17 Best Squat Racks Out of 127 [Buying Guide Included]

Choosing the best squat rack can be one of the most important safety decisions for your home gym. 

So we have physically tried many and ran 127 racks through our criteria to give them all a score out of 10 (see how below). 

If you are in a hurry the REP PR-4000 is our top-scoring power rack due to its overall quality and value. The REP SR-4000 is our top squat stand pick for the same reasons. But if you want to save space the PRx Folding Squat Rack is our recommendation due to being able to fold it away in seconds.

Best Folding

PRx Profile Rack

Check the price here

Best Power Rack

REP PR-4000

Check the price here

Best Squat Rack

REP SR-4000

Check the price here

17 best squat racks and power racks

I can almost hear your mind thinking…

Is the price taken into account in these selections?

Yes, is the short answer. 

You can find more details about these selections here. But these are the 17 top picks from our study…

If you want to get a quick idea of what to expect from a squat rack these averages should help (although there are huge variations to each aspect)…

We wanted to include an option here that suits everyone’s budget, requirements and space. All whilst focusing on finding the best quality racks available. 

So this is why these racks made the cut…

1. Best power rack for home gym- our pick: REP PR-4000 Power Rack

Summary

With a score of 9 out of 10 from our criteria, it’s the stand-alone highest scoring out of all 127 racks. 

Simply the best overall power rack I’ve seen when you take into account quality, features and price. 

It has 1” Westside hole spacing meaning you can set the safeties to the perfect height for your bench press. No need to bump the bar on the way down and the spotter arms will be sure to catch the bar if you fail. 

There are also a ton of accessories you can add to the rack, such as:

• Safeties (included)
• J-Cups (included) 
• Pull up bar (included)
• Multi-grip pull up bar (additional- adds 1” height)
• Dip bars (additional)
• Spotter arm (additional)
• Rear base stabilizer (additional- adds 10” length)
• Front stabilizer (additional- adds 26” length)
• Lat/ low row (additional- adds 27” depth and 3” height)
• Weight storage (additional- adds 19” length)
• 8 different colors to choose from

3×3 inch 11 gauge steel is strong enough to last you a lifetime. The best bang for your buck out of all the power racks we have seen. 

Pros

• Value for money- one of the most affordable high quality power racks.
• 3×3” 11 gauge steel- a very sturdy rack that can take a lot of weight.
• Accessories- there are so many additional accessories you can buy to make this a complete workout and storage device. 
• Personalise- match your home gym branding with 8 colors to choose from.
• Safety- very solid steel used and the 1” hole spacing helps for your safeties…
• Westside 1” hole spacing- avoid hitting the safety pins when you lower your bench press and make sure they can still catch the barbell if (and when) you fail. 
• Lifetime warranty- buy with the knowledge that your parts can be replaced and REP typically have very good customer service. 

Cons

• Not very compact- like all power racks you will need a decent size space to put this in.

2. Best power rack with cables- upgrade pick: EliteFTS Multi High/ Low Pulley Power Rack

There are other beasts of power racks out there such as the Rogue RM-6 Monster. However, these monsters scored only 7 out of 10 against our criteria. 

The EliteFTS scored 8 out of 10 and it’s our upgrade pick for two main reasons:

1. It has a high and low pulley attached. 
2. It also uses 1” Westside spacing (like the REP PR-4000 does, but unlike the Rogue RM-6 Monster). 

The big downside is that it only uses 2×2” 11 gauge steel compared to even the PR-4000 3×3” steel. 

But here’s the truth…

2×2” 11 gauge steel is strong enough to take 1,000 lbs of weight. And that is more than enough for most people building a home gym. It simply gets to a point where most people won’t need any stronger steel. However, we can benefit from the features provided a lot more. 

If you’re looking for a strong enough power rack with more features than most other racks out there, this may be for you.

Summary

Pros

• High and low pulley included- perform more exercises than most standard power racks. No need to buy an additional cable machine. 
• 1” Westside spacing- adjust your safeties to the perfect height when bench pressing. 
• Customisable- decide on the color, height and chin up bars of the rack to suit you.
• Lifetime warranty- manufactured in the USA and tested by the strongest athletes in  the world. 
• Good quality pulleys- these are hard to find on a power rack combo.   

Cons

• Expensive- this is not one of the cheaper options out there, but with all of the features included it’s hard to ignore. 
• Only 2×2” steel- even cheaper options have 3×3” steel bars. 

*Note- EliteFTS doesn’t have an affiliate program, which is why you won’t often see websites recommending their products. If you were to buy from the link above I wouldn’t receive a commission. We simply recommend it because it beats the competition. 

3. Best budget power rack: REP PR-1100 Home Gym Power Rack

Summary

If you are on a tight budget and know you won’t squat over 500 lbs then this could be a great rack for you. 

The 2×2” 14 gauge steel can supposedly cope with 700 lbs (although I wouldn’t bank on that) which is more than enough for most people. It also has some great features such as the multi grip pull up bar and numbered holes to make loading your rack quicker and more accurate. 

Whilst this is probably the lowest price decent squat rack you can find there are some concerns. 

One of the main concerns for me is the 3” hole spacing. When you want to adjust your safeties to the best height for a bench press it can result in two things that are not ideal. Either getting stuck under the barbell or hitting the pins on the way down. 

You can find out more about our best budget power rack picks here.

Pros

• Super affordable price- hard to find a cheaper power rack, let alone with such good features.
• Numbered holes- easy loading to remember what height you place your J-hooks and safeties.
• Accessories – pull up bar, dip bars, j-cups, lat row, weight mines and more are available.
• REP Fitness- is a reputable brand (no pun intended) with good customer service and lifetime warranty. 

Cons

• 3” hole spacing- not ideal to position the safeties at the right height under a bench press. 
• 14 gauge steel- is not as strong as 11 gauge steel racks available, which means you can’t load as much weight on the rack. 

4. Best cheap power rack alternative: Fitness Reality 810XLT Power Cage

Summary

Some people simply want the cheapest possible power rack and would prefer to buy from Amazon for convenience. 

The Fitness Reality 810XLT fits this category. 

With 14 gauge steel, it is comparable to the quality of the REP PR-1100. It can cope with more than enough weight for most people (800 lbs apparently). 

Personally, I wouldn’t want to test that out and take it to the max. The PR-1100 uses the same strength steel and has a 700 lb capacity (yes, some companies will overestimate this rating!) 

A friend in the Strong Home Gym community uses this rack and says, “if you’re a regular home gym user this rack is more than enough. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles but it works and is a great price.“

Pros

• Super budget option- great price for a decent rack. 
• Strong enough for most people- 14 gauge steel is enough for most people. 
• Ease of ordering on Amazon- some people just want simplicity with ordering. 
• Very highly rated- very few complaints from customers. 

Cons

• No lifetime warranty- buying on Amazon can come with its issues with items occasionally damaged.
• Scratches easily- one of the common complaints from customers. 
• 3” hole spacing- means you will probably bang the spotter arms when you bench press or you could still get stuck under the barbell. 

5. Best squat rack for home gym- our pick: REP SR-4000 

Summary

The new SR-4000 is the most affordable squat stand that scored 8 out of 10 against our criteria. Only the Rogue SML-3 scored this high for a squat stand and that’s our upgrade pick below.

It uses 3×3 inch 11 gauge steel and has a weight capacity of 1,500 lbs. 

It’s hard to beat this quality for a squat rack, yet the price is still reasonable compared to alternatives. 

It comes with a pull-up bar. And due to the long flat feet, you can kip and do muscle ups on this without too much wobbling. That is pretty rare for a squat stand! 

The downside compared to the previous version is that this now costs a little bit more. The main reason is that this version doesn’t include spotter arms, you need to purchase these additionally. It’s also not the most space saving squat rack either but the new height options do make it perfect for low ceilings. 

The reason this gets my top squat stand pick is that REP has taken on board what people want.

The new version of the SR-4000 has 1” hole spacing so that you can position spotter arms at the perfect height. The 2.5” steel has been upgraded to 3” which is more than enough for any gym user. They’ve managed to do this and still keep their prices pretty reasonable as far as squat racks go. 

See more in the 3 minute video below…

Pros

• Heavy duty 11 gauge steel- very strong and safe to handle a lot of weight. 
• 72” length– makes this very sturdy and less likely to wobble or fall.
• Holes in the feet- allowing you to easily bolt it to the floor if you want (but you really don’t need to). 
• Westside 1” hole spacing- set your spotter arms at the perfect height for chest press.
• Weight storage at the back- helps to make the rack more sturdy and a space saver.
• Varying heights- perfect for low ceilings or tall people. 

Cons

• Spotter arms not included- as far as I’m concerned these are a necessity, be prepared to add this to your budget. 

6. Best squat rack- upgrade pick: Rogue SML-3 Monster Lite Squat Stand

Summary

If you don’t like the idea of a power rack taking up all your space, but you want the same security and safety, then this could be perfect for you. 

It scored 8 out of 10 and the only categories it didn’t score in are the space saving and pricing. 

However, it’s hard to find a decent squat rack with a footprint much smaller than 48×49” (the average is 44×48”). And compared to Rogue’s power racks, the SML-3 is very pretty good value. 

The two things it has over the SR-4000 are the two pull up bars (one fat/skinny and one single bar) and the fact it’s made in the USA. It just adds more options for people that want to mix up their pull up variations. And some people simply want to buy their gym gear from USA manufactured brands. 

Pros

• 1” Westside spacing- don’t hit the arms on the way down when you bench press or get stuck under the barbell. 
• 3×3” 11 gauge steel- this type of steel will last you a lifetime. 
• Accessories- pull up bars (included), j-cups (included), spotter arms, wheels & floor mounting feet are all possible to add
• Rogue brand- lifetime warranty and great customer service. 

Cons

• Expensive- additional costs for spotter arms

7. Best budget squat rack: Titan T-3 Series Tall Squat Stand 

Summary

As far as budget racks go the Titan T-3 Series still ticks a lot of the boxes. It only scored one point less than the SR-4050 and SML-3 because it doesn’t come with a lifetime warranty. 

And to be honest, that is really the only significant difference. 

Sure it only has 2”x3” steel compared to the others 3”x3”. But the majority of people won’t even notice this.  

If you want a very sturdy high quality squat stand for a budget price then you’ll love this one. 

But if you want the peace of mind of good customer service and a lifetime warranty then go for the Rep or Rogue alternatives above. 

The reason the SR-4000 got our top spot is because it has a larger base to make it extra sturdy even without bolting it down. 

Pros

• 11 gauge steel- very strong steel that can handle up to 1,000 lbs of weight, which is more than enough for most people. 
• Good price- hard to find as good a quality rack for a price as low as this. 
• 1” Westside spacing- ideal to make sure your spotter arms are the correct height for bench presses. 

Cons

• No lifetime warranty- Titan Fitness doesn’t offer a lifetime warranty so any issues with the rack can be harder to resolve. 

8. Best cheap squat rack alternative: CAP Barbell Power Rack Exercise stand

Summary

It’s hard to find a super-budget pick on Amazon that consists of any 11 gauge steel. This makes the CAP Power Rack a great option if you are on a super tight budget. 

However, it is important to note that it only weighs 65 lbs. 

This suggests to me that a weaker steel is mainly used (just compare this to the 140 lbs of the Titan T-3 2×3” 11 gauge steel rack).

There’s no doubt this rack could hold 500 lbs as stated. However, if you squat 400lbs and have to rely on spotter arms, I’m not confident this would hold up. 

Here’s the bottom line…

If you know you won’t be lifting more than 350 lbs and have no interest in kipping pull ups then this is more than enough for you. 

Pros

• Very cheap- one of the better “super cheap” options out there. 
• 500 lbs weight capacity- should be enough for most people. 
• Good reviews and ratings- on the whole there are positive reviews about this squat rack. It simply works. 

Cons

• Only weighs 65 lbs- not ideal if you want to do any swinging pull ups on here or squat anything over 350 lbs.
• Poor customer service- complaints from people that have issues with missing parts or trying to order extra items. 
• J-hooks are not padded- this can damage your barbell.

9. Best half rack- our pick: Rogue HR-2 Half Rack

Summary

Half racks offer a similar strength quality as power racks. They are also not as intrusive as a full power rack. 

The Rogue HR-2 is an upgrade of the Rogue Monster Series squat stand. Simply add 2 bars at the back. This adds stability and extra plate storage.

It comes in at half the price of Rogue’s Monster Collegiate alternative half rack and the Rep HR-5000. The other deal breaker for some people is that it is manufactured in the USA. Whereas Rep Fitness sources its steel from China. 

Scoring 8 out of 10, this half rack is our top pick. 

Pros

• Storage pins for plates- don’t leave your plates lying around, keep it clean!
• No need to bolt this down- squat racks don’t have to be bolted down, but it can be wise to do so.
• 11 gauge steel- very strong construction that comfortably will take 1,000 lbs or weight.  
• Less bulky than a power rack- especially useful if this is going to be in a spare room in the house. 
• Rogue- lifetime warranty and great customer service. 
• Westside 1” spacing- place your spotter arms at the perfect height for your bench press. 

Cons

• Not cheap- you can actually buy the REP PR-4000 Power Rack for cheaper than this.  

10. Best half rack- upgrade pick: REP HR-5000 Half Rack

Summary

This has everything the Rogue HR-2 has and much more. However, due to the higher price it also scored 8 out of 10 against our criteria. 

If you want to customise your rack and you lift heavy weights, then this is for you. The 3×3” 11 gauge steel is enough to last a lifetime with 1,500 lbs capacity. 

It also comes with more accessories such as the multi grip pull up bar and spotter arms.

Weighing 400 lbs this is a beast.

It is our top upgrade pick as it beats the Rogue Monster Collegiate for pricing and features. 

Pros

• Highly customizable- different colors available to suit your home gym branding.  
• 1,500 lbs weight capacity- hard to find a rack with this capacity.
• Accessories- spotter arms, upgraded j-cups, multi grip pull up bar.
• Lifetime warranty- no need to worry about the quality and finishing with this. 
• Storage pins for plates- perfect for a tidy gym. 
• Westside 1” spacing- set your spotters to the right height for a bench press. 

Cons

• Expensive- it still beats comparables out there, such as EliteFTS, Rogue and Sorinex Half Racks. 

11. Best budget half rack: Titan X-3 Series Half Rack

Summary

You may be noticing a pattern here by now. 

Titan comes in as our budget pick again. And really when you compare this to Rep Fitness and Rogues alternatives there isn’t much difference in quality or features. 

The reason this only scored 7 out of 10 is because Titan doesn’t offer a lifetime warranty. Overall, there are more issues with damaged packaging and customer service using Titan compared to Rep or Rogue. 

For some people, this peace of mind is a deal breaker. 

If you’re looking for a well priced 3×3” 11 gauge half rack that will more than likely last you a lifetime, then this is probably your best bet. 

Pros

• 3×3” 11 gauge steel- more than strong enough for almost everyone. 
• Good value- beats the competition on pricing here. 
• 1” Westside hole spacing- set your spotters to the best height when bench pressing. 

Cons

• No lifetime warranty- it can mean damaged items are harder to replace or sort out with customer service. 

12. Best folding rack- our pick: PRX Squat Rack with Pull-Up Bar

Summary

Here’s the reason this is our top folding rack pick…

The patented technology to easily fold the racks is what separates this from the competition. 

That’s it!

Watch the 2 minute video below to see what I mean…

You can actually get wider steel and features from other brands. In fact, the PRX scored 6 out of 10. Compare this to Rogue’s RML-390FULLW and Rep’s PR-4100’s 8 and 7 out of 10 respectively.

However, if it’s a pain in the bum to fold the rack away, you simply won’t do it. And if you don’t fold the rack away you may as well not buy a folding rack! 

Also, it’s possible to drop a lot of weight on the spotter arms specifically designed to take the load. 

That’s not always the case with folding racks. In fact, most brands recommend not using spotter arms on folding racks to cover themselves. 

Pros

• Super easy to fold away- this means you can actually use the room for something else i.e. storing a car in the garage.
• Spotter arms can take a lot of weight- vital for safety if you are going to be lifting heavy weight by yourself. 
• Pull up bars- kipping or pull up bars are available. 
• Space saving small footprint- the main reason you may consider a folding rack. 

Cons

• 2” hole spacing- not ideal to set the spotter arms to the best height for bench pressing. 

13. Best folding rack- upgrade pick: Rogue Monster Lite RML-390FULLW Folding Rack

Summary

If money isn’t a factor for you then this is one of my personal favorites. 

Scoring 8 out of 10 it was the highest-scoring folding rack out of the 20 we tested. The only criteria it didn’t score in are the value and “safe without anchoring”. 

If the price wasn’t a factor it really does tick all of the boxes. 

As it is a power rack you can use the 4 upright bars to store weight plates. The safety straps are also included. You can also position the safeties to the ideal height for a bench press with the Westside 1” hole spacing. 

This is perfect if you will be working out alone. You can position the spotter arms so that you don’t bump them on the way down from a bench press. Yet they can still catch the bar if you fail.

It’s basically got all the functions of a normal power rack. 

But you can also fold it away to the wall so it only sticks out 6.5”. If you need to use your garage to park your car then this is perfect!

Pros

• Westside 1” hole spacing- set your spotter arms to the right height when you bench press. 
• Full 4 bar power rack- provides more stability than most foldable racks that have only 2 bars.
• Space saving- being able to fold the rack away can save a ton of space compared to most power racks. 
• Safety straps available- makes the rack safe to use by yourself. Some foldable racks do not recommend using spotter arms or safety straps. 

Cons

• Expensive. 
• Not as easy to fold away- it’s not as easy to fold away and take out as the PRX version. 

14. Best budget folding rack: Titan T-3 Folding Power Rack

Summary

If money is tight and you don’t have a great deal of space then this is the squat rack for you. 

It uses 2×3” 11 gauge steel which is strong enough for just about any gym user.

However, there are some limitations, like many folding racks have. Rogue and Titan do not “recommend you use spotter arms” on folding racks. This is why the RML-390 is recommended above due to the power rack design coping with safety straps. 

The reason they “officially” say this is that they cannot guarantee how well you have fixed it to the wall. As long as you don’t drop a ton of weight onto the spotter arms from up high they should be able to cope with most bench press weight. Just be careful lifting super heavy squats and relying on the spotters here.   

Overall, it’s very hard to find another folding rack of this quality for a price similar to this. 

Pros

• Westside 1” hole spacing- no bumping the spotter arms on the way down when you bench press. 
• 2×3” 11 gauge steel- very solid steel that can take a lot of weight. 
• Cheaper folding option- hard to beat this price for the quality. 
• 5” from wall when not in use- perfect if you need to use the room for something else i.e. parking a car or as a spare bedroom. 

Cons

• No lifetime warranty- some people prefer to go with Rep Fitness or Rogue for this peace of mind. 
• Not advised to use spotter arms- a big concern if you are lifting alone. 

15. Best squat rack for small spaces: Rogue RML-90SLIM Rack

Summary

If space & money is tight and you know you won’t be bothered with the fiddly folding away of a squat rack then this is ideal.  

The other great thing is that you can add accessories to the rack over time… even a full monster rack if you want a beast eventually!

The PRX wins all day for us as a folding rack due to how easy it is to fold away. Most people that buy a different branded folding rack admit that they hardly ever fold it away. 

For this reason you may as well buy the RML-90SLIM. 

It is more sturdy than a typical folding rack. It’s designed to be super compact and it will not have the added possible issues that come with a foldable rack. 

The RML-90SLIM is one of our overall top picks with a score of 8 out of 10 against our criteria. 

Pros

• Super space saving- only 14” off the wall means it can fit in any tight space. 
• 3×3” 11 gauge steel- very sturdy steel that can handle a lot of weight. 
• Rogue- lifetime warranty and good customer service.
• Accessories- pull up bar, color options and customisable to suit you.  

Cons

• Limited space- not easy to do kipping pull-ups (but it is still enough to use it for bench press even with an incline weight bench.)
• Spotter arms not recommended- many people still use them but Rogue doesn’t recommend dropping heavy weight on this. 

16. Best power rack for low ceilings: REP PR-1050 Power Rack

Summary

The average height out of all 127 racks we compared is 89”. Every rack you have seen so far is 82”-110” tall. 

The PR-1050 is only 72”. 

There are other short racks available out there such as:

• Cap 6-foot rack
• Titan T-2 short rack
• TDS short power rack

You can find more information about these best short power racks here.

However, the thing that makes the PR-1050 stand out is the price and REP Fitness. Their lifetime warranty and customer service simply beat the competition. When you also add in the fact that the price is better than the others it’s a no brainer. 

If you have a particularly low ceiling this is the rack for you. 

Pros

• Only 72” high- perfect for low ceilings.  
• Lifetime warranty- for peace of mind that your rack is covered for any unusual damages. 
• Sturdy enough for most people- 700 lbs weight capacity is more than enough for most people.
• Great price- beats a lot of competition on the pricing. 

Cons

• 14 gauge steel- not as strong as 11 gauge steel but still enough for most people. 

17. Our “if money was no object” pick: EliteFTS Signature Multi-Full Rack

Summary

If money and space is no object for you, then here it is…

The EliteFTS has pretty much everything you can think of in a power rack. It’s built like a tank with 3×4” 7 gauge steel. You simply can’t get a more solid rack than this beast. 

Coping with 1,500 lbs of weight this is enough for the strongest people in the world. You never need to worry about safety and security when squatting inside this. 

It comes with weight plate storage, hooks, J-cups, safety spotters and is fully customisable. 

Choose your favourite color and even call up EliteFTS if you want to change or add something else!

Scoring 8 out of 10 it only dropped points on the price and space saving criteria. 

Pros

• 3×4” 7 gauge steel- commercial grade material that will be enough to cope with the strongest people in the world. 
• Super safe and sturdy- hard to find a squat rack that is stronger than this. 
• Accessories- tons of variations and accessories to make this the central piece of equipment in your gym.
• Looks super cool- customise the rack to suit your gym branding.

Cons

• Very expensive.

*Note- EliteFTS doesn’t have an affiliate program, which is why you won’t often see websites recommending their products. If you were to buy from the link above I wouldn’t receive a commission. We simply recommend it because it beats the competition. 

How to choose a squat rack

You will need to decide between 4 squat rack options. Your space will be a big factor as a full rack or power rack has the biggest footprint. The half-rack is usually less deep. Thirdly, a squat stand or squat rack only consists of 2 bars and is the cheapest option. Lastly are the folding or wall racks which will take up the least space. 

I’ll cover this in more detail later but these are the 4 main areas you’ll need to consider before purchasing a rack… 

1. How much space you have
2. Safety & quality of the rack
3. Practicality & type- what do you need it to do?
4. Budget

We expanded these areas into 10 criteria below… 

Squat rack buyers guide & our criteria

127 squat racks have been run through this criteria to find the best ones…

Squat rack dimensions

1. Folding or space saving

• Does the squat rack fold against the wall? 
• If it does fold or is less than 30” deep it scores a point.

Squat rack quality & safety

2. 11 gauge steel or better
   • The lower the gauge the thicker and stronger it is.
   • 11 gauge steel is about ⅛” thick and very strong.
   • 11 gauge steel or better is more than enough for 99.9% of gym users.
3. 1000 lbs+ weight capacity
   • Not all products share their “weight capacity”. Many companies overstate how much weight it can take so 1,000 lbs or more is a good sign.
   • Typically 11 gauge steel can take up to 1,000 lbs of weight on it.
   • If the rack weighs less than 100 lbs it’s a sign that weaker steel may be used.
4. Can spotter arms/ bars/ straps be used?
   • Safety/ spotter arms are one of our essential recommendations if you are working out alone.
   • Some racks do not come with spotter arms or straps.
   • Some folding racks do not recommend using spotter arms. 
5. Lifetime warranty
   • A lifetime warranty is a good sign that the company takes their racks seriously. Good brands are starting to include this for all squat racks. 
   • Only lifetime warranties score a point in our tests.

Squat rack practicality

6. Is it safe without anchoring?
   • Some people do not want to have to anchor their rack to the floor or wall.
   • If the rack has “flat feet” it’s normally safe to use without anchoring.
   • If the rack uses good steel and weighs more than 150 lbs it’s a good sign the rack is safe without anchoring it.
7. 1″ or “Westside” hole spacing
   • Westside spacing uses 2” spaces between the holes on the rack and 1” spaces in the bench press area (the part that matters). 
   • If the rack has 1” spacing between holes it means you can be more precise with your safety arms.
   • When you bench press you don’t want to have your spotter arms too high (or you’ll hit them on every rep). If it’s too low they will be pointless and it will still be painful when you can’t lift that last rep!
8. Pull up bar included
   • Having a pull up bar on your rack saves having to install one somewhere else.
9. Does it have plate storage?
   • If your rack doesn’t come with plate storage you may need to consider buying storage racks.
   • Storing plates on your rack also helps to weigh the rack down which makes it less wobbly or likely to fall. 

Squat rack vs power rack cost

10.  Good value
    • A squat rack under $400 with at least 12 gauge steel scores a point. 
    • A half, power or folding rack under $600 using at least 12 gauge steel scores a point.

Here are some of the results from running the squat racks through our criteria…

So not every rack is made equal.

But what is the difference between the four main squat rack types? And which one is right for you?…

Squat rack vs power rack vs half rack vs folding rack

The main difference between a squat rack and power rack is that a squat rack has 2 upright metal posts and a power rack will have at least 4. A power rack/ cage is often more stable than a squat rack and will usually have a larger footprint. For those reasons, a power rack is generally more expensive.

A half rack will usually look like a squat rack with an extra two upright posts behind for more support and to store weight plates. Whereas a folding or wall rack will have 2 uprights with metal posts connecting them to the wall. 

Here are the main differences between all four types of squat racks…

It’s important to be aware that different brands use different terminology. And many people would call any of those a squat rack. 

So be sure to know what one suits your space and budget…

Foldable or wall squat rack

Squat rack or squat stand

Half rack

Power rack or power cage

Power rack exercises

There are some exercises that you’ll need a squat rack or power rack for. Such as: 

• Squats 
• Bench press
• Pull-ups (as long as pull up bar is included)

If you have a barbell and plates then you can perform the deadlift (the other powerlifting movement) with or without a rack. 

But there are some less well-known exercises that you can perform using a power rack that you can’t even do with a squat rack, such as:

• Pin Squats 
• Rack Pulls 
• Overhead Press 
• Front Squats
• Romanian Deadlifts 

Check out the quick video below to learn more about these exercises…

Squat rack FAQ

Best squat rack: The bottom line

After testing over 125 squat racks against our 10 criteria we were left with some clear winners.  

The REP PR-4000 is our overall top pick for a power rack thanks to the range of accessories, quality and price. If you are looking for a slightly cheaper rack then we’d recommend the REP SR-4000 squat stand. But if you are focused on saving space our recommendation is the PRx Folding Squat Rack.

You can check out the prices and other reviews by clicking any link in this table. Check out our ultimate guide to building a home gym here if you want to find out some great ways to save money and make the most of your home gym.