Many factors go into selecting the best outdoor pull-up bar. There’s weather resistance, size, and versatility all to consider. Which has priority will depend on what you are using the bar to do.
We’ve assembled five of the best pull-up bars on the market and examined them for their ability to withstand harsh outdoor conditions, the ability to perform pull-ups and other exercises on them, and selected them for their overall durability and construction.
Overall, we found the Stamina Outdoor Fitness Power Tower to be the best overall outdoor pull-up bar. With its portable solid steel design, ability to withstand any weather condition, and four different bar types assembled into one package, it has everything you could want from an outdoor pull-up bar set.
The Top Outdoor Pull-Up Bar Reviewed
| Product's name | Material | Structure | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [amazon fields="B00CQHGJ2I" value="thumb"] | Best overall [amazon fields="B00CQHGJ2I" value="title" title_length="75"] | Steel construction | Free-standing frame | [amazon fields="B00CQHGJ2I" value="button"] |
| [amazon fields="B07H25C9XR" value="thumb"] | Best versatility [amazon fields="B07H25C9XR" value="title" title_length="75"] | Steel construction | Free-standing fold-up frame | [amazon fields="B07H25C9XR" value="button"] |
 | Best high-end option Rogue MIL Pull-up Station | Steel construction | Posted frame | View Product |
| [amazon fields="B00HYQP72O" value="thumb"] | Best budget option [amazon fields="B00HYQP72O" value="title" title_length="75"] | Steel construction | Free-standing frame | [amazon fields="B00HYQP72O" value="button"] |
| [amazon fields="B07LBMQPH2" value="thumb"] | Best for lightweight and gymnastics [amazon fields="B07LBMQPH2" value="title" title_length="75"] | Steel and wood construction | Posted frame | [amazon fields="B07LBMQPH2" value="button"] |
Find the right Outdoor Pull-Up Bar for You
Best overall
#1- [amazon fields=”B00CQHGJ2I” value=”title” title_length=”100″]
[amazon fields=”B00CQHGJ2I” value=”button”]The Power Tower is a great outdoor, weather-resistant, bottom stabilized pull-up station.
The versatility of the Power Tower is nothing to scoff at, with a lengthy pull-up bar, dip bars, and even a bar for sit-ups and elevated push-ups built-in at the bottom.
This is one of the only stations specifically designed to withstand the pressures of the outdoors with such versatility included in the kit.
It has a nice 4-foot length bar with flare-downs on the sides providing further options. Because it comes with a stabilizing base, you won’t need to actually commit to a single location to place it.
It can also support a lot of weight with its all-metal design. There is some assembly required out of the box, but it is overall fairly simple. The steel is weather and corrosion-resistant, making it highly durable.
The big difficulty factor is the cost. Due to the quality of the materials and the build, it’s more expensive than most set-ups on this list—something to keep in mind.
Pros
- Quality build
- Weather-resistant
- Lots of bars and options
Cons
- Expensive
- Only comes in green
Best versatility
#2- [amazon fields=”B07H25C9XR” value=”title” title_length=”100″]
[amazon fields=”B07H25C9XR” value=”button”]The KHANH TRINH 1520 Folding Pull-up Stand is nice because it can be moved around and set up anywhere, indoors or out. It’s fairly lightweight compared to some of the others on this list at 60 pounds, although still quite heavy for day-to-day moving around.
It’s quite tall, standing at about 100 inches, meaning you really have to jump and hold on at the bar without the ability to dip your feet on the ground until your workout is complete. You can adjust the height down to about 75 inches, and the lower the height you use the more stable the stand will become.
It can hold a robust 485 lbs., which is strong for its size. It has a very sturdy design with comfortable padding on the grips. However, you can’t keep it outdoors all the time because of that, so this is not the pick for those looking for a permanent outdoor set.
Overall, this is a machine made for more advanced pull-up workouts because of its height. Finally, there is a 5-year warranty attached if anything goes wrong.
Pros
- Sturdy, high pull-up bar
- Robust design
- Easy to move around
Cons
- Not easy to reach for beginners
- Can’t stay outdoors in all weather
Best high-end option
#3- PB-1 Echo (Maple base model)
The Rogue MIL Pull-up Station is simple, sleek, and the perfect top-grade outdoor pull-up bar.
The big compromise is the cost, which is quite high, and the low versatility. However, this is a great no-nonsense outdoor pull-up stand that can withstand anything you throw at it. It lacks the versatility of the Stamina Power Tower, but if a single, strong pull-up bar that looks good and will last outdoors is what you’re looking for, look no further.
Rogue makes incredibly durable exercise equipment. This bar was designed to meet U.S. army specifications for their “Leg truck” event in their fitness tests, which explains the wider frame and intensely durable construction.
The 11-gauge steel design isn’t going anywhere once set up and it sports an incredibly stable frame. This thing is a beast, with extremely high vertical clearance and a built-in step to reach the high bar. The step is optional and can be put on or taken off.
Finally, it’s also very heavy at a total of 146 lbs., so you won’t be able to move it around easily.
Pros
- High-quality build
- Robust design
- Great stability
Cons
- Expensive
- Lacks versatility
Best budget option
#4- [amazon fields=”B00HYQP72O” value=”title” title_length=”100″]
[amazon fields=”B00HYQP72O” value=”button”]Another freestanding exercise stand, the CAP Barbell Power Rack is similar to the Rogue but at a smaller scale with a bit less robust of a design. However, it’s a great budget-friendly alternative and actually has quite a bit of extra versatility built-in.
You can add gymnastic rings and resistance bands for a more full-body workout, which is a great addition.
It can be used outside, but is not meant to withstand all weather and so will have to be stored indoors at times. That’s one of its disadvantages because of its cheaper price tag.
Made of 11 gauge steel and able to deal with up to 500 pounds of weight, it is exceptionally sturdy for its size and price. The coating on the piece is a durable powder paint finish on a zinc construction.
Pros
- Quality build
- Budget-friendly
- Good versatility
Cons
- Not meant for continuous outdoor use
” value=”thumb” image_size=”large”]
Best for lightweight and gymnastics
#5- [amazon fields=”B07LBMQPH2″ value=”title” title_length=”100″]
[amazon fields=”B07LBMQPH2” value=”button”]
This is a great, simple bolt-down pull-up bar made for the outdoors. It’s also made to withstand gymnastics practice with its easy-to-grip design.
The 51-inch bar is very wide, making for a large amount of comfortable grip room. The bar is 70 inches tall, but can be made shorter depending on the depth one digs into the ground to secure it.
The weight limit is a bit low at 250 pounds, but the price is very fair for the strength of the bar you get.
It comes with a 2-year factory warranty and is very easy to assemble. The only tricky part is putting it into the ground.
Pros
- Good price
- Works for gymnastics as well as pull-ups
Cons
- Tricky to bolt down
- Low weight capacity
Outdoor Pull-Up Bar Buying Guide
With an indoor pull-up bar, often you can mount it to a door or wall for an easy indoor set-up. Not so for an outdoor pull-up bar. It’ll need to carry its own weight and be solidly anchored to hold a person’s body weight.
An outdoor pull-up bar also needs to be coated in weather-resistant materials, which usually means foams and padding are out.
Getting those requirements out of the way, let’s get into what to look for when buying your own outdoor pull-up bar.
Weight Capacity
You’ll want a bar that can handle quite a bit more than your body weight. This is for a couple of reasons. First, it’ll be sturdier and safer in general. But, secondly, you don’t know what your weight will be in 5 to 10 years and would like the bar to be a solid investment in the long term.
There’s also the off chance a second person might use it at the same time during a party or around kids and you don’t want it to collapse just because of a little playing around.
Finally, weighted pull-ups are also a thing to take into consideration for the long term.
Stability
Stability comes from the security of the installation and the maximum weight capacity.
First, you want to look for materials and build quality that can support your body weight. But secondly, you’ll also want to make sure you know how to install the pull-up bar properly or get a professional to do it so that it achieves maximum stability.
Once you’ve installed the bar, test out its stability with a few practice reps. Your safety and security is the most important thing.
Comfort
You should test out different grip textures to find one that’s most comfortable for your hands. Often the bare metal of outdoor pull-bars can be very uncomfortable. You can purchase gloves or padding to help with the grip. With an outdoor pull-up bar, you won’t be able to have padding permanently fixed to the bar, because it won’t survive bad weather.
Next, make sure the bar you choose can support all your preferred grips and holds. Preferably, you would find one that can support a wide, narrow, and neutral grip. This means a decent length to the bar.
Versatility
The main consideration for versatility in an outdoor pull-up bar system is the ability to have different lengths and heights of the bars.
Generally, a ‘dip station’ is a nice addition, as is the option for a few different heights, but you can get away with just a single pull-up bar if that’s all you’re interested in.
Materials
Wood and metal are your main options here or a combination of both. If you do get metal, you have to make sure it’s weather-proofed to deal with the weather in your area. This will be different depending on your seasons, humidity, and other factors.
For wood, pine and white oak are the main budget choices, whereas teak and mahogany are great higher-end woods that will last a long time.
Most of the sets we found were made of solid steel constructions, which is a great choice for an outdoor pull-up bar as long as the coating is weather-proof.
Durability
Oil-based paint is your best friend here or powder coating. This will increase the durability of your pull-up bar from the weather immensely. Look for outdoor-ready paint to make sure its the kind that will provide the needed durability. It should also be able to withstand all the sweat and wear and tear consistent use will provide.
Otherwise, the durability of the set will come from all the other factors we have discussed.
How to Install your own Outdoor Pull-Up Bar
Make sure to check the instructions of your particular pull-up bar, but here are some general instructions:
- First, pick the best location for your pull-up bar. Mainly, you’ll want to be able to have a full free range of motion, so be sure to check if the area allows that. Then, make sure it will look well-placed in the given spot because it’s going to be hard to move around once secured.
- Buy the necessary tools to dig the holes for the set. The specific dimensions and locations should be in the instructions for your outdoor pull-up bar set. The main thing is to make sure to dig the holes dig enough to secure the maximum amount of steadiness from the bar.
- Now, place the posts into the holes and refill them. Be careful that they are standing up straight. You can use cement for maximum security if you’d like.
- Finally, assemble the rest of the pull-up bar set using the given instructions.
Benefits of Using an Outdoor Pull-up Bar
Pull-ups are the crème de la crème of any full-body resistance workout. They provide the maximum benefit of using your whole body weight on your arms. This is great for your back, biceps, and overall upper body strength conditioning.
In particular, pull-ups are one of the best exercises for the back, especially the latissimus dorsi. This is the largest muscle across your back which supports your spine and upper body. Exercising the back muscles is going to provide you an amazing ability to work out longer and harder in general.
Pull-ups are also one of the best bicep exercises in our arsenal. By doing chin-ups, you’ll get all the benefits of a bicep curl but by using your whole body instead of weights.
The general ability of pull-ups to strengthen the arms, shoulders, and back really hits a lot of key regions in a workout at once. That’s why it often comes so highly recommended.
Depending on the position of your grip, you can really shift the simple movement of the pull-up into a bunch of different muscle regions. This versatility is another reason for the power for a pull-up bar in one’s at-home exercise routine.
Different Exercises on a Pull-up Bar
Chin-up
- Start by standing directly below your pull-up bar. Place your hands in an underhand grip (palms facing in to your body) with your hands slightly further than shoulder-width apart. If you cannot reach the bar from where you’re standing on the floor, you can place a box beneath you and use that to stand on that instead. Once your hands are holding onto the bar, you’re in your starting position.
- Lift your feet up from the floor so that you’re hanging from the bar. Then engage your core by pulling your belly button into your spine. Pull your shoulder blades back and down.
- Engaging the muscles in your back and arms, bend your elbows and raise your upper body up toward the bar until your chin is over the bar. As you move up and down, avoid shrugging your shoulders up or swinging your legs around. You want to make sure your shoulder blades remain back and down throughout the exercise.
- Begin extending your elbows and lower your body back down to the starting position.
Mountain Climber Pull-up
- Mountain Climbers are very similar to pull ups, however you move diagonally to the left and the right instead of straight up. This allows more overall muscles to be activated.
Start by standing directly below your pull-up bar. Place your hands in an overhand grip (palms facing away from your body) with your hands slightly further than shoulder-width apart. - Lift your feet up from the floor so that you’re hanging from the bar. Then engage your core by pulling your belly button into your spine. Pull your shoulder blades back and down.
- Engaging the muscles in your back and arms, bend your elbows and raise your upper body up toward the bar to the LEFT until your chin is over the bar. Begin extending your elbows and lower your body back down to the starting position.
- Then repeat by moving yourself up to the right and alternating between sets.
Negative Pull-up
The negative Pull-up is a great way to practice before being able to do full chin-ups. It allows you to work all the muscles needed for a pullup by controlling your own weight.
- Start by standing directly below your pull-up bar. Place your hands in an overhand grip (palms facing away from your body) with your hands slightly further than shoulder-width apart.
- Then pull all yourself up to the top most position of the pull up exercise.
- Slowly lower yourself down taking as much time as possible until you reach a dead hang position or when your arms are fully extended.
- Get back to the top starting position and repeat.
FAQs for Outdoor Pull-Up Bar
Can you put a pull-up bar outside?
Yes. Like monkey bars, you can place posts into the ground and a bar between them to make an outdoor pool-up bar. The main concern is weather damage, so be sure to build it with weather-resistant materials.
Do door pull-up bars damage?
Yes. A pull-up bar placed in a door frame can cause damage such as scuffing, paint scratches, and wood chipping. Properly placed padding can help.
How high should an outdoor pull-up bar be?
It should be high enough that you can hang from the bar with bent knees, but not so high that you can’t reach the bar easily from the ground.
Conclusion
We’ve seen that there are a lot of good reasons to add a pull-up bar to your at-home arsenal, but there’s a lot of pitfalls too when deciding on what can withstand outdoor conditions and remain stable when doing heavy exercise.
Our best overall pick is the Stamina Outdoor Fitness Power Tower, which provides amazing flexibility of workouts, great portability, and a strong overall design.
It is a little on the expensive side though, and for that reason, we also recommend the CAP Barbell Power Rack Exercise Stand for those on a budget. While it has fewer overall features and can’t withstand the weather in all conditions, it really gives you a solid pull-up bar for a great price.
Finally, KHANH TRINH 1520 Folding Pull-up Stand is another great, if a bit quirkier option for advanced workouts.