Here's a scenario that plays out in a lot of home gyms: the rack is dialed in, the barbell is great, the bench is solid, and there's still nowhere to actually put anything. Bars end up on the floor, accessories pile up in the corner, and every session starts with a little obstacle course.
That's exactly the problem these new Bells of Steel storage accessories solve. You can hang bars, store your bench, and organize bands, chains, and smaller gear right on the rack or on the wall behind it. No extra floor footprint, no separate storage units, and honestly a much better looking gym.
The lineup itself isn't new, but a recent redesign made it meaningfully better. Two things changed: the mounting system got a lot more flexible, and UHMW plastic liners showed up on almost every holder.
Your Gym Probably Needs More Storage Than You Think
Storage is the one thing people skip when building out a home gym, and it shows. Bars end up propped against the wall. Accessories live in a pile. The bench takes up way more floor space than it needs to because there's nowhere else to put it.
Rack and wall mounted storage cleans all of that up. It pulls gear off the floor, keeps everything close to where you actually use it, and in a lot of cases replaces standalone storage pieces you'd otherwise have to buy separately.
A cleaner gym genuinely makes you want to train more. Walk into a space where bars are neatly stored, the bench has a home, and nothing is in the way, and the whole room feels ready. That mental shift is real.
What Changed in the New Design
The old mounting system was pretty rigid. Limited hole patterns meant limited options, especially on walls where studs don't always land where you need them.
The new version uses a universal keyhole style pattern with way more mounting locations. That opens things up for rack uprights, crossmembers, Hydra racks, Manticore racks, Light Commercial racks, Residential racks, Cable Tower back uprights, and the All-in-One trainer back uprights.
The second upgrade is UHMW plastic liners on almost every holder. Your bar rests on plastic instead of bare steel, which protects the knurling, reduces movement, and adds a built-in stop so nothing slides out of place. The only holder without UHMW is the accessory hanger, which is designed for lighter hanging items.
Rack Compatibility: A Few Things Worth Knowing
These are built for the Bells of Steel lineup, and they work across a wide range of it.
Third-party racks are hit or miss since tubing size, hole diameter, and spacing all vary by brand. The flexible keyhole pattern gives them a decent shot at working elsewhere, but it's not guaranteed.
A couple of specifics worth knowing. On light commercial and residential racks, full length barbells fit but the bottom clearance is tight, around half an inch. If you're mounting bar storage on the front crossmember, use two bolts, not one. A single bolt makes the whole thing feel shaky. Double bolt it and it holds multiple Olympic bars without flinching.
On a cable tower and All-in-One trainer back uprights, height is the issue. There's not enough room to store a full length barbell vertically there. Shorter gear works much better in that spot: curl bars, trap bars, loadable dumbbell handles, or accessory holders.
Single, Two, and Five Bar Holders
The single bar holder is the simplest option and honestly a really smart one for specialty bars. Multi-bar holders can get messy fast when you're dealing with unusual shapes, wide sleeves, or odd profiles that start bumping into each other. A dedicated single holder sidesteps that completely.
The two bar holder gives you a bit more capacity while staying surprisingly slim. Mounted on an upright, it barely sticks out past the bars themselves, so rack use stays normal.
The five bar holder is the one for serious barbell collectors. It stores up to five full size Olympic barbells, and the new design lets you mount it on the front upright instead of just on a crossmember. That keeps your bars easy to grab without eating into squat or bench space. Double bolt it, add the UHMW protection, and you've got a clean home for the whole collection.
Bench Holder and Rower Storage
The bench holder opens up wider than the bar holders to accommodate bulkier gear, and the bottom is lined with UHMW so the bench doesn't rest against bare steel.
The standout feature here is the crossmember mounting option. When you mount it there, the rack upright acts like a natural backstop for the bench, keeping the lower foot from swinging inward. It's a cleaner, more secure position than a side mount.
Very heavy benches can be awkward to lift into position solo. Adjustable benches may also shift depending on how the back pad sits, so ease of daily use matters, not just load capacity.
For rower storage, wall mounting tends to work better since rowers are long. If yours splits into sections (like the Blitz rower), hanging one section makes the whole thing way more manageable.
Accessory Hanger
The accessory hanger is a five prong organizer for the smaller stuff that tends to pile up: bands, chains, dip belts, knee sleeves, elbow sleeves, and straps.
It's not designed for barbells and doesn't include UHMW, but it's one of the most practical pieces in the lineup for keeping a gym tidy.
One thing to keep in mind with heavy chains: hang them close to the rack body rather than at the far ends of the prongs. Spreading the weight toward the tips adds unnecessary leverage and can cause bending over time.
Hardware Is Not Included (and That's Intentional)
Different setups need different bolt sizes. Manticore racks use 1 inch hardware. Hydra racks use 5/8 inch. Wall mounting requires lag bolts. Front upright mounting on certain configurations requires extra long bolts that pass through both the crossmember and the attachment at once.
Check the recommended hardware for your rack type before ordering. Small detail, but it matters for a solid install.
So Which One Do You Actually Need?
- Single Bar Holder: one bar, or a specialty bar that deserves its own spot
- Two Bar Holder: a compact setup with a couple of go-to bars
- Five Bar Holder: a full barbell collection that needs real organization
- Bench Holder: get the bench off the floor and out of the way
- Rower Storage: works best wall mounted, or with a split-section rower
- Accessory Hanger: bands, chains, sleeves, and everything else in the "pile"
If the home gym feels cramped, floor clutter is usually the real problem, not square footage. Add the right storage and the whole space works better.
