Honest Review of the Rogue RML-3WC Fold Back Rack: Folding squat/weight rack alternatives
So here we are, a year into the global pandemic and running outside or body weight exercises are beginning to feel mundane to you. While both of those options are great forms of exercise that could and should be a part of everyone’s fitness routine, it can seem like ground hog’s day when you’ve exhausted the same workouts.
Based off flexibility and more bang for your buck, I would recommend a squat rack. A squat rack allows you to not just limit yourself to bench press or squats; you can use the squat rack to execute both of those exercises. With a squat rack, you can also do shrugs, floor press, or even rack pulls to name a few. With so many options to choose from, where do you begin? The process of investing in a squat rack can feel a bit overwhelming especially when making a purchase of a few hundred dollars. I personally invested in a folding squat rack, the Rogue RML-3WC Fold Back Rack, and here is my honest review on why you should get a folding Squat rack as well!
ROGUE RML-3WC Review
Our honest review looks at the pros and cons of the RML-3WC fold back rack below.
Pros:
- This folding rack provides the sturdiness and stability that we have all come to know and love with Rogue products.
- It comes built with a hinge system that allows you to fold the squat rack away freeing up space in your home or garage. This one is huge for my wife and me! Being a military family, we move often so the added flexibility of being able to fold away is a huge plus for our lifestyle.
- The squat rack can use all the Monster Lite line of accessories, as well as other companies, specifically Titan Fitness and Rep Fitness. These companies use the same 5/8” hole size as Rogue and often come in at a lower price point for accessories.
- A pull-up bar comes standard with the rack.
- The squat rack comes with a costume Rogue Stinger that gives it a clean flush finish with your wall.
- You do not have to anchor the feet of the squat rack, saving your concrete foundation in your home.
- The J-cups come equipped to support up to 1,000 pounds of weight and evenly distribute the weight through the stinger system to not put too much pressure on your wall studs.
- The squat rack is extremely versatile. I personally have the Rogue matador and landmine press and use this squat rack to perform squats, front squats, bench press, incline bench press, shrugs, rack pulls, dips, and landmine press just to name a few! With so many options this truly is a home gym investment!
- Assembly is not difficult. While I did assemble the squat rack by myself, I do recommend getting some help if you can because some of the components are a bit heavy. It took about 20 minutes to have the rack mounted to the wall.
- Offers two different depth choices to choose from, 20.5” and 40.5”.
- Made in the USA.
Cons:
- This is not the cheapest folding squat rack on the market. While it is not overly expensive, there are cheaper alternatives that I will go into later in this article.
- Unlike some more expensive alternatives, to fold this rack does require some disassembly. You do not have to unmount it from your wall studs, but you do have to remove the pull-up bar to unhinge the squat rack and fold it to the wall.
Folding Squat/Weight Rack Alternatives
Here, we look at four different options to rival the Rogue RML-3WC above.
1. PRx Performance Profile Rack
Pro Performance has two rack solutions, the Profile PRO and the Profile Rack.
Pros:
- Provides three different options for pull-up bars. You can either get no pull-up bar, a regular pull-up bar, or an extended 36” pull-up bar if you’d like to incorporate kipping pull-ups.
- PRx developed a unique gas shock system that allows you to fold the entire rack in one piece! This is a huge convenience factor and time saver. PRx is the only folding rack on the market right now that offers this feature.
- Easy installation.
- The entire line of PRx is built for space efficiency in the home and can all mount against the wall.
- This rack has the quickest installation out of the group.
- Provides a stinger for mounting to the wall.
Cons:
- This is the priciest line of folding squat racks by far. If you have the budget and would like the added convenience of folding in one piece, this may be the squat rack for you, however, if you do not mind minor disassembly and would like a lower entry point, I recommend another option on this list.
- The PRx is not prorated to support as much weight as the Rogue RML-3WC. It can only support up to 505 pounds. If the stinger were larger and took more bolts, like the Rogue RML-3WC, it would be able to withstand more weight.
- Does not offer different depth choices.
2. Titan Fitness X-3 Rack
Two options available, a bolt down rack cage and a flat foot rack cage.
Pros:
- Comparable to the Rogue RML-3WC at a lower entry point.
- Offers two depth choices at 21.5” and 41.5”.
- Built around the same specs as the Rogue alternative so it can utilize the Rogue accessory attachments.
- Comes equipped with a pull-up bar.
Cons:
- Installation is not as simple as the previous two choices and does require a bit of skill.
- Like the Rogue folding rack, folding the squat rack is not as simple as moving one piece and does require disassembly of the pull-up bar.
- The pull-up bar is unusually fat at 1.5”, and that is the only version of pull-up that is offered.
- Typically, Titian fitness does not pay as much attention to detail as Rogue or PRx in alignment and welding.
- Does not come with a stinger to assist in mounting to the wall.
3. Rep PR-4100 Squat Rack
Folding wall mount squat and power rack from REP
Pros:
- Laser cut numbers on the side. This is huge when it comes to making sure you put your J-cups on the same hole prior to resting your barbell on them.
- It is fully compatible with Rogue accessory attachments.
- Great price point for the rack that you are getting.
- Comes equipped with a pull-up bar.
- Offers two depth choices 21.5” and 41.5”.
Cons:
- Great price, however, Titan is still the cheapest on the list.
- Cost of shipping is extra.
- Like the Titian alternative, installation is not as easy and does require skill.
- Does not come with a stinger attachment.
4. Ollieroo Multi-Function Barbell Rack Stand
Pro:
- flood standing barbell and squat rack with adjustable height
- base height and bracket height both adjustable
- multi-functional design for use with barbell, flat, incline and shoulder bench presses, squats, curls, rows and more.
- adjustable width of base
Cons:
- not foldable but still compact and takes up little space
- suitable for light benchpress as position is awkward
- lack of rubber padding for the bracket can get bar scratched
Others: Amazon alternative options
Pros:
- By far the cheapest option on the list.
- Comes equipped with pull-up.
- You can also order other options like the PRx system, and Titian off Amazon.
Cons:
- The cheaper options are not as strong as the other options on this list.
- They are smaller owned companies who often outsource making customer service interactions difficult.
- They do not have many reviews.
- Some reviews state that not all the components made it into packaging.
- Questionable quality control on shipped products.
Final Thoughts
With the surge in home gyms since the pandemic, thousands of people have been faced with the problem of building a home gym with the space they have in their homes. The folding squat racks on this list are all great options for you to be as efficient with your space as possible without settling on a lesser quality product.
Depending on your budget, the available space, preference on efficiency, or availability to ship; each squat rack on this list will help you get after your goals. For me personally, when I factored all the pros and cons, the Rogue RML-3WC fit my needs the most based off price. If you own any of the products or are looking to purchase one and have any questions or pros or cons that I may have missed please leave a comment below! I would love to see what you all have to say.
