Power racks are a centerpiece of any good home gym – but can you get a good one for under $500?
Yes, you can, but make sure you buy right, or else you’ll end up having to buy twice.
We think the REP FITNESS PR-1100 Power Rack is the best choice for most people, most of the time, but there are other great options too, depending on your needs and budget.
Best Budget Power Racks
- Best Power Rack Under $500: REP FITNESS PR-1100 Power Rack
- Best Budget Power Rack for Heavy Lifters: MAJOR LUTIE Power Cage
- Best All-in-One Budget Power Rack: Mikolo Power Cage
- Best Budget Power Rack for Low Ceilings: Titan Fitness T-2 Series Power Rack
- Best Power Rack Under $350: HulkFit Pro Series Power Cage
- Best Power Rack Under $200: Fitness Reality Super Max 810 XLT
Best Budget Power Rack: REP FITNESS PR-1100 Power Rack
Our favorite budget power rack due to its low cost but excellent features. This power rack opts to maximize the quality of the basics and the few attachments it does offer, with very little unnecessary fluff.
- Great weight rating
- Strong basics
- It doesn't compromise on build quality or fixtures
- Good pull-up bars with cross-bracing
- Lacks versatile attachments
- Could do with a rear cross-brace
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The REP Fitness’ PR–1100 power rack is our favorite power rack on the market for its low cost but excellent features.
In this price range, we think it is the best choice for most people, most of the time.
This power rack opts to maximize the quality of the basics and the few attachments it does offer, with very little unnecessary fluff.
A power rack under 500 dollars with a 1000lbs weight rating (perfect for almost everyone) is a strong set of basic construction. The additional bracing was a strong cross-brace that helps provide more stability than you’d get from the moderate-weight frame.
We love that this product doesn’t compromise on any of the basics – even if this reduces the variety of attachments you get as standard. That involves a pull-up bar that also doubles up as a further cross-brace to build better stability and improve the lateral shaking of the product.
The only drawbacks to this product are the inherent costs of trading off the price for reduced attachment and feature variety.
Final verdict
This is an excellent product in what it does and only comes at the cost of streamlining the key functions to those most important for a high-quality product, despite the relatively light price tag.
This makes it an excellent overall choice and an easy top placing for this list, with the best all-around benefits and strengths for a Power rack under 500 dollars!
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Best All-in-One Budget Power Rack: Mikolo Power Cage
The Mikolo Power Rack offers the best all-around experience for a home gym due to the added versatility of the lat pulldown and landmine attachments as standard.
- Lat pulldown machine and landmine attachments, as standard
- 1400lbs weight capacity
- Strong basic design with good corner-bracing
- Built-in bar holder is serious value for no real extra cost
- Steel gauge is lower than some on the market
The Mikolo Power Cage offers one of the best all-around experiences in a way that integrates a wide variety, with both a lat pulldown and landmine attachment as standard.
These are perfect complements to a power rack, focusing on the major muscles that are neglected from normal power rack exercises like squats, rack pulls, and bench press.
They offer an excellent total benefit that you might be missing elsewhere. The plate-loaded lat pulldown attachment offers a better total training experience and makes the most of your plate weights.
The 1000lbs weight rating is more than most on the market and just about all you’ll ever need and good total stability with additional corner joint bracing.
The built-in bar holder also offers excellent savings and value if you end up with more than one barbell you want to store (with one on the j-hooks).
Final Verdict
The Mikolo rack does the most work of any product when looking at the versatility and feature set you get from the basic model.
This is a great result for just about any form of training or goals, with a combination of strength training with free weights, a cable attachment, and lever-loaded landmine training. And all for under $500.
Best Power Rack Under $350: HulkFit Pro Series Power Cage
With 800lbs of weight capacity and solid features, the Hulkfit Power Rack is a highly affordable, high-quality power rack suitable for most home gyms.
- Dip bars and footplate as-standard
- Good basic design
- Excellent 2-pairs of j-hooks as standard with safety pin integration
- Relatively small footprint for weight capacity and stability
- Lower weight capacity than other models
- Could do with a rear brace
The HulkFit Multi-Function (Pro Series) Power Cage at the time of writing comes in under $350, making it an excellent, wallet-friendly buy.
The only reason it’s not further up our list is that the Rep Fitness PR-1100 is a better option on some of the fundamentals but you would expect that for the price.
The 800lbs weight capacity of the HulkFit Pro is good, but 200lbs lighter than Rep’s option.
The 2 pairs of J-hooks that come with this product are excellent, and one has an integrated set of safety pins which is an interesting option that lets you prepare the rack for both benching and squatting at the same time.
It also has a relatively small footprint for the stability and price, offering a great choice for smaller home gyms. However, the pull-up bars are not as good as Rep or the Major Lutie power racks.
Final Verdict
This is an excellent total product for the price that narrowly loses out to the Rep Fitness rack and comes in at a solid second or third place, depending on your priorities. This is still a wonderful choice but does lack some of the upper-end features.
Best Budget Power Rack for Low Ceilings: Titan Fitness T-2 Series Power Rack
Not only is this the best budget rack for low ceilings but it is also a great all-around rack. An excellent, budget-friendly choice for basement home gyms where that extra half-foot really makes a difference.
- Low profile for better use in all kinds of home gyms
- Great double-reinforced safety pins for better longevity
- Integrated bar holder is perfect for saving money long-term
- Squat design with a great footprint is surprisingly stable
- 850lbs rackable capacity is one of the best on our list (with 2200lbs total-rack structural capacity)
- Titan fitness quality assurance and machining are inconsistent on some products
- Relatively weak pull-up bar design
- Short height means no internal pressing
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The Titan T-2 can be a saving grace for smaller locations where you need overhead space but still want a high-quality product with excellent dimensions for low ceilings but high weight capacity.
This is one of the best stout squat racks for lower ceilings that doesn’t compromise anywhere else in the product, with an 850lbs weight capacity and a wonderful pair of safety pins with outer tubing as standard.
This is a rare and wonderful upgrade to the basic format of an entry-level power rack.
These are complemented by the integrated bar holder, which is a great way to save money on a useful but non-essential option, providing a great basic saving that really justifies this product’s mid-upper cost in the entry-level range.
One thing to look out for is the sometimes questionable quality assurance and machining of titan products, which require second looks sometimes.
This is uncommon enough that it’s no reason to totally avoid the company, but a second inspection once you’ve built your product is key to making sure everything’s in perfect fit and condition.
Final Verdict
This is one of the best products for low ceilings but is also a great all-rounder for a squat rack, even if it doesn’t offer the internal space you might want for pressing.
This makes it a great choice for powerlifting and other forms of strength training, especially in basement home gyms where that extra half-foot or foot of height really makes a difference.
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Best Power Rack Under $200: Fitness Reality Super Max 810 XLT
This is a good, well-rounded squat rack that offers a great place to start for those beginning their home gym journey, with all the entry-level points and features that you need.
- Decent weight capacity of 800lbs
- 2 pairs of rear cross-brace provides better lateral stability
- Reasonable pull-up grip design for the price – and added bracing
- Added triangle corner panels provide further joint stability
- Great value with money spare for a 500-dollar budget
- Relatively lightweight frame does lack structural weight capacity relative to titan
- Lower weight capacity than REP (for example)
- Lacks secondary attachments
- Pull-up handles are a near miss for 45-degree option
With an all-around profile of good dimensions, strong weight capacity, and good bracing, this product has excellent basics. Not to mention it is currently priced (as at June 2022) at under $200.
It offers these basics, but it also brings a combination of pull-up grips that are reasonably strong for the price and offer extra total-structure stability.
The triangle bracings at the major joints are also a great way that this product builds rack stability far beyond the cost or size.
This makes it a wonderful set of fundamentals that you can use as the basis for a wide range of aftermarket additions – with basic 5/8 holes for universal compatibility.
This is a great starter as it even leaves you with money to spare, fitting in the middle or lower segment of this price range.
Overall, this makes it a great choice for a first power rack with a wide range of possible expansions on a very (literally and figuratively) solid foundation.
Final Verdict
This is a good, well-rounded squat rack that offers a great place to start for beginners with all the entry-level points that you need.
It has an excellent foundation with a strong sense of value and the compatibility needed to get the most out of any 3rd party attachments.
Best Budget Power Rack for Heavy Lifters: MAJOR LUTIE Power Cage
The Major Lutie Power Rack is the best choice for advanced lifters who are looking for a great power rack on a tight budget.
- Massive 1200 pound weight capacity – market-leading strength
- Best pull up handles on the market with a 45-degree, neutral, and standard grip
- Excellent j-hook builds, though could do with better rubberization
- Dip handles and a lat pulldown attachment as standard
- Despite high rackable weight, may lack some additional stability and bracing
- Rear and joint braces would add a huge amount of value
- Among the more expensive products in the range (despite good trade-offs)
The Major Lutie rack is the best choices for heavy lifting due to the immense weight capacity and the sheer total of its rackable and structural capacity.
This ensures the best possible heavy lifting, up to 1200lbs on the J-hooks, and 2000lbs+ structural integrity.
It also includes the best pull-up handles on the market with a 45-degree pull-up handle.
Again, this is the clear best choice on the market, allowing you to perform pseudo—chin-ups with a great position to relieve shoulder stress and get the best benefits of the exercise with the most comfortable resting position.
The J-hooks on this product are also well-built with a great flatbed, though the actual material could do with a slightly better total protection to prevent compression and degradation.
The material is good, but this is a premium feature that you’ll really notice if you lift super-heavy.
The one thing you will also pick up on is the lack of cross-bracing and stabilizing joint panels. This can be a pain with heavy weights as the lateral stability can show up quite quickly when heavy bars start causing momentum against the frame.
This could be improved with aftermarket bracing panels – either cross-bars or a series of triangular bracing plates at major joints.
Final Verdict
This is a great niche choice that can become a fantastic product with a little extra spending. However, it also starts near the top of our price range which may leave you a little strapped for cash on accessories that should be included in the standard model.
If you’re willing to upgrade after the fact as more money becomes available, this could easily become the best power rack on the market. As it stands, it’s the highest weight capacity, but could definitely become the best power rack for $600 or so!
How We Chose the Best Cheap Power Racks
There are a lot of power racks on the market nowadays. Trust us – we know, we looked at them all to pick our best list.
Narrowing it down was no easy feat. To help us rank the options, we used the criteria in the Buying Guide section below – including:
- Stability
- Compatiliity
- Weight Capacity
- Size & Footprint
- Attachments
- Price
- Safety Features
- Warranty
Why You Should Trust Us
At Home Gym Boss we pride ourselves on being impartial and only recommend products we would use ourselves.
Sometimes it is not possible to try all the different products, so we do our research by talking to athletes, strength coaches & personal trainers, reading user reviews, checking product manuals, assessing overall brand quality and reputation, and checking the current prices.
Power Rack Buying Guide
Can You Buy a Good Power Rack for Under $500?
You can get a great basic power rack for 500 dollars – primarily due to the quality and variety of options in the US domestic market.
These extend to a variety of upper-entry-level choices that combine quality with value for a serious value-per-dollar offering.
The main trade-offs you’re going to experience are typically either the variety of attachments or the strength of the basic steel gauge and/or fixture quality.
These result in being able to (usually) pick 2 of the following 3 characteristics:
- Cheap
- Strong and stable
- Lots of attachments
As a result, you want to put a premium on high-value attachments and quality, where a variety of attachments may be better in 3rd party aftermarket buys. This can help you get the absolute best from your power rack at a good price.
Let’s look at all the most important factors before choosing an affordable power rack.
Stability
As a piece of training equipment dedicated to safety and proper execution, you need a power rack to be stable.
This is an important factor in the experience of use in the main forms of exercise it enables – primarily squatting and bench pressing – and other options like rack pulls and pin squats.
Stability is a factor in the safety, comfort, and reliability of a power rack or power cage. This comes from the footprint against the floor, the quality and weight of build materials, and the quality of any fixtures or moving parts.
Proper angles of construction also help, like outwards-sloping legs or cross-bracing of uprights. These can offer a huge amount of stability without extra price – just a little smart forward planning.
Attachments
Power racks’ versatility is one of the main draws of the product. This makes it a significant benefit when a power cage or rack includes additional attachments that increase the training options of a product – which might mean landmine attachments, additional dip bars, or a wider variety of pull-up handles.
Don’t think about specific attachments too much – what matters most is the extra workout capacity that a product can offer you. Measure attachments by the value and variety they offer to your workouts – and prioritize by the things most important to your favorite movements.
More attachments are generally better, but this depends on the quality they offer and the amount of extra money you’re paying.
Similarly, it might mean missing out on something more beneficial or important elsewhere – so make sure each choice is justified.
Learn more about the best attachchments and accessories for power racks.
Compatibility
The compatibility of a power rack with third-party and aftermarket parts is a huge factor for a power rack if you’re looking to buy your home gym piecemeal. Under $500, this is even more important to save upfront product-spend.
Compatibility is mostly a matter of the dimensions of a rack relative to the 3rd party attachments and the proper hole spacing. Most holes are separated across 5/8 inch holes with 1-2 inch separation.
This is even stronger in Westside spacing, where the top holes are 2-inches apart and the lower holes only 1 inch.
Whatever design you’re going for, ensure that you’ve pre-selected compatible options from long-term attachments. Prioritizing appropriate compatibility in advance will save you the cash and headache of re-buying or (arguably worse) re-machining holes.
We covered compatibility in our article on Power rack Accessories.
Maximum weight
The weight capacity of a power rack is important because the attachments and exercises used can easily use huge weights. For example, rack pulls can easily expand into the 300kg+ (660lbs+) range, even among normal-sized men.
Weight capacity is usually weighted as a measure of the build quality and fixtures of a high-quality power rack – and should be taken seriously.
Lower weight capacities are only useful if you still maintain a reasonable surplus on top of the weights you may be ablet o lift in the lifespan of the rack – where a 5-10 year time horizon might mean 100s of pounds, or kilos, on your lifts.
Buy for the lifts you want – and could reasonably expect – and not the lifts you have, unless you’re comfortable replacing your rack very soon.
Dimensions
The dimensions of your power rack are mostly about the space you have in your home. Neither bigger nor smaller are better, but getting the best size and product that will suitably fit your space.
Making sure that your power cage or power rack fits is the most important factor for dimensions and should be prioritized above anything else.
Once you’ve got the right dimensions, you can reasonably add more size for things like bar holder attachments or plate pegs – if they fit your home gym.
This is a good time to measure twice, buy once. Make sure your measurements are not hopeful but realistic to ensure you’ve got the right space for the right power cage.
Safety features
Safety features are a way of paying for your peace of mind and – in some cases – better use potential.
These can take the form of spotter arms, safety pins, and safety straps – in order of payment and quality in most cases. Spotter arms are easily the worst choice given that they only have one attachment to a rack or cage and can easily pull the balance way off the intended positioning.
Safety pins are among the best choices – offering a 2-support lateral safety that is unlikely to ever tip your cage, or suffer serious damage. You can also add pipes on the outside of these bars to reinforce them and soften any potential metal-on-metal contact.
Safety straps are a niche choice that offer a similar but not identical experience to safety pins with straps. These are preferred among some super heavy lifters for safety and semi-pliability, as well as shock absorption.
That’s something of personal preference, but does protect the bar and whole rack – but make sure you’re getting very high-quality straps. They’re not as visually reassuring as metal.
Warranty
The warranty of a product is important for the secondary parts like the safety pins and the fixtures. More warranty on moving parts is a great place to look since these are the first to go in most builds under serious weight and wear-and-tear.
Warranties are simple: more is better, especially in vulnerable areas like these secondary parts or fixtures.
Make sure they cover your intended use and storage conditions – as that can be a loophole that some companies use to save on warranty coverage.
Related Resources
- Best Functional Trainers
- Best Lat Pull Down Machines
- Best Power Racks with Cable Crossover
- Best Squat Stands
- Best Power Rack Accessories
- Best Power Racks with Lat Pulldown
- Best Half Racks
- Best Wall-Mounted Squat Racks
Conclusion
You can get a great basic power rack for 500 dollars – primarily due to the quality and variety of options in the US domestic market.
These extend to a variety of upper-entry-level choices that combine quality with value for a serious value-per-dollar offering.
Our top pick for the best budget power rack is the REP FITNESS PR-1100 Power Rack but do your own research to make sure you find the best power rack for your budget.
