Pull-ups are the key to supercharged upper-body fitness and strength. However, lifting your entire body weight can be tough on shoulder and arm muscles.
The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory!
Thankfully, this exercise allows multiple variations. Therapists recommend elastic bands for beginners. Carry on if you’re looking for the best pull up assist bands to master this rewarding move.
Top 8 Best Pull Up Assist Bands Reviewed
1. Rogue Echo Resistance Bands – Top Pick
- Material: Natural Rubber
- Length: 41 inches
- Single/Set: Both
- Resistance Range: 15-200 lbs
- Color(s): Orange, Red, Blue, Green, Black, Purple, Red, Silver
Rogue Fitness represents a worldwide cultural base of CrossFitters and other strength athletes. It's no surprise that their resistance bands for assisted pull ups are at the top.
Echo comes in eight color-coded resistances, ranging from 15 to whopping 200 lbs. They are 41" long. Thickness varies according to the amount of assistance. For instance, the thinnest orange band is only a quarter inch thick, whereas the largest silver one expands sixteen times.
You get smaller increments of 15, 30, 50, 65, 100, 140, 175, and 200. Rogue categorizes the first three bands as general conditioning accessories. The last three bring the maximum assistance to the table. Lastly, the medium-sized green and black deliver average mobility and weight training support.
You can gradually progress your pull-up game with Echo resistance bands at your side. Your regimen won't take these regular differences relentlessly. Since they’re made of multi-layered latex, you’ll squeeze out heavy-duty use for years to come.
You can buy single bands or a full set. Rogue’s financing patterns are also helpful. If you choose a pair, the price per band reduces drastically.
Positives:
Build to last a long time
Slight increases in difficulty levels
Amazing discount on pairs
Rare 200 lb of max assistance
Could be better:
Pricey due to the finest latex
2. Iron Bull Strength Monster Resistance Bands – Runner-Up
- Material: Natural Rubber
- Length: 41 inches
- Single/Set: Both
- Resistance Range: 15-175 lbs
- Color(s): Yellow, Red, Black, Purple, Green, Blue
Iron Bull Monster Series offers one of the best resistance bands for pull ups.
The Canadian company charts its specs and suitability according to body weight and fitness goals. It also backs them for life. Still, there are not enough testimonies and trials to determine the long-term value.
Divided across six bands, you get assistance of 15, 35, 60, 80, 125, and 175 lbs. Undoubtedly, it's second to none but Rogue when it comes to high-quality natural rubber bands.
There are slightly bigger hikes toward the end. However, the differences get much narrower once you climb down to 80 lb assistance. The largest band is only 2.5". Resistance ranges are explicitly labeled on the loops. Once you go for a set, a travel-friendly pouch also comes free.
Only the silver Echo band costs as much as its bundle of all six. Alternatively, you can choose a set of four bands, excluding the smallest yellow and heaviest blue ones. And the price will further reduce.
Positives:
Hard-wearing construction
Provide up to 175 lb of assistance
Budget-friendly compact sets
Interest-free installments with Klarna
Could be better:
Promising quality, yet not practically evident
- Material: Natural Rubber
- Length: 41 inches
- Single/Set: Set
- Resistance Range: 20-150 lbs
- Color(s): Brown, Green, Black
Gymreapers resistance bands are famous owing to their high quality and low prices. This set is a limited edition with military hues and a special focus on assisted pull-ups. One plus point is that the resistance range is now labeled.
Who is going to figure that out based on colors anyways?
There are five bands. The thinnest gives 20-35 lbs of support. It is desert tan in color. The next four are also shades of green, brown, and black. You can use them for maximum assistance of 60, 80, 120, and 150 lbs. With little tension in the loop, the resistance also fluctuates.
They’re made with durable latex. However, you can't buy them individually. This pull up band set is sold between $70 to $80. Wholesalers on Amazon often put up a lower price tag.
Another downside is that these resistance bands have a strong rubber odor. They almost stink like tires. And after a workout session, you can smell it from your hands too. Perhaps I'm being picky, but people with latex allergies must know it beforehand.
You can arrange a trip to the laundry and shaded clothesline.
Positives:
Plenty of resistance options
Affordable pricing
High-caliber natural latex
One year warranty
Could be better:
Retains a pungent latex odor
- Material: Polyester
- Length: 42 inches
- Single/Set: Set
- Resistance Range: 20-60 lbs
- Color(s): Gray, Black
Fabric bands have an assortment of benefits over latex. They have a non-slip grip, thus, don’t roll up or down. Also, they’re comfy, breathable, and skin-friendly. Lastly, the snapping problem is non-existent. Heavy-duty woven threads are more reliable.
It doesn’t imply sunshine and rainbows! There is little resistance and elasticity in fabric compared to rubber. It can be unnecessarily large when flat and restrictive when stretched out!
On browsing for a low-priced fabric set, WeluvFit will appear with its best pull up assist bands.
There are four profiles. The smallest band cuts down about 20 lbs of your weight. Two medium models are good for 30-50 lbs. The black one in the last is 1.77” thick, boosting resistance range to 60 lbs. You can combine all bands for accumulated assistance.
These grippy and stretchy bands are soft-to-touch for you to get started safely.
The range and levels aren't mentioned on the fabric. But you can easily infer from the thickness. The color scheme is also thoughtful. The shade of gray gets darker as you progress until the largest of them is all black.
The set is packaged in a storage case with a resource guide. It mentions various possible exercises with elaborated diagrams and suitable meal plans.
Positives:
Soft and smooth polyester fabric
Durable; doesn’t snap as cheap bands
Anti-slip weave
Beginners-friendly user manual
Could be better:
Low assistance and elasticity
- Material: Natural Rubber
- Length: 41 inches
- Single/Set: Set
- Resistance Range: 15-125 lbs
- Color(s): Black, Green, Blue, Red
This pull up band set consists of four pieces. Thickness ranges from 0.5” to 1.7”. You can expect adequate resistance to tone your body at home or on the go. Medium two sizes bring 25-85 lb assistance, ideal for pull-ups and chin-ups.
However, you have to buy the whole set. It's affordable, so not a problem. A drawstring travel bag accompanies it too. Moreover, you can select different color schemes. There are four of them with similar pricing and rating.
The range of available tension isn’t labeled on bands. WSAKOUE can surely print it along with the logo. The peel-colored set makes space for ‘light’ and ‘heavy’ instead. Having to look up the chart every time is off-putting. And remembering it on top of the head is not everyone's cup of tea!
It uses natural latex sourced from Malaysia. The bands’ stretch and strength are perfectly balanced. The odor is there and can irritate some people. But the smell is weak and fades over time. Intertek customer testing agency approves of its ingredient. So, no health hazards will follow.
Make sure to air it out first. Or avoid touching your eyes after using them, at least.
Positives:
Four levels of strength
Softer than most rubber bands
Low at cost, not benefits
Variety of colors to choose from
Could be better:
Resistance range not labeled on bands
- Material: Natural Rubber
- Length: 41 inches
- Single/Set: Set
- Resistance Range: 15-85 lbs
- Color(s): Orange
Fitness fanatics spend on resistance bands to dodge hefty recurrent gym membership payments. Kobra uses pure latex to sharpen up your home workouts. And they cost less than fifty bucks in the US, including delivery – talk about a sweet deal!
The company focuses on simple-to-use bands. This set of four exhibits orange and black aesthetics. The light model packs 15 lbs. Light Plus takes it to 35. Heavy and its Plus pick from here to max out at 65 and 85, respectively.
Larger ones are the best pull up assistance bands. And starting models are suitable for warm-ups, speed training, and stretching because of low disposable assistance.
There are no complaints regarding failure or odor. However, Kobra Tech has also released its product without labeling them with resistance ranges. There is only thickness to guide you as the color is also identical.
Accessories are where it triumphs the game. You get a carry bag to fold them and take with you. Additionally, there is a door anchor to help you exercise anytime, anywhere. Other kits also offer barbells, handles, and ankle straps. However, these are avoidable extras since none will assist your pull-ups.
Positives:
Affordable and durable
Double-stitched bag
Multi-purpose resistance training tool
One year warranty
Could be better:
Only 85 lb max assistance
Resistance not labeled
- Material: Natural Rubber
- Length: 41 inches
- Single/Set: Single
- Resistance Range: 35-175 lbs
- Color(s): Red, Black, Purple, Green, Blue
If you're looking for a lasting band to help with pull ups, WOD Nation is definitely worth considering. Its rubber bands are 82" in circumference. The quality of the material is comparable to Rogue and Iron Bull.
The smallest band goes to provide 35 lb assistance. However, tension must downgrade if you anchor a single loop over a small area. The next in line is 60, 80, 120, and over 150 lbs of resistance bands.
You can see these five levels characterize huge jumps. Meanwhile, your journey towards unassisted pull-ups won’t be as sustainable as with bigger sets.
Secondly, the company sells them individually. You'll have to pay attention to which size is the right fit for you. On the other hand, the complete set will come expensive as you'll be adding each band as a different product in your cart.
If we discuss functionality, these bands will last forever under frequent use. The rubber is of high quality and free of any odor or toxins. To help the customers, WOD Nation has crafted a corresponding table based on your current rate of unassisted pull-ups.
Positives:
Top-notch latex
Satisfying quality protocols
Five different bands (0.5-2.5” thick)
Resistance range titled
Could be better:
Bigger jumps in weight across bands
Not available in sets
- Material: Natural Rubber
- Length: 41 inches
- Single/Set: Set
- Resistance Range: 40-120 lbs
- Color(s): Orange
The bright orange Undersuns fascinated quarantined gym rats and cemented their place in gym bags.
There are five total bands, starting from X-Light to ending at high resistances of Heavy and X-Heavy. However, the company bundles the last two models as pull-up/chin up assist bands.
You can expect 60-120 lbs of assistance with its largest band and 40-80 lbs with the smaller one. Ratings are much skewed. Thus, the actual resistance is uncertain during the workout. Also, they tend to slip. And resistance beats the grip most often.
Are you wondering what still makes them the best pull up assist bands? The downsides are felt when sweating over squats or shrugs. Notice how you won't need to touch or hold the bands tightly during pull-ups. Therefore, the quality and durability aspects are more valuable for our venture.
The products are eco-friendly. Also, a portion of sales is credited to environmental and social welfare efforts.
Remember, these workout bands are not cheap. Only two will come at the price of Gymreapers military five-band set. But you can browse for discounts and deals. In addition, Undersun recently dropped its lifetime warranty in favor of the first year only.
Positives:
Proven durability
Lightweight and a small footprint
Wide range of tension with two bands only
Available accessories (i.e., anchors, bags)
Could be better:
Powdery residue
Costlier than competitors
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What are the benefits of using pull-up assist bands?
A regular pull-up involves gripping a horizontal overhead bar. Then, stimulate your arm and core muscles to raise until your chin gets above the bar. It's an advanced compound exercise that benefits the body's overall fitness and stamina.
However, gravity hinders many people from lifting their weight completely and correctly.
Pull up resistance bands prepare you to perform this exercise without assistance eventually. There are other ways to kick off – with the help of a friend, chair, or assistance machine. You can also experiment with wearing wrist straps.
Take all these measures as a safety ring for someone new to swimming.
Get in the game
Resistance bars help you by mounting an upward pressure. If you weigh 200 lbs and use a 100 lb band to help with pull ups, you're actually lifting half of your body weight.
This trains you to put aside a negative mindset.
Perfect your form
Once you can do assisted pull-ups, resistance bands will allow you to review your grip technique, stability, and form. You’ll practice and perfect the exercise.
To get ultimate benefits, your back and core muscles must be indulged.
More Reps, More Strength
An assisted pull-up is better than improper, incomplete pull-ups. Lift till failure. The first benchmark is to reach ten pull-ups or a 3x3 program. Then, dial in a smaller resistance band.
Continue the same amount of rep with lower assistances until you break free!
What to look for in pull-up assist bands?
Design
There are several types of resistance bands in the market. You’ll be tempted to see Figure 8, tube bands, therapy rings, or smart ones with counters. But stick to loop-styled long power bands.
Even better is to shop for those explicitly titled for pull-up assistance.
Latex
It’s the most common material used. There are endless varieties. And you’re sure to get what you’re finding. They don’t cost a lot. Also, the maintenance is pretty straightforward. You can roll or rinse them.
Prolonged exposure to sunlight may cause premature wear. Some cheap resistance bands for pull-ups leave an odor. If you're allergic to latex, the fabric is a safe option. In any case, try to avoid synthetic rubber.
Elasticity
The quality and elasticity of the material are indicative of its lifespan. The bands with high assistance are also thicker. Balancing the scale between stretch and strength is critical. Otherwise, the rubber might tear and snap while training.
Rogue manufactures its best pull up assist bands with multiple layers of rubber. Even if one is ragged, others hold up to let you finish.
Obese athletes should ensure reliability. During pull-ups, an abrupt surrender of support can strain shoulders and neck.
Resistance
See how many unassisted reps you’re able to pull off. Discount it according to your body weight and purchase the resistance. Get your hands on a pull up band set with 3-5 sizes – the smallest being 15-30 lbs.
Suppose you weigh 200 lbs and do no pull-ups at the moment. It's better to start with a band of 150 lbs or more. If you’re able to perform 1-2 unassisted reps, 100 lb of assistance will suffice.
Portability
Resistance bands have one superiority over free weights and machines: portability. Many workout geeks travel a lot, and these small gears help them check off WOD in CrossFit schemes.
Whether in a hotel or park, the world is your gym with pull-up assistance bands and a door or branch. The good quality rubber stays flat and packs compact. Getting a pouch is a huge plus!
Optionality
Prioritize versatile bands. They should be super-strong and tenacious. A single band can boost your strength, speed, mobility, flexibility, and endurance.
Research shows that resistance bands stimulate the same muscle response as other equipment.
Rogue Echo can turn into a cable machine with D-rings or barbells with a PVC pipe. Honestly, the best pull up assistance bands are only confined in their adaptability to your imagination. One thing to rule them all!
Value for Money
Browse for the highest quality, then apply the lowest-to-highest price filter. There are noticeable features: warranty, customer support, return policy, and price per band.
Shopping from a reputable and established outlet gives peace of mind.
How to use assistance bands for pull-ups?
You know the benefits of pull-ups.
You’re ready for progression with assistance.
You’ve also purchased elastic bands for pull ups. Now, it’s action time!
Step 1: Set Up
Take your resistance band for the pull-up bar. Make a firm knot by passing it through itself. A long loop will dangle down the bar.
Step 2: Anchor
Stretch the band down and place it beneath your foot or knee. Meanwhile, get hold of the bar. Ensure that the band is securely hooked.
Step 3: Execute
Make an overhand grip, and raise yourself as high as possible. Pause at the apex before resetting to the starting position.
Alternative
There is a simpler way if you're using a power bar. Loop the band over j-hooks once or more to control tension. Stand over safety pins, and jump onto the band. Push it down with straight legs until you find a comfortable starting position. This works best for short people.
Precautions
- Don't extend elbows too much; drive them closer as you pull up.
- Make sure your hands are slightly broader than your shoulders.
- You might need a chair or stool to launch the movement.
- Switch to a supinated grip with palms facing you for chin-ups.
- Consult the doctor if you’re on medications or have suffered some injury.
FAQs
Are pull-up assist bands worth it?
Pull-ups are too important to rule out. They strengthen the entire body, relieve the effects of spinal loading, and enable you to crush PRs.
If you can do about ten pull-ups, all is well.
Otherwise, spending on assistance bands is worth every penny. Do it wisely, and these bands will become a mainstay of your fitness equipment – beyond your progress to classic pull-ups!
Can pull-up bands snap?
Elasticized materials will snap once you stretch them out of their capacity. The best pull up assistance bands are manufactured for the tallest athletes. They can expand up to four times their flat size.
There are minimum snapping issues with Rogue. And a lifetime warranty covers rare incidents.
How do I make my banded pull-ups harder?
You can make your banded pull-ups harder by placing only one foot in the loop. Or try to anchor assistance on your knees instead. If the given level of assistance gets too easy, switch to a lower rating.
In a Nutshell
A set of the best pull up assist bands will make you a guru of push-pull workouts. Rogue Echo has regular and versatile resistances with the option of buying complete sets, individual bands, or pairs.
Hack into your fitness goals now!
What do you think about banded pull-ups? If you're unsure about which band to use, mention your body weight and the number of unassisted reps in comments. I’ll let you know the initial amount of assistance required.
References:
- Elastic Resistance Effectiveness on Increasing Strength of Shoulders and Hips // Journals. Lww:
https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2019/04000/Elastic_Resistance_Effectiveness_on_Increasing.5.aspx
My name is Ihor and I have been a professional weightlifter since 1996. With over 20 years of competition experience, my resume includes European Champion in 2009 and the silver medalist at 2011's Senior World Championships – 105kg division.
I competed at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics.
After hanging up my own competitive lifting shoes, I decided to share my huge background as a coach. I am currently coaching multiple athletes who are competing at national and international competitions.