Fringesport was earlier known as OneFitWonder and it still sells many products under its old brand name. It doesn’t manufacture its own equipment. Rather, it sources its products from China and sells them under its brand name. Despite that, the products are fairly decent and serve their purpose.
We have been using the Fringesport bumper plates for more than 5 years now and we never had any issues with them. Similarly, the Fringesport independent squat stands are so good that they made it to our list of best independent squat stands. That’s why we thought of trying its retractable squat rack and, as expected, it met our expectations but it could have been cheaper.
Below is our detailed review of the Fringesport retractable squat rack. Read on to find out if you should be investing in it or if you should be checking out the other top-rated folding squat racks that we recommend for home gyms.
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Quick Review Summary
Fringesport retractable squat rack is made of 2” X 3 ” 11 gauge steel frame, which is rated for 800 lbs. It is suitable for intermediate to advanced training sessions. The folding mechanism is pretty simple and almost the same as other folding squat racks from Rogue and Titan. The welds and finishing are great and the option to fold it inwards and outwards really helps save space.
There are two major issues that we found with the Fringesport retractable folding squat rack. One is the lack of proper assembly instructions and the second is the high price tag that it comes with.
Pros
- Strong, durable, well-built product suitable for intermediate to advanced trainers
- Can be folded inwards and outwards
- Has a decent 25” depth
- Comes with 365 days return policy
Cons
- Inadequate assembly instructions
- Expensive for what it is
Rating
We are giving this a rating of 4 out of 5.0.
Full Review
Now on to our full review.
Key Features
- Dimensions: 47.25" width x 91" height x 25" depth (i.e. distance from the wall)
- Weight bearing capacity- 800lbs
- Frame: 2” X 3” 11 gauge steel frame
- Doesn’t come with a stringer. The seller doesn’t sell a stringer separately, so you will have to buy it from your local hardware store.
- Comes with a pair of j-hooks and a standard 1.25” diameter pull-up bar.
- Can be folded outward or inward as per your convenience.
- Features westside hole spacing in the benching zone and 2” spacing elsewhere
- Holes are not numbered
- Has a 365-days return policy, which is surprising!
Fringesport retractable squat rack is a strong, durable, well-built product for garages and small homes
As mentioned above, it is made of 2” X 3 ” 11 gauge steel frame. The steel gauge is excellent but the tubing is less wide than other competitive products that use 3” X 3” frames. So is the weight-bearing capacity. It is rated for 800 lbs but we do not recommend it to anyone who trains with more than 400 lbs.
What we like the most about the Fringesport retractable squat rack is that it can be folded inwards as well as outwards, giving you the flexibility to fold it in any direction suitable as per the availability of space.
The folding mechanism is fairly simple. There are some pins that you need to remove from their locks and when you are done folding/unfolding it, you need to secure the uprights using those pins. You also need to add/remove the pullup bar from the top. All this could take a minute but, as we said, the process is fairly simple. Moreover, it is the same process that is used by even the high-end folding squat racks by Rogue Fitness.
You cannot customize it
It is a fairly simple product available in a standard size unlike the ones from Titan and Rogue that provide you various height and width options.
But, the dimensions are pretty standard. Others have either 21” or 41” width but this one has 25” width and, in folding state, it sticks out just 5” from the wall. If you want to install it in a garage that is already in use, you shouldn’t have any issue.
See the image below:
Do note that you will have to buy stringers from your local hardware store
A stringer is basically a metal plate that functions exactly like a wooden stud used for construction. You need to attach it (or the wooden stud) to the wall and then, you need to secure the rack.
Now, you don’t actually need stringers. You can attach the rack directly to the wall as shown in the below image:
But, the use of stringers is highly recommended by the manufacturer as well as by us, especially if you are training with anything beyond 150lbs. Stringers take the pressure off the wall. They help protect the wall as well as the foundation of your home.
Now ideally the manufacturers should sell metal stringers as an optional add-on but we don’t understand why they don’t do that. Rogue Fitness is probably the only one that sells stringers separately.
So, if you want to use stringers, you will have to make a few trips to your local hardware stores. But, that's OK because, as we said, other competitive products too do not come with stringers.
Assembly instructions could have been better
Just like all other Chinese home gym equipment, the Fringesport retractable squat rack too comes with improper and inadequate assembly instructions. The process is pretty straightforward but if you do not have any assembly or carpentry skills, you may have to do a decent amount of brainstorming and redoing.
For example; the manufacturer hasn’t mentioned how far the uprights need to be mounted from each other. You will have to hold the uprights against the wall in a folded position, then open them to see if they work fine, and only then, you can take the measurements for installation. For this, you will have to seek help from at least two people. Plus, you may have to redo it a couple of times before getting it right. This could have been avoided if the manufacturer had just mentioned the dimensions along with the process.
The Fringesport retractable squat rack could have been cheaper by $50-$70
Maybe they have inflated the price during the ongoing pandemic but, anyways, we find it overpriced for what it is. The Titan X-3 series folding rack is made of 3” X 3” 11 gauge steel and can be customized to two different heights and widths. It also comes with a one year warranty and yet, it is cheaper than the Fringesport retractable rack which is made of 2” X 3” steel frame and can hold less weight than its competitive product.
If we have a $550 budget, we would rather go with the REP Fitness PR-4100 foldable squat rack that is made of 3” X 3” 11 gauge frame and has lots of room for adding accessories. Due to its non-standard size, finding accessories for the Fringesport retractable squat rack won’t be easy. You will have to stick with the same seller.
Increase your budget by $50 more and you will be able to buy Rogue Monster Lite series folding wall-mount squat racks, which are also made of 3” X 3” 11 gauge steel and strong enough to handle advanced rigorously training sessions.
Don’t have a $500 budget? Why not go with the Ethos folding squat rack that costs less than $300 and yet it is rated for 1000lbs weight with a 3” X 3” 11 gauge frame.
Now, don’t you agree that Fringesport is an over-priced option?
Nevertheless, it has a 25” width and, if that's exactly the kind of space you have, it is still a great option.
Rating
We are giving this a rating of 4 out of 5.0.
Wrap Up
Don’t get us wrong; Fringesport retractable squat rack is a pretty decent product suitable for intermediate-level training and maybe for advanced trainers. But, we couldn’t rate it any better because of its high price and poor assembly instructions. However, if it suits your needs, go ahead; you will not regret your decision.
That’s it for this article. Before you go, would you be interested in learning How to Increase the Size of Your Small Rear Delts and Why It’s Not Wise to Work Your Chest 3 Times a Week.