For full transparency: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through a link I would earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Only personally used or thoroughly researched products are recommended. Learn more.

7 Best Barbell Storage Racks: Horizontal, Floor and Wall Vertical

Photo of author
Last Update

If I had to describe this guide in one sentence, it would be this – it will get complicated before it gets really simple. You’ll get what I mean in a minute…

Even with 2 decades of personal training experience and owning my own commercial gym, I found some of the barbell storage options confusing.

If the value for money is a priority, the Yes4All gun rack will be the best horizontal storage solution for your barbells. It ticks most of the same boxes as fancier racks but does it at a much lower price point.

If you’re OK with spending a bit more, the Rogue 3-bar rack is the highest-rated premium pick. It’s compact, looks cool, and gives you the option to choose where it “grabs” your bars (more on that in a minute).

Here’s some of the storage I have in my own gym…

Horizontal Barbell Gun Racks

Those are only the winners in the horizontal storage category, and the actual scope of this guide is much broader.

This is what we did to get here:

  1. To choose the top 2 racks above, we compared 19 of the most popular gun racks against a set of 15 quality criteria, from the materials and capacity to mounting hardware and installation.
  2. We compared 16 vertical barbell holders and chose two as “best” – one overall and one budget.
  3. We did the same for hanging racks – compared 19 most popular racks and rated them in 10 categories.

The results you’ll see are based on the statistical model we put together specifically for this guide.

Its foundation is my two-decade-long experience as a personal trainer and consultations with industry experts, but the opinions stop there and the actual ratings run on data.

You’ll understand it better as we move along.

Let’s get to it.

Vertical Option

Rep 9-Bar Storage Rack

REP 9-bar vertical rack

Best Overall

31VwzHEUIrL. SL500

Yes4All 3-bar rack

Premium Option

Rogue 3-Bar Gun Rack

Rogue 3-bar rack

7 best barbell storage racks

Below are the top picks with ratings in their respective categories. The “out of” section is different because different rating formulas are used for the three storage types – it’s the only way that made sense.

Anyway, here we go…

NameBest in categoryRatingNumber of slotsPrice
Horizontal gun racks
1. Yes4All 3-bar rackOverall and value10.75
(out of 18.75)
3 (6 option)$
2. Rogue 3-bar rackPremium10.25
(out of 18.75)
3$$$
Vertical floor bar holders
3. REP 9-Bar holderOverall11(out of 16)9$$$$$
4. Titan 9-bar vertical rackBudget10.25
(out of 16)
9$$$$
Vertical (wall-mounted) hangers
5. Rogue vertical bar hangerOverall12
(out of 14.625)
3$$
6. Yes4All wall-mounted hangerBudget10.625
(out of 14.625)
4$$

See the “honorable” mention below to see our 7th pick too!

Best horizontal storage racks

1 – Yes4All 3-bar rack

Yes4All horizontal storage pack

Summary

One of our core values is pursuing value when choosing home gym gear, and this one delivers a better bounce for the ounce than any gun rack out there.

For the purposes of this guide, I introduced a new metric – PPS (price per slot), which is the only way to compare prices that makes sense. In that category, this rack blows Rogue out of the water.

The PPS of this rack is about 50% lower compared to Rogue 3 Bar storage and a stupefying 90+ percent lower than in the Rogue V2 rack.

I know…it reads like I got something wrong here.

I didn’t.

There are trade-offs, but they’re slight. We’ll get to that in a minute.

If you’re particular about brands…

Yes, the name is funny-sounding. Yes, it might not be as cool as Rogue, but it does the same job.

Also, if this is the first time you’re hearing of the brand, I can tell you that it’s not as obscure as it sounds. It keeps popping into our guides with high-value products that give the more expensive brands a run for their money.

The one thing that keeps bugging me with names like Yes4All is how much opportunity is wasted by skimping on the branding. If these guys invested an extra few hundred bucks when they were getting started and created a cooler brand image around a name like “Rhino” or “Mammoth,” their position on the market would be much better, with the likes of REP Fitness or Titan.

What it means for you

Since they didn’t do a great job branding their stuff, they’re not likely to raise prices.

For the conservative buyer, it means that you can squeeze out more value if you’re building a home gym on a budget.

Even if you’re particular about brands and chasing a particular vibe for your garage gym, it’s much less of an issue here than it would be with a barbell. It’s not like you can get it bright red Cerakote with a crisp Rogue logo.

As long as it stores your barbells effectively, you’re happy, right?

For a storage rack, you want a minimal, streamlined design that won’t take attention away from (or cause any damage to) your bars.

Quality-wise, the thickness of the steel is the same as Rogue (7 gauge), they use the same plastic for the protective layer, and the finishes are decent…not as fine as Rogue’s, but not bad either.

It doesn’t get any better than this in the price range.

Room for improvement

It’s not as deep as the Rogue gun racks, and each notch is a bit smaller. I guess you could put that in the could-be-better category, but it’s the kind of issue you’d notice if you switched from Rogue V2.

If this is your first gun rack, this point is moot.

By day 10, you’ll forget that I ever said this because there’s more than enough space between the notches.

PROs

  • Great value for money – you’d pay about half per storage of one bar compared to high-end brands.
  • UHMW* inserts – lower chance of the bar sleeves being damaged when storing.
  • Robustly built from 7-gauge steel – weight limit just as high as that in gun racks twice the price.
  • All mounting hardware included – straightforward installation – (not a given with all gun racks, even those from Rogue) you’ll be up and running without extra trips to the store.
  • Two versions available (3 and 6-bar) – since the geometry is the same, you can upgrade from a 3 to a 6-bar gun rack without messing with the vibe and look.

*Ultra-high-molecular-weight Polyethylene – toughest kind of Polyethylene. It’s (almost) ideal for barbell racks because it’s resistant to wear, tear, and chemicals.

CONs

  • Slightly smaller than Rogue 3 and V2 gun rack – an inch shallower (4 vs. 5) and a bit less space of each slot, which means you’ll need to be gentler when mounting your bars.

2 – Best premium gun rack – Rogue 3 bar

Rogue 3 Bar Gun Rack

This gun rack hits the mark in two scenarios:

  1. If you want the premium feel that goes with Rogue without spending over half a grand on the V2 rack.
  2. If you want the option to choose where the racks ‘grabs’ the barbell.

#1 is self-explanatory – you want the panache that comes with Rogue, or you’re loyal to the brand.

#2 is a bit more intricate.

Your average rack is made of steel, and the plastic inserts aren’t optional. With Rogue, they are, and it means you can get extra space to fit Olympic sleeves if you want to.

Personally, I don’t think it’s a big plus because racking the sleeves horizontally directly onto metal is…well, less than ideal.

I see this option as ear-candy…something I say to describe features that sound good on paper but add little value.

That aside, a Rogue gun rack still has more ‘drip’ than any other.

PROs

  • A compact version of the V2 rack – about half the size, it offers enough storage space for 95% of home gyms.
  • Premium Rogue vibe – it looks and ‘feels’ cooler than most gun racks out there.
  • Option to catch the shaft or the barbell sleeves – without the plastic inserts, the slots are wide enough to hold the sleeves.
  • Deeper than the Yes4All (5 inches between the wall and bracket edge) – less chance of the barbell bouncing back out.

CONs

  • Expensive – you’ll pay much more per barbell slot compared to gun racks like the top-rated Yes4All.

Best barbell holders for vertical storage – floor and hanging racks

3 – Best floor barbell holder – REP 9-Bar

Rep 9-Bar Storage Rack

This nine-bar rack from REP Fitness is just as good in some aspects as the more expensive racks, and better in some.

It looks just as awesome as the universally praised Rogue 10 bar holder, comes with the same lifetime warranty, but it’s better in two key aspects:

  1. It features plastic inserts, which means better protection of the sleeves and the bearing/bushings.
  2. It costs much less, both overall and per barbell stored.

Small footprint for a 9-bar rack

This is a compact barbell storage rack, and it takes up less floor space than most similar racks. In a tight space, this is a practical feature.

To be specific:

  • 10% smaller footprint compared to the runner-up from Titan (324 versus 361 square inches).
  • Over 60% smaller footprint compared to the third top-rated floor rack, which is the Rogue 10 bar (324 versus 851.5 square inches).

The trade-off of the smaller footprint is that the rack won’t be as friendly to specialty barbells (like safety squat or trap) because the tubes are closer to one another. That being said, that issue exists for all storage solutions, whether floor-based, gun rack etc.

Stable racking without bolts

I feel there’s too much commotion around bolting a rack into the floor.

First of all, these things are robust and aren’t going anywhere since there are no angular forces at work.

Secondly, if some mysterious force were to topple over the rack, there is a much lower chance of the bars bending. For what it’s worth, in my two decades in fitness, I’m yet to hear of a barbell rack toppling over!

I can imagine a scenario where it would be a safety concern, though.

If that’s the case, I’d suggest applying a few strips of gorilla tape onto the floor and then securing the rack with some type of universal glue.

BONUS TIP: Save even more space – look at 5-bar holders

Most home gym owners don’t need a nine-barbell storage rack, and a 5-bar holder will do the job.

If that’s you, my top pick is the Yes4All vertical storage. It takes about 40 percent of the floor space compared to an average nine-bar rank and a measly 20 percent compared to the Rogue 10-bar holder.

PROs

  • Budget-friendly – you’ll pay about half per storage slot than you would with the Roque 10-bar holder.
  • Smaller footprint the most 10 or nine barbell holders – it will take up less space in your home gym.
  • Tough plastic protection – much lower chance of scratching the barbell sleeves or damaging the spin system (bushings and bearings).

CONs

  • Goes out of stock way too often – deciding to get it and then realizing it’s unavailable is pretty frustrating.
  • Can’t be bolted to the floor – higher risk of toppling over (but this is me being SUPER picky!)

4 – Best budget vertical barbell storage rack – Titan 9-bar

Titan 9-Bar Vertical Storage Rack

The Titan 9-barbell storage rack has the lowest price per slot among the non-generic brands.

For the top-rated REP Fitness rack, you have to cough up about 50 percent more, and for the Rogue 10-bar, that difference skyrockets to a whopping 200%.

Still, all the essentials are there, from the heft of the steel to the length of the tubes. The tube length is not listed in the specs, but we measured it, and it’s just over 7 inches. That’s the sweet spot for short barbells.

It’s also an inch wider/longer than the REP Fitness (19 x 19 vs. 18 x 18) and a touch heavier (46 versus 40 LBS). With all other things equal, the extra heft means it’s the more stable rack.

PROs

  • Highest value for money among the top brands – you get comparable quality while spending much less.
  • Heavier than most floor racks – a lower risk of toppling it over if it’s not secured to the floor.
  • Protective inserts in the tube holders – you won’t scratch your sleeves or mess with the bushings/bearings.

CONs

  • Bigger than the top-rated REP Fitness – it will take up more floor space.
  • One-year warranty – one of the two racks in the Top 10 with a warranty this short. Unsurprisingly, the other one also comes from Titan. You can get a 5-year warranty in this price range.

5 – Best hanging rack for barbell storage – Rogue Vertical Bar Hanger

Rogue Vertical Bar Hanger

Having Rogue as both overall and value pick happens once in a blue moon, and the sky is cerulean today.

Let’s make sure that we’re comparing apples to apples…

Seven of the fifteen hanging racks I analyzed have three slots. All but one of those have a lower price per slot than this Rogue – that one’s a low-end rack with no extra protection for the sleeves.

The other five vertical storage hangers have a higher cost per slot and a lower overall score.

Let’s take the Fringe Sport hanger as a measuring stick

In terms of the brand level, Fringe and REP are the closest competitors to Rogue on the list, meaning they’re close but not quite there.

Still, you’d pay about 50 percent more per slot to get the Fringe unit than the Rogue hanger. If you did that, the warranty would only cover you for a year – with Rogue; you’re covered for a lifetime.

It’s that kind of detail that created the wide gap in our ratings – with Rogue scoring an impressive 12 versus the 7.5 of Fringe Sport.

To be fair, I prefer nylon over plastic as the material for the protective layer because it’s the more chemically resistant option, which might be a factor if oil leaks from the sleeves. But that borders on nitpicking. Arguably if there’s oil leaking from your barbell, how you store said barbell is the least of your problems!

PROs

  • Excellent value for money – will make a lesser dent in your home gym budget, even compared to some low-end brands.
  • Coated in UHMW plastic – more durable than regular plastic or foam.
  • Lifetime warranty – gives you an extra layer of confidence when spending money (the runner-up has a one-year warranty).

CONs

  • One slot less than the runner-up – only a CON if you have too many bars.

6 – Best budget hanging barbell storage – Yes4All

31jcWyp4CPL. SL500
ir?t=shgbarstorage 20&language=en US&l=li3&o=1&a=B07KR59LZ7

You might choose this storage rack over the Rogue above if you need exactly 4 slots.

The price per slot is slightly lower compared to Rogue, but the difference is nothing to write home about, especially with the short warranty in mind (one year).

So, I am labeling this as my top budget pick but I wouldn’t say it’s the better value.

You can’t really know what kind of plastic is used for protection unless it’s specified.

In my experience, if they don’t brag about it in the specs, it’s not UHMW. I can’t be sure….just my 2 cents.

PROs

  • More slots than the Rogue hanger – you can store four barbells in approximately the same space.
  • Rugged, 7-gauge steel – not likely to change shape over time.
  • Budget-friendly – you’ll pay less for four barbell slots than for the three in the Rogue hanger.

CONs

  • The protective plastic might not be as durable as Rogue’s nylon – there’s a higher risk of cracks developing.
  • Shorter warranty – you’re only covered against defects for one year.

7 – Honorable mention Yes4All– best adjustable J-Hooks for power racks

Yes4all J-Hooks
ir?t=shgbarstorage 20&language=en US&l=li3&o=1&a=B099KPRSKJ

I made the conscious decision not to go into the nitty-gritty of adjustable holders (the kind you attach to a power rack) because all brands recommend their own attachments.

Still, I’ll mention one budget solution.

Again, it comes from Yes4All! A brand that’s quickly emerging as one of the most versatile on the market.

They have a series of well-liked adjustable J-hooks for different power rack diameters (2 x 2, 2 x 3, and 3 x 3).

We’re looking at thick 4 gauge steel for the body, 12 gauge for the plates, and a whopping capacity of 1,000 lbs.

Note: Read more about j-hooks in our best j-hooks for squat rack in-depth guide


Choosing the best barbell storage for you – from type & size to specific products

In the reference section below, I’ll explain the logic and the rating system behind our rating formulas.

There are seven major and three secondary factors to look out for.

7 major factors of choosing a good storage rack

1 – Should I store my barbells vertically or horizontally?

You should store your barbell horizontally whenever possible.

The horizontal position is much easier on the spin system (bushings or bearings) and gentler to the sleeves.

If the space doesn’t allow horizontal barbell storage, go with the floor storage rack or a vertical hanger.

This is THE make-or-break factor, so we’ll take the time and treat it as such.

If you have 5 minutes to decide on barbell storage, spend 4 reading this section.

Vertical-versus-horizontal dilemma – which is the better space-saver?

If this is not the first guide you’re reading on the topic, you’ve probably seen the vertical storage recommended as the better space saver.

It’s incomplete advice at best and downright wrong at worst.

Let’s take a second to do some math.

The three highest-rated vertical bar storage racks take up 324, 361, and 851.5 square inches, respectively.

The three highest-rated gun racks are either four or five inches deep (wall to rack edge distance). Let’s say that you use the rack to store your standard Olympic barbell, which is 84 inches long.

Here are the numbers

If we approximate the occupied space to be as long as the barbell and as wide as the rack, we’re looking at 336 and 420 square inches for the 4 and 5-inch wide racks, respectively (84 x 4 and 84 x 5).

This is my point – the difference in the projected floor space is an oversell on the side of the vertical storage units, especially if you go with the nine-bar rack.

A better way to think about the space

I’m not saying that the vertical racks aren’t good.

I have them all around my gym as you can see below…

Vertical Barbell Storage

But it’s not because I want to save space but because they’re more convenient. If you have a few floor racks sprinkled around the gym, it saves a ton of time in trips to the wall-mounted units.

For a home gym, that point is kind of moot because you’re never far away from the wall. What’s not moot, however, is the fact you need to lift the bar and pivot around racks and walls.

Vertical hangers – best of both worlds?

If we limit the analysis to the space saved, a vertical hanging rack is the best of both worlds.

It combines a small footprint with an upright barbell position, which maximizes the use of vertical space.

There are two problems here:

  1. Bushings and bearings are not meant to be pulled on.
  2. You still have to navigate the barbell to the wall.
A few key takeaways about space and storage orientation
  1. A gun rack is gentler on the bar because it’s the natural position. A barbell is designed to sit horizontally, so an angled or horizontal position puts unusual stress on the spinning mechanism of the sleeves (bushings or bearings).
  2. Space-saving is less about the footprint and more about what you need to do to rack the bar.
  3. Vertical wall-mounted hangers are the biggest space-savers in terms of ‘raw’ floor space.
  4. Bushings are slightly more rugged than bearings (especially needle bearings), but neither is designed to handle angular or vertical forces.
  5. With the better bars, the lubrication is much less of an issue because the oil is well sealed. If you store a low-quality bar vertically, you’re likely to see some leaks. That’s why alternating between the sides that go up/down is a good idea. It’s not the lack of spin that might render the barbell useless; it’s the sleeves spinning at different paces.

Bottom line – I hate saying stuff like this, but ultimately, it really does depend on the space in your home gym – not just the space but the floor plan.

This is why I didn’t go with a singular rating system but had three separate rating scores for the three storage types – horizontal, vertical floor, and vertical hanger.

Otherwise, I’d be comparing apples to oranges.

2 – Number of slots in the barbell rack

This one is pretty straightforward, so it didn’t carry any points because no slot number is intrinsically “better.”

For 9 out of 9 home gym owners, 3 to 5 slots will be enough.

If you’re like me and own a commercial gym (or just love barbells!) then it’s probably not…

Horizontal Barbell Gun Racks

When I analyzed the floor spaces, a pattern emerged – once you go over five slots, this rule applies – the more barbells you have, the less of a difference vertical (floor) storage makes.

Let me explain and then read that again…’cause I know it sounds confusing.

If you have 5 barbells and want to store them vertically, you can save significant space because the footprint of a five-bar rack is around 150 square inches (12 x 12), like that of the Yes4All 5-bar holder.

To store the five barbells horizontally, you’d need more than twice the space.

But once you get that 6th barbell, you’ll need to switch to a standard 9-bar floor rack, which more than doubles the space needed (typically 18 x 18).

If saving space is a priority, look into hanging storage like the Yes4All, which has a measly footprint of 58 square inches.

Hanging storage is also the most space-saving option if you’re looking to store one or two barbells. You can store dual barbells on a hanger like the EQPRO, and it will only take up 26 inches of your space.

3 – Material and thickness of the barbell storage rack

(0 to 1.5 points)

Each barbell storage solution I looked at is made of steel. There are slight differences in the thickness (gauge).

Most better racks (and all the ones above) are made from 6 or 7-gauge steel. Just to avoid any confusion – the lower the gauge, the thicker the steel.

Gym Equipment Gauge Steel Thickness - Belt Squat Machines

Two good examples of thinner steel are the Synergee horizontal rack and the Rogue 10 bar holder (11 gauge steel).

The yield and tensile strength of the steel are arguably better predictors of its lifespan than gauge steel. However, since none of the manufacturers list those, the gauge steel is the next best thing.

The warranty is another good thing to look here.

More and that in a minute…

4 – Additional protection – foam, nylon, and plastic

(0 to 0.5 points)

If possible, you want to avoid any metal-to-metal contact between your bar and the rack.

In a vertical storage unit, this typically means that the tubing features plastic inserts.

In horizontal bar storage, you usually see plastic cutouts that follow the line of the steel. In some racks (like the Rogue V2 gun rack), you can choose to leave the plastic out. This creates more space between the notches so that you can mount the bar’s sleeves onto the rack.

Frankly, all my attempts to understand why this would be useful failed.

Plastic, UWHM* and HDPE** plastic, nylon, and foam

Ninety percent of the best part storage solutions are covered in either plastic or nylon. The sub-par are either bare or use foam.

When it’s plastic, it’s typically UWHM, which is an ultra-tough type of Polyethylene. It has a high specific gravity, superior tensile strength, elongation and elasticity (compared to regular plastic).

Occasionally, you see HDPE plastic, which is even denser and more durable. An example of good barbell storage that uses HDPE is Bells of Steel 3 Barbell Wall Mount.

In reality, you’d need 50 years of heavy use for the subtle differences to show.

*UWHM – ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene

**HDPE – High-density polyethylene

Nylon – the ultimate protector

Nylon is the superior protector to plastic as long as you’re not in a humid area.

Here’s why:

  1. The tensile strength of nylon is about three times higher than that of HDPE plastic, meaning you’d need three times as much force to break it (4.000 PSI for HDPE plastic, 12-13,500 for nylon, depending on the type).
  2. It is also more prone to absorbing water, which means the metal around it might rust if you live in a constantly humid area.
  3. It’s more resistant to chemicals and oils.

Since oil leaks might happen with vertical storage, there are a few racks that opt for plastic instead of nylon, like the Fringe Sport vertical barbell rack.

5 – Dimensions of a storage rack

Naturally, the dimensions of a storage rack are defined by the type and the number of barbells it can house.

The three dimensions that merit a separate mention are the tube diameter and length (for a vertical rack) and the depth (for a wall-mounted barbell rack).

Tube diameter – I’ve seen a few racks that get it wrong, and it’s a deal-breaker. It should leave enough leeway over the 2 inches for a comfortable (but not loose) fit.

If it’s too narrow, storing the barbell becomes a pain, and if it’s too loose, there’s space for the barbell to “work” in the tube, which means more stress on the bushings or bearings.

The tube length should be 8 inches or under to be a good fit for short barbells. Anything longer than that and a short barbell won’t sit in the tube but lean against the sides. Again, this means more angular forces on the sleeves.

The depth is relevant for the wall-mounted units, and the sweet spot is between 4 and 5 inches.

6 – Weight of the rack

The weight of barbell storage racks is only a relevant factor for the floor racks that can’t be bolted down.

In this scenario, go for a rack that weighs at least 30 pounds – all the best ones weigh more.

7 – Warranty terms of barbell storage racks

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the warranty terms for a gun rack or vertical barbell storage.

It would be a massive mistake not doing your due diligence here for reasons beyond the warranty itself. A barbell storage rack is a simple product with no moving parts and little space for abuse by the user.

That’s why subpar warranty terms indicate either bad steel or bad plastic, and both are deal-breakers.

To give you meaningful guidelines based on the statistics, I’ll look at the warranties in the context of prices – price spare storage slot to be exact (PPS).

Gun rack warranty terms – rules of thumb
  • If you’re paying 30 dollars or more per slot on a horizontal rack, don’t settle for anything less than a lifetime warranty – according to our database, 67% of the racks in that price range offer lifetime coverage.
  • In the $10 to $15 PPS range, a one or two-year warranty is acceptable.
  • If the PPS of a gun rack is 10 dollars or lower, you’ll be lucky to find any warranty at all. Most of the racks in this price range are only covered by a money-back guarantee. However, we did find one extremely popular rack in that price range with a one-year warranty; it’s the Yes4All 6-bar gun rack.
Vertical barbell holder – floor-based
  • If you’re looking for a lifetime warranty on a vertical floor rack, the PPS you’ll pay will rarely be below $20. Only 28.5% of the units in our database meet both those criteria. The average PPS of floor racks with a lifetime warranty is just under 30 dollars. Still, there are some great units in that price range, including the best barbell storage in the category – the 9-bar holder by REP Fitness.
  • In the price range below 15 dollars per slot, you can expect a warranty that falls somewhere in the one to five-year range.
Vertical storage – hangers
  • If you’re paying over 10 dollars per barbell slot, look for at least one year of warranty coverage.
  • Below the 10 dollars line, we found some solid racks (like the get RGetRXD 10-bar rack) with unclear warranty terms. If it’s not listed in the specs, pick up the phone and ask.
  • When you hit 15 dollars per slot, you can get a barbell rack with a lifetime warranty (an example being the top-rated Rogue hanger and the Alpha wall storage rack by Iron American)
  • Once you hit PPS of 20 dollars, there is no reason to set for anything less than a lifetime warranty.

8 – Prices of the different barbell storage types

Again, to level the playing field and compare apples to apples, we’ll work with the PPS metric – the price per slot.

The average PPS of a gun rack in our database is just under $25

On the low-end, you have generic names like Zovota and StarOne with a PPS in the 7-8 dollar range.

If you’re not a sucker for brands, you might save a pretty penny without getting disappointed because even the racks with lower scores are curated to begin with.

For a high-end brand like Rogue, you’ll need to pay at least three times that. Finally, you have the outliers like the Rogue V2 gun rack with a PPS of over 110 dollars.

The average PPS of a multi-bar vertical storage solution – about $20

You can go down to 10 or 11 dollars per slot and still get a good unit like the Eapele 5-bar, or you can splurge and get something sexier like a Rogue 10-bar holder or the Monster Lean-to Bar Rack.

If you want to get a storage solution for a single bar compatible with a power cage/rack, expect to pay $30-60.

If you’re looking for a unit to store barbells and weight plates, you can get something like the SteelBody organizer/weight rack without breaking the bank. It can house two Olympic barbells and a whole bunch of free weights.

Three secondary factors of choosing a barbell storage rack

1 – Where is the barbell storage made

(0 to 0.5 points)

If this was 2010, the manufacturing location/country of origin might be a massive factor.

Today, most brands surviving and thriving on the barbell market outsource some part of the manufacturing process.

The key is running a tight ship in terms of quality control.

That’s why we only awarded additional 0.5 points for the storage solutions manufactured in the USA or Europe.

On a subjective note, one thing that I do not like is vagueness about manufacturing practices. For some brands, that rabbit hole goes deep, and it’s almost impossible to determine where the storage units are made.

So, if I fail to find conclusive information, the product gets no points, even if it comes from a reputable brand.

2 – Maximum weight capacity of the barbell holder

The maximum weight is only a secondary factor, and most of the manufacturers don’t even list it in the specs. And it makes sense because you’re not bending any of these anytime soon, at least not by storing barbells. 

It’s only really an issue in gun racks, and even then the weight capacity is more down to the quality of the fixings than the rack itself.

Even the smaller ones that take up minimal wall space, like the Yes4All 4-bar hanger, have a listed capacity of at least 200 pounds.

We’re talking about 6 gauge steel (or thicker), and even if you go heavier, there’s a better chance of the studs pulling out of the wall than the steel bending.

3 – Can you attach it to a squat rack?

I didn’t go into much depth about the storage solutions that attach to the squat rack.

It’s because choosing one of those is pretty straightforward, but trying to recommend specific products would get real messy real quick.

I’d have to go into the compatibility of the storage solution with a squat rack, which would mean going over dozens of combos – from the tubing to the screws.

The closest I can get to helpful advice is mentioning the adjustable Yes4All J-Hook holders, which we have as an honorable mention.

Our methodology – how we rated the barbell storage racks

As with all our guides of this type, our focus was crafting data-based rating formulas that leave little to no room for interpretation.

Below is an outline of what we did to get there:

  1. We compiled a long-list directory of barbell storage solutions (60 plus products).
  2. We split the initial database into three groups – horizontal racks, floor racks and hangers.
  3. For each of the three sub-directories, we gathered all available data – from the steel thickness and type of plastic to the warranty terms and prices.
  4. In consultations with industry experts, we defined and then fine-tuned three separate rating systems for the three storage types.
  5. We rated each storage in a wide range of quality categories.

The top seven list consists of two top-rated barbell storage racks in each category and one honorable mention.

Idea-to-publication-time is 40+ hours, split between four members of the SHG team.

Other barbell storage options we looked at

The list below contains storage racks that deserve a mention but didn’t make it to the top six.

Other gun racks in the TOP 5:

  • Synergee – a highly-rated rack that fell below the red line because of the subpar warranty terms and thinner steel (11-gauge)
  • Rogue V2 gun rack – probably the most robust horizontal storage rack. Too expensive for your average home gym owner.
  • StarOne Olympic barbell rack – one of the most budget-friendly units here. It comes in two versions – for 3 and 6 bars.

Other floor storage solutions in the TOP 5

  • Rogue 9-bar vertical rack – Shares the runner-up spot in the category with the Titan rack. The cost per barbell slot is highest in the top 5, making the absence of protective plastic difficult to fathom.
  • Yes4All 5-bar vertical rack – better space-saver than any of the top 3 floor racks, with a footprint of only 144 square inches.
  • Eapele vertical rack – One of the highest user ratings I’ve seen in a barbell storage rack. You’ll have to bolt it down, though. It’s pretty light, and the tubing is on the shorter side. It’s the only floor rack here with inserts for storing standard barbells.

Other hanging racks in the TOP 5:

FAQs on best barbell storage

What is the best option for storing barbells?

Ideally, barbells should be stored horizontally, away from direct sunlight, and the weights removed.

To ensure that the barbells won’t bend, it’s best to store them horizontally, perhaps using a storage rack such as the horizontal Rogue 3-bar rack.

If storing them horizontally is not an option, you could also go for a vertical storage rack, such as the REP 9-Bar holder. A vertical rack will help save space in your gym.

Should I store my barbells vertically or horizontally?

Whenever possible, you should store your barbells horizontally.

By storing them horizontally, you lessen the burden of gravity on the spin system (be it bushings or bearings), and sleeves longevity is ensured to a greater extent, as well.

However, depending on the space conditions in your gym, you could also go for floor storage (such as the REP 9-Bar holder), or a vertical hanger (such as the Rogue vertical bar hanger).

Barbell storage guide – quick resume and key takeaways

It did take some serious elbow grease to complete this guide, but I feel it was all worth it because we found some awesome barbell storage solutions.

I do feel that it’s not the easiest read but I tried to simplify things every step of the way. There are just too many moving parts to be any more concise.

If you find it confusing, my advice would be to first decide on the type of rack you want, skip back to that section and ignore everything else.

Here’s a short resume

Among the horizontal racks, the top value for most people is the Yes4All rack, and the best premium option is the Rogue 3-bar rack. Click here to skip back to the Yes4All analysis.

Among the floor racks, the REP 9-Bar takes the cake – the length and diameter of the tubing are just right, and the protective plastic is firm enough to be durable yet flexible to absorb impact. Click here to skip back to its mini-review.

In the vertical hanger category, the Rogue Vertical Hanger is the king of the hill, both as best overall and top value. I haven’t seen that in a while. Click this link to skip back and re-read the Rogue Vertical Hanger dedicated section.

Photo of author
Steve Hoyles is a certified personal trainer and gym owner. Since graduating with his Sports Science degree in 2004 he's worked in the fitness industry, helping thousands of people reach their health and fitness goals. His writing has been read by millions of people in over 200 countries as he inspires to help as many people as possible live a healthy lifestyle.

Leave a Comment