UKC

One of my children (16yro) would like a pull-up bar for training purposes. He'd want to use it in his bedroom, which is reasonably large and has solid brick walls. The door is in a corner, and furniture etc could be rearranged out of the way. He's a sensible kid.

I know nothing about this subject, but I'm concerned about safety as I've heard of a couple of people getting hurt using them - one was (I think) a fall due to poor grip, the other due to the bar retainer snapping.

Afaik there are four choices: above door frame, in door frame, wall mounted, and free standing. I'd prefer not to drill holes in the walls, but would do so if its the best option.

So I'm looking for advice on safety and also on what is most effective/durable/convenient for unsupervised home use. Thanks

I had a door frame one. It did once collapse while I was using it. It was very comedic and a bit painful. I'm sure your kid will be fine

With my limited DIY skills I mounted one in the doorway for my cousin when he was 13, turns 19 next week and it's still attached!! Took 3 screws on either side.

Either that or a freestanding solution? 

I've used one in various apartments in places around the world where I've been working, a simple extendable one that fits within the doorframe.

By twisting it hard (which is how it extends) you can get it secure enough to use even without any screws at all, but I find a tiny screw in the cetre of each end gives me much more confidence in its staying up. One thing to note is which side you'll be pulling from, as gripping one side will act to try to extend the bar, the other to make it shorter!

Another suggestion is to put some fingertape around the bar in two places to help with grip. I found that having the choice of gripping the tape (better for working arms) or gripping the smooth bar (better for working fingers) was very useful.

If you do end up going door frame mounted, only thought I can offer on safety is ask him never to dangle upside down on it.

There was a very sad story on here a few years ago about a young woman who was confined to a wheelchair as a consequence of the bar failing whilst she was upside down. Gives me the chills just thinking about it.

Hope you get a suitable solution sorted.  
 

I have had one of the expanding ones that has two little cups that screws into the door frame for years, feels totally bomber, even when using extra weight. I have also travelled with it and used it without the cups and its never failed, I am a bit more careful when doing this though!

Thanks everyone for the useful comments and suggestions! Will probably go for an in-door mounted bar to begin with.

Cups for bars to seat into are often how child stair gates secure. I'd imagine they've been fairly well tested. Outward tension and screwed in cups, is belt and braces.

I bought this in-door one recently and am very pleased. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/locking-door-mount-pull-up-bar-bt-150-70-cm/_...

Has little pucks like mentioned above that you screw into frame along with the outward pressure mechanism so feels dead bomber. 

I have a door one with retaining cups and it holds me, and I suspect I'm a lot heavier than your kid is.  Probably twice as heavy or more (21st).  Got it from Argos years ago.

I wouldn't trust one of those ones that hook the top of the door frame with my weight though.

Echo the point made by others not to do any acrobatics on one of these because of that tragic story of the girl who ended up in a wheelchair when one failed - keep it to pull ups where you'd land on your feet if it did fail.  And make sure the cups are very well screwed in with good, as long as fit screws.

I've got no idea why, since they are widely used and are absolutely fine...

The powerbar is the best I've used by a distance, absolutely bomber and adjusts to fit most doors. Never felt remotely unstable. 

The ones that hook over the door are fine. 

I've got a powerbar with a beastmaker attached to it and it's solid. 

I'd be very wary of the in-door ones without screw in cups. I have seen these slip.

I wouldn't trust the top of the door frame with 21 stone, it's not designed for that, I'd probably just pull it off.  Yes, I know, they redirect some of the force against the wall.

I would agree with that, the cups are essential.  Without it's barely more than a shower curtain rail, and those don't stay up well either.

Pull Up Mate or similar. Job jobbed.  No issue with pulling it off the wall.  Its ultra stable up to 100kg.  It can be used for much more exercises than just pull ups.

Sold ours after about 7 years of use for £50.  It only cost £100 brand new.

I think the key to safety is how you intend to use it.

I took a slack approach to it and broke my back doing some home training.  Mine was from two slopers over a step.  My advice would definitely be "never raise the feet".

I used to have a fingerboard attached to the bar, complete with slopers. In order to climb to your limit you inevitably end up raising your feet a little. As a result I would always make sure I had a seat cushion from the sofa directly underneath.

Like others have said that story from a few years back with the yound lady who broke her back with one of these still gives me the willies, years later.  Still think about it from time to time.  Just wanted to chip in to say it's interesting to know it wasn't just me that affected.

Sometimes wonder how she is. It was such a dreadful thing to happen. From the article she wrote, it sounded like she was trying to make the best of her situation. Indeed, she was fundraising for an off road wheelchair IIRC. 

Would love to know how she’s getting on. Sincerely hope she’s coped ok and is living a happy and fulfilled life. 

They're fine if the architrave is fine. If it's been put up with three panel pins and a smear of decorator's caulk then they're fine until they're not.

jk

This is fundamentally the issue - they put a loading (not the user's full weight, but part of it) onto something that is not designed* to take any loading in that direction.  It might hold the weight but it isn't designed to do so.  FWIW I was once in a bit of a habit of doing pullups on doorframes (when younger, smaller and lighter) but stopped when I once bent one such that it nearly came off.

This is to be fair also true of mounting a bar to the vertical parts of the doorframe, but most materials are stronger in compression than bending so there's less likely to be an issue.

It'll probably be OK, but as a failure could cause serious life changing injury if you fall awkwardly, "probably" may not be enough, particularly not for a kid.

* In some cases where there are bricks above it it might be so designed, but not every house has bricks above doorframes (mine for one doesn't, it has a small window instead), and of those that do plenty will have a proper lintel there so the doorframe is just decorative and to aid in the door closing cleanly and with a reasonable seal.