The 12 Best Calisthenics Parallettes 2026: the Ultimate Comparison

Man sitting amidst many samples of Calisthenics Parallettes and looking questioningly at the viewer.

Calisthenics Parallettes are a great tool to have as part of your Calisthenics Home Equipment. Parallettes allow for a diverse range of push exercises, while giving you a slightly raised platform for a deeper range of motion. The most popular choice is Medium Parallettes, which give you the greatest versatility. We’ve reviewed many good Calisthenics Parallettes, so you have plenty of options to choose from. Within the Medium Parallettes, you can choose between wooden and metal Parallettes and those that do something special. In this ultimate comparison, I’ll show you which Calisthenics Parallettes are the best fit for you.

You can also watch my best Calisthenics Parallettes Comparison on YouTube:

17 BEST Medium Parallettes For Calisthenics | Wooden vs. Metal vs. Foam

Key Takeaways

  • The Medium Parallettes are the most popular type. They straddle the line between Dip Bars and Push-Up Bars.
  • The best Wooden Calisthenics Paralettes are the Gravity Fitness Medium Pro for being the cheapest in a line-up of high-quality competition.
  • The best Metal Calisthenics Parallettes are the Eric Flag Parallettes for being the most budget-friendly of the line-up, while also giving you the thickest grips.
  • The best Calisthenics Parallettes with foam grips are the Pullup & Dip Fitness Parallettes for being budget-friendly and allowing you to choose between foam grips and metal grips in one product.
  • The best Specialty Parallettes are by Marmati for sustainability and by Gorletic for doubling as a Pull-Up Bar.

Medium Parallettes

The most popular type of Calisthenics Paralletes is the Medium Parallettes. Medium Parallettes straddle the line between Dip Bars and Push-Up Bars. You can do all Parallettes exercises with this type, like Push-Ups, L-sits, Handstands, transitions, and many more. The increased height also allows for deeper Push-Ups and Handstand Push-Ups. The downside to Medium Parallettes is that they can topple more easily when you’re doing wide exercises like Wide Push-Ups.

There are also Low Parallettes and High Parallettes. These two types closely mimic the function of Push-Up Bars and Dip Bars, respectively. For this comparison, we’ll focus exclusively on the Medium type. I’ll also split them into 4 categories: Wooden Parallettes, Metal Parallettes, Foam Parallettes and Specialty Parallettes.

Best Wooden Calisthenics Parallettes

Wooden Parallettes are our favorite pick because of the nature of the wooden grips. Wooden grips have the perfect texture for your hands to grip. Wood also absorbs sweat, unlike metal, which helps you maintain your grip even when things get sweaty. The combination of a natural, comfortable grip texture and less need for things like chalk or grip tape makes wooden Calisthenics Parallettes our go-to choice.

#1 Gravity Fitness Medium Pro Parallettes

  • Length: 50cm (19⅔”)
  • Width: 40cm (15¾”)
  • Height: 30cm (11⅘”)
  • Grip Diameter: 40mm (1½”)
  • Weight Capacity: 150kg (330lb)
  • In-depth: Gravity Fitness Parallettes Review
Gravity Fitness Medium Pro Hybrid Parallettes Review
Gravity Fitness Medium Pro Hybrid Parallettes
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The Gravity Fitness Medium Pro Parallettes have nice, round grips with a good diameter (40mm) and excellent surface finish. They stand stable with great anti-slip properties, and you can do all your exercises on them. 

These are also the cheapest wooden Parallettes on the list with round grips, while being effectively the same in function and quality as the others. That makes the Gravity Fitness Medium Pro Parallettes the recommended choice for this category.

#2 Gornation Premium Parallettes MAX

  • Length: 50cm (19¾”)
  • Width: 35cm (13⅘”)
  • Height: 30cm (11⅘”)
  • Grip Diameter: 40mm (1½”)
  • Maximum weight: 350kg (770lb)
  • Discount code: CWW10
  • In-depth Gornation Parallettes Review
Gornation Parallettes MAX Review
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The Gornation Premium Parallettes MAX are also high-quality Calisthenics Parallettes with round grips. The texture on the grips is excellent, and the anti-slip properties are perfect. You can do all your Parallettes exercises with the Gornation Premium MAX, and they are virtually identical to the Gravity Fitness Medium Pro Parallettes.

However, the Gornation are more expensive for practically the same quality and functionality as Gravity Fitness.

#3 Barmania Pro Parallettes NEO V3

  • Length: 49.7cm (19¾”)
  • Width: 37.3cm (14½”)
  • Height: 34.4cm (13½”)
  • Grip Diameter: 38mm (1½”)
  • Weight Capacity: 500kg (1100lb)
Barmania Pro Parallettes Review | Mini, Low or Medium?

The Barmaniua Pro Parallettes NEO V3 are chunky and stable. The grips are nice and still thick enough. The oversized anti-slip feet are also an advantage. The Barmania Pro Parallettes are higher than the other Wooden Parallettes, which isn’t needed for the typical exercises.

#4 Pullup & Dip Ergonomic Parallettes Medium

  • Length: 50cm (19¾”)
  • Width: 25cm (9⅘”)
  • Height: 30cm (11⅘”)
  • Grip Diameter: 5cm x 4.1cm (2” x 1⅖”)
  • Weight Capacity: 500kg (1100lb)
  • Discount code: CWW10
  • In-depth: Pullup & Dip Paralletes Review
Pullup and Dip Parallettes Review | Small, Low, Medium, Wooden or Steel?
PullUp & Dip Wooden Medium Parallettes - With Ergonomic Handle
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The medium Pullup & Dip Ergonomic Parallettes feature oval-shaped ergonomic grips. The feel of these grips is the best on this list, but the Pullup & Dip medium Parallettes have a poor width-to-height ratio. They are very easy to tilt, and you have to be careful even with exercises like the L-Sit. The anti-slip patches also come loose quickly and aren’t great to begin with. 

Doing anything except regular Push-Ups is asking too much from these Calisthenics Paralettes. It is a very rare occasion that Pullup & Dip miss the mark with their products; unfortunately, this is one of those cases.

#5 Gorletic Medium Parallettes

  • Length: 49cm (19¼”)
  • Width: 30cm (11⅘”)
  • Height: 32cm (12⅔”)
  • Grip Diameter: 37×41 mm (rounded rectangle) (1½” x 1⅔”)
  • Weight Capacity: 200 kg (440lb)
  • Discount Code: CWW10
  • In-depth: Gorletic Parallettes Review
Gorletic LowFit Pro & Medium Calisthenics Parallettes Review
Gorletic Medium Parallettes
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The Gorletic Medium Parallettes are the only all-wooden Calisthenics Parallettes. It has rounded square grips, similar to those commonly found in gymnastics. I am used to rounded grips, and the execution of the ergonomic grips on the Gorletic Medium Paralettes isn’t great. We prefer the rounded grips on their LowFit Pro Parallettes, and it would be great if the medium Parallettes had that style of grip as well.

Best Metal Calisthenics Parallettes

Metal Calisthenics Parallettes benefit from the strength of steel to increase the maximum weight capacity. This can be an advantage with explosive movements, where your speed increases the energy put on the handles. The design of Metal Calisthenics Parallettes is usually also sleek, modern and uniform. 

Metal has inferior grip properties on its own. Metal Calisthenics Parallettes typically have a rough powder-coated surface to help with grip, which makes them feel rougher than sanded, wooden grips. Even so, powder-coated grips will get slippery when you’re sweating. Liquid Chalk or adding some Grip Tape to your metal Parallettes is likely a must.

Choosing between the best metal Calisthenics Parallettes is a lot harder. All of the Metal Parallettes we reviewed are high-quality and very stable. The anti-slip feet are also very similar and all do their job very well. The ones that stand out are by Eric Flag, which is immediately our only entry and winner in this category. Eric Flag does everything all the other good Metal Calisthenics Paralettes do, but with two clear advantages.

Eric Flag Metal Parallettes

  • Length: 49cm (19¼”)
  • Width: 30cm (11⅘”)
  • Height: 32cm (12⅔”)
  • Grip Diameter: 37×41mm (rounded rectangle) (1½” x 1⅔”)
  • Weight Capacity: 200 kg (440lb)
  • Discount Code: CWW10
  • In-depth: Gorletic Parallettes Review
Eric Flag Parallettes Review | Wooden VS Steel
Parallettes for Calisthenics - Eric Flag
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The Eric Flag Parallettes are very stable, robust and of a high-quality construction. It shares these features with many high-end metal Calisthenics Parallettes. The Eric Flag Parallettes have a thicker, 43mm grip and this sets it apart from the competition. With a nice and thick 43mm, these grips are excellent for push exercises and they reduce the strain on your wrists.

The Eric Flag Parallettes are also the most budget-friendly options. Combined with the thicker grips, these are the clear winners in this category as well as being the only real contender that sets itself apart from the rest.

Best Calisthenics Parallettes with Foam Grips

Foam grips try to give you a more comfortable grip on Metal Calisthenics Parallettes. You get the benefits of an all-metal construction, but with a softer surface that provides a better grip, which doesn’t slip in use. For the beginner, a softer grip can be a good gateway to get into Calisthenics exercise. The downside is that your grip strength suffers from the cushioning effect of the foam. You should eventually get into using either metal or wooden grips.

#1 Pullup & Dip Fitness Parallettes

  • Length: 50cm (19⅓”)
  • Width: 35cm (13¾”)
  • Height: 43cm (16.9”)
  • Grip Diameter: 38mm / 44mm (1½” / 1¾”)
  • Weight Capacity: 200kg (440lb)
  • Discount code: CWW10
  • In-depth: Pullup & Dip Parallettes Review
PULLUP & DIP Steel Fitness Parallettes Review
Pullup & Dip Fitness Parallettes
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The clear winner in this category is the Pullup & Dip Fitness Parallettes. These are high in quality and very stable. The foam on these paralettes is a little firmer, and you can move the foam sleeve back and forth. That means you get to choose whether to use the foam grip or the metal grip. 

#2 Barmania Pro Parallettes NEO V3 with Foam Grips

  • Length: 49.7cm (19¾”)
  • Width: 37.3cm (14½”)
  • Height: 34.4cm (13½”)
  • Grip Diameter: 38mm (1½”)
  • Weight Capacity: 500kg (1100lb)

You can get metal grips with foam coverings for the Barmania Pro Parallettes NEO V3 instead of wooden grips. The advantage of the Barmania Pro is that you can purchase the foam grips separately from the regular wooden grips and change them yourself. 

#3 Caliathletics High Metal Parallettes

  • Length: 49cm (19¼”)
  • Width: 35cm (13¾”)
  • Height: 31cm (12⅕”)
  • Grip Diameter: 38mm (1½”)
  • Weight Capacity: 200kg (440lb)
Caliathletics Metal Parallettes
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The Caliathletics High Metal Parallettes are good Parallettes for all your Calisthenics exercise. They offer excellent stability and are of high quality. However, they only come with foam-covered metal grips. Still very good Calisthenics Parallettes, but they would be great if Caliathletics offered an option with wooden grips.

Best Specialty Calisthenics Parallettes

Some Calisthenics Parallettes add something to the table that sets them apart. For these, we have the Specialty category. These Parallettes do something or add something that regular Parallettes don’t have. There is no rank order to these, as you can’t really compare these extra features apples to apples. 

CalisthenicsPro Parallettes

CalisthenixPro Chrome Parallettes (Heavy Duty Edition 2.0)
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The CalisthenicsPro Parallettes have a heavy-duty industrial look. The grips are 38mm barbell grips, including the typical checkering. These are also stable Parallettes with good grip for a metal surface. They would look sick standing next to your squat rack and weightlifting equipment.

FitnessKit Parallettes

FITNESSKIT Parallettes
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The FitnessKit Parallettes are part of the FitnessKit modular ecosystem. You can leave these Parallettes outside, like all the FitnessKit products. If you’re already building your own gym or Calisthenics Park with the FitnessKit system, adding these Parallettes would complete the look and function. They also feature a thicker, 43mm grip, which is excellent for push exercises.

Marmati Parallettes

Marmati Parallettes Review | 4 Fully Sustainable Options!
MARMATI Cloud Parallettes
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Marmati makes products from recycled or upcycled materials. Marmati is all-in on sustainability and repurposing trashed aluminum to make Calisthenics equipment. Even the anti-slip feet are made of sustainably harvested cork.  The Marmati Cloud Parallettes are lightweight and come in many different colors. They are stable and of excellent build quality as well.

If sustainability is what you’re looking for and you can spend a little more on a quality set of Parallettes, the Marmati Garbage Parallettes are a good choice.

Gorletic Paralelas Dual

Gorletic Dual V Parallel Bars Review | Pull-Up Bar ánd Medium Parallettes Combined!
Gorletic Paralelas Dual V
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The Gorletic Paralelas Dual are Wooden Pull-Up Bars that double as Parallettes. You can dismount them from their holding bar and use them on the floor. As a Pull-up Bar, I do like them. They have a nice grip, and Gorletic is unbeaten when it comes to woodworking skill. As Calisthenics Parallettes they are OK at best. You can do all your standard exercises on them, and they are fairly stable. But their height-to-width ratio limits their usability for off-the-ground exercises.

Pricing Overview of the Best Calisthenics Parallettes

Here is a price breakdown for all the best Calisthenics Parallettes, along with any discount we may have.

Calisthenics ParallettesRegular PriceCWW10 Discount Price (est.)
Gravity Fitness Medium Pro Parallettes£69.95n/a
Gornation Premium Pro MAX Parallettes€119,90€107.91
Barmania Pro Parallettes Neo V3€79,90€71.91
Pullup & Dip Ergonomic Parallettes€131,16€118.04
Gorletic Medium Wooden Parallettes€118106.20
Eric Flag Parallettes€69,90n/a
Pullup & Dip Fitness Parallettes€76,16€68.54
Caliathletics Metal Parallettes€109€98.10
CalisthenixPro Parallettes€104,95€94.46
FitnessKit Parallettes€129,00n/a
Marmati Cloud Parallettes€190.00€171.-
Gorletic Paralelas Dual€179,00€161.10

Conclusions About the Best Calisthenics Parallettes

It’s pretty hard to pick a winner with these Calisthenics Parallettes, even when divided by category. They are all good products and you won’t go wrong choosing any one of them. Of course, my preference is for wooden grips on everything. Similarly, I have a slight bias towards choosing Parallettes with wooden grips. The metal Parallettes are fine as well, though, and you can always “graduate” from a foam handle to a real handle. With the differences being so slight, it often came down to price being the deciding factor. 

In the wooden Calisthenics Parallettes category, the clear winner is the Gravity Fitness Medium Parallettes. These products are almost identical to each other, but Gravity Fitness is the most budget-friendly, so it wins in this regard. 

Speaking of budget-friendly, the Eric Flag Parallets offer all the same qualities as its competitors but are cheaper and have thicker grips. Again, the available options are all the same. They are good, stable, and robust, which gives us the luxury of picking the most competitively priced one. Eric Flag wins here, plus it has the advantage of the 43mm grips.

If you really must have foam grips, choosing the Pullup & Dip Fitness Parallettes allows you to graduate from foam for a softer price than the competitors. 

Finally, in the specialty category, my favorites are the Marmati Parallettes for being completely sustainable and the Gorletic Paralelas Dual for being great Door Pull-Up Bars as well.

If you like to get your own Calisthenics Parallettes, make sure to use our links and CWW10 code to get that additional discount at checkout.

Frequently Asked Questions About Calisthenics Parallettes

Here are a few more frequently asked questions about Calisthenics Parallettes and why you need them.

Which are the best Parallettes for Calisthenics?

The overall best Calisthenics Parallettes are the Gravity Fitness Medium Pro Hybrid Parallettes. These are medium sized and can be used for all imaginable Calisthenics Exercise where you use Parallette bars. Gornation is of the highest quality, combining high-grade steel with high quality birch wood.

Will Parallettes build muscle?

Yes, Parallette bars help you build muscles faster and bigger by increasing the range of motion of each exercise. You can do deeper Push-Ups and Dips, increasing the effectiveness of each exercise.

How tall should Parallettes be?

This depends on their intended use. For just Push-Ups, low bars are preferred since they do not cause a significant incline (making Push-Ups easier). For handstands, too, a lower bar is generally preferred since it keeps your center of gravity lower. Higher bars are suitable for a wider variation of exercises, including L-Sits and Dips. Medium sized bars give you the most versatility in this regard since these are suitable for all exercises.

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