Valor Fitness BD-3 Squat Stands

My son just started bodybuilding and this was a great start for him.

• How accurate was the sizing? Perfect
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. Excellent
• Was the product free of any manufacturer defects? Yes

If you are cramped for space and don't squat over 500lbs on a regular basis this an excellent alternative to the pricey power racks out there. This product is surprisingly stable and well engineered to handle the 300lb range. Easy to assemble. Delivery was less than a week for me. No complaints except sore glut and quads. I would recommend this product to any intermediate class lifter.

• Did the product fit true to size? Yes
• How is the quality of the product? Good
• Was the product free of any manufacturer defects? Yes

First, note that the stand uppers I received were not chrome as described, but less-expensive black. . . . . . I was impressed with the packaging, design, materials, construction, and finish. It includes a bottle of touch-up paint which I didn't need. Assembly was easy and they seem sturdy, I'd say heavy-home / light-commercial quality. I am not using them for their designed purpose, I use them to support a barbell to do pullups from a chair, for which they work very well. . . . . . . . The stick-on lower bracket rubber pads, and to a lesser extent the push-on rubber feet, emit a strong new-rubber-tire odor which diminishes somewhat over weeks/months. Fortunately they are easily substituted or left off. . . . . I am concerned that the full weight of the stand uppers rests entirely on the one-hole lower bracket adjustment pins and not at all on the two-hole safety clips; the clips are less than 3/4 the diameter of the holes (8 mm vs. 11 mm). My engineer sense says this will break the adjustment pins. So currently I leave the lower brackets unused and keep the adjustment pins partially disengaged so that the stand uppers rest entirely on the safety clips. Eventually I will replace the clips. . . . . Overall I am satisfied that it was the best value for the total price meeting my needs, and I would buy it again.

I bought these for my girlfriend's home gym and she likes them. They allow her to do squats and bench press with a barbell - exercises that she was previously limited to doing with dumbbells. A couple complaints: 1) "They smell" she said (apparently the rubber feet), but expect the smell to dissipate; 2) The stands don't leave very much room in-between for squats when using a "regular" (vs. an Olympic) barbell - we may change barbells to allow for more room between the stands. Otherwise, they are very stable/sturdy and easily adjustable. They also weren't very hard to assemble.