The art of true living in this world is more like a wrestler’s than a dancer’s practice.
Marcus Aurelius
What is the best power tower for home? This ultimate guide answers that and other questions. We hope you find it helpful and that it helps you save time and money by making a suitable investment.
Do you not 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, jump right on the sauce, and check out the best power tower!
If you didn’t skip means you kind of need some help, and the help you shall receive! Let’s start at 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.
That said, I will now start sharing with you what I have learned in my process of buying a power tower, my personal experience throughout this last year, and whether 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 its core, a power tower is a pull-up dip station, and it is arguably the most complete and useful piece of 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 body weight in the workouts.
In most cases, the basic exercises you can perform are pull-ups, dips, and push-ups. 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 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 who, despite their own goals, wants to set up a gym at home and prefers to use its body weight instead of weights in their 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. 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, 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 or 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 of the points you should pay attention to when the time arrives to buy.
- 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 body weight – 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 size of the power tower. If the power tower is 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 significant 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 most accessible 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 affordability is a top consideration, the Stamina 1690 Power Tower will fit 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. It is 155cm by 79cm (57 by 31 inches), 213cm (84 inches) tall (not adjustable), and it holds around 130kg (285 lbs).
You will be able to perform pull-ups, dips, and push-ups. 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 its weight limit of 113.5kg (250 lbs) and its weight of 29kg (64 lbs), 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 can do pull-ups, dips, push-ups, and vertical knee raises. The cushions and padded grips add a touch of comfort to improve your overall experience while working out.
Relatively easy to assemble and at a very reasonable price, Body Champ VKR 1010 is another excellent 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.
The Body Champ VKR 1987 does it all: pull-ups, dips, push-ups, vertical knee raises, sit-ups/crunches. It also comes with 2 ab straps, 2 inverted pull-up sling straps, and a built-in sit-up bar.
The Body Champ VKR 1987 measures 109.5cm by 122cm (43 by 48 inches) and is 213.5cm (84 inches) tall. It can support up to 300 lbs.
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 on the market. It is a bit pricy, so if you decide to choose the VKR 1987, you should aim for the long term.
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 (150), the Fitness Reality X-Class is a tank made to last; with a heavy-duty powder-coated steel tube frame that can handle up to 400 lbs!
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 the fact that it might not be 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 a fantastic 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 the variety of exercises you can perform with it: pull-ups, dips, vertical knee raises, 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 unfolded, making 219.5cm (86.4 inches) tall and handling up to 133.5kg (250 lbs), the Ader VKR is an ideal choice for those who want 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 quickly), which is compensated by the number of exercises you can perform.
It isn’t an accessible power tower to assemble, and it will probably require a second person to do 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. As the name indicates, it’s the only power tower on our list that’s specially made for outdoor use.
It comes with a special tool to assemble/disassemble that gives you more safety concerning theft. Either 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 a maximum weight of up to 300 lbs, the Stamina Outdoor is weather, paint-chip, and corrosion-resistant. Its UV protection keeps its glossy green in perfect condition for a long, long period of time.
You can perform pull-ups, dips, and push-ups. For obvious reasons, you don’t have the cushioned backrest, 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 has been quite 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 quickly, 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 in point: when I bought my power tower via Amazon, the advertising said it could support a maximum weight of 180kg (397 lbs), but when the packaging arrived, it announced that it could support only 120kg (264.5)!
The last thing I highly recommend is that you always double-check 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, it 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 as 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 the best power tower for home use. I hope it will help you make 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 has your experience been so far? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below, as I would love to hear from you!
If you enjoyed this post and want to check more of our content, take a look at our previous post, “Top 10 Masked Wrestlers Of All Time”, and learn something while being entertained.
And just before you go, I want to THANK YOU for your time reading another of our posts and giving us your feedback to help us improve our work continuously!
If you like our content, please consider following us everywhere (except on the street, that’s weird:)) and I’ll catch you in our next post; until then, stay strong and keep loving pro wrestling! Amor Fati! : )
Pompeu Pedrosa,
Founder of Against the Ropes.