Bodymax CF475 Power Rack Review

Weight capacity and other statistics

• Dimensions: 1370L x 1200W 2160H
• Weight capacity: 363kg (about 800lbs)
• Product weight: 69kg (delivered in multiple long packages)
• Steele gauge: 14 gauge/2mm thick
• Price: c.£380

Assembly

The power rack comes with clear, easy to follow instructions which makes assembly straightforward. As ever when building a cage, I would definitely recommend having someone to help. I build them up on my own and find myself stretched a bit thin given how wide the thing is!

One caveat, despite being heavy duty, the CF475 like many other cages will bend if you over tighten the bolts. Definitely one to watch out for! I did it on my first power rack and was absolutely gutted, not that it affects the performance but it’s an imperfection 🙂

Construction and spotters

Everything, once assembled, was straight and true and feels pretty solid.

When moving serious weight inside the CF475 (or doing pullups/chins) it can wobble very slightly from side to side. This is fairly common among home gym power racks (my other cage does this too), particularly ones at this price point, and shouldn’t put you off. I find it particularly pronounced on racking/unracking with heavy weights on the Olympic barbell and pull-ups. I think it is primarily down to not being bolted down.

One way I have found to add some additional rigidity is to add the lat pulldown/low row attachment to the back and use it to hold weight plates that aren’t in use. This adds an extra 80kg or so to the back of the rack making it feel more planted. This dampens but does not eliminate the wobble.

The chinning bar set up now is less than ideal in my view, I have a previous version with a straight bar which I prefer.

The spotters for the CF475 are removable and slot in/out very quickly. They are made of the same quality steel as the frame (14 gauge) and therefore just as strong. The fact they are removable is great for both speed and for doing power cleans inside the rack space. A huge plus for this rack in my view.

Price and competitors

The Bodymax cage sits well within the sub-£500 (c.£350 to be exact) price bracket. In terms of alternatives I see there being two clear alternatives in the CF375 and the F430 (both also made by Bodymax).

The CF475 vs CF375 is a no brainer in my view, the CF475 offers a huge amount more for a little more cash. A clear win for the CF475.

The CF475 vs F430 is harder, with the F430 being a more expensive cage with better features.

I would not recommend a cheap no-name cage. I bought one of these previously and found the spotters were very flimsy, much thinner than 14 gauge which the remainder of the cage was made from!

Should I buy the Bodymax CF475 based on this review?

This rack is definitely an upper entry level rack in terms of material and price, but this does not mean it should be overlooked. It has a reasonable weight capacity above and beyond that which most of us can lift and the spotter bars are as rigid as the rest of the structure which is hugely important and rare in beginner power racks. A cage like this will help you get strong if used correctly!

To conclude this squat rack review, I would say that it is a great rack to buy for most home uses. It offers a great balance of performance and price which most people will love. The downsides around the wobble and the steel gauge can be overcome if you are prepared to spend more but you would need to go well over £500 to solve these. I score the rack a 9/10 due to the balance of performance/cost and the amazing spotters.

• Heavy Power Rack on Amazon