Whether you’re training alone in your garage, or hundreds in your gym, the Dane 2.0 squat rack is the quintessential base from which the rest of a training center is formed.
A squat rack has two uprights and a pull-up bar smaller footprint, easy side access, and perfectly capable for squats, bench, and pull-ups. A power cage has four posts with built-in safety bars that catch the bar if you fail a rep, which matters significantly if you train alone and push near your limits regularly. The first thing you need to think of before purchasing a squat rack of any sort is how to best use the space you have while still making sure your new home gym can provide an adequate training space. Most of our racks can fit in a standard size home. We also have racks that can be mounted on to the wall and fold to stow, as well as a two-piece rack that can go wherever you need, depending on how much floor space you have at the time.
An open squat rack or a wall-mounted functional trainer are the two best options for tight spaces. The open rack has a compact two-post footprint that leaves room to move around it, and a wall-mounted option like the Slim Gym folds away when not in use so your floor stays clear between sessions.
Start with whatever fills the biggest gap in your current training. For most lifters that's either a cable attachment for rows, pulldowns, and isolation work, or a belt squat attachment for lower body loading without putting a bar on your back. If you're already training those movements, safety spotter arms and magnetic hitch pins are the practical next step for anyone training solo.
You don't need a separate machine. A pulley attachment for your squat rack adds cable functionality to what you already own, starting at an affordable entry price. For a more complete setup, the Sidewing Pulley System or Gibbon Arms turn a compatible rack into a full cable station without adding another footprint to your gym.
Check the outer dimensions of your uprights, most racks are 2x2, 2x3, or 3x3 steel tubing. Every attachment page lists compatibility by upright size, and all Fringe Sport racks list their upright spec on the product page. If you're not sure, reach out before you buy and we'll confirm the fit.
Squat Racks and Attachments: Build the Garage Gym You Actually Want
A squat rack is the center of a garage gym. Everything else gets added around it. Get the right one upfront and it becomes a platform you build on for years. Get the wrong one and you're either replacing it or working around its limitations every session.
We've been helping garage gym lifters pick the right rack since the beginning. What follows is an honest breakdown of what's available, what each type of rack is built for, and how to expand what you own with the right squat rack attachments over time.
Types of Squat Racks: What's the Difference?
Not every squat rack is the same, and the differences matter more than price when you're buying something you'll use multiple times a week for years.
Open Squat Rack
Two uprights, a pull-up bar, and J-cups. The most space-efficient option in the lineup and the right starting point for most garage gym lifters who want a capable, no-frills setup. Smaller footprint, easy side access for loading plates, and compatible with a full range of rack accessories as your training grows. If you're working with a tight garage and a focused program, this is the rack.
Power Cage
Four posts with built-in safety bars that catch the bar if you fail a rep. For lifters who train alone and push near their limits regularly, the safety margin a power cage provides is worth the larger footprint. You don't need a spotter on heavy squats or bench press because the cage is the spotter. A four-post design also adds rigidity under very heavy loads that an open rack can't match.
Functional Trainer Rack
A squat rack with an integrated cable system. This is where the lineup steps up significantly in capability. A functional trainer rack handles everything an open rack does (squatting, pressing, pull-ups) and adds a full cable system for lat pulldowns, cable rows, tricep pushdowns, face pulls, and more. If your training calls for more than the foundational barbell lifts, a functional trainer rack saves you from buying a dedicated cable machine down the line. The Dane 2.0 is the most popular option in this category, the Fenrir offers a more compact build for tighter spaces, and the Slim Gym is the wall-mounted option when floor space is the priority.
How to Choose the Best Squat Rack for Your Garage Gym
The best squat rack isn't the most expensive one. It's the one that fits your space, covers your training, and gives you room to grow. Here are the three questions that narrow it down.
How much space do you have? An open rack fits in a tight footprint. A power cage needs more room on all four sides. A wall-mounted functional trainer takes up almost no floor space when not in use. Measure your available space before you buy, including ceiling height.
Do you train alone? If you're solo on heavy sets regularly, safety bars matter. A power cage has them built in. An open rack doesn't. The belt squat rack attachment also addresses this for lower body work since no spotter is ever needed for a belt squat.
What's your budget and where do you want to end up? The best affordable squat rack isn't always the cheapest squat rack. A $349 Garage Series rack that you can expand with attachments over time is a smarter investment than a cheap squat rack that maxes out its capability on day one. Buy for where your training is going, not just where it is.
Squat Rack Attachments: Expand What You Already Own
The right rack is a platform. Squat rack attachments are what turn it into a complete gym over time, without replacing what you've already bought.
Cable Attachments for Your Squat Rack
Adding a cable attachment for your squat rack is one of the highest-value upgrades available. A squat rack cable attachment opens up the full range of cable training lat pulldowns, tricep pushdowns, rows, face pulls, curls, and more, without adding a dedicated machine to your floor plan. A basic pulley attachment for a squat rack gets you cable functionality from a single anchor point. Step up to the Sidewing Pulley System for a more complete setup, or add the Gibbon Arms to turn a compatible rack into a cable crossover machine with independent arms on both sides.
Belt Squat Rack Attachment
The Mammoth Belt Squat is the most popular belt squat rack attachment in the lineup and one of the most reviewed products we carry. It routes the load through a belt at your hips rather than a bar across your back, which means serious lower body training with no spinal compression and no shoulder strain from the rack position. For lifters managing lower back issues or anyone who wants to add leg volume without the recovery cost of heavy barbell squatting, this is a legitimate upgrade.
Power Rack Attachments for Daily Training
Dip stations, spotter arms, J-cups, lat pulldown extenders, Smith machine attachments, and storage solutions all mount to your existing rack and expand what it can do without adding another piece of equipment to the floor. Available in 2x2, 2x3, and 3x3 sizing to match your upright spec. Start with the attachments that fill the biggest gap in your current training and build from there.
Magnetic Hitch Pins
Not every rack accessory is a major upgrade. Magpins are the small one that pays off every single session. Standard hitch pins fall out, get lost, and slow down every attachment change. Magnetic pins click into place and stay there. Once you use them, you won't go back.
Squat Rack Selection
| SQUAT RACK | FEATURES | SPECS |
|---|---|---|
| The Dane 2.0 — Half Rack Functional Trainer |
| Dimensions: 60" x 47" x 92" Weight Capacity: 1,000lb Weighs: 80lb each |
| The Dane 2.0 + Gibbon Arms - Cable Crossover |
| Dimensions: 60" x 47" x 92" Weight Capacity: 1,000lb Weighs: 80lb each |
| The Dane 2.0 + Fully Loaded |
| Dimensions: 60" x 47" x 92" Weight Capacity: 1,000lb Weighs: 80lb each |
| Garage Series Squat Cage |
| Dimensions: 96.5" x 46.5" x 62.5" Weight Capacity: 600lb Weighs: 110lb |
| Garage Series Squat Rack - Pullup Bar |
| Dimensions: 44" x 48.5" x 83" Weight Capacity: 600lb Weighs: 80lb |
| Osprey Commercial Power Cage (3x3) |
| Dimensions: 47" x 30" x 89" Weight Capacity: 1,000lb Weighs: 80lb each |
| The Fenrir Functional Trainer & Squat Rack |
| Dimensions: 49.5" x 47" x 87.5" Weight Capacity: 800lb Weighs: 110lb each |
| Slim Gym Wall Mounted Functional Trainer |
| Dimensions: 80" x 33" x 9" Weight Capacity: 500lb Weighs: 115lb each |