Swedish ladders, also called wall bars or stall bars, give you a lot of training for very little floor space. One wall-mounted unit covers pull-ups, hanging core work, stretching and support for dozens of bodyweight and mobility exercises. It’s a permanent fixture on your wall, so get the sizing and mounting right before you buy.
What space do you need?
Swedish ladders are taller and shallower than most people expect. Here are the numbers for the sets we stock:
- Height: 195cm for the Wooden Wall Stall Bars Natural, 220cm for the Premium Swedish Wall Stall Bars and 230cm for the Wall Mounted Stall Bars. You need headroom above the frame too, so measure your ceiling instead of guessing.
- Depth: the two timber frames are 8cm deep, but the top bar sticks out further, 14cm from the wall on the Natural and 52cm on the Premium. The Wall Mounted Stall Bars are 20cm deep. In front, leave at least 1.5 to 2m of clear floor for pull-ups, hanging leg raises and dips.
- Width: all three are 80cm wide. If you want to hang gymnastic rings or loop resistance bands off the rungs, check there’s room either side.
The Natural and Premium sets have 10 rungs: 9 spaced 20cm apart, with the top 2 set 10cm apart. The Coloured Wooden Wall Stall Bars are another timber option. Check the specs on each product page against your wall and ceiling before you order.
Mounting: what your wall has to hold
This is the part people skip and regret. A Swedish ladder takes your bodyweight plus the force of pulling, swinging and dropping off it, so the wall matters more than the ladder.
- Timber-framed walls: fix into the studs, never into the plasterboard or gib alone. Confirm where the studs are before you drill.
- Solid masonry or concrete: usually the strongest and simplest option. Use masonry anchors rated for the load, not whatever is in the toolbox.
- Rented homes, or walls you’re unsure about: talk to a builder first. A ladder that pulls out of the wall halfway through a pull-up will drop you on the floor.
Whatever the wall, stay within the maker’s load rating: 120kg for the Natural and Premium timber sets, and 250kg for the Wall Mounted Stall Bars. The timber sets come with standard wall fixings, which may not suit your wall type, so check with a professional before you install. Paying a tradesperson to look is cheaper than repairing a wall.
Timber or steel frame
Swedish ladders come in solid timber, or as steel frames with timber or composite rungs.
- Timber sets look better in a home gym or living room and feel warmer on bare hands. That’s why they’re the popular choice for home use. Our Natural set is pine, and the Premium is pine and plywood.
- Heavier-duty frames take higher load ratings and daily use by lots of people, so clubs, physio clinics and school gyms tend to choose them. In our range that’s the Wall Mounted Stall Bars, rated to 250kg.
For most home users a well-built timber set is strong enough, as long as your bodyweight plus any extra load stays under its 120kg rating.
What you’ll use it for
- Pull-ups and hangs: the top bar doubles as a pull-up bar, so check it suits your grip.
- Core and mobility work: hanging leg raises, L-sits and supported stretching, especially for hips and hamstrings.
- Rehab and physio work: stall bars are common in physio clinics for supported squats, balance work and graded mobility exercises.
- Family use: wall bars suit a toddler climbing as well as an adult doing weighted pull-ups, so the whole household tends to use them.
- Attachments: many units take a dip bar or gymnastic rings. Check compatibility if you plan to add them later.
Picks by room size
- Lower ceiling or a tight room: the Wooden Wall Stall Bars Natural. At 195cm high with the top bar 14cm off the wall, it’s the smallest of the three.
- Standard ceiling with space in front: the Premium Swedish Wall Stall Bars. The top frame sits 52cm off the wall, which gives you room to hang clear of the rungs.
- High ceilings, heavier users or shared use: the Wall Mounted Stall Bars, 230cm high and rated to 250kg.
- Only need somewhere to stretch: the Wall Mounted Stretching Bar is 108cm long and doubles as an anchor for resistance bands.
If a full ladder is more than you need, a wall-mounted bar from our pull up bars covers pull-ups for much less, and the rest of our functional training gear adds rings, dip bars and more.
Wall bars and wall storage compared
| Product | Size | Load limit or fixings | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wooden Wall Stall Bars Natural | 195cm high, 80cm wide, top bar 14cm off the wall | 120kg; standard wall fixings included | $995.00 |
| Premium Swedish Wall Stall Bars | 220cm high, 80cm wide, top frame 52cm off the wall | 120kg; standard wall fixings included | $1395.00 |
| Wall Mounted Stall Bars | 230cm high, 80cm wide, 20cm deep | 250kg | $1495.00 |
| Wall Mounted Stretching Bar | 108cm long x 20cm x 15cm | Not stated | $195.00 |
| Battle Rope & Powerband Storage Hanger | Wall hanger | 4 x 50mm coach bolts for wood studs | $45.00 |
| Multi-Purpose Storage Hook | 17cm long x 5cm wide | 2 x 60mm bolts for concrete | $35.00 |
| Gym Hanger with 2 Prongs | 30cm long, prongs 15cm deep | 2 bolts for concrete | $42.00 |
While you’re fixing things to the wall, the same studs or concrete can carry your storage. The hangers above suit bands, ropes and small gear, and there’s more in gym storage and weight racks.
Buying checklist
- Measure the ceiling height and the clear floor in front of the wall before you order.
- Find out what’s behind your wall (studs, masonry or unknown) and mount to suit. Get a tradesperson to check if you’re unsure.
- Choose timber for looks and home use, and the heavier-duty set for more load or shared use.
- Check the top bar suits your grip if pull-ups are a priority.
- Check attachment compatibility if you plan to add a dip bar or rings later.
Not sure which size fits your space? Get in touch before you order and we’ll talk it through. We ship NZ-wide.