The Best Power Towers & Pull Up Stations of 2023 (Reviews & Advice)

The power tower is a versatile piece of bodyweight training equipment, and a key home gym purchase. If you’re looking to train with bodyweight exercises at home, it can provide a wide variety of training options in one convenient item.

Today we’re taking a look at what a power tower is for, some of the best power towers on the market, and what you should look for. We’re also going to briefly discuss how each example from our power tower reviews is optimized for key exercises like the pull up, dip, and leg raise.

Read on if you’re ready to cover all of your bodyweight training needs with a single piece of home gym equipment.

Best Power Towers & Pull Up Stations

1. Stamina X Fortress Power Tower

While the overall design of this product is relatively lightweight, the resulting strength and stability are surprising. The frame itself doesn’t have a huge footprint (the floor space it takes up), but it’s well-balanced over the base.

There are very few moving parts here and the overall design is a solid one. It offers a number of key options – pull ups, dips, leg raises, and grip training – while being space-efficient. On top of this, it comes equipped with ab straps, rock climbing handholds, and a ‘plyo box’ on the back.

Our initial feelings on this product are pretty good; it does the basics well and offers a versatile way of training. Equally, the design is pretty nice in classic metal finish with red upright supports, providing a sleek and pleasing design.

Equally, the value of this product is pretty good, sitting in the middle range of what we’re going to discuss today. It offers great dollar-value power, and the only concerns we have are regarding some poor shipping options that could scuff the otherwise-aesthetic design.

Pull Ups

We like the options this product brings to the table for the pull up and its variations. Obviously the power tower is great for pull ups, and the Stamina X Fortress provides more than just different handles. It includes ball grips, neutral-grip bars, and the classic wide-grip pull up bars.

The versatility here is key and we’re really happy to see this small amount of innovation, which can go a long way towards improving your training and keeping things fresh. It’s designed to be the power tower for rock climbers, but has the versatility to suit almost any goal.

Dips

The dip bars are adjustable, which is a great start since so many pull up and dip stations out there don’t offer the option to change to suit your body. This is a quality start and the overall strength/durability of the dip handles seems to be great.

We would prefer a dip handle that isn’t straight throughout since this does limit you a little. A dip bar that offers both straight and angled supports is much better for changing your dips and keeping the shoulders healthy.

This is especially true if you’re a shorter person or have short arms since grip positioning can really affect your dips. It’s a great product and this shouldn’t be a huge issue, but it is the one area we’d like to see improvement.

Leg Raises

The back pad offers all the support you’ll need for knee raises/leg raises. This makes it a solid product, but the addition of the hanging straps for abs offers another way of training your core.

The combination of the two is a great place to start with bodyweight core training and opens up opportunities for all kinds of exercises. The ab straps can change the knee/leg raise significantly, and you should be able to play with oblique crunches, depending on the width of the pull up station itself.

Plyo Box

We’re really not sure how to feel about the plyo box. On the one hand, it’s an extra feature and thus another way of getting some value from a product that will take up some space and cash for your home gym.

On the other hand, however, it does seem to be fiddly. The positioning of the plyo box on the back of the power tower makes it a little clunkier when we would recommend placing this product against a wall/in a corner. It also adds to the overall footprint of the product, which is a concern.

Equally, the adjustable heights don’t go very high (24 inches) and the “box” itself has a hard metal edge. We’d not feel super comfortable doing box jumps onto this surface, so we recommend getting inventive with some insulation foam if you don’t want to carve your shins!

2. Fitness Reality X Class Multi-Function Power Tower

This piece of equipment looks heavy duty – the steel tube frame is high-gauge and the design itself just looks the part. This doesn’t tell us everything we need to know, but it’s a good start on a product that tries to be heavy-duty.

The weight rating is 400lbs as a result, which is pretty good, though not crazy. The handles themselves are varied, with neutral, close, and wide grip options. The pull up bar and dip bars are on opposite sides of the product, however, which drastically increases the space it requires.

Figure 1 – Clearly, this is a compact design and it may not be appropriate for everyone.

Equally, the product itself is relatively small and has a narrow base. This means it’s not going to be a great choice for taller trainees and could lack lateral stability, depending on what you’re doing with it.

We do love the addition of a pair of low-handles (one for inverted rows and one for push up variations), since these add a ton of versatility. However, it’s wobbly on some of the fundamentals, so it’s a bit of a niche pick, suiting smaller people.

Pull Ups

This is a great pull up station for pull ups if you’re shorter than 6 foot. This product just doesn’t have the height required for a good, hollow pull up – which could be perfect for a smaller space and a smaller trainee.

The pull up options are pretty good, but we prefer the Stamina X for versatility and pull ups. This product offers less range, less height, and the balance of the pull up frame behind the product is an odd choice.

Dips

What we don’t like about this product’s dip bars is how they are connected to the leg raise handles. This effectively reduces your range of motion on the way down, since you could easily bump your chest or shoulders on the handles.

The alternative is to dip away from the center of mass, but that misses out on the point of added stability.

Leg Raises

In Fitness Reality’s defence, the leg raises on this product are going to be comfortable and supported. The back pad and the forearm pads/handles do offer stability. The product seems to prioritize this over the dips and pull ups, based on the design.

This is fine, because it’s actually great for those. It does limit your lateral movement, however, so oblique training like side crunches are going to be out. It trades versatility for a ton of comfort doing leg raises.

This isn’t inherently bad, but most people don’t train the sides of their core enough and – if you were looking for a complete workout – this could be a concern. The low-handles are great for side planks, so you can make up for this, we’d just like to see a more free-moving design.

3. Steelbody Pull Up & Dip Station

This is a big boy; the overall design of this product looks imposing; it could well have been designed in Soviet Russia. The structure itself is absolutely solid and offers strong uprights and a great base, while the height is great for taller trainees and the handles for dips/leg raises are separated.

From the get-go, this isn’t a stylish piece of kit but the functional choices it makes are stunning. We love how each of the intended exercises is split up, ensuring that dips and leg raises don’t get in the way of each other.

There’s not much variety when it comes to pull up/chin up handles – such as a lack of neutral grip bars – but what is there works beautifully. There are a few small tweaks (adding angles to the dip bars or adding neutral grip handles), but at a basic level, this product does exactly what we want.

It’s not pretty, but it works well and offers a pair of sit-up footpads, too, which is a nice little benefit.

Pull Ups

This is a limited but excellent choice. If you’re just looking to do chin ups and pull ups, this product can do a ton for you – it’s got a large, high pull up bar attached to it and it offers a good height for even the taller trainees (6ft+).

The handles are rubberized, and they do limit your pull up grip options, but they’re great for mid- and wide-grip pull ups. We’d like to see them add a little more knurled texture to improve grip, but this product still works great.

The only concern we might have is that the pull up bar is bolted into the frame rather than being part of it. It’s a minor concern but it could be a problem if you’re doing weighted pull ups for years to come.

Dips

Again, a great functional product but lacking in variety. It has perfectly straight dip bars and there’s no way to adjust them laterally. Not everyone has the same shoulder girdle width, and this could well be too wide or too straight for some users.

If you’re looking for dips at this exact length/style, however, it’s a great choice since there’s no impeded movement from leg raise handles.

Figure 2  – Even the demonstration dude can’t get proper shoulder alignment with these handles.

It’s not an inspired product, but it does the basics pretty well – and basic dips are still great. Consider this a product that offers tricep dips but a relatively poor approach to chest dips. If you know the difference and have a preference, this product may not be perfect for you.

Leg Raises

The support for the forearms is great on this product, and there’s no conflict with other aspects of the dip bars. However, the space between the upright handles for leg raises and the frame itself could be a little tight, depending on the size of your hands.

The back support and the forearm supports are great, while the slightly reclined position will lengthen the range of motion. You’ll need to practice extra control at the bottom to make sure you’re not hyperextending the back, but this is actually a huge benefit.

If you perform your knee/leg raises under control, this product will offer greater length and better overall core/hip flexor control as a result. This is a cool little benefit and will offer some great returns on your core training.

4. RELIFE Power Tower

Relife; Rebuild your life. Motivational or insulting? You decide.

This product has a pretty clean design and hits some of the main check-boxes we have for a good power tower. It’s solid, there’s a good footprint, the height makes sense, and it offers decent – if not amazing – versatility in most exercises.

There are some glaring design flaws we’re going to discuss, but things like the safety, stability, and security of the product seem to be well-designed. There are some great tweaks such as handle adjustments you might not see with other products, while the overall build is solid but relatively light-weight.

There’s some flex to this product and there are occasional quality assurance issues. Be diligent and make sure to contact the manufacturer straight away if you spot any issues. Definitely a product for a smaller human due to the 330lbs weight rating and the associated flex in the product.

Unrelated to the quality of the product, some of the sales materials are whacky and a great read:

Figure 3 – in case you weren’t sure, this is NOT a leg press.

Pull Ups

This product has a solid pull up bar – and the courtesy to rubberize both the narrow and wide grip positions. This means variety to your pull ups, even if it does lack a neutral pull up handle, which we’d like to see.

The neutral grip keeps the shoulders in a healthy position and allows you to focus on pulling up without the supinated (chin up) or pronated (pull up) grip stressing the shoulder. This does make the product slightly less accessible to some.

If you’re not too concerned, however, this product provides the basics. We’d like to see it being more comprehensive, but there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with how it deals with the standard pull/chin up. Strong on the basics, just a bit limited.

Dips

We really dislike the dip handles for this product, however. They’re very close to the upright leg raise handles, which limits movement, while they’re also short and curved. This may reduce the size of the product, but it could easily put a strain on the wrists of larger users.

There’s no information on the specific length of these dip handles but they’re clearly only a few inches long and don’t offer the support, width, or safe angles we’d look for in a dip handle.

Figure 4 – we like the adjustable handle-length, but this doesn’t solve the teeny tiny dip handles, which could be bending your wrists dangerously during dips.

Leg Raises

This is a pretty good showing for the ReLive power tower, as it has adjustable grips and supports for the leg raise. It’s also got a solid back pad and is double-supported with steel fixings. The result is great stability for a relatively small product.

The adjustments to the handle make it easy to use and the general impression is a good one. There’s a ton you can do here, and you should have the space to perform oblique movements unless you’re a really tall/leggy human.

You can also adjust the back pad itself to move forwards/backwards, and generally, it provides quality support. Overall, a big winner for the leg raises and possibly the best adjustment-system we’ve seen so far on this list!

5. Body Champ VKR1010 Power Tower

This is a tremendously light product and matches the previous products for space-demand due to the pull up bar being on the opposite side to the dip/leg raise station. This makes it oddly demanding despite being lightweight and carrying a relatively small footprint.

The design itself carries a very light form of hollow tubing that is lightweight, resulting in a pretty unstable base. We’ve discussed why this matters before and – long story short – the risk of toppling the structure or feeling unsafe during exercise is higher than other models.

The design doesn’t inspire us and feels like it does a few things wrong; demanding tons of space, being unstable, and some poor design features. The dip handles are limiting, like the last product, while the design is too light and the pull up bars are really not much use on the back of the tower!

Pull Ups

This product is very light, and the design isn’t amazingly tall.  As a result, the pull up on this product is likely to feel less safe or stable than others we’ve looked at so far. Clearly, that’s a problem if you like not falling over.

It’s rated for relatively small humans and we wouldn’t feel comfortable using this product much over 200lbs, even if it’s not going to break. The feeling of movement is a problem by itself and – unless you feel like weighting it down yourself – could be a problem.

Dips

The dip handles are the same rounded, short design we mentioned above. Can you dip on them? Yes, absolutely. Is it going to be less comfortable and more likely to put you at risk of injury? Also yes, absolutely.

We can’t recommend using this product for weighted dips either, since the design is lightweight and may not support the combined weight without unnecessary movement.

Leg Raises

It’s going to be great for leg raises! As with some other products on this list, the leg raise seems to be getting all the attention. The balance is well set-up for this movement and the handles/pads are very supportive – seemingly taking all the time and effort for the whole product.

There are very few frills beyond this, however, and the economy option just doesn’t seem to be a worthwhile investment. It’s not a bad product, it’s just very lackluster.

6. Stamina 1690 Power Tower

We liked Stamina X’s earlier entry into the market, but this power tower is too light for most uses. It’s a good, convenient travel alternative but we don’t recommend this as your main bodyweight workout equipment for a home gym.

It’s a lot less feature-intensive than the full tower, and the design is too lightweight to carry significant stress. It’ll work, but it’s for the casual and likely to require upgrading if you get serious with your bodyweight training.

Pull Ups

Too light and on the back of the model, resulting in a light weight-rating and increased feeling of wobble during the exercise. It also lacks a neutral grip handle, which we dislike.

Dips

Small handles and a likelihood of having your ROM interrupted by the upright handles for leg raises. It does cause some problems here, where it would be better to have longer, angled handles.

Leg Raises

Actually tolerable for leg raises, but runs into the issue of size again. It doesn’t have the lateral space for oblique work, and it doesn’t have any support other than the back pad. This can bring even more stability issues, where a rod connecting the uprights might bolster this product.

7. King Kang Adjustable Multi-Function Power Tower

We really like the design and intention of this product – aside from the crappy dip handle design that keeps showing up.

It’s a medium-weight, functional power tower that does many fundamentals well. The inclusion of low-handles and cross-bracing makes it stable beyond its size and the steel gauge keeps it nice and rigid compared to some lower-quality options.

The adjustable height is really useful and tops out around 95” which is plenty of extra space, while also being able to fit into smaller spaces by adjustment. This is a great benefit to a type of product that is often too big or too small.

Figure 5 – we’re not sure what this guy is trying to do, but we recommend NOT DOING THAT.

Pull Ups

While the handle variety/quality isn’t great, the adjustable height means you’re going to be able to get the right pull up range of motion for you. It’s a product that offers pull ups for all sizes and – given how common a problem it is – we’re glad to see this change.

The handles are a little far back and can lead to a little contact with the supporting structure if you’re even slightly off, but this isn’t a huge issue. Keep your pull up form tight and you’ll be fine, as long as you don’t want to do neutral grip pull ups!

Dips

These stupid handles keep coming back and we’re not sure why. This is an objectively inferior design and is limited both in range and in the healthy positioning of the wrist in a dip.

Overall, this product really drops the ball on dips – which is sad, because we really like everything else it offers.

Leg Raises

Another product that offers good leg raises at the cost of bad dips. The problem here is that there are no adjustable handles, which we saw earlier. This is a problem because the handles may be too close for some users.

Overall, however, the back support and armrests/handles do their job, offering stability and support as well as reasonable comfort. They’re not the best quality pads we’ve seen, but they’ll stop you from getting pain in your forearms.

8. Marcy Pro TC-4699 Power Tower

This is an interesting product because it’s offering a decent quality lightweight frame and less problems on the dip than many others. However, the pull up bar is still on the back, but it has neutral grip pull up handles.

This puts us in an odd spot because we aren’t sure if we like it. On the one hand, it’s built out of decent materials and the design allows for dips, pull ups, and leg raises. On the other hand, there’s very little benefit to the reversed pull up bar, and the rack wobbles if you’re over 200lbs.

This is a product that offers economy, a small footprint (but you can’t put it against a wall), and it brings decent stability. If you’re in the 200lbs or less region, this product will work very well – while it can wobble with any extra weight.

Pull Ups

Neutral grip pull ups? Check. V-grip pull ups? Also, check. The same goes for wide and close grip pull ups. This product actually wins so far when it comes to the variety of pull ups you can do.

The handles aren’t well-textured, which can be a pain, but the overall result is still a decent product offering an industry-leading variety with a small, lightweight, relatively cheap product.

Great outcome, great pull ups. Just watch for flexing and wobble.

Dips

There are straight handles here and – even though they’re annoyingly close to the uprights – they should be fine compared to other products.

Dips on this product will be strange because of the angling of the handles, but overall It should be a safer and more comfortable experience than the rounded handles!

Leg Raises

The leg raise on this product is pretty safe and the gentle backward angle of the upright beams should keep it safe, secure, and stable throughout. The handles and armrests are great sizes given the cost/lightweight of the product.

The overall leg raise experience is pretty positive and the overall result is a good core workout. You can get some oblique training due to the distance between the handles and their gentle upward tilt.

9. Gold’s Gym Power Tower

This product manages to combine a number of design features that we dislike into a single product. The result is functional and fine, but lacks some of the benefits we look at a power tower for.

First, it has curved, short dip handles which is bad design, as we’ve mentioned above. It combines this with a restrictive pull up bar that only has textured wide grip handles and a smooth bar with no neutral handles.

It also has cheap-looking tubing with round edges and a generally light, low-quality design to it. The pull up bar is also on the back of the product, making it far less space-efficient than many of the alternatives we’ve discussed.

Pull Ups

You’re only going to be getting some wider pull ups on this product; there’s almost no support for a narrower grip. There’s also zero option for a neutral grip, so that’s out of the window, too.

The design looks and is reputed to be quite wobbly, so we’re not surprised. This is another product that is going to be reliable below 200lbs, but begins to flex and wobble thereafter. Keep an eye on your own weight when looking for a power tower!

Dips

The curved handles are horrid and the grip attachment to the handle is not very high quality. The end result is a relatively poor quality dipping experience. As ever, this kind of design is also likely to impede the shoulders and stop you from dipping to full range of motion.

Since this is one of the best things about the dip, we’re not huge fans of this setup!

Leg Raises

The design for the leg raise is pretty good on this product, but the pads are a little further forward than we’d like. this increases the risk of getting sore elbows from the product – and the handles themselves do not adjust forwards.

Equally, there’s no way of adjusting the back pad, as seen on other products. This combination – along with the other issues mentioned above – leave us with a lot to be desired. Gold’s gym brand clearly just doesn’t carry the weight it might have a few decades ago. Innovation is elsewhere.

Pull Up Power Tower Buying Advice

Versatility and Training Options

One of the selling points of this kind of product – and one of the things you should be looking for when buying – is how it handles versatility. This is why the power tower has a positive reputation, especially for home gyms, and will affect your experience more than almost anything else.

Deciding on a product that capitalizes on this approach, offering more well-thought-out options can change your experience with it. Obviously, the more things it can do well, the better it will justify the price tag.

Remember that this isn’t a justification for gimmicks; the hard part is that it really does have to solve a problem or offer something valuable to your training. If it can do that, then it’s going to be worth the extra cash, or beating out competitors for your time, money, and home gym space.

Why Do Weight, Size, and Materials Matter for a Power Tower?

The demands for size, weight, and heavy-duty construction are competing. On the one hand, there’s a serious inconvenience to a monolithic product that weighs loads and is heavy duty. On the other hand, it’s likely to bring the best kind of stability, safety, and reliability.

The hard trade is finding something that doesn’t take up all your space or weigh 3 tons, but provides all the stability and reliability you need. For most of us, a power tower that feels secure during a pull-up is probably all you need.

However, advanced gymnastic work can add some stress to this. Focus on the space you have and make sure to pay special attention to the height and the footprint.

Height is important because you need to be able to hang from a power tower while fully straight from arms to toes, but not contact the ceiling when you do a pull-up.

The footprint (the size of the base in contact with the floor) is also key because this determines the gross space it will take up. This provides stability but can be a challenge for smaller spaces.

Staying Safe: Balance, Reliability, and Weight Rating on a Power Tower

The balance of the product is the one aspect you’re really going to care about during exercise. It’s the stability and safety that it offers when you’re moving, and it can be a huge factor in how confident you feel using the product.

The best power tower is one you can use with comfort, confidence, and no concerns for it tipping over!

This is one of – if not the – most important functional factor in a power tower. The more stability it can provide, the better, and without any upper limit. There are a few ways this can be achieved:

• Weight
• Footprint size (more tends to be more stable)
• Properly designed, textured, rubberized feet
• Options for bolting down
• Properly-angled upright supports
• Good weight on both sides of the handles

The more of these a product has, the better it will perform. This is a key, and we’ve obviously covered it extensively in the reviews because it’s important. Get a stable product, and you’ll be sure to get the most from your bodyweight workouts.

Our Final Thoughts

A power tower is such an awesome piece of kit that you need to be discerning with it. The right one can add tons of ways to train to your life. It’s a piece of home gym equipment that really adds up.

In many ways, it’s one of the fundamental pieces of kit for a home gym, combined with some way of doing conditioning and weight training. Bodyweight training is awesome, and this type of product can offer tons of training value with a single piece of kit.

Our favorite product is the Stamina X full-size, heavier-duty power tower that we started this list with. It offers a great balance of reliability and basic functionality. The plyo box is an odd addition but it doesn’t have to be added, if you’re struggling for space – but offers a great bonus if you do want it.