The lat pulldown machine is the one thing many home gym owners miss from a commercial gym. But not everyone has the space or money to get a complete separate machine. An add-on lat pulldown for your power rack is a good alternative so which one is the best?
The 3 best power racks that have the best lat pull-down options are;
- Fitness Reality 810XLT
- HulkFit 1000
- Titan T-3
All these racks have a lat pull-down add-on available that works well and is of high quality. The racks themselves are sturdy and flexible enough to deserve a place in your home gym.
Read more about why these are the best and what to look out below.
| Image | Brand | Model | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
  | Fitness Reality | 810XLT | Buy on Amazon |
  | HulkFit | 1000 | Buy on Amazon |
  | Titan | T-3 | Buy on Amazon |
3 Best power rack with lat pull-down
These are the three best power racks with lat pull-down. The focus of this list is on the lat-pulldown part. So while they are all decent power racks, the order of the list has been decided by the lat pull-down add-on.
1. Fitness Reality 810 XLT
An awesome option for more than one reason.
- Well priced for the total package
- Rack doesn’t have to be bolted down
- Comes with leg lockdown
A very popular rack that’s made even better by adding the lat-pulldown option. It does many things right for a good price while maintaining good build quality.
It’s one of the recommended racks for a home gym in general and not only if you want a rack that doesn’t have to be bolted down.
Find more information about the 810 XLT here.
2. HulkFit 1000
Number two is the HulkFit 1000
- Rack doesn’t have to be bolted down
- Comes with leg lockdown
As you can see its benefits are very similar to the first one. It’s a bit more expensive which is why it’s the second on this list. You do get a few more things for the extra money. The load limit is slightly higher and you get 4 J-cups and dip handles included. Also, it’s bright yellow. To some people this might be a benefit for others a drawback, that’s up to you.
The lat pull-down attachment is very similar with a high and low pulley, leg lockdowns and footrests. Its plate loaded which is the same as all the other ones.
3. Titan T-3
Another reason why this rack is so popular. It’s well priced, sturdy and has so many add-on options. You can add almost anything you want, although not all at the same time.
The biggest downsides compared to the first two are that this rack does have to be bolted down. (none of the Titan lat pull-down add-ons are compatible with their ‘free’ power racks.) it also doesn’t come with leg lockdowns.
That’s why it’s number three. Otherwise, it’s a very good total package. Very reasonably priced and high quality. If you can get past the downsides, this is a more versatile rack than the first two. The lat pull-down is great although it does lack the leg lockdown.
Recommended home gym power racks.
Power racks with lat pulldown list
There are a few more power racks that have a lat pulldown option. These aren’t as good overall as the three best but maybe you find one in here that fits your purposes.
| Brand | Model | Add-on |
|---|---|---|
| Fitness Reality | 810XLT | Slide rail, plate loaded, leg hold down |
| Fitness Reality | X-Class | Slide rail, plate loaded |
| Titan Fitness | T-2 | Slide rail, plate loaded, high +low pulley |
| Titan Fitness | T-3 | Slide rail, plate loaded, high +low pulley |
| Titan Fitness | X-2 | Slide rail, plate loaded, high +low pulley |
| Titan Fitness | X-3 | Slide rail, plate loaded, high +low pulley |
| RitFit | Power Cage | Slide rail, plate loaded, high +low pulley |
| MaxKare | Power Cage | Slide rail, plate loaded, high +low pulley |
| Merax | Fitness Power Rack | Slide rail, plate loaded, high +low pulley |
| Progear | 310 | Slide rail, plate loaded, High/Low pulley |
| HulkFit | 1000 | Slide rail, plate loaded, High/Low pulley, leg hold down |
| Valor Fitness | BD-7 | Slide rail, plate loaded, High/Low pulley |
| Marcy Pro | Full Cage | Slide rail, plate loaded, High/Low pulley |
Types of lat pulldown add-on
You should know there are a few different types of lat pulldown add-ons. Some are better than others so it’s worth knowing the types.
- Simple pulley
- Plate loaded with slide rails
In the list above, you will only find the second type. The first type is available easily and cheap but it’s not the best choice. Because there is no rail that guides the weight plates up and down, the weights can start swinging back and forth. That is just difficult and can limit your workouts.
Usually the systems without slide rail is also just lower quality which means they can support less weight. On the plus side, these pulleys can often be attached to any power rack and you don’t have to match them to a rack that’s specifically made for it. Although it that does mean you’ll have to drill holes in your rack.
The simple pulley system is plate loaded and so is the version with slide rails. If you have a power rack, chances are high you also have weight plates so that’s not an issue.
The slide rail guides the weight up and down without the chance of it deviating from that path. This is much safer and sturdier than just a cable. This allows you to lift heavier weights and feel safer while doing so. The resistance will also feel more consistent.
The downside is that the version with slide rails will have to match up with the power rack. This means you have to buy both from the same manufacturer and usually only one model will work with another model so you have to decide what you want before you buy either the power rack or the lat pulldown add-on.
Downsides of add-on lat pulldown
There are a few downsides of having a lat pulldown add-on to your power rack compared to a stand-alone machine.
- There is usually no leg support
- No built in seat
- Not much cheaper than a stand-alone machine
- You’ll have to move your rack further from the wall
Leg support
Lat pulldown machines always have a foam roll or tube you can wedge your legs under. When you’re lifting heavy weights on this machine, those rolls prevent you from lifting off the seat. When you don’t have those supports, you are a little limited in how much weight you can lift for the lat pulldown. It will also change the exercise a little bit since you have to use more muscles while trying to stay in place. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just a little different.
The reason why the two best options you found above are the two best is because they do have this leg lockdown.
No built in seat
A lat pulldown machine comes with a built in seat while power racks do not. Of course it’s easy enough to add your own bench since you probably already got one.
If you don’t have a bench yet, click here to find my recommendations.
The combination of no leg lockdown and no built in seat means that it can be quite a different experience than a machine in a commercial machine.
Price
For the price of these add-ons, you can buy a stand-alone lat pull-down machine with extra low pulley. The add-ons have a high pulley and low pulley. Most home gym lat pulldown machine have the same features and roughly cost the same. The benefit of a dedicated lat pulldown machine has a built in seat and lat pulldown. The stand-alone machines are plate loaded, the same way as the power rack add-ons. Of course there are lat pull-down machines with built in weights (selectorized). Those are a lot more expensive though.
The downside of a stand-alone machine is of course that it takes up more space.
Find the best compact lat pull-down machines here.
Rack placement
If your power rack is up against the wall now (or you want to place it there) you have to pull it away a little more. Since you have to load the plates on the carrier and need space to move the plates up and down. If you’ve got very limited space this might be a problem. On the other hand, it still takes up less space than a stand-alone machine.
Find the smallest home gym power racks here.
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