The Best Olympic Bars

Perfect for doing squats, deadlifts, shrugs, and power pulls, Olympic bars are a great addition to any home gym – even if you only have a small amount of space to work out. Although regular barbells tend to be less expensive, if you’re serious about lifting, you’ll want to upgrade your standard barbells to an Olympic variety. Olympic bars are generally higher quality and can also hold much more weight than your typical bar. If you’re considering investing in bars for your home gym, we recommend going straight to the Olympic standard. RELATED: How to Get Better at Pull-Ups While professional-level Olympic barbells can easily cost more than $1,000, there are a handful of great options for every price range. Here, we’ve rounded up some of the best Olympic bars you can buy – there’s something for every budget and need. REP Fitness Colorado Bar REP has won a reputation for both quality and affordability, an increasingly difficult spot to fill in the era of tariffs and inflation, but their Colorado Bar is the perfect case-in-point. Ten years of testing, innovating and taking customer feedback went into the construction of this bar, and it shows. It has two knurl markings (both IPF and IWF) for maximum versatility as well as a proprietary Duracoat finish to harden the exterior and prevent rust and decay. The bar also comes in six different Cerakote finishes, so it's easy to personalize it to your own aesthetic preferences.  $299.99 at REPFitness.com Cap Barbell Olympic Super Curl Bar Made of solid steel with a chrome finish, this heavy-duty Olympic barbell boasts a medium-depth diamond knurling for non-slip grip (even if your palms sweat during a heavy workout), as well as smooth rotating sleeves, which help to reduce any pressure or pain points on the hands and wrists. The Super Curl Bar is also available in a matte black if you’re looking for a more muted home gym design. $33.99 at Amazon.com HulkFit Olympic 2-Inch Hex Weight Lifting Trap Bar The HulkFit Olympic Bar is the number one best selling barbell on Amazon – and for good reason. Made of solid, heavy-duty steel, this weight lifting bar can comfortably hold up to 1,000 pounds without giving out while the extra-long loadable sleeves allow for generous space for loading and unloading weights – it also allows for additional bumper plates for anyone working out in an apartment or at home with a baby where the noise level is important. “I searched everywhere until I found this thing,” one reviewer said. “This hex bar is a BEAST!!! It lets me fit six, 55-pound bumpers on each side for a total weight of 735 pounds!” $130 at Amazon.com Marcy Solid Steel Olympic Weight Bar Made from sturdy, reliable, and durable steel, the Marcy Solid Steel will last you for years. In fact, it’s particularly well-loved by Amazon reviewers for its evident durable feel. “The bar was exactly the shape you would find in any gym,” said one reviewer. “It was well made and balanced. Mine came with spring clamps, which is awesome and they work great.” It’s also a great option for anyone looking for quick and seamless execution – this curl bar secures the weight plates effectively, which gives you a hassle-free workout experience every time. $59.99 at Amazon.com Synergee Black Olympic Hex Barbell Trap Bar This Olympic hex barbell by Synergee is a great option for anyone who regularly pulls from the ground and doesn't want to run the risk of lower back injury or strain. Thanks to the hexagonal design, the bar keeps the weight evenly distributed through your body’s midline, allowing for a linear bar path while targeting your quadriceps, and a significantly decreased risk of injury (which means more gains!). The Synergee bar also allows you to choose between either raised or flat handles depending on your personal preference. $149.95 at Amazon.com Sunny Health & Fitness Olympic Hex Bar If you’re looking for a lighter weight hex bar that won’t hurt a pre-existing condition, look no further than the Sunny Health & Fitness bar. “This bar is extremely helpful as I have a compressed disc in my back and heavy deadlifts with a standard bar always seem to cause pain,” explained one reviewer. “This allows me to lift heavy with no pain.” $119.99 at Amazon.com Titan Fitness Hex Trap Bar Looking for a big-and-tall hex bar? Consider the Titan. “Long story short, this is a great quality hex bar for a reasonable price,” explained one reviewer. “The bar also allows even the biggest and tallest people to use it comfortably – you actually do fit inside.” Like the other hex bars on the list, the six-sided style allows you to regulate the amount of weight you’re lifting so it’s more evenly distributed than when you use a regular deadlift bar or dumbbells for deadlifts. $174.99 at Amazon.com Gymax Olympic Hex Bar, Folding Trap Bar Crafted from heavy-duty steel construction with handsome chrome finishing, the Gymax Olympic hex bar is sturdy and durable – and won’t get rusty if you tend to sweat a lot during a workout. It can hold up to 800 pounds at capacity and is well-loved by both individuals building a home gym and gym owners alike. $125.99 at Amazon.com Rogue Olympic Weightlifting Bar If you're an actual competitor in a weight lifting sport, you need the very best bar you can find, something that can handle incredibly heavy loads and the daily grind of your training. Rogue's Olympic Weightlifting Bar isn't cheap, but it's built to the highest standards, and if well maintained will last you a lifetime.  $620 at RogueFitness.com You Might Also Dig: The 11 Best Home Exercise Equipment Options How to Get Ripped Best Garmin Devices