Introduction
Is the stand-alone cable tower underrated or overlooked? I think so, actually.
After sharing the Bells of Steel Selectorized Cable Tower, Jake made a claim that something like this should be considered one of those home gym essentials (view article). I agree, but with a price tag of $1200, I don’t think that is an easy purchase for many home gym owners who (like myself) operate on a tight budget.
Nevertheless…
Let me introduce you to the Bells of Steel Plate Loaded Tower with a price tag of $349!
Below, I share with you how I use this piece in my gym, the pros and cons of this, and some cool things I’ve noticed others doing with them.
In the end, you can decide if something like this would work for your space.
A Home Gym Essential?
Calling something essential is a bold claim. Especially because there are so many different training methodologies or ways to train.
However, I could see a piece like a functional tower as beneficial for anyone who does resistance training.
In my gym, I like to focus the front half of my workout on basic compound movements before moving to accessories. The Bells functional tower is perfect for a wide variety of accessory work.
With two 2:1 ratioed handles that can also be linked for a single 1:1 ratio and 33 different height settings, a vast number of movements can be completed with this tower.
With the price point being reasonable for nearly anyone’s budget, the versatility it offers, and the little amount of space you need, this could easily be the ‘next step’ after the home gym basics (bar, plates, bench, rack).
It’s not for everyone though. I’ll discuss the pros and cons next.
Pros and Cons
The Bells Plate Loaded Tower is not perfect, but it does have a lot of good things going for it. I’ll start with the pros.
Pros
Versatility
As mentioned above, with 33 different height settings and two swiveling cable arms, there are a vast number of movements you can do with this functional tower.
Footprint
Sitting under 7’ tall and only protruding about 2.5’ from the wall, this piece of equipment can fit in even the smallest home gyms.
Compared to Others
Using the dual guide rods rather than something like a 2×2 chrome post, this functional tower is smoother and better built than some others.
*I used to own the Titan Plate Loaded Functional Tower and sold it because I was unhappy with the friction in use. The Bells Tower has been much better in my opinion.
Price
With a price tag of $349, the Bells Tower is hard to pass up if you are wanting something like this in your space.
Let’s move on to the items that may prevent you from buying.
Cons
General Friction
The nylon pulleys are not ideal. There is some friction in use, and while it is better than similar pulley towers, it is still not perfect. Don’t expect to have the same experience as you would with a full functional trainer.
*Bells of Steel does offer a $140 upgrade to aluminum pulleys, but that makes this pulley tower around $500 and completely changes the price point.
1:1 Ratio
The single pulley cables operate with a 2:1 ratio, but you can link the two cables together and use a 1:1 pulling ratio. You can do this, but I don’t. The friction you get when using this machine with a 1:1 ratio is not a great experience.
Portability
This tower needs to be bolted to a wall, so once you pick a spot for your functional tower, you’re not going to want to move it.
Selectorized vs Plate Loaded: What’s best for you?
Getting right to the point, the selectorized tower is a far better machine than the plate-loaded option. It’s easier to use, smoother, and doesn’t necessarily need to be bolted into the wall, so you can move it around your gym.
With all that being said, the selectorized tower is $1,129. It’s a reasonable price but at that price, you can get three plate-loaded machines for nearly the same price.
If you are on any kind of budget, the plate-loaded option is great.
One major perk of these towers is how well they do on the used market. Keeping a close eye on the used market and seeing functional towers pop up from time to time, they typically sell for about 80% of their original price, and they move quickly.
If you have regrets after purchasing, or if you want to upgrade to the selectorized, you can always sell it on the used marketplace without taking a significant hit.
For the DIY Enthusiast
One cool thing about these functional towers are what people are doing with them.
DIY’ers like Kyle from Kaizen DIY Gym and Mathew Porter from Porter_physed on Instagram have used their Bells of Steel towers to make belt squats, leg extensions, lat-pulldown machines, and cable cross-overs. If you like to tinker, you can do some pretty cool things with the functional tower.
The Bells tower is also able to be used in some interesting configurations. You can buy two towers and a pull-up bar attachment from Bells and turn these into a functional trainer/squat stand.
One of the more interesting designs is by Matt Rosenman, who connected two of the functional towers to the back of his squat rack. For an extra $700, he now has a full squat rack and a full functional trainer with his version of an ‘all-in-one.’
Conclusion
In the end, I do think that a functional tower should be a top item on your list after the home gym basics, and the Bells of Steel Plate Loaded Functional Tower is a great option.
As discussed in this article, it has been a favorite in my home gym for its price point, footprint, and versatility.
While the selectorized unit is a better option, for the price, the plate-loaded tower is tough to beat.
*Looking for other tips when building out your home gym? Check out our Home Gym Guide!
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