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Introduction
The Lat Pulldown/Low Row Machine is commonly thought of as the first “strength machine” you’d add to your home gym after filling up with the bare essentials. If you want a dedicated space to accomplish lat/low rows, there are two primary options:
The first is the Rack Mounted Lat/Low Row. These are fitted to your power rack with a fixed high and low point. There are selectorized and plate-loaded options (more budget-friendly). Your choice of what brand you choose is largely dependent on what rack you have or choose to get. The UPS (pictured below) is likely the most versatile option out there.
The other option is the Stand Alone Lat/Low Row Tower. These are stand-alone machines similar to what you would find in a commercial gym. You have a fixed cable position suspended over a lat seat as well as one under the seat designed for lat pulldowns and low rows.
Pros/Cons of the Rack Attached Option for Home Gym
Pros
- The largest benefit to owning one of these racks is the amount of space it takes up. Since it’s attached to the rack, it takes up zero floor space. For anyone short on space or simply seeing value in filling it up with something else, this is a huge pro.
- It will likely be a bit cheaper. While the price difference may be smaller than expected, it doesn’t hurt.
- If attached to a power rack, it will feel extremely secure and steady.
Cons
- It has the potential to make the rack feel “busy” and many don’t want to feel “tight” when benching or squatting. While most don’t get in the way too much, it’s not ideal for someone who wants a clean rack.
- Super setting can be difficult. For example, if you want to do a high pull/squat on the same posts, it’s not really possible.
Pros/Cons of Standalone Lat/Low Row for Home Gym
Pros
- Plenty of space to accomplish the movements (more crowded with other option).
- Much easier to use in a superset way or if multiple people are training at the same time.
Cons
- Space is the biggest issue for many home gym owners. This option takes away some precious floor space.
- As mentioned above, the standalone option is a bit more expensive.
So, Which Option Should I Get?
Most of this simply comes down to the amount of space you have and/or if it’s an important enough piece of equipment you’d like to add as an individual piece. Therefore, if you have the space and aren’t worried about the extra few hundred dollars, go with the standalone. If space is a concern, the rack mounted options (specific recommendations below) are really nice as well.
It seems like an easy decision, but the last time we polled the GGE followers, it was nearly a 50/50 split with standalone barely eeking out a win. In 2021, this was a 70/30 split in favor of standalone options. The recent innovations have definitely made an impact in this change.
Recommended Options
And to finish, here are a few “high-value option” for many to consider.
Rack Attached
For rack mounted options, Your choice of what brand you choose is largely dependent on what rack you have or choose to get. Ranging from the plate loaded lat pulldown to the Ares (pictured below), REP Fitness seems to be the clear winner with the design they offer with the option to add in the back not really disrupting the rest of the rack. They’re also innovating with pulley’s much quicker than anyone else and have a number of options available. Therefore, if this is important enough for you, we’d recommend starting with a REP rack.
The UPS is another rack mounted option for many to consider. This would be the most versatile option with the ability to be moved from one spot of the rack to the other relatively easily. This plate loaded option is smooth and relatively affordable.
Standalone
The Bells of Steel Lat Pulldown/Low Row appears to be the be selectorized standalone option out there (taking the crown from Titan). With a 310 lb stack, aluminum pulleys, the ability to add rack attachments, and at a slightly lower price than Titan’s it’s a home gym winner.
The Titan Plate Loaded Lat Tower is still the #1 value plate loaded option. At a fraction of the selectorized price, this will get the job done for most. While there are a few cons, it’s built pretty well and will allow you to perform these lifts at a cost efficient price.
