Valor Fitness BD-9 squat stand has every feature that we could have dreamt of such as an expandable foot base, weight storage pegs, and complimentary spotter arms, along with a pair of -j-hooks. Just like the Valor Fitness BD-7 Power Rack, it is also made of 2” X 2” frame but the steel is of 13 gauge, which means it is suitable only for beginners and recreational lifters who do not have much space to accommodate a half rack or a full-size squat rack.
Do you think it fits well for your home gym?
Read our detailed review below to find out more about its build-quality, stability, durability, and where it stands when compared with the best squat stands that we recommend for home gyms.
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Quick Review Summary
Valor Fitness BD-9 independent squat stand is one of the most affordable options for home gym owners who do not want to train with more than 200lbs of weight. Being lightweight, it is not very stable but that’s why the manufacturer has provided the weight pegs on them so you can weigh them for additional stability. It comes with two separate sets of barbell holders; one set of j-hooks for squatting and the other for benching. But, the holders in the benching area are poorly designed and not reliable at all. You should either remove them or replace them with something better.
Other common issues that you can expect from the Valor BD-9 squat stands are poor painting job, imperfect welds, and missing parts. Thankfully, Valor Fitness has an amazing customer support team that can send you replacements, if needed.
Pros
- One of the most affordable squat stands for beginners
- Comes with weight pegs for weighing it down
- Comes with spotter arms and an additional pair of hooks for the benching zone
- Works as expected provided you stick to the recommended weight limit
Cons
- Needs to be weighed down for use
- The hooks for the benching area are poorly designed and shouldn’t be used
Rating
We are giving this a rating of 4 out of 5.0.
Full Review
Now on to our full review.
Key Features
- Dimensions: 75” high and 20.5” wide. The length of the base can be adjusted from 20” to 28”
- Weight: 29lbs each
- Weight bearing capacity- 350lbs max. If you want to lift heavier than this, you can go with Valor Fitness BD-18 squat stands.
- Frame is made of 2” X 2” 13 gauge steel
- Comes with a pair of j-hooks, a pair of spotter arms/safety catches, and a pair of catches for benching exercises
- There is a weight storage peg on each of the stands
- The holes have a 2” gap between them
- Warranty- 3 years for the frame and 1 year for the j-hooks and other add-ons
Valor Fitness BD-9 independent squat stand is suitable only for beginners
It is not as durable and stable as the Fringesport squat stands or the Bells of steel squat stands. That's because the steel used for these stands is not solid enough to hold really heavy weight. But, it works for people who have no intentions of training with more than 200lbs, although the manufacturer claims the weight limit to be 350lbs.
What we like the most about the Valor Fitness BD-9 squat stands is that it comes with almost every possible add-on you may want to add to it.
It comes with two sets of j-hooks/barbell holders; one for the squatting position and one for the benching area. If you are the only one who uses these stands, you won’t have to adjust the position of these hooks every time you want to move from squatting to benching and vice versa.
You will also get a pair of spotter arms/safety catches with the Valor Fitness BD-9 squat stands. They are OK but we would have loved them had they been longer by 3” or 4”.
Valor Fitness promotes its expandable nesting bases, claiming that they make storage easier. But, we don’t think this feature is needed at all because they can hardly help you save 4”-5”. The base, however, is well-built with rubber feet to prevent skidding as well as to protect your floor/weightlifting platform from damage.
Don’t have a weightlifting platform yet? You can buy a readymade deadlift platform or you can build your own weightlifting platform at home.
Also, do not forget to buy the Yes4All Silencer Drop Pads in case you are into the habit of dropping your weights when done.
Make sure you weigh down the Valor Fitness BD-9 squat stands before use
We strongly recommend this even if you are lifting less than 100lbs.
Don’t get us wrong; the stands are pretty stable but they weigh just 29lbs each, which makes them much lighter than the Bells of Steel squat stands, another product suitable for beginners. Due to their light weight, they are more prone to tip over even with the slightest force. Moreover, the frame is not as wide as other top-rated products that we have selected for you such as the Rogue S4 squat stands and the Titan Fitness T3 series squat stands.
Thankfully, Valor Fitness has addressed this issue by providing weight horns on each of them. See the image below.
Once you add a 45lbs plate on each of these horns, you should be able to create a safe and stable setup for your weight training purpose. These horns are designed for Olympic plates but you can store 2” plates too.
You may not like the barbell holders/j-hooks meant for the benching area
Look at the above image.
Instead of the typical J-shape, these hooks have a rather V-shape. Many buyers have stated that the barbell doesn’t go all the way in these hooks. Plus, they often get stuck in them and you may have to apply some force to get them out. If this happens during your reps, the stands may move from their position and you may not be able to place the barbell back on them easily. This defies the purpose of using a squat stand for benching.
Moreover, due to their extremely sharp design, the holders of the benching area are more likely to scratch your barbell.
Some buyers have suggested that you can fix this issue by simply bending the metal out to make it more of an L-shape. However, we would suggest that you rather remove these ones and use the j-hooks only. Or, you may buy good quality replacement j-hooks in case you want to have two sets.
Valor Fitness should have done this. Instead of choosing a non-standard and impractical design, it should have simply provided two sets of j-hooks. Or maybe it shouldn’t have bothered to add them at all.
If you are too much into benching exercises, maybe you should choose a different product from our list of best squat stands for home gyms that can help you make new PRs as frequently as possible.
Read this article to learn more about what PR means in the gym.
Also, do not forget to check out our detailed article on why it is not wise to work your chest 3 times a week.
Rating
We are giving this a rating of 4 out of 5.0.
Wrap Up
As obvious from our review above, the Valor Fitness BD-9 independent squat stands are only suitable for people who cannot or do not want to invest in more expensive options. It may not last for a lifetime but you will be able to use it for quite a few years until you are ready to upgrade to something better.
That’s it for this article. Keep visiting our website for more such genuine first-hand product reviews and detailed informational guides.