Doorway pull-up bars are the least sturdy options of all other types. However, if you don’t want to bother building a full spectrum home gym, this light piece of equipment can make or break your home workout success.
Below are reviewed the best doorway pull-up bars to spare you later regrets:
- Rogue Jammer Pull Up Bar
- Sportneer Pull Up Bar
- ProSource Multi-Grip Lite Chin-Up/Pull-Up Bar
- Ultimate Body Press XL Doorway Pull Up Bar
While in my detailed pull-up bar review there’s a list of the most popular choices like ceiling mounted pull-up bars, truth is, most of them require more space which is something home workout aficionados rarely have. In contrast, doorway pull-up bars— the classic ones being literally just a stick—as their name imply, only require a doorframe and provide easy storage. Read on for a detailed review.
REVIEWS
The Rogue Jammer Pull Up Bar
The Rogue Jammer Pull Up Bar provides superior stability compared to the other products on our list. This is not a classic doorway pull-up bar, but rather a wall-mounted model measuring 43 inches wide to accommodate even the widest grips. Its 8.25 inches of depth from the wall ensures that you won’t end up hitting your arms against the top of the doorframe during your workouts. You can order this bar with a smooth or knurled surface, in a powder-coated or stainless steel version available in ten color options. However, even the knurled versions include a smooth middle part, 17,4″ wide similar to Olympic barbells. This is not the typical low-quality knurling you find on cheap chrome fitness equipment. Rogue has high expertise in making the right grip for the purpose, and the Jammer pull-up bar is unlikely to leave abrasions.
The fact that this pull-up bar sits above the doorframe means that it provides you extra space for your head and legs, making it easier to perform repetitions with a full range of motion. It also reduces how much you need to bend your knees, as most doorframe bars are limited in height. As this bar is mounted above the doorframe, it gives you extra leg space.
The only disadvantage of the Jammer bar is that it’s a permanent solution, you can’t put it down and store it away once you’re finished with your training.
Pros:
- Highly stable due to its wall mounted installation
- Allows for full range of motion and extra leg room
- Wide 43-inch bar and a depth of 8.25 inches
Cons:
- Does not detach for easy, portable storage
Sportneer Pull Up Bar
The Sportneer Pull Up Bar is a go-to product if you are looking for a ton of different grip variation options. This bar offers 12 grip options, allowing you to hit your muscles from a variety of angles. This product is also adjustable for door widths of between 24 and 36 inches and thicknesses of between 5.5 and 6.3 inches. In addition, Sportneer with its ordinary door pull-up bar design is obviously really simple to install, still, it has a weight limit of 330 pounds.
One problem with this pull-up bar is the damage it can cause to the doorframe, especially those with smaller widths. The foam padding on the support bars can wear down quickly, causing the metal to dig into the frame and dent it. Though, this problem can be addressed by installing extra padding or adding an extra layer between the metal and the doorframe. This product also sits below the top of the door, which may limit your range of motion during exercise.
Pros:
- Adjustable width from 24 to 36 inches to fit most doorframes
- 12 unique grip options
- Easy to install with 330-pound weight limit
Cons:
- Foam pads break down quickly and can damage doorframe
- Sits below doorframe, providing less space for your feet
ProSource Multi-Grip Lite Chin-Up/Pull-Up Bar
This ProSource pull-up bar provides a basic frame design at an economical price point. Wide, narrow, and neutral grips can be used, offering a number of different variations for workout routines. The grips are also covered with non-slip foam to provide comfort. This product fits all standard doors with widths between 24 and 32 inches.
Like the previous model, this bar also sits below the height of the doorframe, which can limit the space for your legs and range of motion. The foam pads that rest on the face of the doorframe are also quite thin and may not keep the metal bars from damaging the molding. To prevent this, additional precautions may need to be taken.
Pros:
- Offers six different grip variations
- Fits doorframes measuring 24 to 32 inches wide
- Economical price point
Cons:
- Bar height is low, limiting leg room and range of motion
- Foam pads can cause damage to the doorframe
Ultimate Body Press XL Doorway Pull Up Bar
The Ultimate Body Press XL Doorway Pull Up Bar fits doors between 24 and 36 inches wide, and it has a weight capacity of 300 pounds. Because it sits an inch above the doorframe and 10 inches away from the wall, it provides you with plenty of extra headroom, more space below to increase range of motion, and prevents you from bumping into the wall during your workouts.
This piece of equipment can also be dropped down to the floor to be used for pushups, crunches, and dips to provide a full-body workout.
The handles do come with padding, but this padding is thin and can result in either dents or scuff marks on the doorframe. This product is also a bit larger and takes up more space than the other models. If limited storage space is an issue, this factor should be considered.
Pros:
- Fits wide range of door widths, from 24 to 36 inches
- Bar sits one inch above the doorframe and 10 inches from the wall
- Can be used on the floor for pushups, dips, and crunches
Cons:
- Black foam can leave scuff marks and dents in doorframe
- Slightly larger construction, taking up more space in storage
How to Choose the Proper Doorway Pull-Up Bar
Selecting the proper doorway pull-up bar mostly depends on the amount of space you have, the setup style you are looking for, and the grip variations you desire.
Sturdiness
One of the biggest potential issues with doorway pull-up bars is their stability or lack thereof. There are two main styles of doorway pull-up bars: telescopic models that expand and span the inside of the doorframe and other self-supporting structures that include a support bar that sits on the top of the doorframe. Nearly all of our top choices are the latter.
Our list does not include any pull-up bars that are telescopic and expand inside the doorframe. These models are not only more unstable, but they also provide little space above the bar for your head. This makes it difficult to perform repetitions with a full range of motion without hitting your head on the top of the doorframe.
I also included one product, the Rogue Jammer Pull Up Bar, which is not like the other “classic” doorway models. Instead, this one mounts to the wall above the doorframe. While it is not detachable, it is by far the most stable of all the options.
Doorway Pull Up Bar Safety
While self-supporting doorframe bars offer more stability than the expandable options, they still require you to perform pull-ups carefully to avoid potential personal injuries.
Doorway pull-up bars are not ideal for swinging exercises, like kipping pull-ups, or exercises where you hang upside down or swing your feet upwards towards the bar. Performing these motions can cause the pull-up bar to rock, and detach from the doorframe causing injuries.
If you are into functional training, calisthenics, gymnastics and like to experiment with more dynamic pull-up variations, then wall-mountable, or ceiling-mounted pull-up bars are the way to go. They offer plenty more stability and space if properly equipped.
To avoid accidents with doorway pull-up bars, it is important to ensure that your bar is fit securely on the doorframe and that the top support bar is firmly resting on the frame’s upper edge. Making sure to check that the door is the correct thickness for your specific model is also crucial. With some models, the product dimensions can often be adjusted to fit your specific door size.
You also must perform each repetition in a controlled manner. This could actually be a benefit as it encourages you to practice proper form without using momentum. One study examined the difference in muscle activation in a standard pull-up versus a kipping pull-up. They found that in the standard pull-up, muscle activation in the latissimus dorsi and biceps brachii was much higher than in the kipping pull-up, meaning that the standard pull-up provides a better workout rep for rep.
Grip Variations
If you like to incorporate a wide variety of different pull-ups and chin-ups into your workouts, choosing a product that includes the proper grips could be a major selling point.
Switching up your grip by bringing your hands closer together or farther apart or turning your hands around will activate different muscles and change the areas of muscle growth. There are many different grips that you can try, and this video gives plenty of unique variations.
Doorway Size
One important thing to consider when deciding which pull-up bar to purchase is the size of your doorframe. It is important to measure the width of the outside of the doorframe and the width of the door opening. Doorway pull-up bars often come with a range of doorway widths they are compatible with, most often ranging somewhere between 24 and 36 inches.
Doorframe thickness is also an important measurement. Most doorframes have thicknesses of between five and eight inches, with the most common being around six inches.
Doorframe Padding
One of the biggest complaints with doorway pull-up bars is the damage they can cause to the frame. While most products have a foam or plastic covering over the metal bar, the weight forced into the doorframe can cause dents, scrapes, and other damage. This damage can be even worse if your bar doesn’t correctly fit your door. Some models use a flatter, rectangular-shaped pad to better disperse the force going into the frame, but others use a simple padded bar.
Selecting a bar with adequate padding on it is the most convenient option, but putting extra padding around the bar or using cardboard as a buffer between the pad and doorframe can also be good options to decrease damage to your home.
Conclusion
The winner of my best doorway pull-up bar lineup is the Rogue Jammer bar. While it features a completely different design than the typical models on the market for doorway pull-ups, it is this simplicity that makes it reliable.
While most doorway pull-up bars are designed to bare only against vertical forces, on the Jammer bar you can attach a TRX for inverted rows. Since it is fixed permanently on the wall, it will not come loose by side-angled forces, and this multi-faceted use elevates it above other models’ limited usability.
Finally, the quality workmanship typical of Rogue makes this bar a piece that will last a lifetime. The attention to the smallest details, the welding, the sturdy bolts, and the range of available colors for the bar with its smooth knurling all add to the final experience and this sums up the reasons why I recommend this bar over the competition.
