Pulley systems are a killer tool for better workouts. Here’s a breakdown of the top home gym pulley systems for leveling up your workouts at home.
Pulley systems are one of the best types of strength training equipment you can add to your home gym.
Significantly cheaper than a lat pulldown machine, pulley systems can be hung and attached from any stable surface, whether it’s a pull-up bar, the top of your squat rack, or an anchored hook on the ceiling or wall.
Cable exercises, with a home gym pulley system or otherwise, create constant tension in the muscles, allow you to isolate and target smaller and large muscle groups, and much more. Pair up the pulley with your cable machine attachments of choice, and off you go.
Next stop, Gainz Town!
Until recently, you have had to go to the gym or buy an expensive cable crossover machine to get the benefits of cable training.
No longer.
In this guide, we will look at the best home gym pulley systems for full-body resistance workouts in the comfort of your home.
No matter your budget, workout goals, and current strength, there is a pulley system for you.
Let’s get started.
The Best Pulley Systems for Home Gyms
Mikolo Fitness Home Gym Pulley System
⭐ Best pulley system for most home gyms
Mikolo’s home gym pulley system is the best option for most people and most home gyms. The Mikolo Home Gym Pulley is an Amazon’s Choice pick and incredibly well-reviewed, with over 2,000 five-star ratings (click here to see reviews on Amazon).
The set comes with a straight row bar and a triceps rope, as well as up to 90-inch of cable for plenty of versatility with the exercises you perform with it.
A heavy-duty buckle keeps the weights on the pulley, and the small size and easy to hook-up construction mean you can quickly attach it to anything sturdy you have at home, from your power rack to a free-standing pull-up bar to metal beams.
Maximum weight that the pulley can handle is 280lbs, making it a home gym pulley suitable for even the strongest among us.
Priced at just over $60 (check Amazon for current pricing and stock), the Mikolo is my favorite home gym pulley system for most gym users.
Rogue Fitness Spud Inc Pulley Systems
⭐ Best heavy-duty pulley home gym system
Rogue makes some of the toughest and long-lasting gym equipment on the planet. I’ve never made much of a secret of my affinity for their gear, whether it’s the Rogue Hip Thrust pad, Olympic barbells for home gyms, adjustable weight bench, the “kettlestrap,” and so on.
So it’s no surprise that Spud Inc.’s Econo Pulley (sold and backed by Rogue) is a total monster on the pulley. It features a 75” cable and a maximum weight of 550lbs, far and away the strongest on the market.
Made to be latched onto a squat rack or cage, the high and low pulley systems are sold separately or in a combo package (the pair of the systems runs about $200—check Rogue’s website for current prices).
On the downside, the pulley systems don’t come with a ton of accessories and bars. The lat system, for example, has a tricep rope but no lat pulldown bar.
If you’ve already got some bars at home, or have the budget for it, the Spud Inc Pulley Systems are the best for experienced lifters and athletes.
LFJ Lat Pulldown Pulley System
If you are looking solely for a pulldown pulley, and don’t need a lot of the bonuses and bells and whistles, LFJ makes the pulley system for you.
It comes with the pulley, the peg to rack weight plates onto, a straight bar and a triceps rope. That’s it. All for under $40, which makes it an awesome low-cost alternative to some of the more heavy-duty sets on this list.
Despite the low-price tag, LFJ’s Pulley System can handle up to 220lbs, which is plenty for the majority of us. Installation is super easy too—simply loop the double-stitched nylon strap and carabiner over your pull-up bar, power rack, or anywhere else that is anchored and ready to hang heavy stuff.
LFJ also sells a “premium” version for $69 that includes a whole bunch of ankle straps, handles, and extra carabiners (check Amazon for current pricing here).
SYL Fitness Cable Pulley System for Home Gyms
Another low-cost and affordable cable pulley system is this offering from SYL Fitness.
Easy to set-up, and backed by a lifetime warranty on the pulley and pins, each set comes with a heavy-duty cable and pulley, nylon loop to attach and anchor to any bar, and a variety of handles and bars.
(The set has a few different options depending on the size of your weight plates, with both 1” and 2” pins that fit non-Olympic and Olympic plates.)
One much-appreciated feature of this pulley is the added 20” extension chain that you can add to the cable for exercises that require a long cable and wider range of motion.
Price-wise, you are looking at $35-45, depending on the pin size of your weight plates (check current pricing at Amazon here).
Trendbox Wall-Mounted Cable Pulley System
⭐ Best wall-mounted home gym cable system
While most pulley systems are designed to be dangled from a pull-up bar or from the top of a squat rack, there are a few wall-mounted options.
The best one is this set from Trendbox, which is designed to be installed in load-bearing walls. A heavy-duty steel arm holds the pulley system, with a maximum weight capacity of 280lbs.
Trendbox ships their pulley system with a wide variety of attachments and handles, including tricep ropes, dual handles, straight bar, and a pair nylon cables (71” and 138”).
The only downside is that the weight pin that you get is 1”, designed for non-Olympic weight plates. (You can buy 2” pins separately from other sellers and gym manufacturers.)
Trendbox retails this pulley system for about $100 on Amazon (check Amazon for current pricing and stock), and once set-up provides a gym-like pull workout.
What is a home gym pulley system?
Home gym pulley systems are a type of resistance training equipment that uses a pulley and cable system for strength training. Resistance is generated through weight plates that are attached to the pulley.
The pulley carriage can be placed at different heights and angles, giving lifters the opportunity to train multiple muscle groups.
Pulley weight systems are an excellent option for people who want to build muscle and strength without having to spend a ton of money.
How to choose the best pulley system for home gyms?
Home gym pulley systems are an excellent tool to add to your workout equipment arsenal.
Cable pulley exercises are awesome for hitting full range of motion with exercises, they provide a longer time under tension compared to using weights, and they are equally effective for beginners and more experienced users.
They are also portable and depending on the pulley system you get, it can be attached just about anywhere you have a sturdy wall, doorframe, or power rack.
Here are some of the main things to look for when choosing the best home gym pulley system for you and your exercise goals:
✅ Maximum weight rating.
One of the first things people look for when buying home gym equipment is the maximum weight rating.
Whether it’s a doorway pull-up bar, aerobic stepper, or folding squat racks, maximum weight is critical intel when buying.
The overall strength of a home gym pulley system depends on a few different things, including the type of anchoring, the manufacturing of the cable and pulley, and quality of the clips.
Most home gym pulley systems are able to handle up to 200lbs of weight, while the premium names in the game, like Rogue Fitness, has a 500lb+ weight capacity on their pulley system.
✅ Cable length.
The length of the cable on your home gym pulley system influences how many exercises you can do and to what range you can perform them.
A longer cable means you can do cable crunches, for example, and also give you a larger range of motion when working out.
✅ Small footprint
Working out at home has a ton of benefits. No line ups for equipment, no one doing curls in the squat rack, and no commute.
But the main drawback for most of us is a lack of workout space.
Home gym pulley systems require almost no footprint. They are, in a sense, the ultimate compact home gym as they require next to no floor space.
Choose the pulley system that lines up with the spare space you have for exercising at home.
✅ Handle and cable versatility.
Most people purchase a home gym pulley system because they want an all-in-one home gym.
Quality pulley systems are not just tough; they also have attachments and settings that allow you to do the full range of exercises you want to do when working out.
Choice of ropes, handles, cable lengths, and multiple carabiners means you can do tons of exercises to keep things fresh and stimulate your muscles for maximal improvement and strength gains.
What are the benefits of pulley systems for home gyms?
A weight pulley system gives you all of the benefits of a traditional lat pulldown machine in the comfort of your home.
The primary benefits of this type of strength training equipment includes:
Low price point. Most home gym pulley systems cost around $60-70, which is super cheap when it comes to home fitness equipment. Weights are sold separately, however.
Versatility. Many home gym pulley systems include all of the attachments you will need, including a triceps rope, straight row handle, single handles, and ankle straps for cable machines.
Small footprint. Unlike most gym equipment and machines, a home gym pulley system takes up almost no foot space, making it an excellent choice for those of us who workout at home but don’t have tons of real estate to house workout gear. It’s the ultimate compact home gym.
The Final Rep
Home gym cable pulley systems are a relatively affordable way to level up your home gym and your home workouts.
My top pick is the Mikolo Fitness Home Gym Pulley System, which balances reasonable pricing with lots of options for handles and cable length. It’s also got a very high weight rating considering its price.
For more heavy-duty users who want something extra tough and want a higher weight capacity, the Rogue Fitness Spud Inc Pulley System is a no-brainer.
With a 550lb weight rating, far and away the strongest on the market, more experienced lifters will appreciate the heavy-duty nature of this pulley system.
In sum, home gym pulley systems help you get a full-body workout at home without having to take up a lot of floor space or break the bank.
Pick the home gym pulley system that is right for you, level up your home workouts, and start crushing your health and fitness goals!
