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There’s nothing quite like a pullup bar for improving your overall fitness and upper-body strength. Unfortunately, a lot of people do not have enough space to put a bar in their house, but luckily there are alternatives. You can easily put one up outside, but the problem occurs when you’re trying to decide on the best outdoor pullup bar. There are several great options for outdoor use, but you need to determine whether you’re looking for a power tower or a simple bar.
Below is my recommendation for an outdoor bar if you are looking to get straight to the point. If you’re open to several options, read the remainder of this article and discover multiple great products.
What To Look For In An Outdoor Pullup Bar
Easy to set-up: You don’t want to spend all day trying to set-up a new piece of equipment. Look for a bar that comes pre-assembled or requires minimal set-up. After all, you want to get training as fast as possible.
Weatherproof: If you’re going to have the pull-up bar outside, it should be able to brave the elements. A fiber-glass or sturdy wood crossbar is the best for outdoor usage because there is no chance of rusting. The base can be metal because it will likely hold up in bad weather.
Height of the bar: Many pullup bars are adjustable, but if it comes as part of a station or pre-constructed piece, then you should note the height. You should be completely off the ground when you hang from the bar, so you can determine the height accordingly.
Do you want just the bar or other features?: It’s important to note that several outdoor bars are part of what we call power towers. They are a single piece of equipment that generally has a dip station, back pad, and pullup station. If you are looking for this type of versatility, I recommend an outdoor tower as opposed to a bar. On the other hand, if you’re just looking for a pullup bar, you will likely spend less money.
Adjustability: Is the bar capable of being adjusted? This can make a huge difference to some people. Fortunately, many popular options are adjustable, but if you opt for a power tower then it will not be.
Price: You definitely do not want to break the bank, so have an idea of the price you’re willing to pay. Like most training equipment, the price will vary for pullup bars depending on the features and quality.
Stamina Outdoor Power Tower
Possibly one of the best outdoor pieces of equipment you can own. You can perform dips, pullups, and pushups on this station. Essentially, owning one of these is almost like having a miniature home gym.
Pros:
Designed with hardware that withstands the harshest of weather conditions. This piece of equipment does not rust, chip, or corrode when left outside.
Implemented with UV resistance so that the metal does not attract heat on sunny days. This also helps maintain the bright color of the tower.
Made of high-quality, commercial-grade steel.
You can perform pull-ups, dips, push-ups, and abdominal work on this tower. The versatility allows for a near full-body workout at home.
There are anchor holes at the base of the machine. These allow you to securely fasten the tower outside. You will not have to worry about this piece of equipment wobbling when you use it.
This piece of equipment is fairly compact. The bar height is also tall enough (81”) for most people to comfortably use. You should have no problem finding somewhere outside to put this.
Cons:
If you’re not looking for an all-in-one piece of equipment, then you can definitely save money by buying just a pull-up bar.
Some customers have complained about the bolt holes not aligning at the bottom of the frame.
There have been issues with missing parts and quality control in the past. Customer service is sometimes hard to reach regarding this product.
The station is not very sturdy if you don’t anchor it to the ground. Fortunately, this should not be an issue because you should definitely be anchoring this system.
Overall, the Stamina 65-1460 is one of the best outdoor pullup bars you can buy. The construction, durability, and versatility are what makes this product so great.
Ultimate Body Press
Arguably the most basic option that will be mentioned in this article. Although this is a simple product, it’s very effective and great for people on a budget.
Pros:
Ultimate Body Press makes three different styles of outdoor chin-up bars. You can select from a long bar, short bar, or curved bar.
Sturdy steel construction with a powder-coated finish for weatherproofing.
In terms of the price, this is an inexpensive option that is great for people on a budget.
Includes the necessary hardware to mount this bar to wooden posts.
Cons:
There is no base or posts included for this bar. You are only getting the bar which you will have to mount yourself. The company recommends anchoring 4×4 or 6×6 posts to the ground with concrete and then securing the bar to the posts.
Customers have noted several issues with rusting and the paint chipping.
On the curved bar, the ends are not squared away which can make leveling this bar kind of difficult.
Given that you need to secure this bar to posts yourself, you will need to purchase additional materials. Concrete, wooden posts, and power tools are what you should have if you select this bar.
This is not the highest quality option, but it still gets the job done. If you have the time and resources to set-up this pullup bar by yourself, then you should have no issues. I recommend this specifically for people who are on a budget or experimenting with an outdoor home gym.
PULLUP & DIP Portable Bar
High-quality, advanced, and effective are three ways to describe this product. If you’re looking for a pullup bar that you can take almost anywhere, then this is for you. You can easily mount this to a tree or a pole, so there is no assembly required.
Pros:
Portability: As I mentioned, you can take this piece of equipment and set it up anywhere. There is no challenging assembly required, you simply secure it to a tree or pole.
This product doubles as a pull-up bar and dip bar. The company mentions that you can do over 35 bodyweight exercises with this product. Furthermore, you can quickly rotate the bar to switch between exercises.
There are several different grip positions for both pullups and dips. This allows you to hit muscle groups at various angles.
High-quality construction with powder-coated steel. This product is built to last and can withstand rough weather conditions.
You can easily secure a resistance band to this product to help you do certain exercises.
The adjustable outdoor adapter makes it easy to secure this bar to a tree or post of any circumference.
Cons:
This outdoor pullup bar is not supported by drywall or wood posts, however, the company has indoor models as well.
The bar and mount come with no travel case.
Additional attachments like the straight bar are not included.
As you can tell, there are a few cons to this product. PULLUP & DIP arguably makes the best outdoor pullup bar. There have been no reports of rusting or chipping of the bar, which is quite impressive. The company makes an indoor and hybrid model as well.
Z Athletic Outdoor Training Bar
When you think of the bars that you used to hang on at the playground, this is what comes to mind. This is a simple training bar that is actually designed for gymnasts but is perfect for outdoor use. Z Athletic is one of my top recommendations for an outdoor chin-up bar.
Pros:
There is no difficult assembly. You need to dig two holes for each metal post, and then you proceed to fill the holes with concrete. The steel posts and concrete base make this bar very sturdy.
Although the posts are made of steel, the horizontal bar itself is made of fiberglass and wood. This means the bar is essentially weatherproof because there is no chance it will rust or chip.
The bar is 70” tall which is tall enough for most people to use comfortably.
Z Athletic offers a 2-year factory warranty
You can easily adjust the height of the bar depending on how deep you dig the hole for the support posts.
Cons:
You will have to buy concrete to secure the bar properly.
If you are tall and looking for a bar that keeps you completely off the ground, then this is not likely a good choice for you. The bar is 70 inches off the ground at its highest point and has a weight capacity of 250 pounds.
Although this bar is considered a gymnastics bar, it does not have any “give” to it like the high-bar or uneven bars used in gymnastics. If that’s what you’re looking for, this will not suffice.
Compared to some of the other options, this one is guaranteed to be more weatherproof due to fiber-glass and wood construction. I personally think this is a great choice but if you’re tall or over 250 pounds I would consider the other three options.
Benefits and Exercise Possibilities
Owning a pullup bar allows you to work out at home and increase your physical fitness. Below are some of the benefits of having one, and exercises you can do.
Benefits:
Increases your grip and upper-body strength. In particular, you can target your back, biceps, and abs.
Hanging from a pull-up bar is great for decompressing your spine. Gravity puts a downward force on your spine each day, so it’s always nice to take the pressure off.
You can greatly improve your calisthenics skills. If you don’t have a gym membership, it can be hard to practice. Owning one of these bars takes care of that problem.
One piece of equipment allows you to effectively train in the comfort of your own home. There is no better exercise than pullups and chin-ups for building upper body strength.
Exercises Possibilities:
Neutral grip or wide-grip pull-ups
Chin-ups
Hanging Leg or Knee Raises
L-sits
Muscle-ups
Hanging oblique crunches
Static bar hangs
Overall, a pull-up bar is a small investment that can greatly improve your overall fitness. Hanging for just a minute each day can greatly improve your grip strength and the way your spine feels.
Closing Remarks
I think we can all agree that the world would be a better place if pull-up bars were mounted everywhere. Unfortunately, they’re not, but luckily you can get your very own for a reasonable price. Throughout this article, I reviewed several products and provided my recommendation for the best outdoor pullup bar. Training outside is great because it gives you the option to set-up at home, or maybe even take a walk to the part.
If you’re trying to build a home gym, having a bar of some sort to hang on is essential. It doesn’t matter whether you’re getting it from a power rack or a free-standing bar. To me, you’re always getting your money’s worth with this type of equipment because it’s such a small investment.
To recap, here are the rankings of the bars featured in this article. (1 = highest, 4 = lowest)
The rankings are based on quality, key features, and effectiveness.
PULLUP & DIP Portable Bar
Stamina 65-1460 Outdoor Fitness Tower
Z ATHLETIC Gymnastics Bar
Ultimate Body Press
Ranking these products was difficult because they are all truly good options. They also vary in price, so you should take that into account before making a decision. These products were carefully picked, and no matter what you choose, you’re making a good investment.
As always, make sure that you read the instructions whenever you buy a new product to ensure proper set-up. The last thing you want is an accident to happen, or worse, an injury. Remember to perform exercises with proper form and you should be golden.
