PRx Profile Flat Folding Bench Review

Who this bench is for

This is the bench for somebody who already has a PRx Profile rack on the wall, or is about to. It folds up against the wall the same way the rack does, and the two of them together are a great one-two punch.

In a smaller home gym you need equipment that can move out of the way. You don't have a bench eating floor space, and you don't have a fold-away bench you've got to find somewhere to store. This one just folds right up into the wall.

Where it's installed

This bench is in my parents' home gym, mounted next to their Profile PRO rack. My dad uses that gym pretty much every day. I use it when I'm over there, and I'm 6'5" and 270 pounds.

Folding it up and down

It's super easy. You pull it down, stretch it out and use it. When you're done, it folds right out of the way. I can do either direction with one hand.

It's a little loud going up, but it stays right up there on its own. With the rack folded up next to it, you're talking not even a hand's depth off the wall.

One tip from the first time I pulled it down. It caught my foot. Keep your feet clear of where it's going to land.

Will lag bolts hold a big guy?

This was my worry going in. It's lag bolts into the wall that are holding it, and I was a little concerned about that with my weight.

At about a month I had a couple hundred pounds on the bar for bench press, with me at 270 on the bench, and I didn't feel any instability at all.

It's held up very nicely since then. Once I'm on it, it doesn't wiggle any more than a normal bench would. It's fastened into the wall at one end and it's got a good support down at the other end, so it's a stable, solid bench.

Size and what comes in the box

The bench is 17 inches high and 45 inches long. Unfolded, it sits 18 inches from the wall and comes 63 inches out into the room. Folded up, it stands 61 inches tall.

It ships fully assembled and all the mounting hardware is included. You're hanging it on the wall, not building it. It comes in black.

Installing it

The wall part was pretty easy. You lay the bench pad down and unfold it by lifting the wall bracket and the middle leg at the same time. Then it's four lag bolts into two studs. The pilot holes go at 9 1/4 inches and 13 3/4 inches from the floor, drilled with a 7/32 bit at least 2 1/2 inches deep. They're the same lag bolts the rack uses.

The gas shocks are the part that isn't exactly user friendly. The stud on the shock didn't act like it was going to fit into the hole on the bracket. It was just loose. Screw it back in so it's tighter and then it fits right in.

Getting the angle with the bench folded up in the way is a bit of a challenge. The trick is to hold the bottom part out so you can get in there. Otherwise you're not going to get in there.

The catch: it's flat only

The one thing I'd change is that this is just the flat bench. PRx also makes an incline folding bench, and if you can afford it, that's the one I'd go with, just to give yourself more options.

My dad has mentioned it would be nice to do some incline bench or dumbbell flyes. You can't do that on this one.

The other thing to know is that PRx doesn't publish a weight capacity for the flat bench. I can tell you it's held me. I can't give you a rated number.

Would I buy it again?

If I had the budget, I'd buy the incline version. That's the honest answer.

If the incline isn't in the budget, the flat bench is a great option and I wouldn't talk you out of it. It's solid, it folds away, and it gives you the space back to do whatever you want in the room. If you've already got the Profile rack on the wall, this is the bench to hang next to it.