You need a full body workout. You can’t skip the important parts, otherwise it’s going to show.
Ever heard not to skip leg day? Let’s dive in and find out who makes the best power tower.
The best power tower is basically your one-stop shop for an absolute ton of different full body workouts.
Dips, chin ups, pull ups, you name it—you’ll be able to achieve it with a power tower.
They’re marvelous pieces of home gym equipment that are designed to enhance your calisthenics, and help you reach new heights.
There are only so many benefits from complicated machines at the gym, but there’s nothing better than natural weight resistance training.
I’m talking about bodyweight training, using your own mass as a weight to reach the optimal level of aesthetics and physical strength.
You know why calisthenics work so well?
They don’t push your body beyond what it’s capable of. It helps you graduate over time, so you achieve strong, dense muscles without having to look like a complete beefcake.
We’re here with the best power towers to sculpt your body, and that’s exactly what you’re going to do.
Best Power Tower Reviews & Recommendations For 2019
Weider Power Tower
For cost, for durability, for all that good stuff, we had to give Weider the best pull up dip station spot on this list.
You’re familiar with the normal power tower look, and while this doesn’t stray far from that design, it’s going to give you an entirely new experience.
Weider did an excellent job with padding placement.
It’s placed tactically so that it’s not everywhere (sometimes gym power tower padding will get in the way of movement), but has plenty to help actually cushion your arms from harm.
The sturdy steel frame isn’t adjustable, but it is built tough as nails to prevent you from damaging it, even if you put massive stress down on it during dips or pull ups.
Speaking of stress, this power tower is designed to distribute the pressure and tension you provide through the extra long stand.
It makes it a little less friendly for small home gym spaces, but if you can nestle it in somewhere, you won’t have to move it again.
Weider’s construction is fairly straightforward. Assembly doesn’t take too long, which is always nice since I think we’ve all spent countless hours assembling gym equipment in the past.
The thing is, Weider made it seemingly impossible to find out how much this thing can hold.
There are plenty of user-generated testimonies stating they’ve put 350+ lbs on this with no problem, but it would have been nice to get that information upfront.
Last but not least, warranty fulfilment is provided by Weider, so you won’t have to deal with any third party services.
We seriously don’t think that you’re going to need to call upon it, but it’s nice to know that they have your back no matter what.
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 53.2” x 43.3” x 86.6”
- Weight: 86 lbs
- Material: Steel
- Height Adjustment: No
Gold’s Gym XR 10.9 Power Tower
You know how impressive the actual Gold’s Gym is, but now, you have to take a look at their home gym lineup.
The first thing that we all notice is the price. Gold’s Gym is a massive brand, so they’re able to keep their costs low while production value is high. It’s just how they conduct business.
This power tower includes thick padding on your back and shoulder areas, while also having a soft touch rubber grip finish to the handles.
It’s also tall as can be. You can put this just about anywhere in your home (provided the ceiling is high enough) and do muscle ups for days. It’s 90” tall, or seven-and-a-half feet.
They went with a natural steel and black powder finished steel mix-match style, and it looks pretty good in just about every home gym.
The all-steel design weighs a lot, but it gives you plenty of stability and an excellent maximum weight capacity of over 400 lbs.
From the pull up bar to the dip spot, the grips are seriously big players here.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been at gyms (while travelling, seen a bunch of them) and the grips or handles just feel rough and stiff in your hands.
I will say that Gold’s Gym did skimp on one thing with this power tower. They only give you a measly 90-day warranty.
While it’s not expected that you’re going to need to call upon it, it just raises some eyebrows.
In any case, you’re going to know if there are any manufacturing problems with this before those 90 days are up.
You know, unless you leave it in the box in the living room for that whole time.
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 58” x 44” x 90”
- Weight: 88 lbs
- Material: Steel
- Height Adjustment: No
K KiNGKANG Power Tower
We all like it when things we buy last for a long time.
K KiNGKANG made the best pull up dip station for your money, because it’s designed with some elements that keep it from degrading or weakening.
First of all, it’s heavy duty steel. That’s already going to last for a while, but the black powder coating finish is there to keep corrosion from external forces at bay.
Moisture in the air (if you live in Florida or somewhere nearby) is a serious threat to workout gear, so this is a big plus.
In the spirit of making this last, they also included a big game changer—suction cups on the bottom of the base feet. This keeps it in place on any surface except concrete and carpeting.
But the real deal here is the height adjustable design.
It’s good if you fall in a weird height percentile, but it’s also good if you just have different preferences on pull ups versus dips where the top bar isn’t getting in your face.
It’s a great feature, and it’s pretty easy to switch between different heights. The one thing that they didn’t really think through is the weight rack.
In theory, you can prop a weight lifting bench underneath this rack and use the two sets of rungs to hold onto your bar, but it doesn’t work as planned.
The height adjustability is near the top of the unit, meaning it’s just for the pull up bar. There’s nothing wrong with that, it just makes those bar rungs kind of useless.
The stand is sturdy, especially when you factor in the cross beams along the middle.
It’s built tough, but assembly is also going to be pretty tough. We recommend cracking open a beer before you get started.
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 51.2” x 35.4” x 63-92.5”
- Weight: 61 lbs
- Material: Heavy duty steel
- Height Adjustment: Yes
Stamina Power Towers
It’s time to look at a budget-friendly unit for your home gym. There are going to be some flaws with this, but we’ll get those right out in the open.
It’s not the most stable thing in the world. It would be good if you could position it in a corner or up against a sturdy wall, like the concrete wall of a garage.
We wouldn’t recommend this as a dip and pull up station, since those outward handles aren’t really the most sturdy.
The curled end of the stand is what you should be positioning in the corner.
It’s built out of steel, just like many of its counterparts on this list, but it’s just not the most balanced. If you look at the photographs on the sales page.
So it has its flaws, but that’s why it’s a budget-friendly option. You can use this as a pull up bar more than anything else. There’s no padding for dips like other power towers have.
But they did include one excellent feature: a five-year frame warranty.
The parts warranty is only good for 90 days, so you’ll have to inspect your gear as quickly as possible to ensure everything functions properly.
Thousands of people have used (and reviewed) this power tower, which is initially what got us to take a look for ourselves.
It gets the job done and allows you to take advantage of different types of pull ups and chin ups at the same time. It’s a solid piece of equipment.
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 49” x 42.5” x 81”
- Weight: 54 lbs
- Material: Steel
- Height Adjustment: No
Ainfox Power Tower
Height adjustability. It’s something that a surprising number of power towers don’t have, which is why Ainfox included it in this unit.
There are only four different heights, but it helps out with dips and pull ups when you want to challenge yourself just a little more.
Made out of heavy duty steel, Ainfox made this to hold onto high amounts of weight and pressure. You have an impressive 550 lb maximum weight capacity with this power tower.
When you’re pulling up from a dip, you’re going to feel nothing but stability. You won’t be going anywhere, even if you wiggle around a bit.
That’s because Ainfox made sure to use extra wide steel tubing to help better evenly distribute weight, and reduce tension on the metal.
The rear padding isn’t that great, but the elbow/arm pads are actually pretty comfortable.
While doing an extra wide pull up in this, you can come down into a dip and know that it’s okay to lean on those pads.
For adjustability, you have a simple screw bolt design. This keeps things simple, and doesn’t require you to bruise your thumb while popping in those silver peg designs.
In comparison to that, you also don’t have to move something at every different level of adjustment. Unscrew, slide, rescrew and you’re good to go.
Last but not least, you probably want to know about assembly time.
It’s pretty flippin’ quick, so you won’t have to spend three hours on a Saturday piecing this together. The narrow stand and easy plastic caps make it simple.
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 30.7” x 42.5” x 84.7”
- Weight: 56.6 lbs
- Material: Steel
- Height Adjustment: Yes
Power Tower Buying Guide and FAQ
What to Look for in a Power Tower
There are certain attributes to look for in your power tower.
Everybody has their own preferences, but we’re talking about a piece of equipment and maintaining proper form during exercise here.
Let’s take a look at what you need to know.
Weight Capacity
Quite frankly, how much it’s going to tolerate.
We go into more detail about this in a moment, but just know that most companies aren’t going to make anything with less than a 250 pound weight cap on it.
This is acceptable for pretty much everybody, even if you’re on the weight loss path.
Material
You want to see steel, but you also want to see coatings on that steel. Black powder is a good finish to reduce the chance of corrosion over a long period of time.
The list of materials don’t stop at the frame.
Look for rubber grips in the handles, suction cups used on the bottom for hardwood and tile surfaces, and plastic caps used to help stiffen things up on the stand.
Padding
Padding is extremely important. You’ll notice that it’s only ever in three different spots, being the armrests and backing.
That’s because when you come back down from a dip, you’re focusing on your core and upper body.
The last thing you should be thinking about is what your elbows are going to land on.
But it’s still important. Nobody wants their arms banging off metal and sending vibrations up their funny bone, or injuring themselves.
Nobody would use a power tower if that were the case. Look for thick foam padding.
Number of Exercises
Some budget-level power towers are just basically over glorified pull up bars.
For some of us, it’s not a good idea to put a door frame pull up bar in our home, so a power tower is the next option.
But if you’re going to get one anyway, then you might as well get one that can do multiple exercises.
Pull ups, dips, and even barbell rungs so you can slip a weightlifting bench underneath it. Those are all good things to have.
The more versatile your power tower, the better. It’s not going to cover everything you need in your home gym, but if you have limited space and a limited budget, get a power tower that’s going to suit everything you’re after.
What is the Weight Limit of the Power Tower?
Most power towers are made of heavy duty steel, so you are met with pretty high weight limits. But it’s not just about the material, it’s also about the gauge.
Less of a gauge means the steel is thinner. You’re not getting straight solid steel beams with this (that would be insanely heavy, for starters), they’re hollow piping.
The depth of the walls, and overall size of the beams are very important. The bigger, the better.
If you were holding a 1” in diameter steel pipe versus a 4” in diameter steel tube (square-shaped), which one are you more likely to be able to bend with your arm strength alone?
It’s a no brainer. You need higher gauge steel for a higher weight capacity. But it’s not just about your body weight. It’s also about tension and pressure.
You ever hear someone mention that something requires X amount of pressure to achieve?
Well, your weight plus the weight of pressure equals what you need for a limit on your power tower.
What to Consider Before Buying a Power Tower?
What you should consider is if you want the best pull up tower, or if you want something a little smaller.
You can save a bit of money by getting a door frame pull up bar. If that’s the only reason you’re buying a power tower, then you don’t need to spend extra money.
However, pull ups aren’t the only upper body exercise out there. Dips should absolutely be part of your workout regimen.
They’re not just for your upper body, but they’re helpful for developing your core as well.
Are you at the point where a power tower is going to get ample use, or are you just getting your home gym ready for your progression through your workout journey?
If that’s the case, there’s nothing wrong with going for an inexpensive model so that you can dedicate other budgeting to your home gym.
Incorporating a healthy amount of manual equipment use with a low impact form of exercise, like calisthenics, can really be a powerhouse duo that adds a ton of diversity to your workout.
Is the Power Tower Worth Buying?
Well, do you really need one? They’re not the only piece of gym equipment out there.
The decision of whether to own one or not is a relatively large one as far as fitness equipment goes. That said, if you are considering one, you probably are a good candidate.
The power tower is kind of like the Cadillac of garage gym equipment.
You have to think about many things like space, routine and long term use when considering a purchase.
How to Set Up Your Power Tower?
First thing’s first: you need to find the right spot to put it.
You’re going to get instructions in the box, and while we can’t explain those to you, we can explain what separates a good spot from a bad one.
Your stand is going to take the brunt of all the stress and tension you provide during your workouts. That covers a lot of it.
But what if you’re really going to town, and your power tower ends up rocking back and forth? Well that’s an injury waiting to happen.
The weight cap on a power tower can’t account for velocity or your swinging motions.
If you’re trying to do single arm pull ups on a power tower, you’re drastically shifting weight in the wrong direction.
If you have the option, find a concrete surface or hardwood surface (more on this later) to position your power tower.
You should pick a permanent sport for it. Positioning it in a corner will work best to help stabilize two sides of the tower stand during exercise.
Do You Need a Mat Below Your Power Tower?
A heavy duty pull up dip station should come with plastic end caps on the stand pieces, which provide some sort of traction on the surface that you built it on.
However, that’s not always the case. If this is going in your living room and you’re working on hardwood, it’s going to skid (and scratch up the floor).
If a power tower has suction cups on the bottom on every single corner, then you can just pop it on hardwood or tile without a problem.
If not, then yes, you’re going to need a heavy duty mat to prevent it from sliding across the floor.
On Your Way to a Chiseled Physique
You’ve read our power tower reviews, seen the equipment for yourself, and by now you’ve already looked up all the literature on what these exercises can do for you.
What are you waiting for?
We both know what this is going to do for you. A power tower is going to change your life, help you get shredded, stay fit, and feel fantastic.
It’s time to incorporate this high caliber piece of equipment into your home gym, and your life.
Did you like the article? Please rate it:
