The versatility and smaller footprint of a half rack make it the perfect centerpiece for a home gym. Adjustable barbell J-hooks, a pull-up bar, and weight storage provide the essentials for strength training. Additional accessories further optimize a half racks function to your individual needs. The best half racks fit your demands without compromise. Few half racks offer more utility than the Rogue HR-2 Half Rack.
But in this article, we’ll analyze the best half racks currently on the market and tell you which one is the best for you, depending on your situation.
Table of Contents
The Top Half Racks Reviewed
| Product's name | Footprint, Height, Weight | Load Capacity | Included Accessories | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Best Overall Rogue HR-2 Half Rack | Base 48” x 49” Height 92.375" | 1000+LB | J-Cup pair 43” skinny pull-up bar | See Latest Price |
 | Best Value Titan T3 Series Tall Squat Stand with T3 Series Half Rack Conversion Kit | Base 47” x 48” Height 92.5” 140LB + 68LB | 1000LB | J-Cup pair 42” pull-up bar, 1.25” diameter | See Latest Price |
 | Best Space Saver Sunny Health & Fitness Power Zone Squat Stand SF-XF9931 | Base 38” x 53” Height 87” 83LB | 805LB | J-Cup pair Angled pull-up bar Spotter arms Weight storage pegs x 2 Resistance band pegs x 3 pairs Saftey clips x 2 | See Latest Price |
 | PRx Performance Profile One Squat Rack with Kipping Bar | Width 52” Folded Down height 90” wall to upright 26.75” wall to kipping bar 39.5” | See Latest Price | ||
 | Best Budget Space Saver Titan T3 Series Folding Power Rack | Width 46” Height 82.375” or 91.375” | 1100LB | J-Cup pair Pull-up bar, 1.25” diameter | See Latest Price |
Find the right Half Rack for You
Best Overall
#1-Rogue HR-2 Half Rack
A versatile, compact, and stable design gives the Rogue HR-2 Half Rack nearly all the abilities of a full rack minus the power cage and associated bulk. Rogue is known for its quality materials and construction. Making it an ideal half rack that you can build around and accessorize, maintaining its utility for years to come.
Rogue takes its popular SML-2 Squat Stand, adds 2 upright bars and cross members, to create the HR-2 Half Rack. Most utilize the additional upright bars for weight storage. If storage is not needed, add a pin/pipe safety set to utilize the space between upright bars as a full cage.
Westside hole spacing for optimal set up of j-cups, spotter arms, and attachments. Customizable with a robust line of Rogue Monster Lite Accessories. Does not need to be bolted down. Some users report that the added stability from stored weights stored is enough for kipping pull-ups. Other users added floor mounts to secure the half rack to the ground or wood platform for these bar exercises.
Rogue backs up its US-made products with an excellent warranty program and amazing customer service. Delivering a half rack under $1000 that should last a lifetime.
Pros
- Very stable 1000+lb load capacity
- Does not need to be bolted down
- Westside hole spacing
- Compatible with Rogue’s diverse line of Monster Lite Rack Accessories
- Available in different height options
Cons
- Heavy
- Pipe safeties, spotter arms, and weight pegs cost extra
Best Value
#2-Titan T3 Series Tall Squat Stand with T3 Series Half Rack Conversion Kit
Titan Fitness is known for budget-friendly yet quality products and the T3 Series Tall Squat Stand with Half Rack Conversion Kit is no different. 2×3” 11-gauge steel bars make it durable enough to withstand years of heavy use. Free shipping on all orders adds more value to your purchase. Save money with minimal compromise to adaptability and quality.
Select (1) T3 Series Tall Squat Stand and (1) T3 Series Half Rack Conversion Kit to purchase this half rack, not sold as a bundle. Some use free shipping to start with the squat stand and spotter arms, purchasing the half rack conversion kit as storage and accessories are needed.
Westside hole spacing and an assortment of additional rack attachments make the optimization of this half rack comparable to other high-end models. The T3 Series Conversion Kit is also compatible with the T3 Series Short Squat Stand.
Pros
- Stable 1000lb load capacity
- Does not need to be bolted down
- Westside hole spacing
- Compatible with Titan’s T3 Series Rack Attachment line
- Short model available
- Free shipping on all orders
Cons
- Pipe safeties, spotter arms, and weight pegs cost extra
Best Budget
#3-Sunny Health & Fitness Power Zone Squat Stand SF-XF9931
When looking at low-priced options, understanding the product’s limitations is vital to determine if it can meet your needs. Saving money on a product that fails to support your training demands leads to frustration and wasted money.
2×2” 14-gauge steel upright bars with rear corner supports create storage and stability. Smaller bars and thinner metal limit the amount of abuse a half rack will withstand. Suitable features for moderate weights that are usually racked with control. Not ideal features for holding up to frequent and forceful racks onto j-cups/spotter arms using heavier weights.
The Power Zone Squat Stand does not need to be bolted down but kipping pull-ups are not possible without extra consideration. Slight sway when racking heavier loads was reported by some users. Adjustability is somewhat limited with 3” hole spacing in the upright bars.
The Power Zone Squat Stand can be a low-cost solution if your requirements do not exceed these limitations. Angled pull-up bar, j-cups, spotter arms, 2 weight storage pegs, 3 pairs of resistance band pegs, and 2 safety clips are included at no extra cost. Free shipping adds even more savings. A few add-ons are available allowing some customization.
Pros
- Low cost
- Does not need to be bolted down
- High load capacity (805lb) for the price
- Multiple accessories included in the cost
- Some customization
- Free shipping
Cons
- 2×2” 14-gauge steel uprights
- Durability concerns as a ‘heavy-duty’ power rack
- Stability concerns with kipping pull-ups
- Unable to expand weight storage capacity
#4-PRx Performance Profile One Squat Rack with Kipping Bar
Space-saving is a top priority for those creating a home gym in a multi-purpose room. The PRx Profile One Squat Rack is the most convenient wall-mounted folding rack on the market. Measuring 4” from the wall when not in use. A unique, vertical ‘fold-up’ design does not require the removal of the pull-up bar. The assistance of 100lb gas shocks makes set-up and storage easy.
Versatile enough to meet the needs of most home gyms. The kipping bar provides wall clearance for dynamic bar exercises. 2×3” 11-gauge steel upright bars provide the stability. PRx makes popular rack attachment options for the Profile One Squat Rack. 2” hole spacing in the upright bars provides adequate adjustability.
Weight storage is sacrificed for space-saving capabilities. PRx Performance and Titan Fitness have various wall-mounted storage solutions available. These may be preferred to maintain the floor space of a multipurpose room. Once storage is addressed the Profile One Squat Rack has most of the capabilities of a traditional half rack with weight pegs on the rear uprights.
Pros
- Very stable 1000lb load capacity with kipping potential
- Small footprint when set up
- Conveniently stores 4” to the wall
- Common rack accessories are available
- Short model available
- Mounting equipment and hardware included
Cons
- No weight storage
- Spotter arms cost extra
- Installation required
- Speciality adjustable bench required for incline presses
- Proximity to wall prevents most adjustable benches to be used for incline presses
Best Budget Space Saver
#5-Titan T3 Series Folding Power Rack
The T3 Series Folding Power Rack is a budget-friendly option for creating space in multipurpose rooms. It lacks the convenience of the PRx Performance Profile One Rack but has more customization potential. Free shipping offered by Titan Fitness puts more money towards building up the ideal home gym.
The T3 Series Folding Rack has 2 depth options. Increasing the depth of the rack creates clearance from the wall for kipping pull-ups and incline presses. The upright bars fold towards each other to a depth of 5” when not in use. This design requires the pull-up bar to be removed for storage.
2×3” 11-gauge steel upright bars boast an 1100lb load capacity. A versatile half rack featuring Westside hole spacing and a variety of compatible rack attachments. Similar to other folding racks, weight storage is not possible. Wall-mounted storage solutions from Titan Fitness and PRx Performance maximize floor space.
Pros
- Very stable 1100lb load capacity with kipping potential
- Stores 5” to the wall
- Deeper rack depth available
- Short model available
- Compatible with Titan’s T3 Series Rack Attachment line
- Free shipping on all orders
Cons
- No weight storage
- Spotter arms cost extra
- Stringer wall plates NOT included
- Mounting hardware NOT included
- Installation required
Half Rack Buying Guide
What to Look for When Buying a Half Rack
Half racks can be an integral part of your strength training. The best half rack is the half rack that you will use. It should assist your training goals and demands. Footprint and height, load capacity, weight storage, adjustability, and available accessories are important features to consider.
Size
When assessing the footprint of a half rack you want to look a little further than the dimensions of the base and height. Room above the pull-up bar to allow your head to clear the bar. Extra space in front of the half rack if you will be using a bench. Weights stored on rear upright bars require some room off the back of the half rack.
Materials
11-gauge steel is the thickest metal used while 14 is the thinnest. Thicker steel usually correlates with larger load capacities and the ability to last over time. Added weight from thicker steel could be an issue for small apartment set-ups and renters with high moving potential.
Spotter Arms
If you plan on training alone spotter arms are required. Accidents can happen even with light to moderate weight. Spotter arms are not always included with the half rack and need to be purchased additionally.
Adjustability
Tighter spacing between holes in the upright bars allows incremental adjustments of j-cups, spotter arms, and other accessories. This prevents an awkward set-up (spotter arms are too high, blocking the bottom range of a movement or too low to safely spot the exercise). Westside hole spacing (1” center to center through the bench and clean pull zone, 2” spacing above and below) is the gold standard.
Storage
Getting equipment and plate weights off the ground keep things organized and opens up floor space. Increase the storage capacity of your half rack with storage pegs, bar hangers, chain hangers, and 4 upright posts vs 2. Included storage features and add-on possibilities vary between models.
Accessories
Increase the function of your half rack and customize it according to desired exercises and fitness goals. Attachments like landmines, pulley systems, resistance band pegs, dip bars, pull-up bar variations, and lever arms add new exercise possibilities that may be desired. Most specialty attachments come with an extra cost and are not available on all models.
FAQs for Half Rack
Are accessories and attachments compatible across brands and models?
Sometimes. The factors to check compatibility are the dimensions of the upright bars and the size of the holes in the upright bars. Most upright bars are either 3”x3” or 2”x3” and hole sizes vary. Most accessories fit around a specific upright size with a locking pin sized to the holes. Some attachments are bolted through holes along the side of cross or upright bars which may not be present across brands.
Full Rack vs Half Rack vs Squat Stand
A full rack has at least 4 uprights with safety catches between providing a full cage to lift within. J-cups and/or spotter arms can be added to the front of the rack for lifts outside of the cage. Some full racks have an additional 2 rear upright posts for storage and accessories. Most full racks require drilling to the floor or a wooden platform.
A traditional half rack has 4 upright posts. The rear posts provide stability and are usually used for storage. The space between the upright bars can be used as a full cage in some models if the rear posts are free of stored weights. Most half racks do not require floor anchors.
Squat stands have improved over the years. Stable bases, adjustable j-cups, spotter arms, and a pull-up bar connecting the uprights common features of modern squat stands. Some squat stands provide weight storage around the rear corners adding stability and enabling these racks to function similarly to most traditional half racks. It has become more common to refer to these as half racks. Some brands have discontinued their traditional half rack models. Other brands offer conversion kits that transform a squat stand to a traditional half rack by adding upright and crossbars.
Conclusion
We hope that the insights on half racks have helped to determine your specific requirements. Detailed reviews covering a range of potential needs are provided to guide you towards making the right choice.
Our top choice is the Rogue HR-2 Half Rack because of its durability and multifunctionality at a reasonable price. Rogue’s excellent warranty program provides confidence that the HR-2 Half Rack will remain the centerpiece of your forever home gym.