We get asked all the time how to improve the grip on a pull-up bar. We've already tried out several solutions. We offer two of them here on our site.
A few days ago, we also made a video on how to put on and take off rubber grips. Check it out. Maybe it's a solution for you to improve the grip of your pull-up bar.
However, keep in mind: our pull-up bars already offer a comfortable and secure grip. That means add-ons are not necessary, assuming normal use.
If you still want to improve the grip of your pull-up bar, or if you're looking for a pull-up bar that's supposed to offer a very good grip, then consider the following: You can generally improve the grip of a pull-up bar in these ways:
- Knurling the grip areas
- Wrapping the grip areas with tape
- Using chalk
- Attaching grip covers
- Training more
All of these options have their pros and cons:
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Knurling the grip areas: This permanent, machine-made alteration of the surface provides a very good grip. However, the knurling has to be done right. Specifically, it can't be too coarse. Otherwise, you won't be able to do pull-ups—because the grips will basically be like files for your skin.
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Wrapping the grip areas with tape: This is a very simple and inexpensive solution. We used to carry the tapes. The downside, however, is that you have to wrap the tapes very precisely, with virtually no overlap. That's a huge pain and rarely works out. The result: you have grip, but you can feel the unevenness. That's not so great. Plus, the tape gets dirty over time and makes the pull-up bar look very worn out.
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Using chalk (magnesium carbonate): This is a very comfortable solution for your skin and for grip. As a gymnast, I always loved using it. But with chalk also comes the mess: chalk is dusty. So, you'll always have little bits of chalk under the pull-up bar, on the pull-up bar, and on your hands, which you'll have to clean up sooner or later. It's not a huge deal, but it does lead to more cleaning work around and on your pull-up bar.
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Attaching grip covers: It's very easy to slide our rubber grips onto the pull-up bar and immediately improve the grip (see the video above). The rubber grips feel good and are slightly rough. All in all, this is a very good solution. It's cheaper than knurling, but more expensive than all the other solutions mentioned before.
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Training more: This is the cheapest solution of all. Here's why: The poor grip on your high-quality pull-up bar is most likely a result of your grip strength. In this case, it's probably just a little too weak. If you train regularly and a bit more intensely on the pull-up bar, the grip problem will pretty much solve itself.
