Ever since I first encountered the seal row (sometimes called prone row or bench pull) when I was 15 years old, it’s been my absolute favorite back exercise.
It’s the best ‘pure’ back builder, meaning it stimulates your upper back with minimal lower back engagement, allowing you to get a more targeted stimulus with less trunk fatigue.
The issue is prone/seal row benches are extremely rare and it’s a real pity more gyms don’t have them.
Nonetheless, in this article I’m going to walk you through the 3 best seal row benches money can buy in 2023, so you can deck out your home gym with the ultimate piece of back equipment!
Let’s begin!
Just as you might expect, Rogue has the most beautifully designed seal row bench on the market with some solid features and an incredible finish.
Best Overall Seal Row Bench
If you’ve ever used a cheap seal row bench before, and like to do explosive rowing movements, you’ll know that they tend to shift around quite a bit.
The Rogue seal row bench is built with thicker steel than most and a wider base to allow for maximum stability when going to town on this thing.
As a taller athlete, what I really like about this bench is its height.
It’s quite a bit higher than the other benches which makes it much easier to get onto and off of.
This bench also has a plastic cover on the bottom of the bench to protect regular barbells from scratching when banging up against the bench.
The finish is super nice and their seal row bar is also a thing of beauty.
A small amount of assembly is required and you’ll need a couple wrench/sockets as well as a hex key to put it together.
It’s a fair bit heavier than the other options but it’s a much sturdier overall bench.
This bench is a fair bit more expensive than the other two options at around $1,350, but the quality is noticeably higher to the point where spending the extra cash will be well worth it for some users.
Recommended Use
This seal row bench is ideal for taller athletes, commercial gyms, and anyone who wants maximum stability and minimal shifting around during use.
Pros
- Superior height, width, and thickness make for the most ergonomic and stable bench on the market.
- Build quality and finish is absolutely beautiful compared to other seal row benches.
Cons
- These benches are a lot more expensive than the other products listed in this article.
- Some assembly is required.
If the Rogue bench was a little too rich for your blood, the Titan seal row bench is significantly more affordable and will get the job done for the vast majority of users.
Best Budget Seal Row Bench
This bench is the perfect blend of functionality and affordability.
It’s also a decent height off the ground which I really like and the adjustable barbell holders make racking and unracking really convenient regardless of your height.
For a much cheaper product, the Titan seal row bench is still really solid and is surprisingly sturdy.
The added benefit of a face pad/hole is a nice touch too, which will make your sets a little more comfortable if you like to do slow and controlled reps.
Titan also have a fantastic seal row bar which is half the price of the equivalent Rogue barbell and makes a great addition to this bench, allowing you to maximize your range of motion.
For the vast majority of users, the Titan seal/prone row bench is going to be the highest value for money.
The finish isn’t quite as nice as the Rogue bench, but honestly I can live with that since it’s 4 times cheaper!
Recommended Use
For the overwhelming majority of athletes, the Titan seal row bench is going to be the way to go. It’s 4 times cheaper than the Rogue bench and has nothing but stellar reviews!
Pros
- The dimensions of this bench are super smart. It’s the perfect height while remaining really sturdy and cost effective.
- This seal row bench is 4 times cheaper than the Rogue product!
- Having a face cutout is definitely a nice touch to enhance comfort.
Cons
- I seriously wasn’t able to find a single negative thing about this seal row bench!
Another super affordable seal row bench worth considering is the bench from Strength Shop. It's extremely compact and lightweight, but gets the job done.
Best Seal Row Bench Outside Of The USA
If you’re looking for an affordable seal bench with a small footprint, this might be your best option.
Unfortunately this bench is about 25% lower to the ground than the other two benches, which makes it a little less user friendly for taller athletes, but shorter guys might actually prefer this.
I’m a bit concerned with the construction quality: this bench weighs less than 70lbs whereas the Titan bench weighs more than twice that…
And the Rogue bench is 50% heavier than the Titan bench!
The bar pegs on the rack are also only rated for 330lbs, but this probably won’t be an issue for the vast majority of users.
At 43×39″, this bench has the smallest footprint of the 3 I’ve discussed today, so it might be a decent option for anyone low on space.
Each of the reviews I read on this bench were excellent and the bench still seems remarkably reliable for its stature.
Unfortunately Strength Shop are UK based which means you will have to pay extra to have it shipped to the US.
Having said that, this is the best budget option for athletes based outside of the US, as Titan don’t ship internationally.
Recommended Use
This is the ideal budget seal row bench for athletes based outside of the US (as Titan don’t ship outside of the USA).
Pros
- Smaller footprint makes this ideal for home gyms low on free space.
- Also quite affordable.
Cons
- Super lightweight – you can expect some shifting/sliding around during sets when using this bench aggressively.
Final Verdict?
If you like having the nicest equipment possible and you’ve got the cash to burn, the Rogue seal row bench is by far the nicest overall bench.
However, for the vast majority of users, the Titan seal row bench is going to make a lot more sense.
It’s sturdy, really well designed, and 4 times cheaper than the Rogue bench!
Still not sold? Check out these seal row alternatives…
My Seal Row Bench Research & Review Process
I always make it my mission to be as comprehensive as possible with these product reviews so I can be as helpful as possible to my readers.
Unfortunately, since I’m living abroad in Thailand, I’ve not been able to purchase and test any of these seal row benches yet, as customs and duties fees have made it super difficult to import large pieces of equipment like this.
So in the interest of full transparency, I cannot speak about these products from first hand experience.
I have however had extensive experience using other seal row benches in the past.
Since there wasn’t much information available on the internet about seal row benches, I decided to take the time to research each of these options and put together this list anyway, hoping some of you would find it helpful.
Research Process
Since there isn’t a huge number of seal row benches on the market, it wasn’t particularly difficult to come up with the items in this list.
I used both price as well as customer satisfaction to determine the order of the products in this list.
Continually Updating With New Products & Information
As each of these products evolve iterate through newer versions, I’ll be updating this article so that you know exactly how my feelings towards each seal row bench evolve over time.
I’m also constantly on the hunt for new benches that can offer value to the marketplace for inclusion in this article.
If you’re a seal row bench manufacturer and want your product reviewed and included in this article, please get in touch.
Feel free to read more about my product testing standards and review process.
