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*Update* I have since reviewed other doorway chin-up bars since doing this review as the Powerbar has been discontinued. See the article here.
I’ve found a door frame chin-up bar that won’t put my security deposit in jeopardy.
I’ve always been a bit apprehensive about doing doorway chin-ups at home. You have to make sure it’s secure to the door frame which means having a certain level of trust in the product and your ability to assemble it correctly…
**Note** No third party has paid me to do this review. The pull-up bar I am reviewing is the UK version of this product which I bought with my own money.
My First Chin-Up Bar
The first chin-up bar I ever had at home was a bar I picked up for less than £10/$12. It worked pretty well.
After I had secured it to the frame according to the instructions given. I got into a routine of using it every day.
Until one day it just broke off while I was using it. As you can imagine, I fell to the floor and was left dazed and confused.
I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was in a lot of physical pain.
There was the financial pain of having to arrange repairs on the door frame which got damaged by this chin-up bar too.
Safety First!
If you are looking at stepping up your chin-up/pull-up game then good for you, as you probably already know calisthenic exercises are all kinds of awesome for strengthening your body.
What’s also very important though, is that you make sure that the bar you use can hold your weight adequately, each chin-up/pull-up bar on the product description should tell you clearly what the maximum load is – if it doesn’t have this information, steer clear, as it may be a product of lower build quality that could very well be unsafe to use.
The Powerbar 2 Pull-Up Bar
There is a bar that I recently took a gamble on and has actually pleasantly surprised me. It’s called The Powerbar 2 and it’s made by a little-known company called Innovation Fitness.
*** Update 2023*** Since making this review I discovered that Innovation Fitness have stopped making the Powerbar 2, the good news is there are some near-identical doorway pull up bars that work in the exact same way for the same price, I have added them in the recommended section below
The reason I considered it a gamble is that it doesn’t look like any of the pull-up bars I’ve used in the past.
It was labelled as the strongest chin-up bar and requires no assembly.
This grabbed my attention because I weigh more than 200lb and I don’t like having to assemble things, especially things that have to support my full bodyweight.
Why is this The Best Door Frame Chin Up Bar?
This Powerbar 2 door frame chin-up bar fits a larger number of door frames and most importantly, doesn’t leave any marks on the door itself.
Has The Powerbar 2 Solved The Problem?
From my experience, some door frame pull-up bars just don’t manage the load properly and so with repeated use, they actually end up contorting and damaging doors and frames and in some cases breaking when you are halfway through a rep.
That is the very reason I began looking for an alternative pull-up bar and ended up trying the Powerbar.
The Powerbar 2 pull-up bar states on its website that it supports more bodyweight than any of the others on the market and requires no assembly.
It supports up to 280 lbs (20 stone) but can support up to 420lb (unofficially). This is very important to know.
Another thing I liked about this door frame pull-up bar is that it doesn’t need to be assembled. I opened the box, unfolded it and attached it to my door frame, it took less than 5 minutes to figure out.
When you’ve ended your workout you just lift it off, fold it and put it to one side. Simple.
For me the Powerbar 2 is definitely an unsung hero in the home fitness equipment area, I’m surprised that it’s only available online.
*Update*
The Powerbar 2 seems to have been discontinued by Innovation Fitness, however, I have found some equivalent models that have the exact same functionality. See the full article here
Recommended Doorway Pull Up Bars
Doorway Pull-Up bars – FAQs
Do Doorway Pull-Up Bars Damage Door Frames?
Unfortunately, a lot of them do. However, the pull-up bars I mention and recommend in this review do not.
The doorway pull-up bars I talk about in this review are all doorway safe. They require no drilling or any alterations to be made to the frame for installation and they fit most wooden door frames. Not all, but most.
I have used mine for several years now and there is no damage on the door frame whatsoever another great thing is that it can be taken down from the door frame, folded up and put aside in a matter of seconds.
If you don’t have much space, are afraid of damaging your door frame or do not want to have to drill anything into your door/wall permanently I would highly recommend going for one of the types of pull-up bars mentioned in this review.
Are Door Pull-Up Bars Safe?
I would not say that all door pull-up bars are safe at all. As I mentioned in this review, the first bar I ever bought actually broke while I was in the middle of using it.
However, the bar I ended up buying as a result of that accident is actually a lot safer. I have been using it for several years without any problems.
With any doorway pull-up bar you buy I would say be sure to check that it will fit your door and also make sure it can support your weight.
If it doesn’t state how much weight it can support, don’t buy it.
Also, if you’re buying a pull-up bar that requires tools to assemble or instal, make sure you have the correct tools and don’t cut corners in the installation process.
How Much Weight Can a Doorway Pull-Up Bar Hold?
This is an important question. The truth is, it differs.
For any doorway pull-up bar you buy, on the product page, it should state how much weight the bar can handle. If it doesn’t give you an amount I would just walk away.
There are a lot of different types of doorway pull-up bars on the market that are mounted in different ways and each type of design has a different weight load.
I would always be cautious.
The bar I mention in this review holds up to 280lb/127kg and unofficially holds up to 420lb which is more than enough for me.
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Author
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Stuart Patrick is a health and fitness lifestyle journalist who writes for ListedFit.com.
“I've spent a lot of time trying to get in shape and change my body and I realised there are so many untruths in the health and fitness industry that can slow down or stop your progress, so I share my knowledge and experience to help others to cut through the BS.”
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