The Gornation Dip Bars are an industry example of how to build a quality product that will serve your Calisthenics needs. When we got our hands on these Dip Bars it quickly became apparent why they are so popular, as the German manufacturer of quality Calisthenics Equipment has apparently exceeded the market’s expectations yet again. What I just said are, of course, not my words but paraphrasing the global sentiment about the Gornation Dip Bars. If the Calisthenics community fell in love with this product, though, who are we to pass up the opportunity to test these Dip Bars? It is time for our Gornation Dip Bars review.
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The Gornation Dip Bars Reviewed
After our Gornation Static Bar review, we couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to also review the (in some ways complementary) Gornation Dip Bars. Our expectations for these bars are of course very high, fueled by our previous review of Gornation products, the good results we got from the Static Bar and the lauding reaction from the Calisthenics community. We ordered our set and waited patiently for it to arrive (4 days) so we could start our Gornation Dip Bars review.
The Setup and Breakdown
Gornation sent us a rather compact package, containing the whole Dip Bar set. The box was sturdy, and the contents were largely strapped down with zip ties to prevent jostling of the metal parts during shipping. Here are the basic specifications along with the package contents as we found them.
Basic specifications:
- Material: powder coat steel, rubber (feet caps)
- Height: 35½” (90cm)
- Length: 31½” (80cm)
- Adjustable Width (bars): 17¾” | 18½” | 19¼” (45cm, 47cm, 49cm)
- Adjustable Width (floor): 37½” | 38” | 39” (95cm, 97cm, 99cm)
- Weight (combined): 29lbs (13.2kg)
The package:
- 2x Gornation Premium Dip Bar
- 2x Hand screws
- 1x Screw kit
- 1x Allen wrench
- 2x Connection bars/sleeves
- 1x User Manual
- 1x “Upgrade Your Performance” User Tips Guide
- 1x Grip Tape
We had no qualms about the package or its contents, everything seemed to be there, and it arrived in good condition. The Dip Bars meet our expectations when it comes to weight and dimensions. Assembly was very straightforward. Simply slot the obvious parts together and apply the screws. Applying the connection bars will conjoin the two Dip Bars for additional stability, these are added to the feet of two opposing Dip Bars and fastened with two additional screws.
The only obvious hint we could think of giving is to make sure that the holes on the top of the feet, which are meant to hold the connection bar, should point towards each other.
Fit & Finish
We really liked the fit and finish and the overall look of the Gornation Dip Bars. The matte black, almost dim grey, powder coating was completely intact. The coating gives these bars a nice texture which is perfectly serviceable already and feels nice to the touch. The color choice creates a nice contrast with the large Gornation stickering in a plain white font.
All the components fit snugly together without any wobble that could be attributed to the sockets. The screws help a lot to eliminate any possible wobble or rattle. It also prevents the feet from simply sliding off when you’re moving the Gornation Dip Bars around.
The texture of the powder coating is rough enough to be useable and gives you enough grip for a short workout. Liquid chalk interfaces perfectly with this coating should you need it, and so does the surface texture of the better Calisthenics Gloves.
For added comfort and sweat absorption, you can also use the Grip Tape that is included in the package. You get 82 feet of grip tape (25 meters), more than enough to cover the bars completely back to front and back again. The quality of the tape is just right, with a tight weave and not too much squishiness to them.
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Stability & Comfort
These Gornation Dip Bars are some of the most stable we’ve ever used, even without the connecting bars. The wide floor base allows you to use them for various exercises without any worry of them tilting or toppling. With the addition of the connecting bars, you are limited to 3 width settings: 17¾”, 18½” or 19¼” (45cm, 47cm or 49cm) but the tradeoff is that the bars are now a single, connected piece. In this configuration you can even use the Gornation Dip Bars for more dynamic, above-the-bar exercises as well.
The rubber caps on the feet provide for excellent grip on smooth floors, but also allows for use outside on suboptimal surfaces like gravel, sand or grass.
With the Grip Tape applied, our level of comfort was great and exercising with the Gornation Dip Bars went like a charm. There are a few protruding knobs here and there, especially when you apply the connecting bars but none of them get in the way of your exercise.
Exercising with the Gornation Dip Bars
With this level of comfort and stability, many exercises become available when you get your own set of Gornation Dip Bars. You can do Dips, obviously, but also a large variety of other exercises which you might not entrust your typical Dip Bars with, like;
- L-Sits
- V-Sits
- Knee and Leg-Raises
- Front Lever (connected)
- Back Lever (connected)
- Rows (connected)
- Handstands (connected)
- Tuck Planche (connected)
- Regular Planche (connected)
Due to its height of 35½” (90cm), you have limited space for below-the-bar exercises like the Back Lever or Skin the Cat. If you’re not that tall these are possible by moving your head to the side, but big guys will most likely find that the fit is too tight for them. For all these exercises, we prefer the higher and wider Gornation Static Bar.
This height limitation will also play a role in Weighted Calisthenics. The Gornation Dip Bars have no trouble supporting the weight, however, using a Dip Belt can be cumbersome. The weight on a Dip Belt tends to hit the floor, where it remains and possibly then interacts with your private parts in a painful manner (don’t ask how we know this). The solution is of course a Weighted Vest, which works perfectly in combination with the Gornation Dip Bars.
With the Gravity Fitness Weighted Vest, you could go up to 66lbs (30kg) of additional weight, however power Dips that go up to 150, 160, 180lbs are not feasible with these bars.
General Thoughts About the Gornation Dip Bars
You can do a lot with these premium Gornation Dip Bars and once again, the German company lives up to its name and what we’ve come to expect. It is a simple, robust and versatile product that puts the essential elements of good Dip Bars at the forefront and then makes a simple improvement ─ the ability to the conjoin the bars together for extra stability.
Exercising is the same as with any other set of quality Dip Bars, however, Gornation shows its mettle by combining all the premium qualities you expect to pay for in one good product. The material is strong and robust, the construction method is rigid and the fit and finish of the coating is all very much on par with the high-end market.
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Conclusions About the Gornation Dip Bars
Dips Bars are an essential part of your Calisthenics Home Equipment, and it pays to invest in a quality core setup. These Gornation Dip Bars can be part of the setup with ease and give you an edge in quality, comfort and stability over most of their competitors. Thinking back about the first unboxing, the quality of the materials and the fit and finish immediately became apparent. If you choose Gornation, you’re choosing quality over quantity. You’re choosing for a one-time purchase that is, granted, of a higher up-front cost than many other somewhat similar Dip Bars. So, what do you get for your money?
I said somewhat similar to other Dip Bars, because there are some differences which more than make right the price you pay. The Gornation Dip Bars are of excellent construction and the quality control is impeccable as evidenced by the nice welds and perfect powder coating. This is a product that will last you a lifetime.
Durability and quality aside, other perks come to mind as well. The socketed feet are held in place by obvious quality screws. Most other Dip Bars do not secure their feet this way and always deal with them coming loose when you pick the bars up. The coating yet again is of the type that feels great to the touch and isn’t your run of the mill smooth powdered paint that gets slippery the moment you touch it.
The connection bars give you the confidence to do exercises where you’d normally seek out bars that are fixed to the floor. The whole Gornation Dip Bars package, meanwhile, is light and easily transportable.
With a few solid additions while keeping the Dip Bars simple and by adding great construction techniques and quality control, Gornation has delivered on its promise again with these Gornation Premium Dip Bars.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Gornation Dip Bars
A few more frequently asked questions about the Premium Gornation Dip Bars.
Gornation upholds a 30 day return policy during which you can ship the product back to them, no questions asked.
The best distance for your Dip Bars is so that you can make a full dip without any torque on your wrists or uncomfortable twisting of your shoulders. Usually this means the bars are right underneath your shoulders or a few inches wider than your shoulders only.
The Gornation Dip Bars are tested to 400 kilograms or about 880 pounds per single bar.
