To help find the best door anchor to turn any door into a gym cable column for working out at home, we examined 25 products, analyzing the construction, design, and durability of their stoppers and loops.
The DynaPro door anchor emerged as our top pick because while it’s an easy-to-install, single-position anchor like all the others in our shortlist, it’s better than the rest due to its thick, foam stopper that’s just the right weight.It also has a large loop that can fit D-handle bands. Its strap is made of heavy-duty, black woven nylon that can support workouts of varying resistance levels. Keep reading to get more details about this product and other highly-functional exercise equipment.
Top 7 Best Door Anchors
#1 DynaPro Direct Door Anchor
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: DynaPro’s door anchor has a thick round foam stopper on one end that anchors itself securely on the other side of your door. The highly durable anchor with a large loop offers plenty of variety for your workouts as its large stopper can bear your weight and the force you to exert more during your exercises.
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- Large, thick foam stopper
- Thick heavy duty strap
- Loop fits elastics with handles
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- No lining/cover inside loop
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This 26-gram product is the best door anchor for resistance bands in our buying guide due to its beefy and stitched nylon strap and large foam stopper. It is made extra large to fit D-handle resistance bands for various exercises using your hands. It doesn’t have a metal ring, buckle, or chain so it won’t cause any scratches on your door.
The DynaPro anchor has wide loops so you can slip in either pull-up/power resistance bands or pro- grade bands with handles with ease. However, unlike two products you’ll read later in this buying guide (Dalocy and Ripcords), the DynaPro door anchor has no lining or padding inside the loop that can reduce the friction between your exercise band and the door anchor itself. A PVC cover is seen around the loop of door anchors by other brands to provide similar protection. Check out the pricing and customer reviews on Amazon.com. The package measures 7.5 x 6.5 x 1 inches and weighs 0.8 Ounces. Seniors may prefer to get exercise with a recumbent bike for seniors rather than something like this though.
#2 TheraBand Door Anchor – Honorable Mention/Best for At
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: If you want to do rehab exercises at home, this nylon door anchor with an adjustable buckle is for you. You can position the Theraband door anchor at various heights on the hinge side of your door : above the door knob for head and shoulder exercises and below the door knob for hip, knee, and ankle exercises.
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- Buckle keeps bands in place
- Wide, round stopper
- Recommended for rehab
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- Best paired with Theraband products
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This product features a wide thick strap with a big, circular stopper that can bear different resistance band strength levels. It attaches to tubing and resistance bands for lower and upper body exercises using your hands and feet. You can choose specific spots on the hinge side of your door as anchor points.
Once you slide in your band or tubing through the loop of this 27-gram accessory, adjust the buckle to keep your band or tubing in place. Another great accessory for your workout is the best body fat monitor.
#3 Goliton Gym Fitness Door Anchor
Award: BEST FOR TRAVEL
WHY WE LIKE IT: This Goliton door anchor has a sturdy stopper that you can place on any part of your door. With its long loop, you can easily insert bands with handles of various sizes.
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- Traveler’s preference
- Thick stopper
- Long loop
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- Bulky
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The Goliton anchor’s long loop not only accommodates various-sized band handles that are comfortable on the hands, but also permit you to perform exercises farther away from your door. It can attach anywhere on the door and is effective with resistance bands.
The stopper is very solid but quite bulky. Although the second heaviest in this list (99 grams), this product is highly praised by owners who bring it along with their bands during travel. One word of note is to always be careful of your back when working out. If you do have back issues the best posture corrector may help.
#4 Align Band Door Anchor
Award: BEST QUALITY/BEST COMPLETE KIT
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Align Band kit comes with an elastic band, door anchor, and video access to exercises that aim to correct muscle imbalances and bad posture. You can increase your range of motion and restore proper muscular balance by using the band and anchor combination with exercises from “The Align Method.”
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- Thick stopper with thick strap
- Elastic band
- Video access to exercises
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- Can wear out door frame
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You can use the Align band and door anchor to perform 14 exercises developed and demonstrated by movement coach Aaron Alexander. The exercises are designed to get rid of muscle knots and pains from improper standing, sitting, and weight-bearing (such as carrying a bag on one shoulder). To safely use the band and anchor combo, tie the elastic onto the door anchor using a girth hitch or knot.
The company, however, warns that the frequent use of the door anchor may wear out the frame of your door. So be careful. If you lift heavy items you may also want to look at the best lifting belt for safety.
#5 Dalocy Door Anchor
Award: BEST LOAD-BEARING CAPACITY
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Dalocy door anchor is lightweight but very strong, with a declared capacity of 400 pounds of tension. Its thick and wide foam stopper with neoprene padding on the inside portion of the loop makes this product long-lasting.
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- High load-bearing capacity
- Padded loop
- Wide but soft stopper
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- No lining/cover inside loop
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Although it weighs only 17 grams, this door anchor is well-built, with its 2.8-centimeter-wide nylon strap and 4.9-centimeter-thick stopper 7 centimeters in diameter. The smooth surface of the stopper prevents any scratches to your door. This heavy-duty door anchor is designed with nylon inner cores for additional stability.
Related: Have a look at the best exercise ball.
The neoprene padding on the interior of the door anchor’s loop also keeps your elastic bands from deteriorating, aptly complementing the high-level tension this door anchor supports.
#6 Ripcords Door Anchor
Award: BEST FOR TRX
WHY WE LIKE IT: You don’t have to worry about pulling too hard on this Ripcords advanced door anchor thanks to its powerful stopper and thick nylon strap. Safely do lower body exercises by placing place the thick stopper in the space between the floor and your door.
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- Recommended for TRX
- Thick foam circle
- Padded loop
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- Heavy
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This nearly 500-gram (1.1-pound) door anchor, the heaviest in our list, is popular among total-body resistance exercise (TRX) enthusiasts who want to train anytime, anywhere.
By selecting the appropriate anchor points on your door, your door anchor can help you properly perform a wide variety of resistance exercises.
#7 GuanGsskuo Home Fitness Door Anchor
We’re sorry, this product is temporarily out of stock
Award: BEST BUDGET
WHY WE LIKE IT: This door anchor is for you if you’re new to training using elastic bands due to its basic design. Its thick foam stopper and thick nylon strap provide the stability you’ll need.
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- Affordable
- Soft foam
- Wide loop
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- No padding for loop
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The 23-gram (0.05-pound) GuanGsskuo door anchor features a sponge stopper measuring approximately 1.5 x 1.6 inches (4 x 4.2 centimeters).
You can perform various exercises with confidence, knowing that your straps or elastics are held securely by a sturdy stopper.
How We Decided
All the door anchors in this guide can be comfortably used anywhere you have space and free time to do your door exercises. All the items are single-position door anchors instead of door belts that feature multiple loops.
We made sure that these products featured stoppers that were thick or wide enough to stay anchored on the opposite side of your door, excluding door “hooks” or anchors with small stubby stoppers or covered beads. All the stoppers are made of foam to ensure your door sustains virtually zero scratches or damage.
We also only shortlisted door anchors that had wide straps and loops that can open up to fit bands with large handles but are thin enough to slip into the gap between your door frame and your door. Door anchors are best used with resistance bands, ankle straps, and loops.
To compare specs, pricing and customer reviews, check out our Top Picks and other popular brands on Amazon.com.
Best Door Anchor Buyer’s Guide
Most Important Factors to Consider
- Type of door anchor
- Single position anchors have a loop and stopper on one end. There are three types of stoppers:
- Small hard piece stoppers are found on one end of the door anchor that’s thicker than the straps or loop. These anchors are secured on the hinge side of a door, which is the strongest and safest side of your door.
- Big dense foam stoppers are more versatile. You can position them on any side of your door—usually the top or bottom—without slipping through the space between the door and the door jamb or interior side of the door frame.
- Door anchors that loop around doorknobs are limited to waist to chest-height exercises.
- Multi-connection door anchors or “door belts” are tied around your door and have several loops stitched at different heights. It can be a single belt with several loops fastened around your door vertically or several belts fastened on your door vertically and horizontally.
- Single position anchors have a loop and stopper on one end. There are three types of stoppers:
- Material
The best door anchors are made of high-density and heavy-duty stitched nylon that can withstand heavy load. It’s always best to check your door anchors before your exercise routine as wear and tear can come from friction and repeated contact with the sharp edge of your door. - Compatibility with various products
The loops of door anchors should be large enough for you to insert not just resistance bands of any size but also resistance training tools with handles.
