We’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing squat racks.
Each rack is assessed against 14 ‘weighted’ criteria after gathering data on 35 folding squat racks. For example, ‘how easy it is to fold’ has the highest weighting because…
You probably won’t fold it away if you find it time-consuming. So you probably should buy a full power rack instead.
After our certified personal trainers, coaches, and engineer tested the top 7, we’ve found the perfect folding squat rack to suit you.
Editor’s Note:
This guide was updated in February 2025. We have condensed the picks such as removing the Rogue RML-3W rack to help you be more focused on the best picks. We also included new in-depth product analysis, performance test results, and detailed comparisons of foldable squat racks.
Compare folding racks
Best for | Overall | Money no object | Value | Low ceilings | Small spaces | Power Rack | Budget |
Rating (*) | |||||||
Easy to fold? | 99% | 85% | 45% | 99% | 45% | 62% | 45% |
Space-saving | 94% | 89% | 94% | 95% | 99% | 70% | 90% |
Quality | 93% | 93% | 88% | 82% | 93% | 72% | 78% |
Practicality | 80% | 97% | 78% | 67% | 75% | 82% | 75% |
Customer service | 88% | 88% | 90% | 88% | 85% | 85% | 83% |
Price | 68% | 58% | 90% | 72% | 78% | 80% | 92% |
Price | $$$$ | $$$$$ | $$ | $$$ | $$ | $$$ | $ |
Hole size (") | 5/8 | 5/8 | 5/8 | 5/8 | 5/8 | 5/8 | 11/16 |
Hole spacing (") | 2 (1 bench area) | 2 (1 bench area) | 2 (1 bench area) | 2 | 2 (1 bench area) | 2 (1 bench area) | 2 (1 bench area) |
Depth (") | 21.75 | 54.75 | 21.5/41 | 18 | 13 | 45.5 | 21.5/41 |
Folded depth (") | 4.5 | 8 | 4.5 | 4 | 5 | 23.5 | 5 |
Height (") | 89/95 | 89/95 | 92.3 | 73 | 90.375 | 86 | 82/91 |
Outside width (") | 48 | 48 | 48 | 46.5 | 49.1875 | 47.5 | 46 |
Color options | 9 | 9 | Black | Black | Black | Black | Black |
Pull up bar options | Straight, Multi, Kip | Straight | Straight | Straight, Multi | Straight | Multi grip | Straight |
Ceiling height (") | 94+ | 94+ | 100+ | 80+ | 100+ | 100+ | 94+ |
Stringer included? | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | N/A | No |
Steel tubing | 3x3" 11 gauge | 3x3" 11 gauge | 3x3" 11 gauge | 2x3" 11 gauge | 3x3" 11 gauge | 2.5x2.5" 12 gauge | 2x3" 11 gauge |
Our testing and selection process
I spoke to numerous friends who have used or have their own folding squat rack. I also tapped into the decades of experience possessed by Strong Home Gym’s personal trainers and team members to gather their opinions.
Once we had the data input for the 35 folding racks under question we ran it through our criteria tests.
We gave each data point a “weighting” based on what is more important e.g. there is a heavy weighting on how easy the rack is to fold away. There is less weighting on how good the warranty is.
This gave us a score out of 100 for each rack, which helped provide an unbiased data driven choice.
Here are the criteria we used…
Dimensions of the rack
- Does it save space?
- If it is under 30” off the wall it scores a point & under 7” when folded away.
- Are there depth options i.e. 21” or 41”?
- Are there different height options to suit your space and budget?
How easy is the rack to fold away?
- Ease to fold away
- If it takes a long time to fold away and uses the pin and hinge system it doesn’t score a point.
- Currently, PRx holds a patent and is the only folding rack that is effortless to fold away thanks to the gas shocks (you know… like the trunk of your car has!)
- I found this is the most important factor for a folding rack… so there are 2 points to be had for this!
Folding squat rack quality
- Gauge steel
- 11 gauge steel (⅛” thick) or better (lower) scores a point.
- Size of uprights
- 3×3” is typically the thickest metal you’ll find on foldable squat racks.
- 2×3” or thicker scores a point.
- Weight capacity
- 1,000 lbs+ capacity scores a point.
- Can spotter arms be used?
- One of the main benefits of a squat rack is that you can lift alone. Some racks mounted to the wall do not recommend using spotter arms.
- Stringers & installment
- If there are stringers that come with the rack it scores a point.
- You need to get the right piece of wood and follow the installment instructions if stringers are not provided. This is more fiddly to install.
Folding squat rack practicality
- 1” or “westside” hole spacing
- Allows more accurate placing of spotter arms and J-hooks.
- This is super important if you want to bench press alone. It means you won’t hit the spotter arms on the way down but the arms can still catch the weight if you fail.
- Pull up bar included
- If it comes with a pull up bar it scores a point.
- Plate storage
- If plate storage is possible to add to the rack it scores a point.
- Safe without anchoring/Can it be moved easily
- It scores a point if it doesn’t have to be bolted to the wall.
- 99% of folding racks need to be bolted to the wall. This can be an issue if you don’t have good walls or your floor is uneven (PRx have found a way to attach the rack to a wall even with uneven floors).
- Only the Force USA MyRack fits this out of any folding racks I found.
Folding squat rack price
- Value
- If the folding rack is under $600 it scores a point.
- The average price of the 35 folding racks we compared is $682.
- Warranty
- Lifetime warranty shows the manufacturers take care of their equipment.
Some other factors could also be considered. Things like if the holes are numbered on the rack so it can help you quickly place your j-hooks or spotter arms.
I don’t think this is a super important factor when buying your rack.
You can easily use a piece of tape to mark the holes you use and I don’t think this should be a purchasing decision.
Find out full review guidelines here.
Find the right folding rack for your needs
Overall | Premium | Value | Low ceilings | Small spaces | Folding power rack | Budget
1. Best folding squat rack
PRx uses patented technology to use gas shock cylinders. This means the rack can be folded away in seconds, unlike any other brand.
Easy to fold?
Space-saving
Quality
Practicality
Customer service
Price
Pros
- Easy to fold away (PRx patent)
- Very strong steel used
- Place spotter arms at ideal height
- Great customer support
- All parts included for installation
- Brand your gym – 9 color options
- Different pull up bar options
Cons
- Expensive
- Not as versatile as a full cage
PRx has patented technology to use gas shocks on folding racks.
They are the only company that has foldable racks that can fold away in seconds like this.
The 3×3″ 11 gauge steel is more than enough for any home gym and makes this a super solid rack.
The cherry on top is the upgraded “Westside” 1″ hole spacing around the bench press area. This makes it possible to position your spotter arms to the perfect height so they can catch the bar if you fail, whilst allowing a full range of movement.
It simply is the best foldable squat rack for your garage.
2. Premium folding squat rack
PRx uses patented technology to use spring-assisted brackets. Works on sloped floors & is pretty much the perfect rack I’d design.
Easy to fold?
Space-saving
Quality
Practicality
Customer service
Price
Pros
- Extra safe and versatile (full cage)
- Easy to fold away (PRx patent)
- Very strong steel used
- Place spotter arms at ideal height
- Great customer support
- All parts included for installation
Cons
- Expensive
PRx has patented technology to use these spring-assisted folding racks.
The 4 uprights are made from 3×3″ 11 gauge steel. You can tell they are building a full ecosystem on this due to the holes on the 2″ spacing of the holes on the outside of the rack so you can grow with this over time.
It’s expensive but if you want a full rack that can fold away in seconds rather than minutes (honestly this adds up over time) this is the rack for you.
Nah I can just buy the Rogue folding cage for $1,000 less
3. Best value folding rack
The best quality rack for this price range. But it’s not as easy to fold away as the PRx versions.
Easy to fold?
Space-saving
Quality
Practicality
Customer service
Price
Pros
- 41” depth option
- Westside spacing
- 3×3” 11 gauge steel tubing
- Great customer support
- Overall value
Cons
- Slow to fold compared to PRx
- Not a full cage
The 3×3″ 11 gauge steel is more than enough for any home gym and makes this a super solid rack.
And you can’t find a better quality folding rack cheaper than this.
However, the fiddly pins make it slow to fold out and put away. If you don’t mind spending a few minutes folding it out and putting it away every workout and money is your top priority this is the rack for you.
4. Folding rack for low ceilings
This PRx without a bar can be positioned to fit in a room with a ceiling as low as 80″. The ability to fold it away quickly makes it beat the competition for this height.
Easy to fold?
Space-saving
Quality
Practicality
Customer service
Price
Pros
- Fits 80”-91”+ ceiling heights
- Stringers included
- Very quick to fold away and use.
- 4 100lb gas shocks
- 2×3” 11 gauge steel
Cons
- Expensive
- No westside hole spacing
PRx has patented technology to use gas shocks on folding racks.
They are the only company that has foldable racks that can fold away in seconds like this.
If you get the profile rack without a pull-up bar it can fit in a room with ceilings as low as 80″ high.
PRx’s third mention shows how dominant their racks are in the folding rack market.
The quick folding rack is hard to ignore when it comes to folding racks as no other brand can currently compete thanks to the patented technology.
But this time I recommend the 72” tall Profile rack without a pull-up bar if you have a low ceiling. If you look on the sales page on the website you will see that they recommend you to have at least a 91” high ceiling. This is to allow for the rack when it’s folded up and back against the wall.
However, I got in touch with the team at PRx as a customer at [email protected]…
Not only were they super quick to respond but they went above and beyond what I asked them. They even shared the instructions manual…
As you can see, you can fit the rack into a ceiling height of as low as 80” by moving the brackets down the wall on installation.
This does mean the rack will now only be 18” deep from the wall when in use. But Rachael assured me that testing had been done on the modified rack height. It is still just as structurally sound as mounting the rack at the regular height.
5. Folding rack for small spaces
Going around a door means it saves even more space. This allows the depth to be so small as you can put your head on a bench through the door when bench pressing.
Easy to fold?
Space-saving
Quality
Practicality
Customer service
Price
Pros
- Very compact
- 3×3” 11 gauge steel
- Westside hole spacing
- Stringers are included
Cons
- Slow to unfold
- You need a door to put it around
The smallest depth out of any folding racks we’ve found.
The 3×3″ 11 gauge steel is more than enough for any home gym and makes this a super solid rack.
If you’re tight on space this is a rack to really consider as it uses clever engineering to allow it to be so small.
The Rogue RML-90SLIM Door Mount is the best folding squat rack I’ve found for really small spaces.
This foldable squat rack has a depth of 13 inches when in use, and only 5” when folded away. This is far more compact than any other racks I could find. The Sorinex Off-Grid and RML-90SLIM rack have a depth of 13.5” and 14” respectively but they do not fold. The next closest folding rack is the adjusted PRx Profile at 18” deep.
One of the issues with having wall-mounted gym equipment with such a small depth is that it can impede a workout. For example, it’s possible to do an incline bench press with 14” depth but you do feel very tight against the wall.
But this wall mounted squat rack is over a door!
That means you can open the door when you work out to give you a lot more depth than a rack attached to a wall. It even makes kipping or muscle-ups possible!
There is something to be aware of before you make the purchase… The max-width of the door and trim is 42.25”. So if you are planning on using this on a weirdly wide door it may not fit. Be sure to measure this first!
Overall, I think this is a really smart wall mounted gym design at a great price. It just looks super cool, is unique, and is practically the best wall mounted squat rack for you if you are tight on space.
All in all, this one’s the best squat rack for small spaces and a great garage folding squat rack.
6. Best folding power rack
Force USA has made a foldable power rack, which doesn’t need to be bolted to the wall. Ideal if you want a full rack for a decent price & also want to save space when not in use.
Easy to fold?
Space-saving
Quality
Practicality
Customer service
Price
Pros
Cons
- 12 gauge steel
- 20” depth when folded
A great option if you want an affordable power rack but you also want to be able to use your space for something else (like parking a car) when it’s not in use.
The 12 gauge steel isn’t as strong as some other picks on this list but it’s more than enough for most people.
The full cage offers more safety and versatility.
7. Best budget folding squat rack
One of the cheapest folding racks you can find. With 2×3″ 11 gauge uprights, it’s decent too!
Easy to fold?
Space-saving
Quality
Practicality
Customer service
Price
Pros
- The price
- Strong steel
- Place spotter arms at ideal height
- Various heights and depths options
Cons
- Fiddly to fold away
- Not a full cage
This rack is for you if money is your top priority.
It does take a while to fold away or pull out due to the locking safety pins. But if that isn’t an issue for you then this rack is still very good quality and one of the cheapest ones you’ll find anywhere.
The Titan T-3 is more than enough for most people and is ideal if you are on a budget.
After comparing over 20 folding racks on the market this is the cheapest option I could find that is currently available. When you include the spotter arms (an absolute must in my opinion) the 91” height version comes in around $60-$100 cheaper than the REP PR-4100. And the 82” version is $40 cheaper!
The PR-4100 does have 3×3” 11 gauge steel uprights compared to the Titan’s 2×3” 11 gauge steel. But in reality, most people will not notice the difference of this extra 1” wide steel.
The T-3 also only has a 1-year warranty, whereas every other rack you see on this page has a lifetime warranty.
Despite these small differences the T-3 rack pretty much offers everything the more expensive alternatives do. It does have a slow-to-change lock and pin hinge system, unlike the quick PRx system.
But when you compare this to the PRx “cheap” Murphy rack option you can see how much better Titan is…
| Titan T-3 | PRx Murphy | |
| Height | 82”/ 91” | 90” |
| Depth (folded/ unfolded) | 5 (not including wood stringers)/ 21” or 41” option | 6.75”/ 27.5” |
| Steel tubing | 2×3” 11 gauge | 2×3” 14 gauge |
| Westside or 1” hole spacing | Yes | No |
| Folding system | Lock and pin | Lock and pin |
| Stringers included | No | Yes |
Despite the thicker steel and Westside hole spacing, the T-3 is about $110-$150 cheaper than the Murphy. This makes it an ideal budget foldable squat rack.
The Murphy doesn’t use the patented folding rack technology unlike the Profile or PRO versions so there is no point in buying the Murphy rack.
This explains why some people claim that PRx is expensive. But you simply cannot argue that PRx PRO and Profile are the easiest-to-fold folding racks around!
Folding squat rack buying guide
There are six main things to consider before you buy a folding squat rack:
- Size of the rack
- How easily it folds away
- Quality
- Practicality
- Customer service & brand reputation
- Price
We looked into all of these factors and broke them down into 14 criteria to assess each of the racks…
Check out how we then assessed them here.
Folding squat rack top tips
You need to be aware if the rack comes with a set of stringers or not. It’s not always necessary to use stringers especially if you are installing it onto a brick wall.
But be sure to check the installation instructions as a poorly installed rack can impact its stability.
You can usually find instructions on the company’s website, and there are many great YouTube videos for this now.
It is crucial to make sure you have put any rubber mats or flooring in place before installing your folding rack. It is not easy to adjust the height once your fold down gym rack is installed.
Here’s an example of what you’ll end up with if you don’t put flooring down first, which isn’t ideal…
It’s also wise to check to see if your floor is on a slant as this can mean the feet of the rack are in the air or may not be able to fold out fully.
Are folding squat racks good?
Yes, there are many good, high-quality folding racks on the market today. Racks such as the PRx PRO fold away in seconds and can hold up to 1,000 lbs of weight.
As long as you mount your rack properly onto a wall following the instructions these racks are very safe, provide the same versatility as regular squat racks, and save space allowing you to use the area for something else when not in use.
What’s the difference between a folding squat rack and a power rack?
The difference between a folding squat rack and a power rack is in the size and the vertical uprights.
A power rack is larger, has 4 uprights, and has cross beams on top.
A squat rack will usually feature only two uprights, a smaller base, and a horizontal beam at the bottom.
Is it worth getting a squat rack for my home gym?
Yes, it’s definitely worth getting a squat rack for your home gym.
In our ultimate guide on how to build a home gym for any budget, we mention the squat rack, along with a barbell, some weight plates, and a bench.
Ideally, you want your home gym to have a squat rack with a pull up bar, such as our top pick – the PRx PRO.
Is it OK to bench in a squat rack?
It is a common practice to bench in a squat rack.
Combining a bench with a squat rack is one of the few options if you want to use a heavily loaded barbell for your bench-related exercises.
Squat rack manufacturers such as PRx are well aware of this, so they offer a flat fold-away bench or an adjustable bench to complement their PRx PRO.
Can I add attachments to my folding squat rack?
Yes, you can add attachments to your folding squat rack.
Check the product specifications to ensure compatibility, and choose attachments that align with your fitness goals, such as dip bars, pull-up bars, or weight plate holders.
If you need more guidance on this, check out our extensive power rack attachments compatibility mega guide.
Adding attachments can enhance the versatility of your folding squat rack for a more comprehensive workout experience.
The bottom line
Folding squat racks are a great way to save space. They can transform your home gym space into a completely separate space when you are not working out.
The PRx PRO rack is our top pick purely for the fact that it uses patented technology to fold the rack away in seconds.
Every other folding rack uses the slower-to-use pins and hinges. It is more pricey than some other options out there.
But if you want to fold your rack away every time you use it, it’s 100% worth it.
Check out our best squat racks buying guide if you’d like to learn more about the other types of squat racks. We compared over 120 racks in this extensive guide and whittled it down to the best options on the market.
