10 Best Power Rack Attachments for Different Needs and Budgets [400+ Reviewed by PT]

Hi, and welcome to the Strong Home Gym’s guide on choosing the best power rack attachments.

This would be another (probably better) way to put it – below is a guide on not burning money when buying attachments.

“Who’s this guy?”

My name is Steve Hoyles. I own a gym and have been a personal trainer for over two decades now.

I’ve been buying, using, and writing about racks and attachments for longer than I care to remember.

You could say I’ve grown attached to it.

Anyway…bad puns aside…

I’ll be your guide to rack attachments for the day – its good sides and, more importantly, its underbelly.

Getting to it…

There are three reasons to get a rack attachment.

1. Safety.
2. Making the most of the space (new exercises without new machines).
3. “Surprising” the muscle with new stuff.

Yeah, yeah, I know…I’m also not a fan of the “surprise the muscle” spiel…

It’s tired and overused to the point where it’s lost all meaning.

It means introducing new plains and angles – and some attachments can absolutely do that.

So I’m OK with the cliché…

You’ll see a selection of 10 attachments that I believe add the most value to a home gym.

We’ve chosen the 10 after from our mega database of 400+ analyzed, reviewed, and first-hand tested attachments.

You’ll also see some that are simply the coolest.

In each category, I’ll also recommend a few specific products for different rack sizes.

Let’s get to it…

J-Hooks

GetRxd Builder Cups

Check the price here

Spotter Arms

REP Fitness Spotter Arms

Check the price here

Safety Catches

Titan Pin-Pipes

Check the price here

10 best power rack attachments

#1 – J-hooks

J-hooks are an essential & arguably the best power rack attachment that typically comes with the rack. Look below – you’ll see why they’re called J hooks…

At the most basic, they’re a home for your barbell.

The older among you remember the massive bolts that used to play the role of a modern J-hook.

Today, the best ones are much more…

The ones that come included are rarely great…especially if we’re talking about cheaper racks.

They’re basically a piece of bent metal that does very little.

Upgrading your J-cups can bring two massive benefits:

1. Better protection for your barbell.
2. Easier racking, centering, and unracking.

We chose the GetRxd Builder Cups as the top value because it’s as good as some cups that cost 2-3 times as much.

Moreover…

Other J-hooks in its price range fall short compared to the Builder in most aspects – from materials and welds to padding and finishes.

The GetRxd cups are made for 3×3 racks with 1-inch pegs. Click the button below to see the GetRxd site.

If your goal is complete protection of your barbell, go with a sandwich cup – you can see our list of picks in that category by searching in this table.

If money is not an issue and you own a 3×3 rack, there’s no cooler hook in the universe than the Ghost Roller 2.0.

These are available as 1 and ⅝-inch pins:

• See the 1-inch roller here
• See the ⅝ inch roller here

If that’s not compatible with your rack – click here to see our full list of the best J-hooks for a squat rack.

#2 – Best spotter-arm attachment for your power rack

Spotter arms are an attachment designed to make squats and presses safer and protect you (and your floors) on failed lifts.

They’re also helpful for positioning the bar depending on the exercise you’re doing.

It’s not as common, but they can be included in the deal when buying a rack.

If not, they’re among the first things you’ll see as an optional add-on.

For me… 100% yes… 

Everyone should have a way of catching the bar if you fail when lifting alone.

They’re a cheap way to up your squatting and pressing game by adding a layer of safety.

The best ones are robust enough to house attachments of their own, which is what the holes are for.

However…

People rarely mount stuff to other attachments, but it’s not a gimmick. It’s a real option if you have the space in front of the rack.

Imagine pins and band pegs or a leg roller attached to the spotter arms.

That’s another reason why choosing well is crucial.

REP Fitness spotter arms for the PR4000 and 5000 racks are our top pick because they check all the boxes – from build and depth to mounting and finishes.

They’re made for 3×3 uprights with 1 or 5/8-inch uprights – you can see both here.

If none of these fit your rack, go to our main guide and click your rack size to see all power rack attachments compatibility.

#3 – Safety catches – box-tubes, pipes and straps

Safety attachments for power racks go inside the “cage” between the uprights and add a layer of safety on failed lifts.

Box tubes and pipes are even safer than spotter arms, but they’ll potentially limit your squatting depth, depending on the design and height of the rack.

If they’re high and low (like my racks in the gym), they won’t impact your lifting at all.

They also might scratch your barbell if not padded.

Straps live in the middle…they:

• Are gentle on the bar.
• Allow for full range of motion (ROM).
• Allow you to set the two ends at different heights…so that a dropped bar will roll away from you.

With all that said, they don’t offer the full protection of a rigid safety and aren’t as durable in the long run.

They’ll stretch and sag, so might need replacing in 5 or 10 years.

Combine spotter arms with another safety attachment for the best balance between functionality and safety.

The arms are your first line of defense, and straps, tubes, or pins are the “what-if.”

This allows you to move “out of” the spotter’s arms, get the full ROM, and still be protected.

Setting up your rack like this does add to the cost, but who can put a price tag on safety.

If your rack stretchers (the poles that determine the depth of the rack) aren’t at the top and bottom of the rack, you probably do.

Below are our top picks in each category:

Titan’s stuff is hit and miss, but this pin and pipe set is great value…just as hefty as the high-end stuff and well-padded.

Force USA’s box-tubes strike a solid balance between quality and price. They even cost about 10% less than Titan tubes.

The Build Limitless Strap system is our top pick because of the robustness that’s only rivaled by Rogue stuff.

In the tight race, the Limitless won out because they’re made by Spud Inc

I have three notes here:

1. Consider the length when labeling any rigid safety as “compatible” because they go through two uprights.
2. The straps are more flexible in terms of length fit.
3. Pin pipes don’t have to be a perfectly close fit, but you don’t want them clunky or loose either (I’d say that up to 0.15-inch gap is acceptable if you can’t find an exact fit).

See our power rack attachments compatibility guide for more.

#4 – Storage attachments – weight horns, bar holders, and shelves

Storage attachments provide the space to organize all your power rack accessories.

They all fall into 3 groups:

1. Weight storage attachments, a.k.a. horns
2. Barbell-storage attachments.
3. Shelves and accessories storage (for thingamajigs and thingamabobs…think ropes, balls, chains…)

As your home gym grows and you add stuff, you will need extra storage at some point.

You also might need extra weight horns if your rack feels unstable and rattles.

REP’s selection of horns is our top pick for two reasons:

1. The line-up is versatile – all in terms of length, finishes, and rack compatibility.
2. They’re cheaper than Rogue horns.

Shelves and other storage attachments are often limited to specific rack sizes.

Best rack-mounted barbell holder – Rogue Vertical

The top pick among barbell storage attachments is the Rogue 3-Bar Hanger because it delivers Rogue quality at a “non-Rogue-ish” price.

Shelves are often limited by the dimensions of a specific rack, so recommending one is moot.

Hangers and hooks are a dime a dozen, and it all comes down to compatibility with your rack.

See our power rack attachments compatibility guide for more.

#5 – Pull-up bar attachments – multi-grip, balls, and other fancy-pants stuff

Pull-up bar attachments are bars for pull-ups that attach to your rack. (Am I smart, or am I smart?!?)

A basic, straight bar is commonly included on most good racks.

You can upgrade from it with some fancy stuff – from multi-grip bars to balls.

If you’re into pull-ups (and you should be), you’ll want to upgrade the basic bar to one that’s more challenging.

It’s a game-changer…provided your ceiling is high enough and you find a bar that fits your rack.

Recommending one absolute “best” here doesn’t make much sense.

Why?

Because the bars are specific to racks and rarely interchangeable between brands.

That is if you don’t want to modify, weld, or extend stuff…

Some attachments, like the Titan’s Sphere Bar, go on the side of the rack, but the holes still have to line up.

That’s rarely the case if your rack isn’t Titan.

Go to our main compatibility guide here and click your rack profile.

This will take you to a list of all attachments for the specific rack profile and pin size, including pull-up bars.

Go to our rack attachment database here.

#6 – Pulley attachment for power racks

It’s a way to supercharge your rack by turning it into a cable machine.

Below are just a few examples;

• Add a top pulley and blast the triceps with standing pull-downs or extensions.
• Add a bottom pulley for curls and rows.
• Add two on the front uprights, and you get a cable crossover machine.

It’s crazy versatile and probably the cheapest attachment if you calculate the cost per exercise added.

If you don’t have a cable machine or a functional trainer, you do.

If your rack has ⅝-inch holes or bigger and a pull-up bar, it will likely be compatible with the PRx Prime Pulley System.

It’s basic, cheap, and works as a top and bottom pulley.

The Rogue Slinger Series is about as fancy and cool as an attachment gets.

Sade’s “Smooth Operator” is rumored to be about the Slinger.

Dumb jokes aside…

Its main advantage is how close it feels to an actual cable machine.

Its main “downside” is a unique fit with the Monster and Monster Lite racks.

In other words, if you already own a Monster rack, ignore the haters, get the Slinger, and pair it with a solo pulley.

You can thank me later.

#7 – Best dip-station attachment for your rack

It’s a way to incorporate a dip station into your rack. They can also double up as a Roman chair if you get creative!

Dips should be a staple for most people.

And let’s get this straight – the fact that you can’t do 10 right away is no reason to give it up altogether.

And I’ve seen this misguided ego-driven reasoning all too often…

If you don’t already have a standalone station for dips, you’ll want one on your rack.

Profile ONE and Profile PRO by PRX are the top picks in the category.

These tick all the key quality boxes (finishes, compatibility, storage) and excel in one aspect – stability and zero rattle.

They’re also US-made, so there’s that…

See our power rack attachments compatibility guide for more.

#8 – Best lever arms for squat racks

Lever arms are basically a way to replace fixed lever machines and introduce hinged resistance.

I’d put them in the top 2 most underrated rack attachments (along with cable pulleys).

I have 3 reasons for that:

1. They’re crazy versatile.
2. They don’t take up extra space.
3. You can get a good pair for as little as 200 bucks.

If your workouts start to feel stale, lever arms are an awesome way to mix things up.

On some exercises (like bent-over rows), hinged resistance is actually the more natural lifting path.

On others, it might be the way forward if you’re lifting around (or recovering from) an injury…like bench pressing with a bad shoulder.

Bells of Steel makes a solid pair of lever arms and sells them for less than Titan.

(and MUCH cheaper than REP and Rogue).

However, they’re made for 2.3×2.3 racks, and using them on other racks might call for modification or not be possible at all (on 3-inch wide profiles).

See our power rack attachments compatibility guide for more.

#9 – Best monolift-arm attachment for power racks

A monolift arm is the closest to a human spotter among power rack accessories.

It does a few crucial things:

1. Allows you to start a pressing movement straight up (and then moves out of the way).
2. Allow you to shorten (or eliminate the walk-out on squats.
3. It gives you more racking space and confidence than a J-cup.

In some scenarios, it can be better than a spotter…we’ll get to that in a second.

Reaching back to unrack the barbell on the bench press is a huge injury risk.

It’s riskier than most people like to think or admit.

You need a monolift arm if you’re lifting alone and want to minimize the injury risks of racking/unracking.

That’s especially true for heavy bench presses.

It’s the kind of thing that, once on your rack, makes you wonder how you managed without it.

These things aren’t cheap, but they’re worth every penny.

The best value among monolift arms is the T3 adjustable arm. It’s made for the T3 rack, which is 2×3 and has ⅝-inch holes.

In practice, the tolerances on Titan attachment are different and (probably intentionally) slightly off.

That’s especially true for the pin diameter (a peg greater) and the spacing between them.

In other words, if your rack isn’t Titan, you’ll probably need minor modifications.

See our power rack attachments compatibility guide for more.

#10 – Landmine attachment – all that and a bag of chips

It’s an add-on for squat racks that anchors one end of a barbell and allows for the other to rotate.

It’s the brainchild of Bert Sorin (yes…as in Sorinex).

I think it’s SUPER high value.

It allows you to perform unilateral presses and rows with a barbell.

You can perform rotations, squats, ab work, explosive work etc.

In a gym like mine it’s useful, in a home gym it’s literally game-changing.

Rogue landmines are hands-down the best, mainly because of the finishes, attention to detail, and that extra oomph of Rogue coolness.

They’re also not expensive so the price isn’t a big part of the equation.

On the other hand, the landmine is such a simple attachment that something as cheap as the Yes4All Swivel T-bar will do the job.

Buyer’s guide to choosing the best rack attachment

In this section, I’ll go over some of the critical factors to consider when choosing rack accessories and attachments.

Others are obvious.

I’ll aim to be direct and keep it short and actionable.

4 primary factors to consider when choosing rack attachments

1 – Needs vs. budget vs. space

Talking about “needs” is about as commonplace as it gets…yet I see “experts” mulling it over and again.

I won’t do that.

It’s true that you should buy the attachments that fit your needs.

But that’s no news to anyone.

It’s easier when you have a step-by-step, at least for me…

Here it is…

1. Decide on the budget.
2. Add 20%.
3. Now you have your budget (’cause you’ll likely spend 20% more…there’s a lot of cool stuff out there, and I see it happen every day).
4. Group all attachments into 4 categories – essentials, must-haves, nice-to-haves and ego-buys.
5. Think about space – where would the attachment go, its footprint, and the space you need to use it.
6. Check whether the attachments are compatible with your rack (more on that in a second).
7. Rinse and repeat steps 4, 5, and 6 until you have your shopping list.

Bonus Tip: Choose one or two attachments from the ego-buys group.

Buying stuff just because you like it is not a bad thing, especially if it means you’re likely to show up.

As I said, it’s basic stuff – I’m just offering some structure.

2 – Compatibility with your rack

The worst-case scenario is getting excited about an attachment only to find it doesn’t fit your rack.

The short story on compatibility is this – profile, pins, and hole spacing are a fit.

The short story is enough 80% of the time.

If you’re unsure about this, we have a separate guide on it – you can see it here.

3 – Build quality – construction, finishes, and the coolness factor

The build quality of a rack attachment comes down to 4 things:

1. Structural build (gauge of the steel, tubing profiles, joints).
2. Finishes – welds, powder coats.
3. Tolerances – the variance between the spec sheet and the actual dimensions.
4. Extras – padding, handles, prints.

The intangible here is the coolness aura of brands like Rogue or Eleiko.

Pit all that against the cost of the attachment, and you get the all-important VALUE.

That’s what we’re after! Every day!

4 – Price of the attachment

This goes back to my first point in this section – smart budgeting and planning.

Attachments can cost anywhere from 20 bucks for a cheap rope anchor to over 2K for something like the Rogue Rhino squat-belt.

This is my 4-rule way to think about prices when on a tight budget:

1. Clearly define your priorities.
   
   What you’re doing most of. Is it dips, pull-ups, squats, or something else?
   
2. Go for the top-of-the-line (or at least top value) with your priority attachments.
3. Save on your secondary attachments.
4. Prioritize versatility – whenever possible, go for attachments that do more than one thing.
5. Occasionally splurge on raw coolness just for the heck of it.

Average prices of top 15 rack attachments

You can see a graph with the average prices of the top 15 attachments below.

The average price includes some outliers, so its direct use is limited. It is still a useful reference.

Our methodology – how we choose the best rack attachments

Below is a short outline of what we did to choose the best rack attachments.

I’m not including it toot our own horn.

It’s here for context and proof that our picks are not random – they’re the fruit of first-hand tests and analysis of large data sets.

The steps:

1. We created a massive database of rack attachments – 400+.
   
   Even the raw database is pre-filtered, so we only analyze the best accessories in each category.
2. We defined a way to quantify how useful a rack attachment is.
   
   To do that, we built on first-hand experiences by talking to industry experts and users.
3. We added factors like availability, popularity, versatility, and cost.
4. This gave us the initial list of the top 13 attachments, which turned out to be too broad for clarity.
   
   We always aim for conciseness and clarity. In this case, that meant cutting some fat and going with 10 attachments.
5. Within each type, we choose one product as the best value.

We aimed to offer options for different rack sizes and budgets.

6. Finally, we update this guide regularly to ensure it only includes the top attachments.

In other words, data-based models are a living, breathing thing, and they change.

That’s why bookmarking this guide is a good idea.

Other attachments – honorable mentions

Below is a list of attachments that might add less value to the average home gym.

The operating word here is “average.”

Some of these might be just what the doctor ordered for your space.

• Wall ball target – useful for a few. If it can be fully replaced by a wall, it’s not an essential attachment.
• Leg roller – useful for some specific leg work like lunges; it’s not essential because you can use a bench instead. If you need one, go with Rogue…it has the least rattle by far.
• Pins and band pegs – so versatile they can be considered essential. I intentionally left them out because their benefits are obvious.
• Sets, benches, and leg holders – yes, they do come as rack-mounted attachments. Like pegs, they’re obvious, and you don’t need me to understand them.
• Step-up plate – if you wanna work on that bum, a step-up platform is essential. The thing is, for most spaces, a box or a pilates platform is more convenient.
• Stealth leg press – useful but narrowly specific to brands and racks.
• Belt-squat attachment – a great tool to squat around a back injury or pain. The appeal is not broad enough, and it’s too expensive to qualify for “best.”
• Cannonball grips – if your pull-up game is strong or you’re into climbing, you’ll love these.
• Conversion-kit attachments – typically made to go from stands to half racks. Useful for some, an afterthought for most.

Best power rack attachment – resume and key takeaways

This guide is one of the most touch-and-go pieces I’ve ever written.

We’re basically trying to compare apples to oranges.

I feel we did an OK job because we got clarity on all crucial points.

Here’s a resume of the roadmap that leads to your perfect rack-attachments setup:

1. Set a budget.
2. Set priorities
3. Think about your space.
4. Make sure the attachments are compatible with your rack.
5. Look for value.
6. Learn to recognize the bad apples.

I like to think you’re better at going through these steps now compared to 15 minutes ago – especially #5 and #6.

If that’s true, I’m keeping my job.

If you need a refresher, click here to skip back to the top 10 picks table.