Top 6 Best Outdoor Pull-up Bars and Related Accessories (2023 Review)

One of the most fundamental, badass movements you can do as an athletic person — and, spoiler alert, we’re ALL built to be athletic beasts — is undoubtedly the pull-up.

If you can rep out pull-ups, you’re already head and shoulders above the majority of the population. Achieve a muscle-up, and people will start asking you for your secrets.

And with summer coming up, nothing is better than getting a few sets and reps of pull-ups in while in your backyard to tone that pool ready upper body. If you are in a hurry, here are the best outdoor pull up bars that we have found:

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Stamina 65-1460 Outdoor Fitness Power Tower
  • Weather resistant
  • UV protected, steel frame construction
  • Full body workout positions
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Rogue MIL Pull-up Station
  • Well thought out design specifically for outdoor pull ups
  • Incorporated step to reach bar easily
  • Adjustable height
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CAP Barbell Power Rack Exercise Stand
  • Up to 500lb capacity
  • J-cup mounting holes for bar and weight storage
  • Can be used as a squat rack also
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Stamina Outdoor Power Tower Pro
  • Same features as the 65-1460
  • Plus adjustable plyo box
  • Full body workouts plus HIIT cardio
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Ultimate Body Press Outdoor Pull Up Bar
  • DIY project for Posts
  • Galvanized steel
  • Powder coat finish
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PULL UP & DIP Portable Pull Up Dip Bar
  • Indoor-outdoor workout
  • Over 35 exercises
  • Demountable and portable
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Top 6 Best Outdoor Pull up Bars in 2023

Check out our below list for a summary of our results. Keep on reading to learn more about pull-up bars! There’s a lot to learn!

  1. Stamina 65-1460 Outdoor Fitness Power Tower (more than just a pull up bar)
  2. Rogue MIL Pull-up Station (simple and built to last)
  3. CAP Barbell Power Rack Exercise Stand (free standing pull up bar, and squat rack)
  4. Stamina Outdoor Power Tower Pro (same as #1 but with more options)
  5. Ultimate Body Press Outdoor Pull Up Bar (best for DIY pullup bar)
  6. PULL UP & DIP Portable Pull Up Dip Bar (innovative and mobile outdoor pullup bar)

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Versatile, sturdy, and cost-friendly, these pull-up bars will help you tame the greatest of bodyweight exercises and grant you the status of master.

In this article, we’ll go over what pull-up bars for the outdoors are, how to install them, what benefits you can get out of using them, and what to look for when on the prowl of purchasing your own.

Plus, we’ll show you the top outdoor pull-up bars that money can buy with in-depth analysis.

Let the fitness knowledge pull you in (or…up?).

In case you also have been thinking about a convenient indoor pull up bar for when you just want to get up from your desk and want to do some pull ups, check out the list of our top indoor wall mounted or ceiling mounted bar here.

Related: The best dip belts for adding weight to your pullups and dips

Top Outdoor Pull-up Bars Reviewed

Overall #1 Pick

Stamina Outdoor Fitness Power Tower

  • Pull up bar but built for total body fitness
  • Weather resistant, steel frame, weather resistant
  • Pull ups, dips, push ups, vertical knee raises and several compound muscle exercises

First up is a standalone piece of workout equipment; named the multifaceted Stamina 65-1460 Outdoor Fitness Power Tower.

In picking outdoor pull up bars, what you’ll notice is that there are very few outdoor pull up bars available that are specifically intended for that purpose. What made this our favorite is that not only is it intended for this purpose, but allows you to really use this as a full body calisthenics exercise station. It made sense here because it checks off everything you’d want in an outdoor pull-up bar, and then some.

For one, it has a width of over four feet, with the ends of the pull-up bar flaring down for a more ergonomic fit. It is a pull up bar that you can move around. So for those with commitment issues, no need to fret about what part of your backyard you give up forever.

For two, it has specially designed hardware and steel frame construction as well as weather resistance, corrosion resistance and UV protection, for one of the most durable pull-up bars on the market.

And most important of all, there are bars on top of bars on this thing; you can do pull-ups, dips, push-ups, sit-ups, muscle-ups, and vertical knee raises. Just get creative.

If you are to buy only one piece of equipment for your backyard gym, this is the one. We promise it will call you to come workout on it, making it that much more the reason for getting this one.

Lastly, from a cost perspective, it is not cheap. There are not a lot of cheap pull up bars, unless you build your own one. If that is the case, look at the 5th item on our list – Ultimate Body Press Outdoor pull up bar.

The fact that you get a full body workout that will last forever with this heavy duty steel frame construction, this fitness station’s cost actually makes sense.

Rogue MIL Pull-up Station

  • Purpose built product
  • Wide spacing between bars
  • Easy step built in to frame

If outdoor pull up is what you are looking for, an excellent alternative to the Stamina Fitness station is this Rogue outdoor pull up bar.

Rogue is known for high quality American made products. And this bar was designed by them for the specs required by U.S Army Combat Fitness Test’s “Leg Tuck” event. Which requires wider spacing for performing this leg tuck, hence the wider frame of 62″ between the uprights.

A very neat feature is the attachable step that can be connected via a detent pin at either 18″ or 24″ height from the ground. This step comes in handy if you are using a weight belt. Check out this article for more on how to build muscles with weighted calisthenics. This is a tall bar, and is recommended to use it outdoors. Most indoor spaces will look cramped vertically, or simply will not make sense there due to vertical clearance.

The frame is very stable with perpendicular cross members supporting the upright frame built with 11-gauge steel.

The product comes in 5 separate shipments since it does weigh 146 lbs. in total. However, assembly is quite easy and all necessary tools come with the product.

CAP Barbell Power Rack Exercise Stand

  • Free standing pull up bar
  • Not just for Pull ups
  • Power Rack stand and multi-exercise station
  • Built in bar and weight storage (max capacity 500lbs)
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This outdoor pull-up bar is a standalone product that you can move around, making it a very unique bar. The free standing nature, and the ability to use as a power rack is what clearly makes this fitness equipment a top contender on this list.

It’s a great simple version of a Power Rack Exercise Stand from CAP Barbell with a horizontal bar for pull ups and other exercises as well.

The cool aspect of this bar is that it can set the groundwork for even more workout equipment. Add gymnastic rings, or resistance bands, and add variety to your workout routine. You can transfer it in and out of your home, making it the ideal place to exercise year-round. However, note that it is not meant to just stay outside year round.

The 11- and 12-gauge steel tubing has been tested to be the standard in durability; plus, it can withstand 500 pounds at the pull-up bar.

It’s double-gusseted uprights provides exceptional stability and the durable powder coat finish and industrial zinc hardware gives you maintenance-free durability.

If you’re looking for a pull-up bar that can be built into something more, then this is the pull-up bar for you. Give the CAP Barbell Power Rack Exercise Stand a try.

Stamina Outdoor Power Tower Pro

  • Same as Stamina 65-1460 with additional features
  • Adjustable textured Plyo box (16″ to 24″ heights)
  • Same full body fitness station with addition of HIIT workouts on Plyo box

The Stamina Outdoor Power Tower Pro is the full featured and slightly more expensive cousin of the Stamina outdoor fitness station.

Both of these are built to stand all weather all year round. The feature that makes this one unique is the addition of the plyo box feature. This is especially great for those who are looking for a CrossFit type high intensity interval training workout all in one place.

We would only recommend this tower for those who are already leaning towards our top pick – the Stamina Outdoor Fitness Power Tower, but also value a cardio workout from the HIIT training that is to be done on the plyo box.

If you are one of those who already has a plyo box in your home, this power tower may still add value since having it here will remind you to do those dreaded plyo workouts that you hate.

So if that is your personality type (as it is for many in the CrossFit community), then you should definitely get this one. Otherwise go for the cheaper cousin.

One thing to note about this workout tower is that it does not have a horizontal bar like the cheaper version. However, it has multiple grip positions that the Stamina Outdoor Power Tower does not have.

Both products are made by Stamina, an American company out of Springfield, MO, and has been around for over 30 years.

Ultimate Body Press Outdoor Pull Up Bar

  • 48″ (4ft) simple pull up bar for DIY project
  • Powder coated corrosion resistant finish for outdoor usage
  • Galvanized, rust resistant hardware included

Next up on our list of the best outdoor pull-up bars is the one from Ultimate Body Press. This is only the bar part; you would have to purchase your own timber for the posts.

This is a four-foot (48″), ramrod straight pull-up bar, made of galvanized steel with a powder coat finish.

The tubing is 1.25 inches in diameter, giving you a comfortable grip that won’t slip.

The bar is designed to be installed on 4×4, 4×6, or 6×6 posts, so make sure you get the correct lumber for the job. It also comes in other varieties, such as an 18-inch short spacer bar or a four-foot ergonomic curved bar.

Remember that when purchasing lumber, you want to add about 18″ to the height. This is what will be in ground. Also, using cement to keep it in place is highly recommended. This will give you the peace of mind that you can do whatever crazy exercise or swinging that you would like to do on the bar without it collapsing.

This is also a fairly inexpensive choice, as each of these bars clock in at around $55.

If you don’t mind the DIY project that is, and want to have a solid outdoor pull bar on a budget, then this is the one for you.

PULL UP & DIP Portable Pull Up Dip Bar

  • Most innovative and creative product for pulls
  • Multi-functional pull up and dip bar with over 30 body weight exercises
  • Portable, demountable, and fast installation

PULLUP & DIP provide this next outdoor pull-up bar, which also doubles as a dip bar, giving you some of the best variety in the home workout industry.

Its mobile! This thing can be set up wherever; both inside and outside, mounted on either a wall or a sturdy tree in your yard. It comes with an indoor wall adapter that can stay in place and covered up with a picture frame when it is not being used.

Plus, it can be situated in all sorts of angles and heights, allowing you to perform pull-ups, dips, leg raises, muscle-ups, and many other body weight exercises. Installation is quick for a single person, and changing exercise stations is within seconds.

Made of high quality powder-coated steel, along with stainless steel multi-handles, it is made to withstand outdoor weather in case you forget and leave it out for a while.

By far the most multifaceted outdoor pull-up bar on this list, and was the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign.

One drawback is that its weight capacity is not as high as others, at just under 290 lbs.

What’s an Outdoor Pull-up Bar?

pull up outdoor

Glad you asked.

An outdoor pull-up bar is simply that: a sturdy bar that’s elevated off the ground, made to handle your bodyweight as you perform pull-ups. With it being an outdoor version, it’ll have materials and coatings that will improve the durability of the bar.

Plus, not only will you be able to progress on your pull-up prowess; you’ll also have access to countless other calisthenic movements.

Also Read: 6 Best BCAAs For Men To Reach Beast Mode

The beauty of an outdoor pull-up bar — as you will read in detail in the benefits section below — is that you can set it up anywhere, especially if the pull-up bar has its own stability legs. (Which most of them have.)

In any case, outdoor pull-up bars are a one-stop shop for your workout needs at home… weather permitting, of course.

Read Also: Best Wall Mounted Pull Up Bars To Elevate Your Workouts

How to Install Outdoor Pull-up Bar

pull up bars for outdoor

Each outdoor pull-up bar should come with its own set of instructions, even more so when they’re specific brands or have additional pieces. However, here is a general installation guide for the most basic of pull-up bars:

  1. Find your perfect pull-up bar spot: These bars are tough to migrate after you put ‘em in the ground. Therefore, it’s crucial you know exactly where you want your outdoor gym to be. Whether it’s your backyard or front, make sure it’s in a spot where you have full, unimpeded range of motion and it won’t become an eyesore within a week.
  2. Dig the holes: You’ll want to collect the tools necessary to dig a few holes for the foundation. Look at the directions for your specific pull-up bar to find the dimensions you need for spacing the holes. A post hole digger and a shovel should suffice. Make sure you dig the holes deep enough to keep the posts steady for the long term. (The guide for your bar should tell you.)
  3. Insert posts: Refill your holes with the posts. Make sure they’re level and not leaning. Then, fill the rest of the hole with the dirt you used OR, to be even more secure, pour in cement. This will be the sturdier option, and is fairly inexpensive for the benefits.
  4. Assemble pull-up bar per instructions: Each pull-up bar has different instructions, including even whether you put it in the dirt or not. Read the steps carefully and attach the bar as stated. Do not deviate from the intended setup — your body will thank you later.

Read Also: Best Calisthenics Equipment for Building A Home Gym

As you can see, it’s pretty simple and straightforward to create your own personal calisthenics gym in the great outdoors.

Alternatively you can purchase one of the pull up bars on our top picks list which do not need to be installed in the ground but are heavy and sturdy enough to handle the listed weight capacity, which is almost the entire population.

Now you are prepared to turn your yard into an adult playground!

Benefits of Outdoor Pull-up Bars

pull up bars outdoor

There are plenty of advantages to owning your own set of outdoor pull-up bars, aside from the obvious (i.e., that you can do pull-ups on them).

Here are the numerous benefits of having — and using — an outdoor pull-up bar:

  • You soak up some vitamin D: Working out outside is amazing for your body. Getting some sun on your skin boosts your vitamin D consumption and absorption. This will help you better utilize the nutrients you get in your food, as well as improve your immune system, maintain healthy bone structure, regulate insulin levels, support lung and cardiovascular function, and increase your overall mood. So yeah, vitamin D is vital to your well-being, and almost everyone in the U.S. is deficient in it. So get out to work out!
  • Your excuses for not working out dwindle to one: Your gym is now in your backyard. Your only excuse at this point is the weather. So when summer comes around, you have no choice but to get your workout in. This is crucial to developing a workout habit if you’re having trouble doing so. Then, once the weather turns cold, you can swap for a gym membership…or, you can go iceman with it and train outside anyways. (Weather be damned, you’re like the U.S. Postal Service!)
  • Pull-ups are badass and great for your fitness: By far one of the most fundamental and healthy movements available to man, the pull-up is your best friend. If you practice progressive overload on the pull-up (increasing the weight attached to your body or the difficulty of the exercise), your upper back and biceps will grow like gangbusters. Not only that, but this compound exercise will directly improve any and all rowing movements and will prove beneficial when you have to lift yourself up from a ledge. (You know…if you ever find yourself in such a situation, which happens in just about every action movie!)
  • These bars are super durable: As for why you want a bar for the outdoors, it’s one word: durability. Your personal outdoor pull-up bar will stand the test of time making it one of the most durable fitness equipment you will ever own, giving you workout after workout for years to come. Your physique will completely transform with the same bar seeing you all the way through. This makes an outdoor pull-up bar really inexpensive in the long run, when you factor in the price over the period of time you’ll be using it.
  • You can get a complete workout with one piece: Despite the name, you can do more than just pull-ups on this outdoor bar. Dips, lever holds, bodyweight rows, and other exercises are now on the table. Plus, if you get a bar that has multiple handholds and heights of bars — such as a multi-use bar or something resembling a Power Tower — you can do even more, creating entire workout routines with this one piece of equipment. How cool is that?

There are plenty of advantages to having your own outdoor pull-up bar.

Read Also: Best Wall mounted pull up bar

If you’re wanting to ramp up your physique and become a calisthenics savant, the pull-up bar out in nature is where you need to start.

Considerations Before Buying

Now, just because outdoor pull-up bars are the best thing since sliced bread doesn’t mean you should go out and get three tree branches and set ‘em up with reckless abandon.

You want to look for certain qualities when purchasing your pull-up bar.

Here’s what you’ll want in your very own outdoor bar:

Maximum Weight Capacity

You want a bar that can handle your weight (and then some). In fact, you might as well look for one that doubles the weight of a burly man; shoot for at least a 400-pound weight capacity for your outdoor pull-up bar.

When you get to the point where you are ready to do weighted pull ups, you will be happy that your pull up station can handle that extra weight.

Length of Bar

pull up bar

This is important because you’ll want the choice of different hand widths. If you want to do wide pull-ups, you’ll need the space to do so.

If you want to hang from your hands and feet — because you’re an absolute goofball — you’ll need your bar to span almost the length of your whole body.

Make sure the horizontal bar is free of any attachments for at least a couple of feet to either side of you, and above you. This is important because some bars are mounted in a way where you cannot grab on at about shoulder width (or slightly wider spacing). This is not ideal since you want grip freedom! So a simple long bar with mounting on the ends of the bar is the most ideal!

Read Also: The Ultimate Guide To Power Tower Workouts

For length of bar, shoot for four feet or more. However, keep in mind that the longer your upper bar is, the less stable the bar itself might be. This will ultimately be dependent on the next thing you need to consider…

Type of Timber

Pullup bar outdoors

This is where you have a lot of options.

Now, it doesn’t necessarily have to be timber. You can use metal rods instead of wooden dowels for the upper portion of the bar. As for the posts, you’ll want something sturdy, durable, and weather resistant.

Pressure-treated pine or white oak are solid choices, while teak and mahogany are more of the high-end selections.

There is also the route of full-metal. This is fine, so long as it’s treated with a resistant coating to keep it durable throughout seasonal changes.

Read Also: Intermittent Fasting: The End-All, Be-All Guide For Beginners

Versatility (Grip and exercise optionality)

Again, you might want multiple bar options to create full-body workouts with one piece of equipment. With that in mind, try and find outdoor bars that include various bars at different heights, angles, and setups.

Ones with dip station, lower leg stabilizing bars, push-up bars, and multiple pull-up/chin-up handles would be your best bet for a versatile outdoor workout zone.

Durability

Not all pull up bars are made to be outside in the backyard, all the time. Yes, you may be one of the few disciplined ones who actually puts it back inside after your workout, but why bother?!

There are great options in outdoor ready pull up bars at reasonable prices that can actually handle the elements all year long. Look for oil based paints for metal, or powder coating for steel. These have the best adhesion to the metal equipment, and will protect it from rust, and prevent corrosion.

Outdoor ready paint goes a long way, and makes the difference in durability between the good and poor quality outdoor fitness equipment.

Grips for outdoor bars do not have a foam grip, which is common for indoor bars. If you see a foam grip, that’s a dead giveaway that it will not meant for outdoors as it will not last the seasons.

Pull up Progression Challenges and How to Overcome them

If you are considering getting your own pull up bar, be aware of the challenges that you will face so you expect them, and know how to overcome them. Not expecting them, and encountering them almost always leads to despair and dismay, which leads to giving up after hitting a plateau. So here are things that you should know about committing to increasing your upper body strength with the pull up exercises.

1. Calluses on your hands

In a pull up your entire body weight is being held by your hands. The friction point is the skin of your hands against the bars. So naturally after doing pull ups a few times your hands will start to get calluses. The ridge of your skin in your palms will become tougher.

This is not any different that using a barbell, however, you may feel it more since the position of where the bar is in your palms will be slightly different than if you are resting a barbell in your palms.

These calluses develop generally when you are not using gloves. But using gym gloves does not work well for pull up exercises because you need a really solid grip, like that of your skin against the metal bar. Developing calluses can actually be painful if you want to progress in how many pull ups you can do, which means that you are getting stronger. It is also very distracting when you know your body can handle more pull ups but your palms are screaming in pain.

So to avoid this fate, invest in some grips. These are grips specifically made for pull ups, kettlebells, gymnastic rings and other exercises that require a strong grip.

I recommend the IsoGrip Gymnastic Hand Grips from Element26. They have a super strong grip due to the Isoprene Polymer material, and are very convenient. Simply rotate the wrist strap and the grips on the back of your knuckles and out of the way when you don’t need them. No need to put them on and off.

2. Pull up progression plateau

When you start out with pull ups you have a certain limit you can do for each set. The goal is to increase this number of pull ups in a set. Just like with any other exercise in the gym. Since you are using body weight and simply working against gravity, you are inevitably going to reach a point where you hit a limit.

This is when you should get smarter and work harder. Your muscles are capable of doing more, but just not all by themselves. Help is needed to complete the pull up. This is where a resistance band comes in handy.

A pull up assist band will allow you to complete additional sets with a little help to work against that pesky gravity. By using the pull up assist band, you will complete the pull up to the best of your abilities, in turn fatiguing all the compound muscles, and allowing them to grow and strengthen over time.

By getting smarter about pull ups this way, you are guaranteed to get past your reps plateau. For more on pull up assist bands and for choices among the best ones, you can check out our review here.

Wrap Up

People who can do sets of pull ups are easily in their own class of fitness and strength. For those wish to build a solid upper body, there really is no other functional fitness movement that is better than the pull up.

I am a big fan of having a pull up bar always present in the backyard. Its an exercise that you can casually do anytime while enjoying the backyard, but also have a reason to get outside for your workout, and get some fresh air.

I have provided my top picks with a variety of pull up bars. There is no one best outdoor pull up bar but several that could be the best option for you to start building that upper body strength that is there for you in the long run.