My name is Adam Rothwell, I am a fitness enthusiast and PE teacher, Recently, I added wall bars (sometimes called stall bars or Swedish ladders) to my home workout setup after having used them in a school environment. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect at first, I’ve usually used them for fun activities, circuits and exercises with children.
After some time playing around with them, I’ve been pretty impressed. My buddy Lucy Bennett and I have been trying out different exercises, seeing what works best for us. Honestly, it’s been a learning curve, but a fun one. The Vita Vibe 36″ wide Stall Bars are the ones I went with, for the following reasons.
As a PE teacher with expertise in fitness equipment, I highly recommend the Vita Vibe Adjustable 36″ wide bars (linked below) for home use. These bars are versatile, designed to fit various ceiling heights, with the 90″ option suitable for most homes. They’re not only affordable but also have a sleek design, combining grey-toned aluminium with hardwood ash. What sets them apart is their adjustable rungs, allowing for personalized workouts and accommodating different hand sizes. Whether you’re practicing the human flag or just need a reliable grip, these bars are a top choice. Plus, their ASTM-rated bolts ensure they’re safe and durable for all exercises.
Wall bars comparison table
Our aim in writing this article is to introduce you to the best wall bars, also known as stall bars for home strength and fitness exercise. If you are serious about fitness, you should consider installing wall bars in your home. Wall bars take up no space, look great and can be one of the very best body-weight STRENGTH WORKOUT tools.
We believe Gymnastics Wall bars are a great piece of exercise equipment that you can buy to help you achieve a wide variety of exercise goals. They are often used by your children to practice climbing or gymnastics and by adults who are looking for some home exercise equipment that can help you increase flexibility while strengthening and conditioning your body.
Our favourite wall bars
- Best overall – Vita Vibe Stall Bars
- Value wooden bars – 3B Scientific
- Quality wooden bars – Eucalyptus Wood
Vita Vibe stall bars Review
Click the image to view product on Amazon
The Vita Vibe Adjustable 36″wide bars are our favourites. They are available at three different heights depending on the height of your ceiling and intended use. Even the tallest 90″ height choice should fit under most ceilings which are on average at least 96″ tall. Our link above will take you to the 90″ Vita Vibe bars but you’ll find a few different size options.
At a competitive price, the Vita Vibe Swedish bars are visually attractive, with a solid tone of grey colouring the aluminium alloy vertical bars and hardwood ash horizontal bars. Impressively the rungs are adjustable so you can choose to create the exact distance between each rung that suits you and your workout goals.
Vita Vibe ASB 36″ – Design Features
The Vita Vibe ASB 36″ have Adjustable bars are useful if you are performing the human flag or gymnastics exercises requiring hands to grip and hold your body-weight on separate rungs. Being able to change the distance between rungs is a nice option because everyone has different size hands and you will be able to find a position most comfortable to your physical attributes.
If you wish to stick to the standard even spacing between bars there is a 8 1/2 inch centre spacing spacer included to make this task easy. If you want to be sure the bars are set evenly at a distance of your own choosing, it is easy to create your own spacer to achieve this. If you are looking for stall bars that aren’t as wide, we have reviewed the Vita Vibe 24″ wide non adjustable bars further down the page.
Vita Vibe stall bar Performance and grip
Your arm length and shoulder width might suit bars that are set a very slight distance further apart or closer together and this adjust-ability is useful for ensuring the bars are set in the exact position you like. The chin up bar that extends out from the very top by approximately 8 inches can also be adjusted and set in 2 different positions.
The wooden horizontal bars on the Vita Vibe gymnastics stall bars are nice to grip and the bolts that hold them in place are Grade A ASTM rated, a rating for things such as steel fasteners that aims to ensure a product meets a high quality standard rating. This rating should ensure when fitted correctly that the bolts will hold this wall bar in place under the pressure of a person climbing and performing strength or Ninja Warrior training.
Vita Vibe Stall Bars Key Features:
Pros
1. Useful wide 5.75″ distance between your wall and the centre of the rungs.
2. Rungs and chin up bar are a good 1-1/2″ in diameter.
3. Chin up bar is offset 8″ from the front of the main frame, it’s height is adjustable and it is possible to not attach it if you don’t want a chin up bar.
4. These wall bars are high quality, made in the USA and the manufacturer often includes a long warranty.
Cons
1. Before attaching the bolts please be sure to drill a pilot hole that is not less than 7/32” because anything smaller can cause the bolts to become damaged.
2. These Vita Vibe VSB 37″ bars will hold the 250lb recommended maximum weight, but this is only the case if instructions are followed and care is taken to ensure they are assembled and attached correctly.
3B Scientific Stall bars Review
Click image to view on Amazon
The 3b scientific W15400 gymnastics bars are very straightforward to assemble and feel well constructed and solid. The bars are made of steel tubing with three wooden rungs in the centre which are a different colour and can be detached from the frame.
This is achieved by releasing the clamp on the outside and pushing the spring-loaded bar out of the holes on each side. Wooden bars are usually easier to grip than steel but because the wooden bars are likely to spin a little bit on this product, you have to take into account the potential for slight movement when gripping them.
This unit can be attached to the floor up to approximately 12 inches away from the wall which allows for some flexibility and changes the position of the top pull up bar away from your wall which is useful for doing pull ups.
3B Scientific W15400 Key Features:
Pros
1. There is a rung at the top for pull ups.
2. The bars are rounded which is more comfortable than oval rungs.
3. Easy to pack away if you need to remove and re-install elsewhere.
4. Great as part of a home gym
5. Dimensions – 98″ high x 42″ width x 11.5″ depth
6. Can be used as an anchor for battle ropes
Cons
1. The side bars are steel so the height can’t be adjusted.
2. The 3B scientific bars can’t be connected with another of the same product to create a wider bar because there will be a gap between them.
3. Must be fastened to the floor using screws.
3B Scientific Eucalyptus Wood stall bars
Click the image to view product on Amazon
The 3B scientific Eucalyptus stall bars are a very popular fitness product made entirely of Eucalyptus wood. 3B scientific offer exceptional value and the wood is sealed for durability. If assembled correctly the 3B scientific stall bars are durable and the eucalyptus wood feels comfortable to grip onto.
If you are heavier you might experience more bend in the wooden horizontal bars. Some movement is to be expected and isn’t a concern unless it becomes extreme or the wood is splitting. The 3B scientific bars are fitted in many children’s gyms in my area and I feel comfortable using them. There is a slight flexing when doing pull ups on the top bar but this is marginal and they feel sturdy with good build quality.
3B Scientific Eucalyptus Wood stall bars key features:
1. Wood is sealed for durability.
2. 250lb weight limit.
3. Great for motion exercises, stretching and gymnastics classes.
4. Exceptional value for money.
Acadia wall bars
Click the image to view on Amazon
The handmade Acadia wall bars have a beautifully crafted ash hardwood frame that is light and blend in nicely with most wall or brick colours. These are some of the nicest looking stall bars we have seen and it has been hand made in Maine. However nice stall bars might look, there performance in use is most important unless you want to use it to hang your clothes on or for ornamental purposes, which I really doubt you do.
The high quality solid hardwood construction of this frame and the 15 rungs are built to last. If you are familiar with stall bars you’ll know that it’s important for the bars to remain stable and this product offers 15 rungs that don’t move at all. The rungs are separated by a 5 ½ inch gap which is a nice distance apart in order to grip cleanly and work with the gap. When using the Acadia bars there isn’t a sense that the wood is going to give way, bend or snap, it feels very secure and nice to grip onto.
The Acadia are 7 feet 6 inches tall and feature two adjacent horizontal bars at the very top. The top bar nearest the wall, which isn’t in a good position for performing pull ups, is complemented with an adjacent offset bar with greater clearance and can be used for pull ups or hanging from to stretch your back.
We are unsure why there are two bars at the very top as it seems unnecessary but we like these bars a lot and if you find the two top bars unnecessary, consider looking at the Rockland stall bars we have reviewed because they are similar but with one bar at the top. With a weight limit of 275lb you’ll feel safe even up towards the upper weight limit.
The Acadia are easy to construct but please be careful and follow the instructions closely. These wall bars usually come with a warranty that is more than 3 years.
Rockland Wall Bars
Click the image to view on Amazon
The Rockland bars are made by the same company as the Acadia and display the same high quality design. Once again, we were impressed by the care that has clearly been taken with the wood used to make these bars.
For sale at a very slightly more expensive price when compared to the Acadia, the Rockland are a little different but both appear to be made of very similar high-quality wood. At the top, there is one offset pull up bar on the Rockland wall bars whereas with the Acadia the top rung is adjacent to the pull up bar so there are two bars at the top, offering slightly less clearance.
Because the Rockland bars only have one bar at the top, it makes pull-ups feel more comfortable, however this is mostly psychological as you shouldn’t come into contact with the other bar anyway. People often have to choose between these products and we would recommend both.
Deciding which to buy often depends on which pull up bar position you prefer. The second main difference is that the Rockland bars sit approximately one inch further away from the wall than the Acadia, so if you’re looking for maximum distance from the wall we would recommend the Rockland bars.
Vita Vibe VSB 36-90 Stall Bars
Click the image to view product on Amazon
Vita Vibe make a variety of different sized bars and we like the strong looking steel frame on these bars. The frame is very well made and durable and there are 11 wooden rungs set 8 inches apart. There is a 5-inch gap between the wall or surface you mount these bars on and the bar itself, which is more than enough room.
At the top is the standard pull up bar and it is offset 8” from the main frame. Gripping the bars feels comfortable and the width is just right. Overall these stall bars are very attractive to look at and are manufactured in the USA and produced with high quality materials.
Durabod Stall Bars
Click the image to View on Amazon
Durabod have produced some very good quality strength training bars that we think are some of the best available. We like the motto on their website which says: We’re on a mission to achieve better health, improved mobility, and greater strength. Luckily, those three goals fit perfectly together!
With some very good quality Pine construction the Durabod stall bars sit nicely on the wall approximately 1 inch away. The instructions are clear and attaching to your wall is completed easily with the use of a screwdriver, but we would recommend a drill in most cases. Strong bars mean that body weight training, stretching and hanging on the bars is comfortable and with an upper weight limit of 300lb they should be able to easily hold most adults weight during fitness training.
Suples Gladiator Wall.
Click the image to view on Amazon
The Suples Gladiator wall is different from the other stall bars because of the angle and distance which the upper pull up bar extends outwards. With a maximum weight of 400 lbs these are some heavy duty wall bars.
We like the design and that they encourage connecting a few of these bars together side by side in order to create a gladiator wall. The numbering beside the rungs is an interesting addition and most useful for when you want to stretch to a certain height, or measure and increases in how far you can stretch. They are also useful for ensuring you are performing certain exercises in the exact same position in order to work and train the correct muscles.
Suples have some additional add on items available for sale, such as a dip bar, pulley and ropes in order to make the most out of the gladiator wall and be able to workout all your muscles these are a great idea and add some variety to your workout. A unique numbering system allows you to easily find your preferred rungs quickly so you can be sure your exercises are performed at a consistent height and position.
Limitless XVP Fitness Swedish Ladders
Click the image to view on Amazon
The Limitless XVP fitness Swedish ladders are a relatively new addition to the world of fitness equipment that aims to facilitate and help improve your body weight workouts. The limitless XVP is made up of 11 dowel wood bars attached to a solid wood frame that is crafted nicely with a pull up bar slanted towards you at an approximately 25 degree angle to allow for easy chin ups and pull ups without making contact with the main frame.
The XVP is ideal for smaller adults and children because the rounded dowel bars flex a little as the weight increases close to 150lbs. If you weight much more than this we wouldn’t recommend this option, or at least we would suggest you ask for reassurance from Limitless so you know exactly how much weight the bars should bear. There is a TRX style strap attachment included for a more complete workout experience because because the suspensions strap offers more options to workout core muscles.
Wood vs Steel Wall Bars:
It can good to train and perform stall bar exercises on steel because it’s the more difficult of the materials and if you later use wood you’ll find it much easier. The steel is much tougher on your feet and is much harder on your hands so will be beneficial when you compete on wooden bars afterwards because wood is easier to grip. If you are practising parkour, you will be gripping onto steel bars in the street so these are great for making your home practice more realistic. Bars made from steel can generally hold a heavier weight more securely, and they aren’t going to snap in the same way wood can.
Steel can be tough to hold if used outside in the heat as it’s gets very hot and in the rain, becomes slippery and will need wiping down. Steel is colder if your Swedish bars are positioned outdoors or in a garage or basement with lower temperatures. Wooden bars that break are usually easier to replace.
Why You can trust our advice – Sources
We used our authors experience in the fitness industry & knowledge of stall bars to find and recommend the above selection of stall bars to you. We contacted fitness professionals & gymnasts in order to find out what they use stall bars for and for their experiences of the most popular and reputable manufacturers. The following web sites were helpful during our research and provided us with accurate and useful fitness information so that we could provide a more in depth review.
May I ask why you do not review Gibson Stall Bars? Based on your reviews, I tried ordering from Insight Fitness, the Rockland Bars, but after 3+ weeks I am giving up. The man is unresponsive. Must be out of business. I need a un it that is only 24″ wide and I just now found the Gibson Junior. There are no reviews anywhere, which concerns me. But I like the fact that in addition to the 24″ width, the bars are 1.5″ diameter, vs all the other units having 1″ bars. Is there anything at all you can tell me about Gibson. I have lost a month, so I am eager to order. Gibson’s site says 2-3 weeks for manufacturing. Thanks, Lauren 5-19-2018