Pullup & Dip Parallettes Review

Pullup & Dip Review by Calisthenics Worldwide

Hailing from Germany, Pullup and Dip offers a range of Calisthenics equipment. Among these are three sets of premium Pullup and Dip Parallettes for a less than premium price. As a direct competitor to Gornation and their excellent Parallettes, we were naturally curious. And, just like before we will be harsh critics of any and all faults we find. Parallettes aren’t very complex machines so for the money they ask, we expect nothing less than a faultless performance. In our Pullup and Dip Parallettes review, we’ll examine all three Pullup and Dip Parallettes they have on offer, perform both softcore and hardcore Calisthenics on them and tell you about our findings. We hope you enjoy this lengthy and in-depth article.

PullUp & Dip – Wooden Parallettes Review | Low VS. Medium Version

Pullup and Dip the Company

Pullup and Dip started as a fun project between two engineering students from southern Germany. Michael and Johannes decided that the 9 to 5 life wasn’t theirs and wanted to do something which did interest them. That being Calisthenics, or more specifically applying their engineering skill to the field of Calisthenics and produce better products. They went through many prototypes for a moveable, outdoor Pull-up Bar and have since also added Dip bars and Parallettes to their list of redesigned products.

In stereotypical German engineering fashion, they went way beyond what they thought it would be initially. Today, many an Octoberfest later, they are a respected manufacturer of high-end, high quality, precision engineered Calisthenics equipment. 

What we expect from Pullup and Dip Parallettes

Pullup and Dip is of course lauded for its high-quality Calisthenics equipment. Just like with our Gornation Parallettes review, we will be subjecting the Pullup and Dip Parallettes to a range of tests which will go beyond what the typical Calisthenics practitioner will do. The set of motions we’ll be going through are as follows:

  • Handstand push-ups
  • Push-ups 
  • Diamond push-ups on 1 Parallette
  • L-sit and dips
  • Pike push-ups
  • Frog stands
  • Tucked planches

Safety, comfort and sturdiness are the main concern with Parallettes. Especially with exercises like the handstand push-up, the entire weight of your body will be put on the center of the Parallettes. If there is any bending or sagging, we will notice immediately because the human sense of balance, as upright creatures, is very sensitive. Even if any bending itself doesn’t pose a danger to the Parallettes’ structural integrity, all of your brains alarm bells will be ringing. It only takes a millimeter or two of height difference for this to happen. 

Similarly, diamond push-ups which only uses 1 Parallette will test the design of the product. In this case its stability. With only one central point of contact with the ground, it is easy for a Parallette to flip while you’re doing diamond push-ups. This could have disastrous results for your wrists. A well-designed Parallette shouldn’t topple easily.

Pullup and Dip Wooden Medium Parallettes

Pullup & Dip Wooden Parallettes Medium

10% off with our code: CWW10

Get it here:

pullup-dip.com
  • 19” x 9.8” x 11.8”

What struck us first was the unassuming appearance when we first unpacked the Medium Pullup and Dip Parallettes. The choice of colors is rather conservative: light wood with piano black, a staple choice for Calisthenics equipment. But first looks are deceiving and, there are actually only 3 horizontal lines to be found on the Pullup and Dip Parallettes and bar the outward faces, no vertical ones. Almost everything is sloped diagonally and away from the handles. We theorize they did this to gradually distribute the weight of the user to the largest surface area contacting the ground, the feet. 

The birch-wood handles are lightly treated, leaving a satin finish which is neither really smooth nor really rough. This provides ample grip and should not need any liquid chalk for most conventional Calisthenics exercises using Parallettes. Should you require more grip (like with handstand push-ups), we found that a small dab of liquid chalk combines very well with this surface. The handle is slightly oval in cross-section, providing you with the perfect ergonomic shape to wrap your hands around.

The metal parts are all rounded and show no burs or rough spots. The powder coating is even, with no scratches or marks to be found. Everything fits very well together and we found nothing sticking out around the handle. The feet are designed in such a way that the handle both rests on top of them and against them at the same time, providing maximum support and rigidity. From a structural point of view, this is the strongest you can make a square construction and it shows these engineer students know their stuff.

The handles sit at 11.8 inches from the ground and are 19 inches long. Aside from doing incline push-ups, this lets the Medium Pullup and Dip Parallettes double as dipping bars. We had no problem doing any of the exercises on our list before finishing with the two most demanding ones, the handstand push-ups and diamond push-ups. 

Despite its considerable length and height off the ground, the handles gave no noticeable sway during handstand push-ups. This with a practitioner weighing 182 pounds. With the diamond push-up on 1 Parallette we can’t help but think the triangular design of the feet are a major contributor to its stability. Even if we tried rocking our body to the left and right, the single Pullup and Dip Paralette wouldn’t budge. 

Pullup and Dip Wooden Low Parallettes

  • 19” x 5.5” x 4”

The Low Pullup and Dip Parallettes come equipped with the same birch-wood handles as the Medium Parallettes. They are of the same length of 19 inches but obviously stand lower from the ground. This lower center of mass means a greater security when doing the more dynamic Calisthenics exercises. This comes at the cost of being particularly lousy for doing dips. Especially seeing their length, you can’t really place them on the first step of a staircase either for additional heigh. So, the Medium Pullup and Dip Parallettes are definitely the more versatile option, as well as allowing for the easier incline push-ups if you’re a beginner. It is also easier to transition between handstands and L-sets and vice versa using the Medium Pullup and Dip Parallettes.

The design of the legs is similar to the medium version, except shorter and stubbier. The finish on these was immaculate with no burs or rough spots. All the metal parts were smoothly rounded and nothing stuck out from the handles’ ends.

We skipped immediately to the handstand push-ups and diamond push-ups. As expected, they performed perfectly in that regard. There was no felt bending of the handle and the Pullup and Dip Parallettes stood like anchored to the ground. In hindsight, these felt even more robust than the Medium Parallettes while doing this exercise. Its considerable length also facilitates the flip from stand to handstand in a safe manner.

And yes, we dared it: hand balancing on one Parallette. Although we’re no experts in this field, onehanded handstands and shifting from a horizontal to a vertical position (L-Sit) with our body and legs proved to be difficult but achievable on these Pullup and Dip Parallettes. Obviously, hand balancing is always a difficult exercise, regardless of equipment. But the low Pullup and Dip Parallettes remained unmoving and reliable throughout the exercise. 

Pullup and Dip Fitness Parallettes

PullUp & Dip Steel Fitness Parallettes Review
  • 19.7” x 13.7” x 16.9”

For the more dynamic and explosive Calisthenics enthusiast, Pullup and Dip has designed a set of steel Parallettes they call Fitness Parallettes. These versatile Parallettes are also dipping bars at the same time and offer the same amount of versatility as the medium wooden Pullup and Dip Parallettes. The main difference here is the construction material: tubular, powder coated steel. This allows for higher stresses to be put onto the Parallettes without breaking them. Especially for extended, high-frequency use and explosive Calisthenics, it could be a good idea to go for an all-steel construction over wood. 

The Fitness Parallettes are bigger than the Medium Parallettes in all dimensions, which make doing regular push-ups even easier (which could be a good thing or a bad thing). The non-slip grip dead-center of each Parallette provides ample and wood-like grip, even with our already sweaty hands. 

Again, the engineering comes into play here and there is a smart, little addition to the Fitness Parallettes. The socks on each end of the Parallette’s feet can be turned. They’re not perfectly symmetrical, the effect being that you can increase or decrease the overall height of the Fitness Parallettes this way. It’s not by a whole lot, but those extra few millimeters could allow you to finetune an uneven ground when using them outside. 

We could perform all exercises on our list without trouble, yet we refrained from doing regular push-ups this time around. The incline would make it too easy for us. Instead, we focused more on doing dips and L-sits as well. As we expected, the Fitness Parallettes really are a versatile in-between of Parallettes and Dipping bars. The center grip is comfortable, yet not as comfortable as the wooden grip after some time. These Parallettes would go very well in an outdoor setting where you don’t want to haul two or three different types of bars with you.

General thoughts about the Pullup and Dip Parallettes

Good, comfortable grip on a stable and well finished platform. The at first glance unassuming Pullup and Dip Parallettes hide their many finely engineered aspects very well. From the weight dispersion via diagonal struts to the shape of the bars, the German engineers have thought it all through. With that engineering comes a fine attention to detail and to the fit and finish of the product. 

Little things like the ergonomically shaped cross-section of the wooden handles, the diagonal struts which distribute the weight to its largest surface and the adjustable socks on the Fitness Parallettes. These weren’t designed just as-is. A lot of thought went behind them and the fit and finish show us that apart from their brains, Michael and Johannes also poured their hearts into these Parallettes.

Push-Up Bars vs Parallettes?

There is a difference between Pushup Bars and Parallettes, although granted the Parallette gives you the same core functionality. The Mini Parallette is even very similar to a Push-Up Bar. So, what’s the difference? Push-Up Bars are generally smaller and shorter than Parallettes and they stand lower off the ground. The Push-Up Bars are solely meant to give you enough ground clearance to wrap your fist around the bars without touching the ground. Many Push-Up Bars are shaped asymmetrically, the bars being tilted slightly towards you, so you don’t have to bend your wrist quite as much. Some Push-Up Bars also pivot with your motion, relieving even more stress from your wrists in the process.

You can do handstands on Push-Up Bars and if they are designed properly, it can be done safely too. Naturally though, the longer and often wider Parallettes are the better choice for this. Finally, Push-Up Bars tend to be cheaper priced than Parallettes.

Conclusions and Pullup and Dip Discount Code

Both the Medium and Low Pullup and Dip Parallettes performed very similarly, with the caveat of course being that doing incline push-ups is something better suited to the medium version. Both also performed very well doing handstand push-ups. We will always advice choosing the low version over the medium version for handstands, naturally. The lower center of mass makes low Pullup and Dip Parallettes inherently safer to use this way than higher ones.

That being said, the Medium Parallettes are our favorites. They offer so much versatility and easily double as potent, all-in-one dipping bars. They are a dynamic and worthwhile addition to our collection of Calisthenics equipment.

Do we recommend the Pullup and Dip Parallettes? Yes, and they’re worth every cent they cost which, if you look at all the small details combined actually isn’t that much. They are comfortable and safe because they were designed to be comfortable and safe from the ground up. 

If you’re convinced that the Pullup and Dip Parallettes are the right fit for you, you can use our permanent discount code CWW10 for an additional 10% off at final checkout. This code works on their entire assortment, not just the Parallettes.

Frequently Asked Questions about Pullup and Dip Parallettes

Here are some frequently asked questions about Pullup and Dip and their Parallettes.

Does Pullup and Dip ship to the US?

Pullup and Dip is located in Germany, but they ship worldwide including the US and UK. On their website you can even set the prices to USD or GBP in the top right corner. Likewise, they provide Imperial measurements for all their products. Since 2021 Pullup and Dip have a new distribution center in Salt Lake City, meaning shipping is faster and cheaper.

Which Pullup and Dip Parallettes should I get?

All Pullup and Dip Parallettes are of a high quality and offer you much value for money. If you have to choose one, we recommend the Pullup and Dip Medium Wooden Parallettes. These give you the most versatility of all the options available.

How do I store my Parallettes

You should store your Parallettes in a dry place and avoid having them rattle or bump into other hard things (like in a cluttered drawer). That way the material will last the longest and you avoid the risk of scratches or dinks in the powder coating or the wooden handle.

Is there a Pullup and Dip discount code?

You can use the permanent discount code CWW10 to get a 10% off on the entire Pullup and Dip catalogue. Bookmark it if you’re planning on shopping there more frequently.

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