The 6 Best Folding Squat Racks (Summer 2023 Update) – Fitnessnacks

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Squat racks are the centerpiece of most commercial gyms and many home gyms — sure, you can squat in them, but you can also bench press if you have a weight bench, do rack pulls, and even curl in them (don’t curl in them). But they do take up a ton of space, which is why a good folding squat rack is a great option for a home gym. This allows you to park your car if you’ve got a garage gym or have extra room for more gear if you’re a basement gym kind of person. 

Not all folding squat racks are built the same though, and engineers have found different ways to make a squat rack more efficient with the space it occupies. The majority fold out into squat uprights, but some fold out into power racks. They also come in different steel gauges with higher or lower max weight thresholds, and many feature different hole sizing and spacing for different attachment compatibility. You could spend days sifting through the various types, but we’ve done the leg work for you so you can get to the real leg work. To help make your search easier, we’ve gathered a few of what we consider to be the best folding squat racks in a variety of categories.

Best Folding Squat Racks

Best Folding Squat Rack Overall

A top piece of equipment should be able to grow with you as you progress along your strength journey. The REP PR-4100 folding rack can do just this with a ton of available attachments coupled with top-notch design and high-quality materials, making it our pick for best folding squat rack.

REP PR-4100 Folding Squat Rack

When it comes to home gym equipment, REP has built a reputation for delivering the highest quality products, and this folding rack is proof. Its 3×3” upright posts are compatible with a wide range of attachments from REP, like a landmine, other J-cups, spotter arms, and dip attachments. It also is compatible with attachments from other companies, so you’re not tied to just one brand. We like how sturdy this rack is thanks to its 1,000-pound capacity. Confidence in your equipment is one of the most important aspects of any gear, and we’re certain this can stand up to whatever we throw at it. Westside spacing through the bench press area also makes it easy to dial in the exact liftoff height for a buttery smooth bench press every time.

REP PR-4100 Folding Wall Mount Squat & Power Rack

The PR-4100 comes in two sizes — the 21.5” and the 41”. Both options fold into the wall when not in use thanks to four heavy-duty pull-pins, which can save users a lot of space. 

This rack does its job of saving space well, coming only six inches off the wall when not in use. You’ll have ample space for other gear or your car compared to standard racks, which can hog a lot of space when you’re not using them. The folding mechanism is fairly standard, and REP started including plastic caps to protect your floor, which were notably not included in previous versions of the PR-4100. We should also note that the rack doesn’t include mounting hardware, so you’ll have to purchase that separately.

Specs

• Height: 92.3”
• Working Depth: 21.5” or 41”
• Folded Depth: 6”
• Upright Size: 3” x 3”
• Price: $450

Pros

• REP has this rack price pretty inexpensive, starting around $450.
• High weight capacity of 1,000 pounds when properly mounted.
• Common upright sizing for compatibility with a wide range of attachments 

Cons

• Doesn’t include all of the mounting hardware/stringers.
• No protective coating or plastic on the bottom of the uprights, so your floors aren’t protected.
• Only comes in black with no other color options.

The design and available attachments on this squat rack allow you to do pretty much anything you could possibly want. The high-quality materials and heavy-duty steel make this a top pick, especially combined with the solid price point.

Best Budget Folding Squat Rack

If you’re trying to get your home gym set up on a tight budget, we have you covered. Sometimes, the hardest expense is one we don’t think about when buying equipment — shipping. This pick not only comes at a great price point, but it also comes with free shipping. 

Bells of Steel Hydra 3×3 Folding Rack

Universally sized uprights at 3”x3”? Check. Thick steel with a high weight capacity? Check. All mounting hardware included? Check. This folding squat rack is sturdy, customizable, and comes in a variety of sizes to fit your area. And at about $579, the price is solid and leaves you some extra cheddar to spend on attachments. But what really blows us away is the free shipping, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars. 

Bells of Steel Hydra 3×3 Folding Rack

This folding rack is Bells of Steel’s space-saving option in the Hydra Rack series and brings all the great features of a full power rack with it. It’s compatible with tons of accessories and comes with pretty much everything you need including mounting hardware.

And unlike many other folding racks, the mounting hardware is all included — all you need are two 24mm wrenches which BoS sells (though they’re cheaper at a hardware store) if you don’t already have them. One of our favorite features is that BoS makes this rack in four different heights to accommodate shorter ceilings like you might have in a basement gym or tall ones like those in a barn and two different depths. We did find that the online order screen isn’t the most intuitive, but we managed. Also, some of the options aren’t going to work well with a folding rack like a cable tower, for instance, so use your best judgment when putting together your custom rack order. 

Specs

• Height: 72”, 84”, 90”, or 108”
• Working Depth: 18” or 41”
• Folded Depth: 12”
• Upright Size: 3” x 3”
• Price: $579

Pros

• This rack is very solid, with a 1,000-pound weight capacity and thick steel construction. 
• Bells of Steel has no shortage of accessories and attachments, though that will drive the price up. 
• The Hydra 3×3 Folding Rack strikes a balance of budget-friendly and premium quality made to last for years.

Cons

• It’s easy to get carried away with attachments on the order screen and blow up your budget.
• This only comes in black, while other folding racks allow you to customize the color to match your aesthetic. 

This Hydra 3×3 Folding Rack is a beast in its own right and can handle even the strongest lifters’ needs. Coming in at a very reasonable price with free shipping and all of the mounting hardware included, this product offers a winning value for anyone shopping for a folding rack on a budget.

Best Folding Squat Rack for Small Spaces

So, you want to build a home gym, but you’ve got a studio apartment? No worries, the Rogue RML-3W Fold Back Rack is a great solution. Just don’t blame us when your landlord kicks you out for having a folding squat rack in your kitchen.

REP Fitness PR-4100 Folding Squat Rack

If space is tight, the PR-4100 is the way to go because of its compact folded dimensions. This rack comes just six inches off the wall when not in use, giving you plenty of space for activities or parking your car if you’ve got a garage gym. It’s a big plus that REP uses the most common upright size on the market (3”x3”) so that you can shop just about anywhere for attachments or accessories to make the best use of this rack for your needs.

REP PR-4100 Folding Wall Mount Squat & Power Rack

The PR-4100 comes in two sizes — the 21.5” and the 41”. Both options fold into the wall when not in use thanks to four heavy-duty pull-pins, which can save users a lot of space. 

Small doesn’t mean weak with the PR-4100, however. It’s made with solid materials like thick 11-gauge steel and boasts a 1,000-pound capacity when properly mounted. One nice detail is the protective caps on the feet to protect your floor, which weren’t on previous iterations of the rack. We were, however, a bit disappointed that no mounting hardware comes with the rack, so you’ll have to buy that yourself, adding around $100 to the total cost.

Specs

• Height: 92.3”
• Working Depth: 21.5” or 41”
• Folded Depth: 6”
• Upright Size: 3” x 3”
• Price: $450

Pros

• This rack is primed for accessories and compatible with pretty much every major equipment manufacturer’s equipment.
• Westside spacing through the bench press area helps to dial in the pick height for your bench, ensuring a smooth liftoff.
• Free shipping or local pickup can potentially save hundreds of dollars.

Cons

• There aren’t any options for different rack heights, so this might not work if you have a low ceiling.
• The instructions aren’t the best if you aren’t at least a little handy to begin with.
• You’ll have to buy the mounting accessories separately, which adds to the total cost.

Just because you don’t have a bunch of room doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to have great and sturdy equipment. The PR-4100 is extremely solid, even when performing kipping pull-ups yet only comes a few inches off the wall when folded, letting you have your cake and eat it too. 

Most Customizable Folding Squat Rack

If you’re the type of person who can get bored pretty easily with the same stuff, a versatile and customizable rack like this one may be what you need. Feel like doing dips today? There’s an attachment for that. Viking press or belt squat on the landmine attachment? No worries. Kipping pullups? This rack can handle that and just about anything else you can dream up.

PRx Home Gym Folding Squat Rack

We’re big fans of PRx’s customizable packages and equipment, and this rack is a great example. The rack comes in home gym packages that have three levels — basic, prime, and elite — with each one adding some more equipment for a wider array of exercises. There are also individual, couples, and even ceiling-saver packages if you’re working with limited vertical space. We really like the “build your own” packages — start by selecting a rack, then add on any accessories you may need, like a folding bench, plates, bars, storage, and other attachments. 

PRx PRO Home Gym Package

Have your garage gym and park your car too with the PRx Performance Home Gym Package. Build your own one of these space-saving packages which can include a Profile PRO Folding Rack, a Profile Wall-Mounted Folding Bench, bumper plates, a high-quality olympic barbell, and more.

It should be noted that PRx gear is pricey, but all of the equipment is premium quality and built to last a lifetime. The racks have a stated weight capacity of 1,000 pounds when properly mounted. Putting it to the test, we’ve had 600 pounds on the rack, and it was rock solid. Despite the racks’ burliness, they’re easy to fold and stow — it only takes a finger, thanks to the gas shock assists. Just be sure to measure the vertical space you have available because these racks fold up instead of to the side.

Specs

• Height: From 73” to 116”
• Working Depth: 24”
• Folded Depth: 4”
• Upright Size: 3” x 3”
• Price: Starting at $1,856

Pros

• More compact than pretty much any other option at only four inches off the wall when folded.
• You can adjust the height by changing the mounting angle where the rack attaches to the wall. 
• There are a variety of pre-made equipment packages or you can build your own to suit your needs.

Cons

• These aren’t the cheapest racks out there by any means, though the quality is superb. 
• The instructions aren’t the clearest. We had some trouble putting the rack together and we like to think we’re pretty handy.
• If you opt to build your own package, the discounts aren’t as good as the pre-made packages.

PRx excels in customizability, but it’s more than just the ability to add a bunch of accessories to your rack. You can also change the height by altering how the rack is attached to the wall. On top of being a very well-built rack, the number of ways you can change the setup to fit your space and needs make this an easy choice if you value customization.

Read our full review of the PRx Home Gym Package.

Most Durable Folding Squat Rack

When purchasing a piece of equipment like a power rack, durability should be at the top of your list of requirements. A durable folding rack has to have high-quality parts that stand up to not only repeated abuse from lifting but from folding and unfolding as well. That may seem like a tall order, but Force USA has managed to hit it out of the park with the Folding Power Rack.

Force USA Folding Power Rack

Force USA designed their folding rack to stand up to nearly everything. This rack is ultra-tough and made from high-quality, 12-gauge steel, so it’s thick and sturdy without being overly cumbersome when you need to fold it. If the weight capacity rating of 2,000 pounds (double what most of the other folding squat racks on the market can support) is any indication, this rack is more solid than a Nokia phone. This tough rack also comes with Westside spacing in the bench press area to help with getting the barbell height just right so each liftoff is smooth and safe for your shoulders. 

Force USA MyRack Folding Power Rack

Power racks are the centerpiece of any home gym, and this model proves to be one of the best on the market. It’s foldable, durable, and can be equipped with many add-ons.

The precision laser-cut steel construction and robotic welds ensure this rack is as stalwart as they come. Force USA is so confident in the durability of its product that they stand behind it with a lifetime structural warranty. Aside from being tough, we like how many options there are to customize this innovative design, like monolifts, dip handles, and band pegs, which are rare for folding racks. 

That said, at 20 inches of folded depth, this rack does still take up more room than most folding racks. Plus, there is no way to mount this to a wall, so you’ll have to bold it to the floor to keep it steady.

Specs

• Height: 86”
• Working Depth: 41”
• Folded Depth: 20”
• Upright Size: 2.4” x 2.4”
• Price: $699.99

Pros

• Safety and peace of mind of a full-fledged four-post power rack but more space-saving thanks to the folding design.
• This rack has the option to add on band pegs for accommodating resistance training which you are unlikely to find on other folding racks. 
• The price is very reasonable for the basic rack, and the accessories aren’t overly expensive.

Cons

• The upright sizing is uncommon, so you’ll be somewhat limited in terms of inter-manufacturer compatibility and may be stuck using only Force USA attachments. 
• This still takes up more floor space than other folding racks, even when folded.
• The rack might be somewhat wobbly if you don’t bolt the back legs to the ground. 

While this rack may not be as compact as other folding racks, it still does help to save space and folds to about half its working depth. The 12-gauge steel upright construction and 2,000-pound weight capacity here all scream durability. This, along with the option to bolt the rack to the wall or ground, make it an ideal choice for anyone looking for a highly resilient option. 

Benefits of Folding Squat Racks

When you decide to purchase a folding squat rack, you’re not only purchasing a piece of equipment, you’re investing in yourself. The sheer number of exercises you can do with this one piece of equipment has no rival, and you’ll thank yourself for it. Not only do these racks provide you with space to perform full-body workouts, but they also save space and allow you to lift heavier more safely with spotter arms.

Full-Body Workouts

Squat racks aren’t just good for leg day, like their namesake implies; you can do pretty much any barbell exercise with them. Yes, even curls if you’re feeling rebellious — it’s your rack, after all. Some of our favorites are rack pulls, rows, lunges, Z-press, and overhead presses. If you put a bench into your rack, you can even knock out some bench presses. Lots of folding squat racks come with an option to have a pull-up bar on them, which allows you to get an even better workout with some bodyweight exercises and back work. 

Lift Heavier, Safer

Though folding squat racks don’t have quite all of the inherent safety features that a full cage does (some do, like folding power racks), they all still have the ability to add safety spotter arms to them, which are meant to catch your bar if you fail a lift. Also, since the folding racks are bolted to the wall, they are much safer to fail on than squat stands. That said, we always recommend lifting with a spotter, especially if you’re going heavy.

Saving Space

The whole schtick of a folding squat rack is to save space. They can accomplish this in a few different ways, but the classic designs either fold in onto themselves or out flat against the wall. We’ve seen some innovative designs like lifting up onto the wall, which frees up floor space too. 

Four-post power racks can take up several square feet of space, and they continue to be in the way when you’re not using them. Folding racks, on the other hand, are able to duck out of the way to make room for a car in your garage during the winter, an extra blowup mattress in the basement during sleepovers, or whatever else you might need the space for.

How We Chose the Best Folding Squat Racks

When it comes to home gyms, space is king, and oftentimes, the squat rack is what takes up the most space in a gym. We sifted through all of the available options on the market. We landed on what we thought to be the best based on a set of criteria that would apply to most people’s home gyms. We looked at build quality, attachment availability, the footprint that the equipment takes up both in use and folded away, as well as price.

Build Quality

Not all steel is the same, and a squat rack is only as good as the steel it’s made from. Sure there might be some super cheap options, but they’re usually made with subpar materials, unlikely to last a long time, and can even be unsafe in some situations. That’s why we only chose to highlight products made from high-quality steel. High-quality steel means steel that’s 11-gauge or 12-gauge — the proper thickness for stability and safety.

Steel Gauge

Steel thickness is measured in gauge, derived from the French term “jauge” which means “a result of measurement.” (1) Common gauges used in squat racks are 11-gauge and 12-gauge. 11-gauge steel is 1.45 times thicker than 12-gauge steel and is generally stronger than 12-gauge steel, making it a more premium product and able to withstand more load. (1)

Image via Shutterstock/ Sergey Chumakov

This also generally results in the product being more expensive because it’s made with higher-strength steel. We only included racks made from 11 or 12-gauge steel since it’s a happy medium between light enough to be foldable and strong enough to be secure.

Upright Size

Uprights, or posts, as they’re sometimes referred to, are the vertical square pieces of metal that make up the squat rack. There are many different sizes of these, but most companies stick with whole numbers somewhere between 2×2 inches and 3×3 inches. That said, there are some outliers that are, say, 2.4 inches by 2.4 inches.

The downside to sizing like this is that almost no other manufacturers’ attachments will work with their uprights out of the box without some modifications. Squat racks that are made with more universally sized uprights naturally rank higher for us because of their increased compatibility. This leads us to our next criteria.

Attachments

Buying a rack is only half the fun for some. The other half is figuring out which attachments and add-ons you want to get to make the rack work the best for you and your training style. There are two considerations when purchasing attachments for your folding rack — upright size and hole size/spacing. We just discussed the upright size and said that the common sizes are whole numbers between 2×2 inches and 3×3 inches, with some exceptions. You may also find 2×3 inches, but that has become less popular as of late, with companies opting for more square posts than rectangular. We ranked racks higher if their attachment availability was greater due to more common hole sizing.

Image via Shutterstock/ Monkey Business Images

Hole size is fairly common at either 5/8 of an inch or a one-inch-sized hole. The holes we’re referring to are the ones you see when facing the rack, such as the holes that your J-cups or spotter arms go into. 

Credit: Andy Gin / Shutterstock

There are also often holes on the sides of the uprights that face each other, but few attachments (think monolifts) use those, and they’re almost always one inch. When purchasing attachments for your folding rack, ensure that the hole size is correct. You don’t want to be disappointed when you go to use that shiny new attachment you’ve just bought, and it doesn’t fit. 

Spacing

Spacing is the final piece of the puzzle for attachments and accessories. Most racks will list this under specifications or dimensions. The standard is two inches on center for the inside of the posts, but the accessory hole spacing varies. Most racks employ a two-inch on-center spacing for the top half of the rack and “Westside” spacing for the bench press area. Westside spacing consists of holes spaced one inch apart on center. This allows for more precise height adjustments of the barbell when setting up for a bench press, so you can get the height just right. Westside spacing is quite common now, and if a rack doesn’t have it, then their ranking in our picks dropped.

How Much Do Folding Squat Racks Cost?

These pieces of equipment are definitely an investment, but if you’re serious about your home gym, they’re worth it. Standalone folding squat racks can cost as little as $300 for something extremely basic with a low weight rating. On the other side of the coin, the sky’s the limit for the price once you start looking at more heavy-duty or commercial-quality racks. Some even come with cable pulley towers attached to them and dip stations. 

A product like an all-in-one squat rack and functional trainer has great versatility and will give you basically an entire gym in one product. The problem is they usually start at around $2,000 for the cheapest ones and only go up from there. That’s why we like folding squat racks as an alternative option. Not only do they save space, but they’re also generally cheaper than full power cages. Prices for folding racks generally range from around $400 to about $800.

How to Choose the Best Folding Squat Rack

There are many considerations that should be taken into account when making such a large purchase, like a foldaway squat rack. You have to figure out how much room you have and match that to your potential purchase’s footprint. The piece of equipment also has to be in your price range to be considered. Mounting the rack is something that many people think of too late — that is, when they unbox their new equipment. Think about how and where you’d like to mount the rack, if you’ll need stringers, and if you’ll need any special tools.

The footprint of the equipment is a big concern for most people buying a foldaway rack for their home gym. That said, it was one of our most important things to take into consideration when choosing the picks for this list. A lot of the racks on this list have the option to buy a taller or shorter upright rack with a deeper or shallower depth, as well. The height is fairly straightforward as you can just measure floor to ceiling and see if the folding rack will fit, then pick the appropriate height. 

Image via Shutterstock/ America captain

Depth is a bit more nuanced as it can serve a few different purposes. Just like squatting, we always want to hit the right depth. If you’re doing box squats or looking to add plate storage, or especially if you’re benching in the rack, it might be a good idea to get a deeper rack. If you’re just doing some basic squats, presses, and the like out of the rack you can likely get away with a shallower depth. Always be sure to measure everything before you make a purchase so you know exactly what you need.

Price

Price is something that’s always important, no matter what you’re buying. We want to get the best value for our money, and we took that into account when making our picks, as well. Some racks are more on the cost-effective side, whereas others are more of a splurge. When buying something as important and central to all your main exercises as a squat rack, it’s best not to go cheap. That doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money to get a high-quality piece of equipment (just check out our pick for the best budget folding rack). 

Image via Shutterstock / Berkomaster

All we’re saying is that squat racks come in a lot of different varieties and varying degrees of quality. You can rest assured that any of our picks are high-quality and give great value for the price. It’s also a good idea to consider what attachments or accessories come with the folding rack you’re buying and factor in the ones you need as part of the price. Some come with everything you need and even throw in a pull-up bar, whereas others don’t come with J-cups even, and they have to be purchased separately.

Stringers

We’re not engineers or construction professionals, but we’ve installed a few foldaway racks in our time. There’s one thing that you almost always need when installing a folding rack, and that’s called a stringer. Basically, these allow the load and force distribution to be spread across a wider area than just where the rack attaches to the studs in your wall. 

Image via Shutterstock/ Diablo Gato

For most people, a quality piece of 2×4 will work fine. You’ll attach the 2×4 to your studs and then attach the folding rack to the 2×4. This helps to improve stability and reduce stress on the system as a whole, especially the studs in your wall. Rogue also sells a branded stringer as an add-on for their wall-mounted folding racks, but it works with most companies’ folding racks.

Final Word

There are many things to consider with folding squat racks when compared to power racks. How often will you be unfolding it, and how hard is it to fold? How deep of a rack do you need? With a foldaway squat rack, you can’t just slide it out a bit to get more depth since it’s attached to the wall. Some people like to leave their racks unfolded for the summer when they don’t need to park in the garage, then fold them up daily in the winter. Others are more particular and prefer to fold and unfold them with every workout. 

A folding squat rack can be one of the largest investments someone makes in their home gym and plays a central role in almost every workout. The squat is one of the most important lifts there is, right? Squat racks are for so much more than just squats, though. You can do almost any type of exercise with a squat rack and a few attachments, allowing you to get a full-body workout in with minimal equipment and, in this case, minimal space. By determining what size you want and need, as well as which attachments are necessary for your workout style, and matching that up with a folding rack in your budget, you’ll be on the gains train in no time.

FAQs

What makes a good folding squat rack?

A lot of different aspects go into what makes a good folding squat rack. We mainly look for versatility, build quality, and price. If it’s made of high-grade steel, has hole sizing and spacing that is fairly universal, and at a reasonable price, chances are it’s a good folding rack. Companies with excellent customer service are also a big plus, in our book.

What is the best folding squat rack?

The best folding rack will depend largely on your space, budget, and the types of accessories you’d like to add on to it. We’re big fans of the Force USA Folding Power Rack. It has all the functionality and security of a full power rack with the space-saving features of a folding rack — all at an affordable price.

How much do folding squat racks cost?

Folding squat racks can range in price, but generally cost less than freestanding squat racks and power racks. The typical price range is somewhere between $400 and $800, though that number could change drastically if you choose to add accessories, add-ons, and upgrades to your order.

How do I know which folding rack is right for me?

We suggest writing down the dimensions of the space you have available including the ceiling height and square footage on the ground where you want to put the rack. After that, figure out what type of workouts you’ll be doing and what equipment is needed for that. Then figure out your budget and read through our list to see which one matches up with your needs.

Do I really need all these attachments with my folding squat rack?

In short, no. You can do tons of exercises and get a great workout with just a rack and barbell, but that can get boring pretty quickly and it’s always nice to change things up a little. Certain movements just can’t be mimicked with a barbell, such as a one-arm press on a set of jammer arms or a landmine. It’s up to you what attachments you’d like, and some are more versatile than others.

References

1. Thalmann, R., & Baechler, H. (2003, November). Issues and advantages of gauge block calibration by mechanical comparison. In Recent Developments in Traceable Dimensional Measurements II (Vol. 5190, pp. 62-69). SPIE.

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