What weight capacity do I really need?

For most home lifters, a rack rated 800 lb or more with 12-gauge or 11-gauge steel uprights is plenty. The bigger story is gauge and upright size (2x2 vs. 2x3 vs. 3x3 tubing), not the headline capacity number, since marketing figures are often theoretical. Specialist subreddit threads repeatedly note that thinner-gauge budget racks technically hold the load but visibly flex and sway under it.