any additional weights, so they don’t get in the way while working out. The upright posts are also fitted with plate storage posts that allow you to store Olympic-sized weight plates directly on the cage itself, providing even more flexibility and versatility when customizing your routine.
This power rack is designed with safety and comfort in mind, so it has multiple safety features that make it stand out from other options. For instance, it has 24-inch long J-hooks made from high-density materials—this means they’re strong enough to hold heavy weights without bending or breaking under pressure! These J-hooks will ensure your barbell doesn’t slip off during an exercise and cause an injury (or damage valuable equipment). A pair of dip handles are also included if you’re looking for more intense ab work during your workout routine–and because there are 24 holes per side post (for adjustable height levels), we’re sure there’ll be one right at perfect length just waiting!
3. Fringe Squat Rack with Pull-Up
Loaded with safety features, this squat rack is great for beginners and experts alike. Its slim design makes it ideal for small spaces, and the frame’s sturdy steel construction means that you can load up to 800 pounds of weight onto the crossbars without any wobble or bending. The rack’s height-adjustable bars allow it to perform a whole range of different exercises, including bench presses, squats, and deadlifts. A metal pull-up bar also makes it easy to do bodyweight exercises like pull-ups in the comfort of your home gym.
4. REP PR-1000 Home Gym Power Rack
The REP PR-1000 Home Gym Power Rack defines a well-rounded piece of equipment. This power rack is a squat rack, pull-up bar, dip station, and landmine station. It has a sturdy, solid steel frame that comes with a lifetime warranty and will last for years and years to come. If you want to expand your workout even further, tons of accessories are available, including band pegs, weight storage horns, spotter arms, cable attachments, dip handles, and more.
5. Rogue R-6 Power Rack
The Rogue R-6 ranks high on the market and has a lot of potential for variation. It comes with multiple pull-up bars, a flat foot design, and cable attachments. There are also optional add-ons like extra storage.
6. PRx Profile ONE Squat Rack with Kipping Bar
If you’re looking for a smaller power rack that can fold away when not in use, the PRx Profile ONE Squat Rack with Kipping Bar might be right. This power rack is great for beginners who are just getting into strength training and still working out how they want to set up their home gym and advanced users who are interested in more intense conditioning workouts involving kipping pull-ups.
The PRx Profile ONE Squat Rack with Kipping Bar is innovative because it has an option to pair it with an optional folding bench that doesn’t take up much space when not in use. The squat rack itself folds down to only 5 inches wide, so it’s easy to tuck away when not in use, making this a good choice if you live in an apartment or have limited space at home.
This squat rack can handle 600 pounds of weight, and though the height of the uprights is shorter than some other racks on this list, there’s still plenty of room for squats, deadlifts, chest presses, and more. It also comes packaged with a pull-up bar that can be attached like kipping bars found at CrossFit gyms.
7. Force USA Myrack Folding Power Rack
If you live in a small apartment or a home with limited space, this power rack from Force USA is both compact and foldable for easy storage. Though it’s lightweight enough to be moved if necessary, this durable piece of equipment has a lifetime warranty that ensures its quality.
The rack offers full customization, including the ability to add things like dip bars and heavy bag holders. Users can also set up the unit with optional attachments (sold separately), such as plate storage pegs, weight horns, and resistance band pegs. Whatever body-building challenges you have in mind, you can set them up on this rack without hassle. The company also offers creative exercises to help you get started using your new equipment.
The only downside is the pullup bar: it’s too close to the wall for most users to extend their arms at the top of their pull-ups fully. But if you’re looking for a compact solution that gives you plenty of options for other bodyweight exercises, this easily customizable power rack is worth considering for your home gym.
8. Sorinex XL Series Power Rack
Want to bench press? You can do that. How about a squat? Yep, you can do that too. Are you interested in doing pull-ups? Dips? Deadlifts? Lunges? T-bar rows? All possible with this rack. The Sorinex XL Series Power Rack is versatile and sturdy, made from 11 gauge steel and featuring Westside hole spacing (with 7/8″ holes) for added strength. But it’s not just the quality of the material that makes this power rack stand out: its design also allows it to be used in various ways to support your weightlifting goals. If you’re ready to take your fitness journey seriously, look no further than the Sorinex XL Series Power Rack—one of the best power racks you can add to your home gym tonight!
9. GETRX’D Powder-Coated Backyard Titan RMU Rig
The Backyard Titan RMU Rig from GETRX’D is a backyard power rack designed for serious lifter who wants to create a home gym in their backyard. It’s made of two-inch stainless steel tubing and is powder-coated so that it can withstand all kinds of weather. The dimensions are 7′ high, 4′ wide, and 3′ deep—so you’ll want to make sure you have the space in your yard for it before purchasing!
The unit comes with a 2′-long pull-up bar and 3′ spotter arms and j-hooks that can be moved up and down the frame to accommodate different heights. The unit also has three-band pegs on each side of the rack so you can attach exercise bands or chains for extra resistance.
10. Sunny Health & Fitness Power Zone Squat Stand Power Rack
This squat rack is made from heavy-duty steel and has a maximum weight capacity of 300 pounds. It also has adjustable J-Hooks and a pull-up bar with multiple grip options, so you can do everything from bench presses to shoulder shrugs with ease. You’ll get plenty of bang for your buck even though it only costs $200.
The other good news is that the Power Zone rack comes fully assembled and ready for use, so you won’t waste time putting it together yourself. The only slight downside is that although it’s advertised as having a height of 60 inches, it measures up at just over 58 inches. However, this shouldn’t prevent you from using the Power Zone as a squat rack—it will still be tall enough to accommodate most people’s height without much effort.
How to choose a power rack
The best way to choose a power rack is, obviously, by considering your needs. If you don’t want to do squats but do want to lift weights, you can purchase a power rack specifically; an adjustable pull-up bar will also suffice. Or, if you’re looking for a place to store your gear while in the gym, any significant and sturdy platform could work well.
When purchasing a power rack, the main factors are the unit’s price, its weight capacity, and what types of exercises you plan on using it for. For example, if you have limited space and budget and want to do pull-ups, then a squat rack with rollers will probably not be cost-effective or practical because it will be extremely bulky. But if you have more room and are willing to come up with alternate ways of doing pull-ups (i.e., rings), this set-up would be ideal—and save money at the same time!
1. Size and dimensions
I’ll discuss the following factors about each power rack:
- Size and dimensions: How much space do you have available, and how big is the rack? It’s important to make sure there’s enough room for your power rack. It would help if you also considered whether or not you need extra floor space for a bench and the extra length of barbells sticking out of the sides of the power rack. Your power rack should be sturdy enough to handle years of heavy lifting without wobbling or shaking. It should also have plenty of weight capacity to accommodate your needs as you continue growing stronger. Other dimensions to keep in mind include how far apart the uprights are from one another—which will determine how many different exercises you can perform inside the rack—the maximum height for pull-ups, what height your safety bars are set at, what size J-hooks it has (some racks will require an upgrade), its wheelbase (if applicable), and its overall footprint.
2. Safety features
Before buying a power rack, keep in mind that safety is important. You’re dealing with heavyweights, so you want to ensure that your rack has the best precautions possible. We’ll look at the most common safety features on a power rack and what each one does for your workout:
- Safety pins or spotter’s arms: These steel posts are inserted into the rack and catch the barbell if you can’t lift it anymore. This feature, included on all our recommended racks, lets you work out alone safely, with no other spotter required. The best power racks have multiple sets of pins so that you can set them at different heights according to how much weight is lifted and how high off the ground it is.
- J-hooks: These hooks are used as an alternative to safety pins, but they require more space between them (and therefore more overall height in your rack) since they hold an empty barbell instead of just one end. They’re not quite as good as pins since they don’t offer any security if you drop the barbell—but if there’s nothing under them to catch a dropped barbell, then neither will safety pins either!
J-hooks are less expensive than safety pins because they’re bent pieces of steel; however, we recommend sticking with our top picks for their pin systems.
3. Safety features
If the safety features of your power rack aren’t properly designed, there’s a chance you could get pinned to the wall during a bench press or worse. It has at least one pair of safety bars and J-cups to keep the barbell in place. Suitable racks have adjustable safeties, so you can move them up and down as needed.
4. Fitness goals
To narrow down the options and find the perfect piece of equipment for your own needs, you’ll need to consider the following:
- Your fitness goals. What exercise(s) do you plan to perform with a power rack? Are you looking to build muscle mass or increase your strength in a certain area? Do you want this single piece of equipment to handle all your fitness needs, or are you looking for something more specific? Once you’ve established your fitness goals, it’s time to find a piece of equipment that can help you achieve them and fit them into your budget.
- Your budget. If money is tight, don’t worry! If there’s one thing all those late-night infomercials have taught us, just about anything can be achieved on a budget if you’re willing to put in the work. While shopping for power racks may not present itself as an opportunity for much haggling (unlike buying a car), there are still plenty of ways to save: by relying on Craigslist rather than Amazon or Walmart; by purchasing an open-box item at Home Depot; and so on.
5. Freestanding vs. bolt
- Freestanding power racks come with a base that doesn’t require bolting to the floor or walls. They’re portable, smaller, and lighter than their bolted counterparts—which are rather hefty due to their heavy-duty nature—and don’t have to be permanently affixed in one place.
- Bolted power racks need to be secured to the floor or wall for safety reasons and have a higher weight capacity: generally, around 700 pounds, compared to 450 pounds for freestanding. As a result, they tend to be more stable during lifts.
Bottom Line
A power rack is a piece of gym equipment that allows you to perform compound exercises from the safety and comfort of your home. A versatile piece of equipment allows you to do multiple workouts with one rack. The best power racks will let you complete a full-body workout, including pulling-ups, bench presses, squats, shoulder press deadlifts, etc. Power racks are also extremely useful for beginners or advanced gym rats who want to train alone and need a spotter.
When choosing the right power rack for your home, there are a few things you should consider:
- What exercises will you be doing on the rack? If you’re looking to perform squats and bench presses, then look at shorter and shorter racks because they don’t require as much space as taller ones. If you are training on different heights in pull-ups or chin-ups, then look at multi-height power racks that can be adjusted vertically using a simple bolt-in add-on piece. For example, Rogue’s Monster Lite 3×3 Power Rack has all these features plus more! It’s built out of American steel by expert craftsmen in Ohio so expect only the highest quality parts!
Now that we’ve covered what a power rack is, here are our top picks for the best power racks available!
