These are my thoughts on the Ethos folding power rack from Dick's Sporting Goods. If you are looking for a basic rack that folds to save space and you don't care about having any of the fancy attachments that have become popular in the home gym space, then this may be the rack for you. At the current price of $350 (as of July 7, 2023), it's hard to beat this rack if budget is your top priority. And it comes standard (an only) in red and black.
Here is a list of its features from the Dick's website:
Multifunctional frame alternates between a squat rack, pull-up bar and power rack
Product folds into itself to save space
Frame is 3"x3" 11 gauge steel
Uprights are stabilized with adjustable levelers, nothing contacts the floor when collapsing unit
Ideal for your home or garage gym
49.5" - Rack width, 57" - Wall mount stringer width x 92” height
Product weight: 159 lbs
Adjustable 1" spacing with 18 J-hook positions
ETHOS requires this unit to be bolted to wooden studs
Limited Lifetime Manufacturer’s Warranty
Country of Origin : Imported
First, let me mention the only thing I really don't like about the Ethos folding rack. The j-cups hang on these little knobs that stick out from each side of the uprights. I have no clue why they chose to do this instead of using holes for the attachments like everyone else. The spotter arms are literally the only additional attachment you can purchase for the uprights. (The current price for the spotter arms is about $50.) And Ethos uses the hole attachment system in all of their other racks, so it really makes no sense to me why they chose this route for the uprights on their folding rack.
Now for the good stuff! If you can get past the knob attachment system, and be content with never adding any other attachment to your rack, then this may be the folding rack for you. This thing is solid. It's built like a tank. The frame is all 3" x 3" 11 gauge steel. I squat in the mid- to upper 400s and have dumped 475 lbs on these spotter arms with no issues. Assembly is fairly easy with two people if you follow the instructions. And opening and closing the rack is simple, as you will see in the videos below.
And here is a little video review I did for a friend of mine:
One of my favorite features with this folding rack that I haven't seen on some of the more expensive models is the feet that lock the uprights into place. This is a cool little feature that adds more stability to the rack and keeps the uprights from scraping across the floor when opening and closing. Another point worth mentioning is that the mounting stringers are included with the rack. The stringers are the metal plates at the top and bottom where the rack attaches to the wall.
If you were to say to me, "Brad, I can't get past the knobs and not being able to add more attachments in the future," I'd say I completely understand and recommend the Titan X-3 Series Wall-Mounted folding rack as the next comparable budget option. And I say "budget" only in terms of price. The quality is solid. The Titan X-3 Series folding rack comes in a 90-in high by 21-in deep configuration that is comparable to the dimensions of the Ethos folding rack. The X-3 Series also features 3-in x 3-in 11 gauge steel frame like the Ethos folding rack and comes in at a current price tag of $410. Three things I would point out about the Titan X-3 Series folding rack: it does not have the locking feet I mentioned above; it does not come with mounting stringers; and it only comes in black. The mounting stringers are not a deal breaker, though. I've seen people use 2x4s and 2x6s instead. If I had to do it all over again, I'd probably go with the Titan x-3 Series folding rack, myself.
Leave your questions and comments below. Do you have a folding rack? Let us know what you think of it.
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