Short on space and big on your lifting goals? Here is a breakdown of the best folding squat racks for home and garage gyms.
There are a metric ton of benefits to having your own squat rack at home.
For starters, there is no commute. No line-up for machines. And no membership fees and *surprise* improvement fees and contracts.
But squat racks require space.
Most commercial-grade racks are huge, and while there has been a big surge in low-cost racks in recent years, especially with power cages, squat stands, and half racks, probably the biggest innovation has come with the folding squat rack.
In this guide to the best folding squat racks on the planet, we are going to look at the best of the best.
We’ll look at key features of each (including disadvantages), the benefit of using a folding squat rack, and answer some of the most common folding squat rack-related questions you have.
Let’s jump right in. ?️♂️
Best Folding Squat Racks for Home and Garage Gyms
Rogue RML-3WC Fold Back Squat Rack
⭐ Best heavy-duty folding squat rack
If you are a longtime reader of this blog, you know that I tend to gush and awe about Rogue Fitness and their stuff. Whether it’s their bumper plates, flat weight benches, or even their kettlebells, Rogue makes some of my all-time favorite gear.
The RML-3WC continues my absolute fandom of Rogue equipment. For the more heavy-duty user, it’s perfect.
The frame is put together with 3×3” American steel and constructed in Ohio. Spacing, as with many Rogue racks, is done Westside-style, and Rogue offers these racks with three different depth options. You can go super slim mode with a 9” depth, 21.5”, or 41.5”, which is about the regular depth of a normal rack (and longer than what is in my opinion the best power rack for everyday humans, the R-3).
For the home or garage gym enthusiast looking to round out their gym in a specific color or décor, Rogue also has eleven different color options that you can play around with and choose from.
Height of the rack is about 90”, but you will want to leave extra space at the top of that if you plan on using the pull-up bar.
Made with Rogue’s customary and legendary durability, tested and used by countless elite athletes and lifters, Rogue’s RML-3WC is the best in class when it comes to heavy-duty foldable wall racks.
The biggest reason why you should use these racks is that Rogue offers Stringers (the two steel plates that are anchored into the wall) that provide an added degree of stability and security when installing the rack. Few of the other brands on this list offer this option.
Price-wise, the RML-3WC varies in price depending on the depth of the rack you choose, with the “slim” 9” model costing $570 and the extend-o 41.5” model costing around $700 (check Rogue’s website for current pricing and shipping options here).
Rogue R-3W Fold Back Wall Mounted Squat Rack
⭐ Best everyman folding squat rack
Want something quality but maybe not as beefy at the RML-3WC? The Rogue R-3W is a perfect wall-mounted squat rack that takes up a minimal amount of space while also giving you lots of options for exercises and training.
The key difference with the R-3W is the steel frame construction, which is a slimmer 2×3”. This is still plenty for most lifters and athletes, and the slimmer frame also means it sticks out less from the wall. When folded up, the R-3W protrudes just 5”.
Rogue makes two different depth options for this rack, with 20” or 40” rack depths. The 20” is just enough to be able to slide a bench under to do exercises like bench press (but probably not skull crushers), and Rogue offers Stringers as an add-on (with the customary Rogue insignia blasted across the plate).
The R-3W is an excellent balance of durability with Rogue’s American-made steel and pricing, costing around $500 for the rack (check Rogue’s website for current pricing and availability).
Force USA MyRack Folding Squat Rack
⭐ Best free-standing folding squat rack
Okay, I’m not gonna lie—the design and ingenuity with this rack kind of blows my mind.
The Force USA MyRack Folding Squat Rack is literally a folding squat rack. Like it’s a fold it up rack like you fold up a t-shirt on laundry day.
A free-standing folding rack that doesn’t need to be bolted to a wall.
MyRack folds up as though you are putting your palms on opposite sides of your chest, swings back out when you are ready to workout, and the uprights are secured by the multi-grip pull-up bar.
Literally takes seconds and you are in business.
The uprights are 2.4”, 12-gauge steel (rated for up to 2,000lbs of weight), and you’ve got the now-standard Westside hole spacing through the pull area on the columns.
One of the limitations of folding squat racks is that you can’t really add too many attachments.
Because it’s basically a power rack, Force USA offers a huge array of optional attachments that work with the MyRack, including safeties, monolift, dip station, landmine attachment, and more.
I’m a huge fan of playing around with grip when doing pull-ups, so the fact that this rack comes with a multi-grip pull-up bar is another huge positive in my books.
Finally, the rack is hilariously affordable, at just $599.
There are two things that might give you pause:
- The profile is thicker when it’s folded up compared to wall-mounted folding racks at 20”. So if you plan on putting this against a wall, there are better options when it comes to a truly minimal profile when the rack is not in use.
- Also, it doesn’t come with J-hooks, so you will have to spring an extra $60 for a set of those.
That said, this thing is a total beast, is made in the United States, and will confuse the hell out of your friends when you show them your garage gym.
PRx Performance Profile Rack
The folding wall-mounted squat rack hasn’t been around very long—less than a decade!
The O.G. inventors are PRx Performance who brought the rack to mainstream attention with a 2016 appearance on the popular show Shark Tank.
Key features of the PRx Performance rack:
- Frame is 2×3” 11-gauge steel frame (they have a Pro range that has a beefier 3×3 frame) that is powder-coated to prevent corrosion. The powder coating also simply looks badass.
- Choice of pull up bars. The main difference in price (the Profile Rack ranges from $549 to $899) is the pull-up bar. You can go no-frills and get a rack without one ($549), a regular pull-up bar ($699), Kipping bar ($799), or a multi-grip bar ($899). The Kipping bar does create some extra distance from the wall when folded, FYI.
- Tons of attachment options. The PRx is designed to be your all-in-one strength training hub for your home, and they offer a comprehensive number of add-ons and attachments, including a pulley system, grip ball set, landmine attachment, dip station, weight plate holders, and more.
- Dimensions are excellent, with just 4” of space being taken up when folded up against the wall.
Reviewers consistently note that installation is straight-forward and that the unit is very sturdy when in use. Unlike most of the cheap and unstable China-made racks on Amazon, the PRx Performance racks are made with American steel in North America.
Titan Fitness X-3 Series Folding Power Rack
⭐ Best folding squat rack – low cost option
Titan Fitness is another big player in the home and garage fitness space, making many of the same products that Rogue does with a slightly cheaper price tag.
I’ve reviewed and generally like a lot of their stuff (especially at the price point!), including their power racks with lat pulldown, weight sleds, and even Titan’s full-sized lat pulldown machines.
The X-3 Series Folding Power Rack is their flagship folding squat rack.
Like Rogue’s racks, Titan Fitness offers the X-3 in variable depths (21.5” or 41.5”) and different height options (80in or 90in), giving you tons of flexibility for sizing.
The rack is built like a tank, with 3” x 3” uprights, Westside hole spacing through the pull area, and two-inch hole spacing elsewhere.
The rack is rated for up to 1,100lbs of weight capacity, making it more than capable of handling whatever weight you throw at it. Each X-3 ships with a straight pull-up bar and two J-hooks for parking your barbell between sets.
The rack itself is fantastic. Durable. Tough. The powder-coated finish looks great.
And the price point is killer.
But where it stumbles is in the mounting of the rack:
- Mounting hardware is not included with the rack. And the stringer that Titan sells on their website is for “space saving” racks but not specifically this rack.
- The assembly manual only covers assembly, and not installation of the rack onto the wall. manual only includes instructions how to assemble the rack.
The T-3 Series Racks start at just $359, considerably cheaper than both the Rogue and PRx Performance racks, and the full height and full depth model costs around $420 (check Titan Fitness’ website for current pricing and stock).
Rep Fitness 4100 Series Foldable Wall Mounted Squat Rack
The Rep Fitness 4100 Series is another heavy-duty option that is very similar to the Rogue RML-3WC. They both have a similar 3×3” steel frame construction, giving you that stronger, thicker rack that we see in commercial-grade gyms and boxes.
One of the things I really like about this rack (that you will find in the RML-3WC, as well) is the 1” hole spacing in the mid and lower part of the rack, which means you can find a height for doing bench and pulls that works specifically for you.
The 4100 Series is available in a pair of depth option (21 and 41 inches), has a straight pull-up bar, sturdy J-hooks for barbell parking, and a 4-pin locking mechanism that makes extending and folding the squat rack (securely) very easy.
The Rep Fitness 4100 Series Folding Wall Mounted Squat Rack costs in the $400s depending on depth and is available exclusively at their website (check for current pricing and availability).
Folding Squat Racks — Commonly Asked Questions
What are the benefits of folding squat racks?
When you break it down, fold-back squat racks are pretty epic:
Wall-mounted, folding racks are highly functional. They have most if not all of the same features as a regular rack, with pull-up bars, optional pulley attachments, and so on.
They can handle plenty of weight. When installed correctly (seems like an obvious disclaimer), folding racks can handle all the weight you can throw at them. For most lifters and athletes, wall-mounted racks handle plenty of weight (and then some).
Foldable squat racks are next-level space savers. These kinds of squat racks that swing out and lock when in use are the Swiss Army knife of space-saving and functionality. They protrude from the wall only about 4 to 6” when not in use, perfect for areas that require different uses (garage, for example).
Surprisingly affordable. All the functionality and space-saving might look like it comes with a high price tag, but this isn’t the case. This kind of rack—depending on brand and add-ons—is in the same ballpark cost-wise as regular racks.
How much space does a folding squat rack take up?
Folded up, the racks have a profile of just 4 to 6” (with the Force USA MyRack being the exception with a 20″ profile when folded up). When pulled away from the wall, folding racks have a depth profile of between 21” and 43” depending on the brand.
In terms of width, they are a “standard” squat rack width of mid 40’s in inches.
One key thing to remember when measuring out the space for a folding rack is to add space for the barbells you plan on using. Barbells can be as long as 7’2”, which is significantly longer than the width of every squat rack on this list.
Add space for your barbells, as well as space to load weight plates on the sleeves, when you bust out the measuring tape.
How much weight can a folding squat rack hold?
How much weight a folding rack can hold depends on which brand and model you choose to go with.
The Titan X-3 is rated for up to 1,100lbs, the Rogue racks don’t even have a weight limit, and so on.
Quality folding racks rely on the construction of your home for weight capacity, and your home can withstand weights much higher than you or I could ever possibly dream of lifting.
That said, if you are nervous about installing it properly, it may be worth consulting with a contractor to have it bolted to the frame of your home properly for increased peace of mind.
Are folding squat racks worth it?
For the lifting enthusiast who is short on space, they are absolutely worth it. Folding racks help you to maximize the amount of space at home so that you can workout, fold the rack, and continue to use that space for things like parking a car or using other fitness equipment.
Folding squat racks are the ultimate choice for lifters with a small workout space who don’t want to sacrifice performance.
What is the difference between a folding squat rack and a wall-mounted squat rack?
Both are mounted to the wall, but only one folds. Bet you can guess which one ?. Folding squat racks are designed to be used away from the wall, extending up to around 40”. Wall-mounted racks cannot be moved around once installed and have a variety of depth options. Wall mounted racks are also an excellent option to install around a doorframe for maximizing space.
What is a stringer and do I need one?
Stringers are a piece of wood or metal that generates more support for your folding rack. Installed horizontally, they attach to multiple studs (at least two studs, 3-4 is even better).
The rack is then installed through the stringer, doubling up the structural integrity of the installation.
Stringers also allow you to install a rack onto a wall that has non-conventional stud widths.
While some rack and rig manufacturers offer their own stringers (Rogue, for example), you can also make your own with wood.
