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Written by Jake BolyUpdated by Michael Shafer, M.S., CSCS, USAW-L1, ACSM-EIM on November 27th, 2023 Inspire Fitness Ft2 Functional Trainer
Dip bars and dip stations come in a variety of sizes and just like any piece of gym equipment, there are a ton of options. At the most basic, dip bars are parallel handles that are meant to support your bodyweight while you perform dips. They can be great tools for building a strong and powerful upper body and developing the muscles of the chest and triceps. Adding a dip bar and possibly a dip belt to your setup can help improve your bodyweight control, better your bench press, and develop stabilizing muscles more effectively.
Some dip bars attach to a power rack as an add-on, some are standalone dip stations, and still, more are built into a tower that allows you to do pull-ups and leg raises, too. It can be hard to determine which dip bars are worth the money, so we’ve compiled a list of our picks for the best dip bars on the market for a variety of scenarios. We’ve done the leg work, so you can get the upper body work in. Read on to go from dipping chips to ripping dips.
Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended to diagnose, prevent, and/or treat health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine. Individual needs for vitamins and minerals will vary.
Dip bars are great tools for improving your bodyweight control and building a strong and powerful upper body. The best dip bar has to have comfortable handles that won’t dig into your hands after multiple sets. It also has to have the right spacing between the handles to comfortably allow you to get a deep range of motion. For our pick for the best dip bar overall, we like the Fringe Sport Mountable Dip Bar.
This dip bar from Fringe Sport is designed to be mounted on a wall and is great for saving space. It only takes up four inches of space off the wall when folded down. Fringe Sport’s dip bar features a tapered design to accommodate athletes of varying widths and allows you to work different muscles by altering your grip. A weight capacity of 600 pounds when properly mounted into studs will support even the largest athletes. When mounting this dip bar, something to be aware of is that the kit you receive with your purchase doesn’t include the mounting hardware, so you’ll need to purchase that separately.
This tapered dip bar can fold upwards or downwards safely via pin-security locks. It is made with 14-gauge steel, weighs 25 pounds, and can support up to 600 pounds of weight.
The handles are 25 inches apart at their widest point and 13 inches at their narrowest. A nice feature of the handles on this dip bar is their thickness. The two-inch diameter allows you a good base of support to press from and prevents digging into your hands by distributing the pressure over a wider area. Coming in at 25 pounds, this dip bar feels sturdy, and extends out 23 inches from the wall when in use.
Fringe Sport’s mountable dip bar is a convenient and easy way to add a dip bar to your gym setup. It’s easy to install and requires minimal hardware. One consideration is that you’ll need to pick up the mounting hardware, but other than that, everything you need comes with the dip bar purchase. Tapered, two-inch handles provide a welcome degree of comfort while allowing you to train different muscle groups by varying your grip width.
A dip station is similar to a dip bar, but it’s usually a standalone piece of equipment that’s used for dips. Sometimes these stations can include other versatile pieces with them, such as an attached pull-up bar or backrest to do leg raises. Versatility is the name of the game with dip stations, and we think our pick for best dip bar station, the Titan Fitness Power Tower, does it the best.
This unique piece of equipment from Titan does its best Emeril Lagasse impression, and kicks its versatility up a notch. There are the dip handles, as expected, but there are also pull-up bars to train the antagonist muscles. If you want to train your upper body with a little less weight than dips, you can use the parallel push-up handles as well. Feel like hitting your core muscles? You can do that too with the forearm pads that Titan built into this power tower. Don’t want to use bodyweight? The foldable, attached, bench on the backside of the tower lets you do bench press, or even bench dips or elevated push-ups.
This dip station from Titan combines a classic power tower with a weight bench to give you five different workout stations to develop your entire upper body — front, back, and core. You can do dips, push-ups, pull-ups, leg raises, bench press, and more with this versatile piece of equipment.
The weight capacity of 350 pounds is something to note, especially if you plan on using this as a bench press too. At a height of 86 inches and width of 40.25 inches, this dip station does take up more room than most other dip bars, but the amount of versatility may make it worth the space for some folks.
If you’re looking for a dip station, this is the go-to pick for us. The price is competitive (especially with Titan offering free shipping), and the versatility is virtually unmatched. You get five different workout stations with this dip station including a dip bar, pull-up bar, weight bench, push-up handles, and knee raise pads. Titan Fitness often offers high quality equipment at reasonable prices, and this is no exception.
For athletes training in tight spaces or small home gyms who need to take advantage of every inch they have, this foldable dip bar is a blessing. A foldable dip station usually sets up quickly and can be mounted to any wall you want by simply locating a stud to drill into. If you’re handy with a drill, you could be able to get your workout started in minutes. One of the simplest and most sturdy options is our pick for best foldable dip bar — the Fringe Sport Mountable Dip Bar.
This dip bar from Fringe Sport may look pretty basic, but it has more flexibility than a lot of other similar products. Its versatility comes from not needing a rack to attach to or hang from — you can mount this piece anywhere you want as long as you make sure the screws are in studs. At 25 pounds with the ability to support up to 600 pounds when properly mounted, this 14-gauge steel dip bar is thicker than a Snickers™. Fringe Sport also made the handles wider in diameter than traditional dip handles, measuring two inches.
This tapered dip bar can fold upwards or downwards safely via pin-security locks. It is made with 14-gauge steel, weighs 25 pounds, and can support up to 600 pounds of weight.
If you want to work with different grip widths, then simply move more toward the mounting area or further away thanks to the tapered handle. The handles at their narrowest are 13 inches apart, while they span 25 inches at their widest point. Just be aware before ordering that the mounting screws aren’t included, so you’ll need to get the appropriate hardware for your chosen mounting surface.
Fringe Sport does offer suggestions as to the hardware needed, and recommends this bar be mounted to drywall; however, that hardware is not included with the dip station. If you are not confident in your ability to mount this station, it is likely best to seek assistance or look for a different option. But if you’re able to and confident about mounting this dip bar, then you’ll reap the benefits of an extremely sturdy and space-saving dip bar that can fold away conveniently.
A power tower, sometimes called a dip tower, is a great way to get a lot of versatility from a single piece of equipment in your gym. These towers take up limited space, and allow for a ton of bodyweight exercises within a small footprint. Our pick for best tower with dip bars does that better than nearly any other piece of equipment on the market — meet the Titan Fitness Power Tower.
Titan’s power tower is a fresh take on the traditional power tower. Normal power towers offer a dip station and almost always a pull-up station, but Titan takes theirs to the next level. They included a full-size weight bench and push-up handles, too. With all of the options this piece of equipment has, the exercises you can do are practically limitless.
This dip station from Titan combines a classic power tower with a weight bench to give you five different workout stations to develop your entire upper body — front, back, and core. You can do dips, push-ups, pull-ups, leg raises, bench press, and more with this versatile piece of equipment.
Tired from doing dips? Hop on the 43.2-inch, sturdy, weight bench that can support 350 pounds, and do some easier bench dips, or load up a bar and hit bench press. When your chest and triceps are torched from pressing, you can switch to working your back and the multi-grip pull-up handles. Once you’re done with that, finish up your workout, and hop on the vertical knee raise station for your core work. You can get a full workout on this steel power tower, and move it around easily once you’re done since it only weighs 83 pounds.
This tower offers a lot of options that will enable an athlete to perform a near full-body workout rather than just dips. Of course, you need the space to have this as part of your setup, but if you have it, the possibilities are vast. This is sturdy enough to support 350 pounds, but weighs only 83 pounds, making it easy to rearrange your gym, or move this piece to a corner when you’re done using it.
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If you’re a larger person, you are likely acutely aware of the weight capacity of objects you’ll be entrusting to hold up your body weight. Unwelcome creaking and flimsy feeling pieces of equipment can be unnerving. If you’re looking for some seriously heavy-duty dip bars that can stand up to the largest athletes, then our pick for best dip bar for heavy people is right up your alley. Have a look at the Sportsroyal Adjustable Parallel Bars.
These parallel bars from Sportsroyal are built to hold about as much weight as a heavy-duty power rack with a weight capacity rating of 1,200 pounds. The dip bars feature eight loading points and non-slip feet to keep solid contact with the floor and stay stable. You can even adjust the foot height individually to accommodate uneven floors.
These heavy-duty parallel dip bars feature a staggering weight capacity of 1,200 pounds combined. They’re adjustable with six different heights from around 30 inches to just over 45 inches tall. Comfortably get your dips done with the included breathable, high-elasticity hand grips.
There are six different heights that you can adjust the dip bars to, each spaced 3.54 inches apart from 30.51 inches up to 45.28 inches tall. The handles feature a comfortable, breathable, high-elasticity hand grip placed in the center so you can always get the right grip. You don’t need a lot of space to use these either as their footprint is only 42 inches by 22 inches. No matter if you’re a super heavyweight strongman competitor or just a big person looking to do some bodyweight exercises, these parallel dip bars can support you.
For heavier people, there’s a comforting feeling to be had when using a piece of equipment that you can trust will be able to support you easily. These parallel dip bars from Sportsroyal are about as heavy-duty as they come, and with a 1,200-pound combined weight capacity, they can even support Brian Shaw. Six different heights to choose from means no matter your height, these should be able to work for you, too.
Though they’re called dip bars, names can sometimes be misleading. Sure, you can do dips with dip bars, but you can also do inverted rows, elevated push-ups, and even leg raises. If you’re looking for a more versatile dip bar that you can also use to do leg raises, then check out our pick, the Gold’s Gym XR 10.9 Power Tower.
This power tower from Gold’s Gym is a great option for fitness enthusiasts who want a versatile piece of equipment. Other than being great for dips, this tower can also be used for pull-ups using the padded grips. Where this power tower excels is the leg lift setup. Step up and place your arms onto the padded forearm pads, and push up against the backrest and you’re ready to go. The elbow pads and back pad are thick, measuring over two inches in thickness, to make even high rep sets of leg raises more comfortable. Whether you want to get a solid set of dips or blast your abs you can get an awesome workout in with this power tower from Gold’s Gym.
This tower is a great cost-efficient and versatile tower for any level fitness enthusiast. It can be used for dips, pull-ups, leg raises, and more.
This product does take up more room than a dip bar though with a footprint of 57 inches by 41 inches and a height of 84 inches. There is no weight capacity listed, but the sturdy construction should be able to support most people. Test it out before putting your full weight on it if you’re a larger athlete.
For those who are looking to get a shredded six-pack and prefer to do so with bodyweight movements, this power tower is where it’s at. The forearm pads and back rest allow you to crank out as many leg raises and twists as you can handle. The convenient step-up area helps shorter folks get up onto the vertical knee raise station, and doubles as extra stabilization. The Gold’s Gym XR 10.9 Power Tower is a solid buy if you’ve got a little extra cash to spend.
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Dip bars come in many different shapes and sizes. Just like nearly all fitness equipment, they’ve undergone some design changes over the years and are ultimately better for it. If you always keep an eye out for new and innovative designs, then you’ll love our pick for best designed dip bar, the Sportsroyal Power Tower.
Design is sometimes subjective and what appeals to one person may not be as appealing to another. We think everyone can agree that the design of the Sportsroyal Power Tower is great though. It features heavy-duty construction with 1.5mm thick steel tubing and a 440-pound weight capacity. The dual triangular bases and three cross bars provide a base more solid than Zydrunas Savickas’s overhead press. You can easily adjust the height to six levels from 70.07 inches up to 92.7 inches to accommodate people of all heights. The backrest also adjusts to seven positions from 2.4 inches to 7.1 inches.
The Sportsroyal Power Tower is full of innovative design features that set it apart from other power towers on the market. You can adjust the height, the backrest, and even the push-up bar. The triangular base design provides great stability and a 440 pound weight capacity so anyone can get their gains using this uniquely designed piece of equipment.
If you want to rock out some pull-ups, you can do them with multiple grip positions and widths. The dip handles are also tilted forward 10 degrees to keep your body angles forward and fit ergonomically for your wrists. After dips, you can drop down to the push-up bar, which also adjusts to three angles at 30 degrees, 60 degrees, and 90 degrees to finish off your chest and triceps pump.
If you’re always looking for the latest and greatest in design, then you will most likely enjoy this power tower from Sportsroyal. It seems they thought of everything when they drew up the plans for this piece of equipment, as it’s highly adjustable and ergonomically designed. The unique base and multiple crossbars add extra support without increasing the weight over what comparable power towers weigh. For a well-designed piece of equipment for all your dip, pull-up, push-up, and leg raise needs, Sportsroyal has you covered.
Dip bars offer a host of benefits while being moderately cost-effective — especially as far as strength training equipment goes. They can be great for building your triceps, sure, but they can be used to develop the entire upper body with just a bit of creativity. Dip bars also offer space-saving benefits with many able to attach to a wall or squat rack. Even power towers can be space-efficient for the versatility provided.
The obvious use for dip bars is developing the pressing power of the upper body — namely the triceps, chest, and shoulders. With a little bit of creativity, you can utilize dip bars to perform abdominal exercises like knee raises. You can also perform inverted rows to train your back on regular dip bars and pull-up variations on power towers. With the exception of the lower back, dip bars can be used to work nearly every upper body muscle.
Wall-mounted or rack-mounted dip bars are excellent options for those who are limited in space. Most of them have the option to fold down for storage, essentially taking up only a few inches of space when not in use. Even power towers, which take up more space, can be placed in a corner where other machines might not fit. The majority of the power towers on this list only have a footprint of three or four square feet — half that of a weight bench and smaller than squat racks (with the exception of wall-mounted squat racks).
Deciding which dip bars are the best means we have to establish some criteria by which to rate them. For dip bars, there are really two main aspects to focus on when looking to buy one — the construction and the versatility. At the end of the day, dip bars are fairly straightforward in their purpose, but they can vary quite a bit in the design. Just like any other gym equipment purchase, you want to get the best value for your money, so we paid close attention to the details in deciding our picks.
The main construction aspect we assess with dip bars is their overall material. Ideally, you want dip bars made out of steel that have a higher weight capacity limit, as both of these characteristics suggest a bar that will last a while, and not break down or bend easily with repetitive use.
We look at the bolts and materials used to construct and connect the more versatile dip bars. From the physical dip bar to the stand, we pay attention to how they’re connected and flow together. Thicker bolts and metals will always be better than the “cost-efficient” models susceptible to bending or breaking down with time.
Outside of the material used to construct the dip bar or stand physically, we also pay close attention to the materials used around the handles. This is key for anyone who plans to use their dip bar as a home gym essential where the environment can quickly change (like in a garage). Bare metal is going to rust quickly in a humid environment without special care, so we rank dip bars that have a coating or protective layer higher than others that don’t for longevity. In addition, strong handle material is key for extending the life of the grip on dip bars.
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A dip bar’s versatility is key to it ranking well on our best lists. It’s a crucial aspect to consider, especially for home gym owners because it can influence the flow of your gym. Some dip bars come with a simple design and are intended to be used for dips and that’s pretty much it. This can be useful for smaller spaces or those who want specific dip stations.
Other dip stations feature a pull-up area, leg raise station, or push–up handles. That type of design is great for versatility, but takes up more space and may not be ideal for those with limited room. For this reason, we consider versatility pretty high on the list of criteria, but you’ll have to figure out what works best for your space and needs.
Dip bars have a range of prices from more cost-effective models that can mount onto a wall or power rack, to standalone power towers, which offer improved versatility. Dip bars come in many shapes and forms (in addition to wall-mounted and towers) with options like parallel bars and dip rings widely available now, too.
Dip bars aren’t the most expensive purchase you’ll ever make for your gym, but they aren’t insignificant either. You’ll generally see prices in a range between $115 and $290, though some options may be outside of that range for more cost-effective or higher-end products. We included options on the list for a range of budgets, so everyone can find a dip bar they’ll enjoy and be able to afford.
Akin to making any purchase for gym equipment, there are a lot of things to consider. The main consideration for dip bars is the space that you have available for them to occupy. Other aspects to think about include how often you plan to use the dip bar, the grips it has, the warranty, and the versatility.
Considering the space you have available for a dip bar will largely influence the type that you end up getting. If you’re working with limited space, or are in an apartment that you can’t drill into, you’ll have to consider your options. Building a home gym? More versatility may be the way to go, so you can maximize what you can do with each piece of equipment. The first thing to nail down is how much space you have for a dip bar, then the rest will follow.
You’re excited to get a new piece of equipment for your gym and thinking of all the ways you can use it, and how you plan to use it every day. Then you work out with that new piece daily for the first few days or weeks, and a couple of months later you see it collecting dust. We’ve all done it before. Being realistic with how often you plan to use your dip bars, and programming their use into your workouts is something that needs to be thought through before you make the final step toward a purchase.
If you do dips multiple times a week, we recommend looking for a dip bar or stand with a warranty, high weight capacity, and strong construction. Frequent use can speed up breakdown, so investing in a better dip bar can be worth it in the long run. If you like to just do dips on occasion, or only during certain periods of training, then another option may be better.
If you’re newer to dip training, then it might be worth looking into dip stands and bars with better grips, as this can help acclimate your hands to holding your weight for sets. There are tons of options for grips, but knowing the handle size and amount of handles, as well as their orientation, can be very helpful in making your decision as to which dip bars to buy.
Like with all lifting equipment, warranties can speak to a company’s confidence in its product. Always check the warranty before purchasing, and give yourself the best options to adjust as needed if a product doesn’t suit your routine. This also goes back to how often you plan to use your dip bar. Consider all of these things in unison to make the best decision.
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There are so many options in a diverse market of dip bars and dip stands, often with unique and innovative designs. There’s almost certainly the right one out there to best suit your needs, and we’ve put together a list of our favorites for a variety of categories. Whether you have a home gym, are purchasing for a commercial gym, or are looking for a dip station to get some quick bodyweight workouts in at your apartment, one of the options on our list is likely to serve you well.
These compact and versatile pieces of equipment offer a great way to accomplish a complete upper-body workout without breaking the bank or taking up your entire spare room. Remember to consider your workout style, space, and individual needs before deciding on the type of dip bar you want to purchase. But if you let us guide you, you’ll be repping out dips in no time.
Tapered dip bars are designed that way for a couple of reasons. The first reason is to make designing and manufacturing easier since the tapered design allows them to attach at one point where they come together. The second reason is more applicable to the person using the piece of equipment. The tapered design allows you to change your hand width, which changes the muscles that are targeted while doing dips. If you take a more narrow grip, that will focus more on the triceps, whereas a wider grip will hit more chest and shoulders.
There are many diverse options when it comes to dip bars and stations. Our favorite right now is the Fringe Sport Mountable Dip Bar. It’s space-saving and only takes up a few inches when folded down for storage, and boasts a high weight capacity. It’s also cost-effective at right around $115, and you don’t need any special rack or machines to attach it to.
There are options for dip bars and dip stations that fit a variety of budgets, with dip bars generally costing somewhere between $75 and $200, and dip stations costing more between $200 and $300. There are more cost-effective and certainly more high-end options, but those on this list range from about $115 to $290. Dip bars aren’t the cheapest pieces of equipment, but they’re definitely not the most expensive either.
In short, yes. You’ll most likely want to get a power tower-designed dip station though. The reason is that you can attach bands to the pull-up bars, or give yourself some assistance with the dips. For less assistance, once you get closer to doing a full bodyweight dip, you can attach the band to the dip handles. Keep at it, and you’ll get there. Negative or controlled eccentric reps have helped many people in their effort to do a bodyweight dip, too.
Many people use these words interchangeably, but we do our best to stick to the most accurate descriptors since they’re technically all different things. Dip bars are standalone bars, usually with an H-shaped design that are placed on the ground, and the user performs dips between. Dip stations are usually mounted on a power rack or to a wall, and feature a tapered design that almost looks like bull horns. Dip towers are what you might be familiar with from commercial gyms, and usually have dip handles, a pull-up bar, and arm pads with a backrest to do leg raises.
Jake holds a Master's in Sports Science and a Bachelor's in Exercise Science. Jake formerly served as BarBend's Fitness and Training Editor.
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