Quick Overview
The REP PR-1100 is a solid, no-frills squat rack at a great price. The 2×2 construction is strong enough for most, but it’s not as rigid as higher-end racks. This tube size also limits third-party attachments, but REP offers several great accessories, including a lat pulldown/low row. This rack is ideal for beginners, budget shoppers, and those with space constraints.
Who It’s Right For
Things to Consider
The REP PR-1100 is the most value-packed power rack that REP Fitness offers.
This rack comes in multiple colors, it offers a multi-grip pull-up bar as standard, and it doesn’t need to be bolted to the ground due to a rear stabilizer.
Optionally, you can purchase the lat pulldown/low row attachment as well as a dip attachment, both of which will be included in this PR-1100 review.
Priced under $400 shipped, this rack is great for anyone who’s looking for a quality, budget-friendly rack.
Is it the best rack out there? No – and we’ll examine some of its shortcomings – but for the value, it’s a very nice option. I would go so far as to say it’s the best budget rack currently available.
Let’s dig in.
REP PR-1100 Review
The REP PR-1100 is one of three 1000-series racks that REP offers, alongside the PR-1000 and the PR-1050. I’ll compare the PR-1100 to both of those racks below.
The 1000-series racks from REP are the most economical in their lineup. These are low-profile racks with solid specs and, while they won’t compete with the higher-end 4000 and 5000-series racks, they can certainly hold their own at this price point.
I’ve owned several different racks in my garage gym, including 2×3 racks with 5/8″ holes and 3×3 racks with 1″ holes. The PR-1100 uses 2×2 steel and 1″ holes, and I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on it to share with the home gym community.
Before getting into the review, let’s have a look at the full spec profile of the rack.
Specs
- Rack Type: 4-Post Power Rack (6-Post optional)
- Tube Size: 2×2
- Hole Size: 1″
- Hole Spacing: 3″
- Height: 82″ or 84″ (depends on pull-up bar orientation – 84″ shown)
- Footprint: 47.5″ Deep/58″ Wide (48″ on uprights)
- Interior Depth/Width: 26″/44″
- Numbered Uprights: Every 5th Hole
- Colors: Red, Blue, or Black
Construction & Build Quality
The REP PR-1100 uses 2×2 14-gauge steel, which results in a lower weight capacity and less rigidity than more common 2×3 and 3×3 racks. Still, it’s a well-made rack that will serve many lifters well. The flat-foot design doesn’t require bolting to the floor, making it great for apartments or places where you don’t want to drill into the ground.
The PR-1100 is constructed with 14-gauge 2×2 steel. While higher-end racks offer thicker 11-gauge steel and a wider profile (2×3 or 3×3 mainly), this size is plenty for most people. The rack is rated to hold 700 lbs, so unless you’re an elite powerlifter, you should have no issues with structural stability with this rack.
This is a flat-foot rack, which means the uprights sit on top of a base that sits flat on the floor. The rear crossmember is slightly wider than the uprights to create additional stability in the system. The upper crossmembers include a rear nameplate and a multi-grip pull-up bar, both of which help to bolster the rack. The advantage of this style of power rack is that it doesn’t have to be bolted into the ground or a platform. Not having to bolt into the ground also means it’s much easier to move around and it doesn’t leave behind any holes in your foundation.
Overall, the rack does a good job of providing stability, however, compared to heavier flat-foot racks, it will tend to sway more. If you’re re-racking a heavy squat or you’re doing dips, you’ll feel it more, but again, it’s structurally sound. While not having to bolt down is a great feature, I do wish the rack at least had an option for it. Bolting down does provide more stability, but at the expense of the benefits mentioned above. Flat extensions with a hole on the front uprights and rear crossmember would accommodate that with a minimal increase in overall footprint. The rack does include rubber feet to grip/protect your floor and having the lat pulldown attachment greatly increases front-to-back stability.
The uprights on the PR-1100 include 1″ holes with 3″ spacing. While 1″ spacing is standard on many racks, including higher-end options, 3″ spacing is not. Most racks will have 2″ spacing and maybe 1″ spacing through the bench zone (AKA Westside Spacing). The downside to 3″ spacing is two-fold. One is that you may find yourself in-between holes when setting up for certain lifts. Take the bench press for example – some lifters may either have to partially bench the bar or slightly overextend to un-rack the bar. If the spacing was tighter, the un-racking process may be more optimal. Two is that 3″ spacing will limit attachment compatibility (more on that below), but with 2×2 uprights, that’s going to happen either way.
One nice benefit of these uprights – something you don’t often see on racks at this price – is that it includes laser-numbered holes. It’s not every hole – only every 5th hole – but it’s helpful when lining up the safeties.
Size & Footprint
The PR-1100 is a good option for those with limited space to dedicate to a rack. With a total footprint of 47.5″ D x 58″ W x 84″ OR 82″ H, it can accommodate tight quarters. It’s especially good in low-ceiling environments.
The width of the PR-1100 uprights is 48″ from outside to outside. This is a good overall width because it provides enough clearance to cleanly un-rack and re-rack your bar without much concern of clipping the plates. The total width, however, is 58″ due to the real stabilizer.
The height of this rack is going to appeal to those with short ceilings. Depending on if you have the pull-up bar mounted upward-facing or downward-facing, the rack will sit either 84″ or 82″ tall, respectively. The inside lifting depth is 26″, which is enough to safely lift in. The Westside guys have been lifting in 24″ racks for years, so there’s little concern there, but it might feel claustrophobic to some.
Ultimately, this is a space-friendly rack with the one caveat being the longer rear crossmember.
Attachments & Compatibility
The 2×2 construction of this rack limits outside attachment compatibility, but REP offers several attachments, including a dip bar, pull-up bar, safeties, j-cups, and weight storage. However, the most notable attachment is the lat pulldown/low row, which greatly increases versatility.
The PR-1100 comes with a few standard attachments and REP offers a few others as add-ons. We’ll start with the standard and then move to the optional accessories.
Safeties
This rack comes with chrome-plated pin safeties. This style of safety system is very common on budget racks because they’re very basic. These do differ from traditional pin & pipes in that they don’t have the pipe surround and they extend out in front of the rack by 4.5″. With a round head to keep anything from sliding off, these can double as j-cups. These safeties also flip into the front upright to keep them secure, whereas traditional pin & pipes do not.
Pull-Up Bar
One of the nicest features of the PR-1100 is that it comes with a multi-grip pull-up bar. Generally, this is a premium add-on, so to get that on a budget rack is a definite plus. This pull-up bar can be mounted facing up or down depending on your height needs and your preferences. When facing upward, you will have access to a pronated angled pull-up, similar to a traditional lat pulldown. When facing downward, you will have a supinated angled pull-up, but it doesn’t feel as nice in my experience. With either orientation, you’ll have 28″ of flat bar to work with as well as dual neutral grips spaced ~9″ apart. A nice feature of this bar is that one side offers a 1.25″ diameter and the other offers a 2″ diameter, so you can train different grips.
Keep in mind that if you have the pull-up bar facing downward, you may find yourself having to bend your knees to get a full stretch because of the lowered height. The entire pull-up bar is powder-coated and it provides a decent overall grip. It can get a little slick if your palms get sweaty, so chalk may be necessary. Lastly, the pull-up bar has a 400lb capacity.
J-Cups
The third and final standard attachment with the PR-1100 is REP’s standard J-Cup. They’re lined with UHMW to protect your barbell, but they don’t have UHMW on the inner edges. This can cause some cosmetic blemishes on your rack’s finish over time.
Lat Pulldown/Low Row Attachment
Where the PR-1100 rack starts separating itself from some other budget racks is with the lat pulldown/low row attachment. This is a premium offering, so you’ll have to pay extra for it, but it provides a lot of versatility beyond just the rack. In addition to the extra cost, there are also some additional space requirements. This attachment will add 17″ of depth and it will cause the rack to sit 86″ tall. When you load plates onto it, the depth increases by another 4.5″ to 21.5″ total.
Assembly of this attachment is simple enough, but I would NOT use the provided instructions unless you want to bang your head against a wall. REP has an installation video that’s much easier to follow – I highly recommend it.
In terms of function, the unit is decently smooth out of the box. You’re not going to get commercial-grade smoothness on a budget rack-mounted cable system. You’re also not going to get the same smoothness as the 4000 or 5000-series version since those include two vertical guide rods vs. a post system on the PR-1100. Still, it does a nice job overall at a solid price. I highly recommend applying silicone spray to the column. I’ve been using Liquid Wrench on my cable equipment for years and it works great. This will create a smoother operation – it made a big difference with the PR-1100.
The weight pegs accommodate any Olympic-sized plates (2″ hole opening) with a total capacity of 250 lbs. With this system offering a high and low pulley, you can perform a variety of movements, including lat pulldowns, triceps pushdowns, low rows, cable curls, etc…The unit includes a lat pulldown bar and a straight bar to get you started, which is great… but they’re not very special. They’ll get the job done, but I would recommend jumping up to REP’s other cable attachments, which are much nicer.
What this unit doesn’t come with, which their 4000 and 5000-series attachment does, is a low row foot feature. Having something to press your feet against is very helpful when performing a low row. You don’t get that here, so you’ll have to get creative by stacking plates, using dumbbells, or using anything that can remain relatively stationary and give you a solid platform.
Overall, I think this is a very worthwhile attachment given its price and the versatility it offers.
Further reading: Best Lat Pulldown Low Row Machines
Weight Storage
As standard, the PR-1100 is a 4-post rack, but REP does sell a weight storage section that will effectively convert it into a 6-post rack. This is great for two reasons. The first is that it gives you a place to store your plates (or bands, chains, etc…) as well as two barbells vertically. Organization is key in the home gym, and on-rack storage is a great way to do it. The second is that it adds additional stability to the rack, especially if you store plates on it. The storage section includes 8 weight pins measuring 8.5″ long with a total capacity of 2,000 lbs.
This unit will of course add some additional depth to your rack, but not as much as the lat pulldown attachment. You can have both the weight storage and the lat pulldown attachment installed on the PR-1100.
Dip Attachment
The dip attachment on the PR-1100 is different from most rack-mounted dip stations. Instead of using an upright, it uses both safeties. The top safety slides into the separate dip handles and then a set screw on each is used to secure them. Then a flat vertical brace rests against the bottom safety to prevent the handles from spinning around the top safety. The nice thing about this attachment is that you can adjust the distance between the handles, which you don’t get with fixed dip bars.
Landmine
Lastly, REP offers a landmine attachment for the PR-1100. I’m a big advocate for landmines in general because they provide so much training variety without costing too much and without taking up much space. There isn’t anything fancy about the REP landmine. It uses a 1″ pin and two set screws to secure it in place. With it, however, you can perform a lot of movements, including presses, pulls, rotations, etc…
Outside Compatibility
With the PR-1100 being a 2×2 rack with 1″ hardware, you’ll be limited to manufacturers who produce attachments with those same specs. One notable place to look is Titan Fitness (T-2 attachments). Otherwise, outside compatibility is virtually non-existent.
Aesthetics
The PR-1100 is a good-looking rack for the money. While most racks at this budget only offer black powder coat, this one comes in several colors, including blue and red. The laser-cut numbers on the uprights are another nice touch that isn’t common at this price level.
Aesthetically, I’m pretty impressed with the PR-1100. Typically, with power racks in this price range, you don’t get color options. With this rack, REP offers blue, red, and two versions of black (standard and metallic). The great thing about all of these colors is that they match REP’s other products, like their benches. This way you can create a very cohesive-looking setup.
Regardless of which color you pick, the base and the upper crossmembers will be black. I like this with colored uprights because it creates a very nice-looking two-tone contrast. As you can see in the pictures, however, I went with all-black. The powder coat on the rack is textured and well-applied.
Unboxing and Assembly
The PR-1100 from REP ships either freight or parcel depending on if you purchase accessories like the lat pulldown/low row. If you have the option to pick between the two, I would strongly suggest the freight route assuming you’re located in an area that can provide access to a large truck. The benefit of freight is that there is far less chance that your equipment will arrive damaged. My shipment from REP, which includes the PR-1100, the lat/low row, and the dip attachments all arrived in perfect condition on a pallet.
Each one is packaged separately, which is nice. For example, if you were to just purchase the PR-1100 without any accessories, you would receive it all in one single box. As you can see, the rack and attachments are neatly packaged and well protected.
Assembly of the rack is simple, and it’s one of the biggest advantages of a smaller rack like this. I was able to build the rack by myself in about 1 hour, which included 30 minutes of just unwrapping everything. It’s highly recommended to use a socket wrench (11/16″ or 17/18mm) because the provided wrench tool, like many others, is a pain to use. You can also use a power drill, but be careful not to overtighten, as you can deform the uprights/crossmembers or cause the rack to not sit flush. Also, get all of your bolts in place before beginning to tighten. This will ensure your rack sits flush to the ground, assuming you have a flat floor.
REP PR-1100 vs. REP PR-1000
It’s easy to assume that the PR-1100 is better than the PR-1000 because the number is larger. While it may be better for some people, that isn’t necessarily the case for others. Let me explain.
Where these racks are similar is that they both use 2×2 steel, they both use 1″ hardware, and they both have a flat foot design. The primary differences between the two are as follows:
- The PR-1100 has color options, whereas the PR-1000 does not.
- The PR-1100 has 3″ hole spacing, whereas the PR-1000 has 2″ spacing. This won’t affect attachment compatibility given the tube size, but you have more hole options with the PR-1000.
- The PR-1100 has a multi-grip pull-up bar, whereas the PR-1000 does not. Not only that, but the multi-grip pull-up bar isn’t an option on the PR-1000 at all.
- The PR-1100 has a flat rear stabilizer base with no plate storage, whereas the PR-1000 has two vertical storage posts. This allows for plate organization and it provides additional stability.
- The PR-1100 is either 84″ or 82″ tall, whereas the PR-1000 is 83″ tall.
- The PR-1100 is less expensive than the PR-1000.
Looking at these differences, I think the PR-1100 is the better rack, especially considering it costs less. The multi-grip pull-up bar is a big advantage and it offers multiple color options. Where it lags behind the PR-1000 is with the hole spacing and the rear posts. If you want more hole options, I would recommend the PR-1000. Otherwise, it’s hard to beat this PR-1100.
REP also offers the PR-1050, which is exactly the same as the PR-1000, but with a 72″ height vs. 83″. This may be an option for you if you have very short ceilings.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, the REP PR-1100 is a very solid budget power rack. It’s strong enough for the majority of users, it’s well-made, and it offers a few worthwhile attachments to add variety to your home gym training.
REP PR-1100 Rating
Final Verdict
The REP PR-1100 isn’t the best power rack on the market, but for less than $400 shipped, it’s a great budget offering. If you’re looking for something space-friendly and inexpensive, give the PR-1100 a look.