PRx Spotter Arms Review
Updated September 2026 with my 6-month review · First tested July 2025 · 3 videos
My score: 4.5 out of 5
If you bench by yourself, and most of us with a home gym do, get a set of spotter arms. These are solid 3x3 steel with plastic strips on top, and six months in they look like new. The catch is they only fit post-2023 PRx 3x3 racks, and they're heavy enough that you'll want the storage bracket too.
Buy it if
- Buy them if you bench or squat with nobody else in the room.
- Buy them if you run a PRx Profile or Build Limitless 3x3 rack from after August 2023.
- Buy them if your rack sits tight to the wall and you need to move the bar out into the room.
- Buy them if you want the bar landing on plastic, not bare steel.
Skip it if
- Skip them if your rack isn't a post-2023 PRx 3x3. Buy the arms that fit yours.
- Skip them if you trust the safety straps you already have. They do the same job for less.
Before you buy
What I don't love
Narrow compatibility
They only fit PRx Profile and Build Limitless 3x3 racks sold after 8/29/2023, with a 5/8" pin. Older racks and 2x3 uprights need a different part.
Real money on top of the rack
They're not cheap, and that's after you already paid for the rack.
Heavy and in the way
16 pounds each. In a small gym they stick out into the walkway, so plan on the storage bracket too.
Watch the videos
Every video I've made on it
Newest on top.
Do you need them at home?
Six months on my dad's rack, the compatibility date that matters, and the J-cup trick for low ceilings.
One month in
How the spotter arms and storage held up after a month of use, and what I'd flag before you buy.
Day one
Unboxing the spotter arms and storage, getting it set up in my parents' home gym, and my first impressions.
Questions I get
How much weight do they hold?
PRx rates them at 1,000 lb.
Will they fit my rack?
They fit PRx Profile and Build Limitless 3x3 racks sold after 8/29/2023, with a 5/8" pin. PRx sells a 2x3 version for other uprights. Check before you order.
Do they scratch the bar?
There are UHMW strips on top, so the bar lands on plastic, not bare steel.
Do I need the storage bracket?
You don't need it, but it's what keeps 32 pounds of steel out of your walkway. It hangs them flat on the wall.
Can you use them to move the bar off the wall?
Yes. Set the J-cups on the arms instead of the uprights and your press position moves out into the room. In a low ceiling setup where the rack sits tight to the wall, that's a big deal.
Specs
| Rated capacity | 1,000 lb |
|---|---|
| Length | 20" |
| Steel | 3x3" |
| Footprint | 24" x 3.25" x 13" |
| Pin | 5/8" |
| Weight | 16 lb each, 32 lb per pair |
| Top surface | UHMW wear strips |
| Storage bracket | Holds 1" and 5/8" arms, 26" x 36" x 4" with arms |
From the blog
Related articles
More I've written that goes with this one.
The long version
My full PRx spotter arms review
Who needs spotter arms
If you have a home gym, you're probably working out by yourself. That's who these are for. When you're pushing and going heavy with nobody else in the room, you need a way to spot yourself.
I'd highly recommend a set of spotter arms for any home gym. These are the PRx ones, made for their 3x3 racks.
Why I put them on my dad's rack
These are on the PRx Profile PRO rack in my parents' home gym. I live about an hour away, so I'm not there when my dad lifts. Usually the only other person in the house is my mom, and I doubt she's going to be picking a loaded bar up off of him.
My dad worked construction his whole life and he has a bad shoulder. If you've ever carried a bundle of shingles, he did that for 40 years. So if he's bench pressing, I wanted spotter arms under that bar.
Now I don't have to worry about him dropping weight on himself, and my mom feels much safer about it too.
The time they caught the bar for me
The few times I've been over there to try them, they've been awesome. One time I was pushing it on the bench just to test them, and they saved my life, literally.
They're made out of super solid steel. I was blown away by how heavy duty they are when I first opened the box. You can drop a lot of weight on them and you'll be fine.
They get you off the wall in a low ceiling setup
This is a use I like that has nothing to do with safety. My parents' rack is installed at about the lowest ceiling height it allows, and that brings the rack in closer to the wall.
You can set the J-hooks on the spotter arms and bring the bar out. That gets you a little farther away from the wall for shoulder press, squats, things like that.
I also showed my dad how to use the arms as a place to rack the bar for different movements. So they're a pretty versatile piece, not just a safety.
Putting them on and setting the height
There's nothing to install. They slide into the upright the same way a J-hook does, and they're super easy to adjust.
There are a lot of holes on those uprights, so there are plenty of options. We were able to get just the right height to keep my dad safe on the bench.
What you get
They're sold in pairs. Each arm is 20 inches long, 3 inches wide and 3 inches high, and the whole piece measures 24 by 3.25 by 13 inches. They use a 5/8 inch pin and they come in a black powder coat.
They're 16 pounds each, so 32 pounds for the pair. PRx rates them at 1,000 pounds.
The top is lined with a UHMW wear strip. That's there to protect the knurling on your bar, so you don't mess up the bar when you set it down on them or drop it.
Get the storage too
You don't need the arms on the rack all the time, and when the rack folds up you don't want big spotter arms sticking out from the wall. PRx makes a wall storage piece for them, and it's a big deal in a small gym.
It mounts with a couple of lag bolts and washers. You can put it on a single stud, or across two studs if they're 16 inches on center, which is what I did. We hung it right above the bench to save space.
It also comes with a backer panel. I looked it up and the backer is just for looks. Ours is gray to match the uprights, and it does look good.
How they've held up
They've definitely lasted. PRx does not make bad stuff. These will stand the test of time, no problem, and I'm not concerned about that at all.
Would I buy them again?
Yes. If you press alone, get a set of spotter arms. These are a perfect fit with the Profile rack and the folding bench, and they've already done their job for me once.
Just check that they fit your rack before you order. PRx lists them for its 3x3 Profile and Build Limitless racks sold after 8/29/2023.
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