Squat Harness Resistance Band Footplate Set Review

The Squat Harness resistance band footplate set is a thing of beauty.

If you’re into resistance band workouts, it’s a budget friendly alternative to other expensive band systems.

It comes with everything you need to get a full body workout and even includes handles, which other brands charge extra for.

Let’s check it out!

Unboxing

When I first opened up the box, the first thing on top is a travel bag.

I don’t see myself traveling with this but at the very least I can use it to store everything that comes with it.

All items came covered in plastic or bubbled wrapped so they did a good job packaging it.

And here is everything that came with this set (I’ll give you more details about every piece later in this post).

It includes a knee pad, footplate with hooks, aluminum bar, aluminum handles, and a set of 5 resistance bands.

Other resistance band systems I’ve tested don’t come with handles so I like that this bundle includes them.

Specs

• Footplate dimensions: 30″ L x 12″ D x 3/4″ H

• Footplate material: Wood with metal hooks on top and 3/4″ metal risers below it

• Handles: Made of aluminum, passive knurling with adjustable strap length

• Bar: Made of aluminum, passive-medium knurling

What Is The Squat Harness Resistance Band Footplate Set?

The Squat Harness Resistance Band Footplate set is an all-in-one resistance band workout system.

It is similar to other popular resistance band systems like Harambe and X3, but at a more affordable price while still maintaining high quality.

Top Benefits Of The Squat Harness Resistance Band Footplate Set

Versatile

Like other resistance bands systems, I can do a lot of exercises with this set up.

It comes with a set of 5 bands so I can use them as a single band (half the band below the footplate), double band (entire band under the footplate), stack multiple bands together, and use the bar or handles it comes with.

With the bar I can do lunges, squats, bicep curls, shoulder press, bent over rows, etc.

This set also comes with handles so that adds more versatility to the bundle.

Space Saving

I have the Harambe System’s K Bundle so I wanted to compare the size of their plate with Squat Harness’.

Squat Harness’ plate is 30″ long so it’s about 6″ longer than Harambe’s but that’s not a huge deal when it comes to the space it takes up.

RELATED: Harambe System Review

That’s because I store it vertically against my wall and it’s out of the way so these resistance band set ups are perfect for small spaces.

I actually like that this plate is longer because I can get more tension on the bands so it makes the exercises feel harder.

Best Features Of The Squat Harness Resistance Band Footplate Set

Footplate

First thing that came to mind when I unboxed the product, was how nice the footplate looked.

It’s made out of wood (don’t know which kind of wood) and the wood markings give it a luxurious look to it.

Another thing that’s different from other resistance bands plates, is that it has a couple of metal anchor points.

I use those to attach resistance bands with carabiners.

The bottom of the plate has 6 metal risers.

These lift the plate 3/4″ off the floor and create channels to prevent the resistance bands from sliding while I use them.

With these being metal though, I wouldn’t use them on tile or wood flooring because they may slide around or even scratch the surface.

I mentioned earlier how I like the longer footplate because I feel more tension on the bands, especially when doing squats.

When I do squats with a half band set up, there’s not enough resistance to make them feel like a challenge…

And I feel even less resistance at the bottom since the band adds more tension when stretched out.

RELATED: Vector Athletics Split Squat Stand Belt

This is where the longer board and a double band set up come in handy.

The problem with this set up though, is that it’s hard to get under the bar because there’s lot of tension on the bands.

And here’s where the Squat Harness comes in clutch.

The harness’ hooks go on each end of the loop band and help me maintain heavy tension so I feel a challenge when squatting.

Bar

The bar is made out of aluminum so it’s light but at the same time it feels solid.

It’s knurled on the sides with a gap in the center and has rotating eye hooks so it’s easy on my wrists.

The knurling is somewhere between passive and medium and it feels good.

The bar coms with adjustable straps to attach resistance bands.

The cam buckle set up is not as quick as using Collar hooks or the X3 bar, but on the plus side these straps cause less wear and tear on the resistance bands than metal hooks so the bands will last longer.

Here’s what it looks like when I have the bands in the straps and ready to use.

The straps and cam buckles can take on as much weight as I can throw on the bar without any issues.

Handles

I really like that Squat Harness includes these handles with this bundle.

Harambe System charges $302 for their handles bundle.

That’s more than Squat Harness charges for their complete band footplate set!

The handles have a passive knurling to them but they feel great…

And they didn’t skimp on the quality either.

The strap is made of a strong seatbelt like material which can take a beating.

I can adjust the handle straps in two lengths…

Above I set it up at the short length, where the strap goes into a loop band and clips on to a D-ring.

I can see myself using this setup without bands for other things like rotating pull up handles and seal rows.

Here I threw a band over my pull up bar and used the handles for lat pulldowns.

And I can get as creative as I want by anchoring the bands at different heights for seated rows, bicep curls, tricep pushdowns, etc.

I use the long strap set up with my Voltra cable machine and for this I clip the carabiner directly on the cable.

So the handles are not only useful for the resistance band system but I can use them on other equipment I own.

Next I’ll show you a few of the exercises I can do with this band system.

Exercises

Here’s how I do shoulder presses.

For this set up I like to use knee pad because it can get extremely hard to do these standing up.

Here are some barbell bicep curls…

And single band squats.

This single band set up feels light so I prefer using the double band with the squat harness.

Resistance Band Footplate Set Pros & Cons

Pros

• Build: Solid wooden footplate with aluminum accessories that feel very solid

• Versatile: I can do a lot of compound and isolation exercises with this set up

• Space saving: The biggest item in this system is the board and it’s only 30 inches long so it doesn’t take up much space

• Accessories: I like that this brings handles as well as a bar so I can work both arms at a time or workout each arm individually

• Cost: Compared to other resistance bands systems, this one is more affordable and includes more accessories so I get a lot of bang for my buck

Cons

• Metal risers: Risers below the board may scratch wooden floor or slip on tile so it’s better to use on stall mats or other rubber flooring

Squat Harness Resistance Band Footplate Set Alternatives

Harambe System

The Harambe System is a complete resistance band bar bundle.

It comes with a bar, rods and ropes (these are the hooks), footplate, bands, and exercise program.

Harambe’s lowest priced bundle, the T Bundle, starts at $459 and is built for travelers or those with small spaces.

X3 Bar Elite

The X3 Elite Bar is another resistance band bundle but this one has built-in hooks on the bar.

It comes with a resistance band bar, footplate, resistance bands with up to 600 lbs of resistance, and a 12 week training program.

This bundle starts at $549.

Squat Harness Resistance Band Footplate Set Price

The entire Squat Harness resistance band footplate set costs $299 which is a killer deal compared to other resistance bands systems.

This is $200 less than Harambe’s most affordable bundle and $250 less than the X3 Elite Bar.

On top of the budget friendly price, Squat Harness includes a pair of handles, which other brands don’t.

Squat Harness Discount Code

And even though $299 is a fair price, you know I’m always looking for ways to hook you up.

So here’s how to knock $60 off the retail price.

Just click the red button below to reveal a Squat Harness discount code…

My Experience Using The Resistance Band Footplate Set

I’ve tested the Harambe System, which is considered to be one of the best in the resistance bands world…

And I can honestly say that the Squat Harness’ system feels just as good and with a longer plate, I actually feel more tension.

The addition of the hooks on top of the board and handles, make it more complete and add more versatility.

Conclusion: Should You Buy The Squat Harness Resistance Band Footplate Set?

If you’re short on space, want a minimalist set up, and love resistance band workouts, this is a good one.

It’s built solidly and I can exercise just about any body part I can think of using the bar, handles, hooks, and footplate.

At this low price, I don’t see why anyone would pay more for set ups that give you less options.