You’re on the road or just gotten off the plane at your temporary destination. Of course, you’ve brought your trusty Travel Pull-Up Bar with you so you can do your Calisthenics exercise. Whether business or pleasure, your travels can put a serious dent into your workout routine. Having a Travel Pull-Up Bar with you allows you to maintain some if not all of your workout routine while you’re not at home. So, what differentiates a Travel Pull-Up Bar from a normal portable Pull-Up Bar? What can you do with a Travel Pull-Up Bar? Are they just as capable as normal portable Pull-Up Bars? We’ll answer all these questions and more and, of course, we’ll give you our top pick of best Travel Pull-Up Bars for all your journeyings and forays into the world.
Difference Travel Pull-Up Bar and Portable Pull-Up Bar
Why can’t you just buy a portable Pull-Up Bar and take that with you? If you paid for shipping it, you probably could. That’s the point we’re trying to make. Portable does not mean easily moveable but only that it is moveable. Portable Pull-Up Bars are different in that they’re not semi-permanently fixed to a wall or need to have their screws removed to be moved in chunks. You can take your portable Pull-Up Bar with you in a car, or under your arm and go outside. They’re great if you need to move around locally a lot or if you want to periodically do your Calisthenics outside.
Compared to Travel Pull-Up Bars, however, they are still very bulky and heavy. You can’t fit them inside your bag or suitcase along with your clothes and toiletries. The real difference then boils down to size and weight. You could say that all Travel Pull-Up Bars are portable Pull-Up Bars but not all portable Pull-Up Bars are Travel Pull-Up Bars.
When Do You Need a Travel Pull-Up Bar?
When you’re travelling.
Alright, we understand you want some more context. If you’re the disciplined type you can probably skip a week and pick right back up where you left. This is certainly the case if your routine isn’t that intensive. If you’re away for three days and you only workout twice a week, you could make it fit. Maybe change your workout day for that one time. You don’t need to invest in a Travel Pull-Up Bar if you don’t want too but it’s still a nice thing to have.
It becomes different when you’re away for longer or very frequently. The rule should be discipline and consistency. That becomes difficult to maintain if you’re going away for a month or if your job entails being called away from home for days on end at irregular intervals. There’s no planning a consistent workout routine around that. You’ll have to bring your Calisthenics with you on your travels.
This is compounded with an extensive workout routine. If your routine demands that you work out 4 days a week, then you can see how difficult that translates with long holidays or frequent traveling. You’ll need a Travel Pull-Up Bar to take with you.
Best 4 Travel Pull-Up Bars
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Our criteria for the best Travel Pull-Up Bars are fairly simple. You need to be able to bring them with you within the confines of 1 bag. Major bonus points if it fits on top of a stack of clothes. For the rest, the Travel Pull-Up Bar needs to be easy to install and safely mounted and not slip off or come loose. Last but not least, you need to be able to comfortably do some actual Calisthenics. This shortens the list with viable Travel Pull-Up Bars considerably as most are too big, too heavy, not safe enough or too restrictive in what you can do with them. We’ve boiled down the list to the following 4 best Travel Pull-Up Bars.
#1 Duonamic Eleviia
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Our absolute favorites when we’re away from home are the Duonamic Eleviia. This innovative take on a Travel Pull-Up Bar has been designed down the minutia to be light-weight, portable and just as versatile as a full-length Pull-Up Bar. They take all but 5 seconds to set up and nearly any doorframe in the world will work. The proprietary clamp design means that the more weight you hand from them, the tighter they clamp down around the molding (the trim around the doorframe). They are safe by design.
Its dimensions are 12 x 10 x 4¾, so they should fit in any normal travel bag or suitcase. Maybe leave that floral shirt that only you like at home and the Duonamic Eleviia fits right in. It weighs just 3.5lbs. You don’t need to worry about that hotel door either. The soft, thermoplastic design is safe for use on any doorframe without scratching the pain or damaging the woodwork.
The handles feel very comfortable, better even than most foam-covered Pull-Up Bars. They are suspended by cords so your center of gravity will lean towards the center of the doorway. At first this may be a bit closer to the handles than you’re used too but it is very manageable. All regular Pull-Up Bar exercises like pull-ups and chin-ups, front levers and L-sits and even the German hang are possible.
You can upgrade the Duonamic Eleviia with Gymnastic Rings for an even more comprehensive Calisthenics exercise while travelling. We also liked the Powrhold grips which simultaneously train your grip strength. Included in the package is a handy travel bag, to keep your Duonamic Eleviia safe and compact.
#2 JayFlex Fitness Ryze-Ups
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With a weight of 4.6 pounds and the quickest setup of almost any doorframe we’ve seen yet, the JayFlex Ryze-Ups are a serious contender for the number one spot. The Ryze-Ups need a door molding between 2 and 6 inches to work, which should accommodate more than 90% of the world’s doors. They’re a great companion to have as a Travel Pull-Up Bar. Slap them on the doorframe within 5 seconds if you’re quick and you’re good to go. They are nearly perfectly flat when folded so they should fit right on top of your clothes.
The handles are quite a stroke of genius. They are set in a circular rim and you can rotate them to any desired position. This gives you an unlimited number of options when it comes to gripping them, straight, diagonal or a hammer grip. Moving the handles themselves closer together or farther apart and with this circular rim means the JayFlex Ryze-Ups all but replace the need for a regular Pull-Up Bar.
The handles are rubberized and ergonomically shaped. They feel comfortable to hold and you should have no problems doing all your Pull-Up Bar exercises while you’re travelling.
#3 Jayflex CrossGrips
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A bit heavier than the Ryze-Ups, the Jayflex CrossGrips are probably the closest you’ll get to a traditional Door Mounted Pull-Up Bar without hauling an actual full-sized Pull-Up Bar with you. The CrossGrips are a set of what you could call miniature Pull-Up Bars working together to provide room for both of your hands.
Made of stainless steel with a powder-coated steel casing, the CrossGrips are rugged, durable and strong. The clamps are spring loaded and don’t need a lot of adjustment. This takes a little longer than the clamp design of the Eleviia but not by a whole lot. You have the advantage of an all-steel construction.
With both a parallel and a perpendicular grip on each CrossGrip, you’re given all the usual options you have with a regular Door Mounted Pull-Up Bar. The grips themselves are nice to hold and right in the middle between coarse and finely coated. In its deployed configuration, the soft rubber feet can also be placed on the ground. You’re not only bringing your Travel Pull-Up Bar but also your travel Parallettes with the CrossGrips.
#4 Pullup & Dip Mobile Pull-Up Bar & Bag
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When we said the viable options were limited, we weren’t kidding. The Pullup & Dip Mobile Pull-Up Bar is a portable Pull-Up Bar which can be disassembled into small enough pieces to take with you. The caveat here is that you either prepare a separate bag or buy the fitting Pullup & Dip Sports Backpack. Though not nearly as small or light as the handles we discussed previously, the Mobile Pull-Up Bar is the most portable of the larger portable Pull-Up Bars out there. All you need is a good tree and you’re good to go.
Quality and the fit and finish on all Pullup & Dip products are phenomenal. With a full-length Pull-Up Bar, you’re no longer limited to the width of a doorframe either. The long center bar and curved ends give you a range of options to better exercise your back and shoulders as well as your biceps and triceps. This is a level of functionality the most compact Travel Pull-Up Bars simply can’t offer.
We doubt the Hotel will appreciate you drilling holes into their walls, so you’ll have to find a big, sturdy tree instead.
How Can I Do Pull-Ups While Travelling?
It can be quite a challenge to maintain your workout routine while travelling. For a short time away from home it might not be a problem to skip a session or plan it on a different day. Maintaining discipline though is a problem for many (God knows it is for us) so even if you can’t do your full workout, it’s a nice feeling to at least be doing something. With the aid of a Travel Pull-Up Bar, you can do your Pull-Up exercises virtually anywhere you are. The most common thread is that you need a doorframe onto which you mount the Travel Pull-Up Bar.
Another option is to find a Calisthenics Park close to where you will be staying or to make use of the hotel’s amenities should those be available. The wise person plans this ahead.
Alternatives to a Travel Pull-Up Bar
Here are some alternatives if you forgot to bring your Travel Pull-Up Bar or to Pull-Up Bars in general.
Use a Door and a Towel
Don’t overthink this one. Simply open a door, grab the top side and pull yourself up. You can drape a towel over the top of the door to provide some comfort to your hands. This isn’t ideal by any stretch of the imagination. Your body will rub up and down the door itself, the hold isn’t very comfortable, you can’t close your wrist and you’re limited to just one grip. But in a pinch, you can get some work done. Just be absolutely certain that the door is sturdy enough to do this.
Sling Trainer or Suspension Trainer
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In a complete opposite direction to being creative when you’ve got nothing, a sling trainer or a suspension trainer like the FREESIXD comes in a neat little package. Most of the components are slings and straps, which fold up nicely. It’ll fit easily with the luggage in the car, an extra bag on the plane or even inside a larger bag if you’re well-organized.
Gymnastic Rings
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Gymnastic Rings are a whole lot more room efficient than a portable Pull-Up Bar. Like the Sling Trainer, a lot is just straps which fold together. The rings themselves are of course flat and light. With the use of door anchors, you can change any door into a versatile Calisthenics exercise machine using Gymnastic Rings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Pull-Up Bars
Here are a number of frequently asked questions we come across regarding travel and Pull-Up Bars.
The simplest way is by bringing a compact, lightweight Travel Pull-Up Bar. These are easily installed and don’t take too much room in your luggage. Alternatively, you can use the door itself by pulling yourself up from the top of the door while it is open. To provide some comfort, drape a towel over the top of the door but make sure the door is sturdy enough to hold your weight.
That depends on the travel. If you travel by car, you could feasibly take any Pull-Up Bar with you as long as it fits inside the car. If you’re travelling by plane, you’ll be limited to luggage weight and the number of bags you can bring. In that case, the Travel Pull-Up Bar will have to fit within those constraints.
The simplest answer would be to make use of the hotel’s amenities, should they possess a fitness room. If they don’t then the second-best option (but which is usually the reality) is to bring your own Travel Pull-Up Bar. Finally, if you’re completely left out of options, you can simply pull up on the door itself.
The Duonamic Eleviia is the most popular Travel Pull-Up Bar on Amazon at the moment. Although not the cheapest option, verified buyers are lauding it for its simplicity, strength, small dimensions and weight and the versatility of exercises you can do with them.
You don’t. The stand-in for the Pull-Up Bar is an opened door from which you do your pull-ups. The towel you can drape over the door to provide a modicum of comfort to your hands.
Your options here are to visit a gym which has a Pull-Up Bar, visit a Calisthenics Park or even a playground with a monkey rack, use a thick tree branch or the upper side of an opened door.
