Edge Fitness Systems Mono Hooks Review
Last updated on January 11th, 2024 at 11:55 am
For a few years I debated getting Monolift hooks, then didn’t, then thought about it again, then didn’t. Then I finally pulled the trigger at the end of 2019. I purchased the Edge Fitness Systems Mono Hooks. Lots of great reviews on them, figured I’d take a stab.
Key Notes
The Edge Fitness Systems Mono Hooks were some of the first available on the market. They are missing key upgrades that others have today, but function as intended.
After almost a year of use, I can say that using monolift hooks for bench is a game changer. Anyone training by themselves, they make liftoffs painless, literally. My wife and I both agree here. It does take a few workouts to get the right set up and feel, adjust the height, etc. But once you get in the groove, I can’t honestly see myself going back to regular J-Cups again.
With that out of the way, lets talk specifically about the Edge Fitness Monolift Hooks.
Thoughts
Edge in my mind has found a special place in the market where they make American Made equipment, with no frills, at a reasonable price, that will hold up for years and years to come. Their monolift hooks are no different.
They are a simple single piece of metal, attached to the back plate with a nut and bolt. The back plate having 3 cut outs for different rack dimensions to attach with another nut and bolt.
No Frills
I mentioned the no frills aspect, this is exactly what the monos are. They do NOT come with UHMW lining. This is a standard on most offerings from almost every other company. This means your bars are going to get a little beat up getting racked, adjusted, moved, etc. Now MOST people would consider this a deal breaker. I don’t entirely disagree. They COULD add UHMW… they SHOULD add UHMW… they just choose not to.
The other downside to no UHMW is the mono hooks hit the backplate and it is metal clanging metal, followed by a metal bar racking on the metal hooks. Metal on metal making a LOT of noise. Something to consider if you have a need to keep quiet while lifting.
I worked with a buddy, Aperture Engineering, on trying to get my monos covered with 3D print, but this proved to be extremely difficult. The mono hooks don’t lay perfectly horizontal to the floor, so 3d printing a covering became extremely difficult. After a TON of revisions we got REALLY close, but they just never worked correctly.
Bolts
I mentioned the 3 cut outs for different racks. This is nice if you were to ever change racks, but it certainly isn’t the cleanest offering. This means you have 2 extra holes as well as an extra inch or so on the plate sticking out the side. It serves them well because they can make ONE offering that fits all of the standard racks including 2×3 and 3×3.
The nut and bolt that is used to connect the monolift to the rack itself is sturdy, but if you have multiple athletes (like I do) with different needs from a monolift placement perspective (like I do), you have to keep some tools close bye to loosen, adjust, and tighten the setup.
This is a legit pain in the ass. I ended up seeing a post about someone using a wing nut for their monos, and that same day I went out and grabbed a pair. This improved the process dramatically. Still not fun to adjust as you are holding the heavy monolift, while trying to line up the bolt into the rack, then tighten down the wing nut. A true J-Cup style monolift attachment that pops in and is secured with a hitch pin or something similar would be MUCH improved.
Adjustments
One small potential issue I have, which isn’t Edges fault, is that with my bench and larger frame, the Monos hook just outside of the Westside Spacing on my rack. In an ideal world I’d have another hole and I think the monolift would be in the PERFECT spot for me. The only time this really becomes an issue is with bars that tend to bend, like an earthquake bar. The bar will bend enough that it makes it hard to unrack at the right heights as the weight gets heavier. My wife doesn’t have these issues as she is a few holes below the top of the Westside Spacing.
Final Comments On The Edge Fitness Systems Mono Hooks
So, the above was basically me complaining about every piece of the monolift. To be 100% fair, they work. They do what they need to do, they hold the weight, they alleviate issues with solo-liftoffs, they adjust, they swing clean, etc. There are literally no issues with the basic function of the monolifts. Back to my original comment about Edge, this is them as an entire company. Their stuff will work, it will help you in your pursuit to bigger lifts, and it will outlast whatever beating you toss at it, but do not expect anything even remotely close to flashy like knurling, UHMW, etc.
The issues come down to some of the smaller items… The UHMW is debatable, but totally understandable if you skip to someone else for this alone. The bolt is honestly the most annoying part for me. Just because of the set up and movement portion. It gets done, but again, just annoying.
Overall, I’m not so annoyed at the minor flaws and lack of gizmos that I’ll be instantly getting rid of them. As I said, they function as needed when it counts. If I was in the market again, I’d have a hard time ignoring the other offerings though.
You can get a pair of the Edge Fitness Systems Mono Hooks at this link.
Curious about Mono Hooks with ALL the bells and whistles? Check out the Mutant Metals Snap Back Rollers.
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Joe Gray
My name is Joe Gray - aka Gray Matter Lifting - and I've been lifting at home since 2013. In that time I've built a badass gym, deadlifted over 600lbs, helped grow r/Homegym to over 1 Million subscribers, created the Garage Gym Competition and written a ton of posts here on this site. I love the Garage Gym Community... If you do too, I hope you stick around.
