Are you searching for the best dip bars for your home gym? Look no further! In this blog post, you’ll find everything you need to know.
A dip station is an excellent piece of equipment for training your chest, triceps, and shoulders at home. It allows you to perform the (weighted) dip, one of the most effective compound body-weight exercises.
Curious about the different types of dip stations and which ones are best suited for your needs? Keep reading to find out more.
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Our favorite: Gornation premium dip bars
Don’t want to read the full blog post and just want to know the best option on the market? Go for the premium dip bars by Gornation. This calisthenics brand is renowned for its high-quality products, and these dip bars are no exception.
What are dip bars?
Dip bars are calisthenics materials entirely focused on training dips, consisting of two parallel bars attached to a sturdy base. There are various variations of this, such as dip bars that are one piece, or variants where you use a set of parallettes.
Benefits of training the (weighted) dip
There are many benefits to training dips. For example, you can scale this exercise endlessly by adding weight, gradually building up significant pushing strength.
Additionally, training dips helps develop strength that overlaps with other pushing exercises. For instance, the handstand push-up will become much easier as your weighted dip strength improves.
It’s no wonder that the dip is considered one of the most fundamental exercises in calisthenics.
Do you want to know more about the benefits of the dip and how to perform this exercise? Then check out our weighted dip blog.
What types of dip bars are there?
If you want to dip at home, you have various options in terms of design. Below, I’ll give you the pros and cons of each category, along with a buying tip for our favorite dip bars.
Dip station
A dip station is the best option for at-home dip training. There are many benefits to using a dip station, such as its sturdy build that eliminates wobbling during training. Additionally, the robust foundation can handle significant amounts of weight, making it ideal for weighted dips.
The ProsourceFit Dip Station, for instance, can accommodate up to 400 lbs/180 kg of weight, providing long-lasting enjoyment as you can add a significant amount of weight to your training.
Best Dip station
The only downside of a dip station is that it doesn’t offer much variation. Since it’s a device with one clear function: dipping, you can’t perform many different exercises with it. If you want more options, check out the parallettes below.
Dip bars
When it comes to training dips, a set of high parallettes is the complete opposite of the dip station. This set consists of two parallel bars, each with its own base. This has both advantages and disadvantages.
One major advantage is their versatility. You can use them for dips and handstand training, but you can also lay them flat to train push-ups and L-sits. With them, it’s even possible to practice bodyweight rows and other pulling exercises.
However, these functionalities come with a drawback. Because the parallel bars are separate, they are less sturdy than a dip station. Therefore, they are not as comfortable for training dips where you hang weight from your body.
Best overall dip bars: Gornation
Gornation is the most renowned brand in the calisthenics community, crafting top-quality equipment since 2015 from their base in Germany.
These parallettes are the highest quality available in the market. One specific bonus of these parallettes is that they come delivered with a connection part, allowing you to connect the dip bars and stabilize the parallettes even more.
Best priced: Sportsroyals dip bars
Are you looking for parallettes with the most bang for your buck? Then go for the Sportsroyals dip bars. These can hold up to 400lbs, creating enough room to add weight. While remaining budget friendly.
Wall-mounted dip station
You can also choose to mount a dip bar on your wall. If you have a strong wall where you can attach it, you will definitely enjoy using it. Additionally, they are often built to combine a pull-up bar and dip bar in one unit.
Best wall mounted dip bars
Power Tower
Finally, we have a Power Tower. If you truly want an all-in-one device for home use, then this is your best choice. With this, you can not only train your dips but also perform pull-ups, push-ups, and with the Power Tower below, even bench presses.
Of course, such a Power Tower requires a lot of space, so you need to have the possibility to place it at home.
Additionally, dipping on a Power Tower may not be ideal for everyone, as Power Towers often have only one width for dipping. Whereas, for example, with a pull-up station, you have sloping parallel bars, making them suitable for more people.
But if you want a multifunctional device for home use that allows you to train all muscle groups effectively, then opt for the Power Tower below.
Best power tower
What should you consider when choosing the best dip bars?
If you’re looking for a good dip station, there are a few things you should consider. Below, we’ve listed the 2 most important points for you.
weight capacity
Always take a close look at the maximum load capacity of the dip station. This is the weight that the station can handle. This is incredibly important because it tells you about the stability of the station.
You should consider your goals here. If you’re planning to train heavy weighted dips, then you’ll naturally want a higher load capacity than if you’re only going to train bodyweight dips.
Width of the parallel bars
A good dip width is approximately the length of your forearm plus a fist. When the width between the bars is wider, this is detrimental to your dips, making them difficult to execute properly.
Therefore, it’s important to choose a dip station that suits you well.
Better dip stations have bars that are slightly tilted towards each other, making them suitable for (almost) everyone.
If you are relatively short, it may also be wise to opt for parallettes because you can determine the distance between the bars yourself.
What does a dip station cost?
Fortunately, there are many different types of dip stations on the market, so there is probably one that fits within your budget. The cheapest ones start at around €50. This is not very expensive, but you won’t get very high quality for that price.
If you want to purchase a high-quality dip station, it will cost several hundred euros.
How do you add weight to your dips?
If you’re planning to train weighted dips, you’ll obviously need two things: the dip station and weight.
In most cases, you can add weight to your dips by simply carrying some extra weight. This can be in the form of weight plates, a weight vest, or even a backpack with water bottles in it.
The two calisthenics equipment options to build up weight in the long term are a dip belt or a weighted vest.
Personally, I find a dip belt considerably more comfortable than a weight vest for weighted dips. With a dip belt, you can add much more weight (especially important in the long term), and a weight vest restricts your mobility during the exercise.
If you’re interested in a weight belt, I recommend getting one with a strap rather than a steel chain. These are much more comfortable.
The two best brands for this are the King Of Weighted weight belt and the GORNation weight belt.
Conclusion
No matter how you want to dip, there’s always a dip station/dip bar that meets your needs. I wish you the best of luck in choosing your dip bars and, of course, in training your dips!