Titan X-3 Squat Stand and Half Rack Review: Which Is Best for You?

In this Titan X-3 Squat Stand and Half Rack review, I'll discuss all of the Titan Fitness squat stands and racks listed in the table below.

Use the table of contents below to easily navigate this review:

The X-3 Squat Stands and X-3 Half Racks are in the same "family" as the X-3 power racks. As I discuss in my X-3 Flat Foot Power Rack review, all these different X-3 racks and stands have a few things in common:

The main differences between the X-3 power racks and the X-3 Squat Stand and X-3 Half Rack are as follows:

Below, I'll discuss each of the different variations of the X-3 Squat Stand and X-3 Half Rack.

The short squat stand is the smallest and most minimalist rack in the X-3 lineup.

It stands at just 72 inches, or 6 feet tall when fully assembled. This is a full 10.375" inches shorter than the X-3 short power rack, which has a height of 82.375" (or 6 ft 10.375 in). The X-3 short power rack will be short enough to fit in most people home gym areas. However, I'm sure there's a plenty of people out there who want the X-3 short power rack, but their ceiling is just a little too short.

As I mentioned in my X-3 Short Power Rack review, if my basement's ceiling was just half an inch shorter, I wouldn't have been able to fit it in my basement--In such a case, I would've seriously considered the X-3 Short Squat Stand as an alternative.

So the fact that there's 72" short squat stand variation of the X-3 That's very good news if your ceiling is so low that even the X-3 short power rack won't fit in it.

The X-3 short squat stands are sold in two slightly different X-3 short squat stand configurations:

This version of the X-3 Short Squat Stand is the most plain-Jane version of the X-3 short squat stands you can buy.

You get just the stands (including the base connecting them) and a pair of j-hooks for racking your barbell. That's it.

There's no pull up bar, so you can't connect the stands at the top.

And it doesn't come with spotter arms either. So you shouldn't be trying to bench or squat with weights or reps that you may fail on. The exception to this is if you're into Olympic style lifting and are squatting with bumper plates so that you can easily dump the bar off your back if needed.

All of the above might sound a bit negative. However, it's not a negative if all you really want is basic squat stand setup.

Of course, there's a big positive to having such a minimalist set set up: It's very affordable!

In fact, it is the least expensive of all the different X-3 rack configurations. As such, this may be the best choice if you're really on a tight budget. It even beats out the plain version of the full-height X-3 squat stands by a full $50.

Also, it's important to realize that just because this version of the short squat stand doesn't come with spotter arms, it doesn't mean you can't buy them separately at a later date. Of course, there are also plenty of other compatible X-3 accessories that you can buy if and when needed in the future.

So if you're very limited by budget, I'd recommend getting just this basic short squat stand. Then make due with it in the mean time. Then just save up again until you can afford spotter arms or whatever accessories and other gym equipment you may need the most. Over several months or years, you'll be able to build up an excellent home gym. Just be smart with your equipment choices and wait for sales to save extra.

The X-3 Short Squat Stand with spotter arms included is the same as version #1 (described above), except that this version comes with a pair of spotter arms included.

This means you can safely squat and bench with heavier weights, and push the limits more than would otherwise be safe. As mentioned above, it costs about $50 more than the version of the short stands without the spotter arms. However, it will save you almost $30 compared to if you bought the version of the short stands without the spotter arms and then bought the spotter arms separately later (they retail at $79 when sold separately). So, if you want the spotter arms and can afford the extra $50 now, then go with this version.

For both configurations described above, you can do the following:

If you do both of the above customizations you'll have a short version of the X-3 Half Rack.

While you can buy the tall version of the X-3 Half Rack pre-configured, you cannot do so for the short version (at least as of December 2017). So the only way to get the short version is to buy one of the X-3 short stands and then buy the conversion kit and pull up bar separately, as described above.

Lastly, I want to reiterate the fact that you can further expand the utility of your short squat stand (or converted short half rack) by purchasing any of a number of different X-3 accessories. Please see my X-3 Accessory Compatibility Chart below for more details.

This consists of just 2 uprights, connected by the flat foot base at the bottom and a 1.25" diameter skinny pull up bar at the top.

It is a tall squat stand with a height of 92".

Titan sells two slightly configurations of the X-3 squat stand:

The X-3 Squat Stand with Pull Up Bar is the most bare bones version of the full-height X-3 Squat Stand you can buy. It comes with just the rack, a pull up bar and a pair of j-hooks.

It doesn't come with any spotters or other accessories. However, you can buy those separately. In fact, if you buy the X-3 spotter arms, then you have the same exact setup as version #2 (see below).

The only reason I could see getting this one without spotter arms included, is if you have already have a pair of compatible spotter arms, or if you're on a strict budget and won't be able to buy the spotter arms until later.

The X-3 Squat Stand with spotter arms, j-hooks and pull up bar is the exact same rack and setup as version #1 described above, except it comes with the spotter arms.

For both configurations of the full-height X-3 Squat Stand described above, you can do the following:

This squat stand to half rack conversion kit adds a second pair of uprights to your squat stand, for a total of four uprights. It is compatible with both the X-3 Squat Stand or X-3 Short Squat Stand.

The conversion kit uprights are 72" tall and connect to the main uprights as shown in the photos above. They also attach at the base of the squat stands, onto the flat feet. As such, it creates a fully enclosed area and what amounts to a mini-power rack in the back of the squat stand.

This gives you a place to squat, bench, do RDLs, shrugs and more power rack exercises. However, it's important to understand that it'll have a depth of just 17" (most power racks have at least a 24" depth).

So it may feel a bit more cramped than you'd prefer. But, you can make due. If you're getting this for your squat stand, it's probably because you're short on space to begin with.

NOTE: If you want to do the above-mentioned exercises in this mini-rack area, you'll want to buy the X-3 Half Rack Pin Pipe Safeties separately for ~$30. They are not included with the conversion kit.

The kit also comes with 8 weight storage pegs meant for use on this second pair of uprights. This way, you can store all your weights on the back section, away from the front of the rack, where you'll be doing the majority of you work.

I mentioned and briefly discussed the Titan X-3 Half Rack above, when talking about the X-3 squat stands. To summarize, my main point was that you can build the X-3 Half Rack over time if you start with just an X-3 Squat Stand.

So, what exactly is the X-3 Half Rack? I like to describe it like this: It's a squat stand in the front and a mini-power rack in the back.

Here are some other facts and features to note about the Titan X-3 Half Rack:

Overall, this is a great rack. It certainly beats out having just a squat stand in terms of durability and functionality.

However, the X-3 power racks are superior in my opinion. This is because the power racks have even greater weight capacity (1500 lbs vs 1000 lbs weight capacity)  and have plenty of space inside the rack compared to the mini-power rack section of the half rack (30" vs 17" depth) that allow for greater safety, comfort and exercise selection when working inside the rack. Plus, there's more accessories available for the X-3 power racks than the X-3 half rack.

From my perspective, the only reasons to get the X-3 Half Rack over one of the X-3 Power Rack would be:

Not all X-3 accessories are compatible with the X-3 Squat Stands and Half Racks. Some only work with the X-3 Power Racks. Whereas, others work for only the X-3 Squat Stands and/or Half Racks, but not the X-3 Power Racks.

The table below shows you which accessory works with which rack(s):

NOTE: Some accessories may technically fit on one type of rack, yet may not be recommended for safety or practical reasons (e.g. band pegs don't make sense on a squat stand). In such cases, I have simply mark them with an 'X' for incompatible.

I hope I was able to help you figure out which X-3 setup is best for you. Below, I'll list out the product page links all of the different squat stand and half rack configurations.

The best place to buy Titan Fitness equipment is on the Titan Fitness website, of course! Here's why:

1. You won't find better prices anywhere else
2. Free US shipping
3. The customer service is great if you have any questions or need to deal with returns
4. You get "points" (one for every dollar spent) that you can use for discounts on future purchases (you'll want accessories, right?)

Here are the links to all the different squat stand configurations.

If you think a more robust and versatile power rack might be a better solution for you, then you'll probably prefer the X-3 Flat Foot Power Rack (see my review):