The Mikolo F4 Power Cage might be the best entry level power rack for home gym use. It is a budget-friendly power rack available on Amazon.
Let’s dive into my first impression review of the Mikolo F4 power cage.
Assembling The Mikolo F4 Power Cage
To assemble the Mikolo F4 Power Cage, you’ll just need a few basic tools:
- An 11/16 socket and ratchet
- An Allen key
- The wrench that comes included
The boxes arrived in good shape and all the parts were clearly labeled. The box included an instruction manual and there was a supplementary YouTube tutorial video online that walks you through step-by-step.
Watch My Review of the Mikolo F4 Power Rack
Pros of The Mikolo F4 Power Cage
There are a lot of things to like about the Mikolo F4 Power Cage.
Great cable system
First, I love the fact that it has an integrated cable system. With other power racks, I had to use pulley attachments. No more!
Plus, since the rack is closed in at the top, I can do reverse band work.
Small footprint
The Mikolo F4 power cage has a surprisingly small footprint, at just over 44 inches across for the cage itself and about another 15 inches for the legs that hold the integrated plate storage.
The rack is also small enough to fit in spaces with low ceilings.
The small footprint is important if you’re installing the rack somewhere with limited floor space like a small apartment or a spare bedroom.
Multiple handles for different pull-up grips
The Mikolo has multiple handles for pull-ups, enabling neutral, pronated, supinated, and mixed grip.
Labeled hole spaces
The numbers are clearly labeled on the rack’s hole spaces. They are etched into the metal, so they won’t wear off.
Integrated landmine attachment
I love the integrated landmine attachment. It moves smoothly and will save a ton of time since it doesn’t require extra set up.
Great stability
Since the Mikolo Power Rack is a narrow unit, I wasn’t expecting how stable it is. It has feet underneath two of the legs that help give it this stability and prevent it from sliding.
Also, the bar is stable. This is important for safety when unloading the bar one side at a time.
That is great if you cannot bolt your rack to the floor in a small, rented space.
My Favorite Thing About the Mikolo F4 Power Cage
My favorite thing about the Mikolo F4 Power Cage is the dips handles. They are very stable and provide two different hand spacings. They are comfortable and user-friendly, have a good grip coating, and are just the right size.
It’s rock solid for weighted dips.
Cons About the Mikolo F4 Power Cage
The Mikolo has a lot of positives that I like, but there are also some cons that need to change.
Unclear instructions
While the assembly went smoothly, it took much longer than it needed to because the assembly steps in the instruction manual are not clearly labeled.
Furthermore, the video and the manual don’t have the steps in the exact same order, which gets confusing.
Weak metal construction
The Mikolo F4 Power Cage is built with 14 gauge steel, which is strong but not as durable as other racks I have used. For example, when I was tightening the bolts the metal dimpled a bit.
When you are going to be using something to keep you safe with heavy weights overhead, you want the strongest steel you can get.
Poor J-hook design
The J-hooks that come with the Mikolo cage curve up slightly. This makes it hard to keep arch form when pulling the bar off for a bench lift, which limits the amount of weight you can safely lift.
Light safety bars
The safety bars that come with this rack are lightweight and don’t feel very substantial. Of course, lighter doesn’t necessarily mean weaker, but I just don’t trust these very much.
Additionally, the safety bars just slide into the rack. There is no cotter pin or anything else that stops the safety bar from sliding forward.
Loose Olympic plate adaptors
Another con is the Olympic plate adapters for the cable stack slide off too easily. That’s a minor thing, but it’s annoying.
Inconvenient foot plate
The foot plate is located in an inconvenient place. It is almost flush with the cable stack, so it limits range of motion for lifts like a seated cable row.
Not enough plate storage
I love the fact that it comes with integrated plate storage, but it does not have enough. I had to purchase a set of plate trees to supplement it.
Pull-up bar handles too short
The neutral handles are just a little bit too short. So, if you have larger hands, these neutral grip handles might not work for you.
Best Entry Level Power Rack for Home Use
My final verdict is the Mikolo F4 Power Rack is a good purchase for someone who is just starting their home gym. This rack is less than $500 on Amazon.
Overall, I think this is an excellent buy for most entry-level home gyms.
However, I don’t recommend this rack for anyone who might lift over 500 pounds because I don’t trust the 14 gauge steel to hold up to a lot of stress.
I’m going to continue to use this rack over the next few months and follow up with any future opinions. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions!
Want to see more reviews? Support us by getting our official merch, subscribe to our YouTube Channel, and follow us on Instagram.