The art of true living in this world is more like a wrestler’s than a dancer’s practice.
Marcus Aurelius
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What is the best power tower for home? That and other questions will be answered in this ultimate guide. We hope you find it useful and helps you save both time and money by making the right investment.
You don’t have the time to go through all the post? Do you already know the features you want in your future power tower and just want some help and clarity to identify the chosen one?
If that’s the case, use the table of contents above and jump right on the sauce, and check what is the best power tower!
If you didn’t skipped means you kind of need some help, and help you shall receive! Let’s start by the beginning.
One year ago, I decided to quit the gym (due to multiple reasons) and assemble a home gym. So naturally, the first thing on my wish list was a power tower; contrary to what I expected, it was a complicated task as the types and features vary from device to device.
After extensive and rigorous research, I finally found and bought the desired one. However, despite my scrupulous research, I still had some unpleasant surprises that I hope I can help you avoid in your process of choosing and buying your power tower.
With that said, I will now start to share with you what I have learned in my process of buying a power tower, my personal experience throughout this last year, and if it helped me achieve my goals.
Without further ado, let’s start with the basics of learning what is a power tower.
What Is A Power Tower
So what is a power tower exactly? At his core, a power tower is a pull-up dip station and is arguably the most complete and useful gym equipment if your goal is to set up a gym at home.
It allows you to perform multiple exercises and offers you many variations of the same exercises, using only your bodyweight in the workouts.
The basic exercises you can perform are pull-ups, dips, push-ups in most cases, and attending if the power tower has a cushioned backrest, you can perform knee raises and vertical leg lifts.
To perform some more advanced exercises like muscle up or human flag, you will need to have a power tower with specific features to handle your weight and explosiveness throughout the exercises. More on that later.
It Is Indicated For Whom
- It is indicated for someone that, despite their own goals, wants to set up a gym at home and prefers to use his own bodyweight instead of weights in his/her routine.
- If you are short in space, the power tower is an excellent pick, too, since it doesn’t take the space of a pro wrestling ring (remember you are on a pro wrestling website) to have one at home. Me personally, I have mine in my room, and we are both doing just fine.
- If you don’t have the time to go to a gym, or you can’t stand anymore, the sometimes endless wait to use a specific machine the power tower once again can save your day. It’s always available for you to use it, and that can help you overcome those lazy moments when you are almost giving in to your inner bitch. In the end, you don’t need to go anywhere nor share your power tower with anyone, right.
- If you are on a short budget or looking for the long-term, the power tower is a great choice. There’s a power tower for all the wallets, and in comparison with the money that you expend, let’s say in one year in a gym, you can buy not only a power tower but some essential extras like foam mats (to reduce the impact and avoid damage in the floor), and even some fitness items that will for sure improve your overall home experience.
Choose A Power Tower That Fits You
There are some fundamental aspects to consider when buying a power tower, so I will provide you with a shortlist with the points you have to pay attention to when the buying time arrives.
- Space – Be sure that you have space for the aimed power tower, as the size varies from device to device, and don’t forget to take into account the needed space to execute your exercises as you don’t want to end up with your head busted in the ceiling while doing a pull-up for example.
- Your bodyweight – You want to pay attention to the total weight that the power tower handles. If you have Brock Lesnar’s frame (1,91cm and 130kg), you should buy a power tower that can support your weight; the last thing you want is to have an accident during your workout.
- Your size – In the same way you pay attention to the weight limit, you have to pay attention to your own size and the power tower’s size. If you have a power tower too big for you, that will lead to incorrect exercises that can lead to injuries, and no one likes injuries.
- Your goals – It is vital to know in advance what you are aiming for. If you are taking your first steps in calisthenics or want to do some fitness time by time at home, you can take as major consideration the price, but if you are a seasoned crossfit practitioner or maybe you are aiming to be the next Mr. Olympia, you should think in drop some extra bucks to attend your needs. Once again, it’s all about your personal goals.
Now that we know what needs to be known concerning a power tower, let’s jump on our list. There isn’t any particular order for the list, and one of my goals was to put up a list that contains power towers with different features and prices. I hope it helps you! 🙂
What Is The Best Power Tower – Top 7
Stamina 1690 Power Tower
The Stamina 1690 is a simple, relatively small, yet efficient power tower. However, you must pay attention to your ceiling height as the Stamina 1690 makes almost 2,06cm (81 inches), which is not adjustable.
It’s by far the easiest power tower on the list to assemble, and it’s the one that will save you more space, 125cm by 108cm (49 by 42.5 inches).
You will be able to perform pull-ups, dips, push-ups, and reverse sit-ups, with the last one being handily due to the absence of a vertical knee raise station.
It is the most affordable power tower on the list, so if that’s something at the top of your choice’s criteria, the Stamina 1690 Power Tower will suit you like a glove.
Weider Power Tower
If I had to choose based only on the brand’s credibility, the Weider Power Tower would definitely be my choice.
In the fitness world for decades, they bring us the Weider Power Tower. With 155cm by 79cm (57 by 31 inches), 213cm (84 inches) tall (not adjustable), and it holds around 130kg (285lbs).
You will be able to perform pull-ups, dips, push-ups, and since it comes with a very comfortable cushioned backrest, it allows you to perform all the types of abs exercises (vertical knee raise, leg raise, etc.) with great comfort.
The price is quite affordable, attending to the product’s quality, making the Weider Power Tower a very tempting investment.
Body Champ VKR 1010 Fitness Power Tower
The Body Champ VKR 1010 Power Tower is a popular choice, especially among women, due to its small width, 140cm by 105cm (55 by 41 inches), and a lower pull-up bar than other power towers. However, it is a tall power tower, over 210cm (83 inches).
But don’t get fooled. Despite having a weight limit of 113.5kg (250lbs), and weighing 29kg (64lbs), the Body Champ VKR 1010 is an excellent and sturdy piece of equipment, with a heavy-duty steel frame and an exclusive D-frame that offers great stability.
With the Body Champ VKR 1010, you will be able to do pull-ups, dips, push-ups, and vertical knee raises, with the cushions and padded grips adding a touch of comfort to improve your overall experience while doing your workout.
Relatively easy to assemble and at a very reasonable price, Body Champ VKR 1010 is another great choice, especially for smaller or medium athletes.
Body Champ VKR 1987 Power Tower
Another Body Champ power tower, this time I present to you the Body Champ VKR 1987, one of the two 5-in-1 power towers on the list.
Pull-ups, dips, push-ups, vertical knee raise, sit-ups/crunches, the Body Champ VKR 1987 does it all, and it also comes with 2 ab straps, 2 inverted pull-up sling straps, and a built-in sit-up bar.
With 109.5cm by 122cm (43 by 48 inches) and 213.5cm (84 inches) tall, the Body Champ VKR 1987 handles up to 300lbs.
The height-adjustable dip handles are a great and almost unique feature that makes the Body Champ VKR 1987 one of the most versatile power towers in the market. A bit pricy, so you should be aiming for the long-term if you decide to choose the VKR 1987.
Fitness Reality X-Class Power Tower
With 161.5cm by 124.5 (63.5 by 49 inches), 210cm (83 inches) tall, and weighing 68.5kg (150lbs), the Fitness Reality X-Class it’s a tank made to last; with a heavy-duty powder-coated steel tube frame that can handle up to 400lbs!
Pull-ups: check; dips: check; vertical knee raises: check; push-ups: check; and with 2 adjustable handle-bars with foam rollers with 7 mounting positions, you will be able to perform Australian push-ups, a feature not always displayed in power towers.
Some cons that I found beyond the price are the footprint (don’t forget you are buying a tank), and it might not be so easy to assemble or move around the house.
With comfortable cushions and padded grips, this tank offers you tons of exercises that can be performed with high explosivity, with maximum sturdiness, stability, and safety.
If you are or aim to be a professional athlete, thinking of the long-term, and you have the bucks to invest, the Fitness Reality X-Class it’s an amazing pick.
Ader VKR Power Tower
Next on our list is the Ader VKR Power Tower, and the main reason for this pick is the unique features displayed and vary of exercises you can perform with it: pull-ups, dips, vertical knee raise, push-ups, sit-ups, and many more.
With 122cm (48 inches) by 81.5cm (32 inches) that can go up to 203.5cm (80 inches) with the bench unfold, making 219.5cm (86.4 inches) tall, and handling up to 133.5kg (250lbs), the Ader VKR it’s an ideal choice for who wants to have an all-in-one piece of equipment at home, and for smaller and medium athletes.
You will need space to accommodate the Ader VKR, mainly if you use the ab bench (it folds up and unfolds down quite easily), which is compensated with the number of exercises you can perform.
It isn’t an easy power tower to assemble, and probably it will require a second person to the task. Luckily it’s (usually) a once-in-the-life task, so it is worth the effort.
The price is quite fair, meaning the Ader VKR isn’t pricy at all, attending to all the included features.
Stamina 65-1460 Outdoor Fitness Power Tower
Last but not least, the Stamina 65-1460 Outdoor Power Tower, and as the name indicates, it’s the only power tower on our list that it’s specially made for outdoor.
It comes with a special tool to assemble/disassemble that gives you more safety concerning theft, meaning, or you have an exact tool to disassemble, or you will be transporting the power tower in one piece on your back.
With 124.5cm (49 inches) by 127cm (50 inches), 206cm (81 inches) tall, and up to 300lbs of maximum weight, the Stamina Outdoor is weather, paint-chip, and corrosion resistant, with a UV protection that keeps its glossy green in perfect conditions for a long, long period of time.
You can perform pull-ups, dips, push-ups, missing the cushioned backrest for obvious reasons, which means you will have more difficulty performing knee raises and similar exercises.
It can be a bit expensive for some wallets, and the total absence of padding and cushioned grips doesn’t make the experience a must, but overall I find it the perfect investment for outdoor.
My Two Cents
So far, my personal experience with my power tower it’s been rather positive, though not everything is roses.
I like that I have a pull-up, dip, push-up, vertical knee raise, and an ab bench station (a 5-in-1).
I feel comfortable and stable, though here and there (especially while performing more explosive calisthenics exercises); I feel it less sturdy, mainly because of the no-slip protection on the base that detaches quite easily, so pay attention to all small details when you are making your choice.
Look if the grips are padded or not, how much it weights, if the no-slip protection is attached to the base, and mostly… if the power tower matches your needs or expectations.
Case and point, when I bought my power tower via amazon, the advertising says up to 180kg (397lbs) maximum weight, but when the packaging arrived, it announced… only 120kg (264.5)!
The last thing I highly recommend you is to double-check always the information available, either online or offline, to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Lucky me, I’m a lightweight; otherwise, I would be screwed, so don’t fully trust the information displayed in the marketplaces, check the brand’s website, and if they don’t have it, call them or email them, always better lose a couple of minutes in a call or email that having this kind of surprises.
My power tower isn’t in the Top 7 list due to the weight limit; not only did I find the 120kg weight limit a bit short, but the fact it was advertised 180kg, the sometimes less sturdiness, and the fact that I don’t find anywhere for sale at the moment of this post.
Conclusion
So there you have it, my honest 2021 review of what is the best power tower for home. I hope it will help you with your decision, and despite your choice, I wish you all the best in your path!
What about you? What is your favorite power tower? Do you think I missed one? And how it’s your experience been so far? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below, as I would love to hear from you!
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Pompeu Pedrosa,
Founder of Against the Ropes.
Power Tower
