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Best olympic barbell reviews 2024

First published: 03/13/2017
Last updated: 12/16/2024

An Olympic barbell is an essential part of any home (or commercial) gym. It allows you to perform the big three lifts: Squat, deadlift and bench press.

We've reviewed a couple of Olympic bars and listed its pros and cons.

Olympic barbell Weight capacity (lbs) Our rating Price
Cap Barbell Weight Lifting 2-Inch Heavy Duty 2000-Pound Power Olympic Bar 2000 4.6 of 5 $$$
XMark "ELITE SERIES II" Ultimate Performance Commercial 7 ft. Olympic Bar 1500 4.4 $$$
CAP Barbell Olympic Bar, 2-Inch, 1200-Pound Capacity, 7-Feet Review 1200 4.3 $$

CAP Barbell Olympic Bar, 2-Inch, 1200-Pound Capacity, 7-Feet Review

CAP Barbell Olympic Bar is a 7-feet bar made from steel. It can safely support loads up to 1200 lbs and weighs 44 lbs. It can accommodate 2-inch Olympic plates.

It's one of the best selling CAP's bars and features colored sleeves - blue, red, cherry, green and purple. Coatings are not just painted - they're high quality, exceptionally durable coatings made by Accu-Coat.

CAP Barbell Olympic Bar, 2-Inch, 1200-Pound Capacity, 7-Feet
CAP Barbell Olympic Bar, 2-Inch, 1200-Pound Capacity, 7-Feet

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There is no center knurl - There is a stretch in the middle, running about 2 feet, that is smooth, the rest of the length to the caps has knurling, which may be inconvenient for those who want to snatch.

Pros

  • 1200 pounds capacity
  • Excellent quality for the price
  • Good spin time for the sleeves

Cons

  • Packaging could be better
  • Hard to see the knurling because of black mat finish

Conclusion

CAP has created a real winner in the lower price range. I highly recommend the CAP Olympic Barbell as your first bar.

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Cap Barbell Weight Lifting 2-Inch Heavy Duty 2000-Pound Power Olympic Bar

The CAP Barbell is a heavy duty Olympic bar, capable of holding 2000 lbs of capacity. It weighs 45 lbs.

Cap Barbell Weight Lifting 2-Inch Heavy Duty 2000-Pound Power Olympic Bar
Cap Barbell Weight Lifting 2-Inch Heavy Duty 2000-Pound Power Olympic Bar

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It's ideal for squats, bench presses and deadlifts. It accommodates 2-inch Olympic plates. The knurling is not extreme, so it's not the most suitable for hardcore powerlifters, but it's aggressive enough for serious lifters.

The knurling extends a little bit more to the center, which can make a huge difference in your grip while doing deadlifts and squats; the bar doesn't slip even if you're shirtless.

There's an issue with the packaging - UPS doesn't seem to understand, that you can't just put some duct tape at the end of a 45 lbs Olympic bar and expect it to hold it in place.

Pros

  • Aggressive, but not extreme, knurling
  • Smooth rotation

Cons

  • Collars not included (a really minor con)
  • It may not be the best powerlifting bar

Conclusion

Great buy for this price and capacity (2000 lbs). You can lift some serious weight with this barbell.

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XMark "ELITE SERIES II" Ultimate Performance Commercial 7 ft. Olympic Bar Review

The XMark "ELITE SERIES II" Ultimate Performance Commercial 7 ft. Olympic Bar features eight needle bearings for smoother, quieter spin, 1500 lbs of capacity and tensile strength of 185,000 PSI.

XMark
XMark "ELITE SERIES II" Ultimate Performance Commercial 7 ft. Olympic Bar

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It weighs 45 lbs, is 7 feet long and has a diameter of 28mm. It has no center knurling, but it offers medium depth fine knurling elsewhere.

This Olympic barbell features a black manganese phosphate 28mm shaft, which is usually found only in higher-priced, high-quality bars.

Pros

  • Black Manganese phosphate shaft
  • Affordable price
  • 1500 lbs capacity

Cons

  • None really

Conclusion

XMark's Olympic bar offers ultimate performance for Olympic and power lifting routines. You won't be disappointed by those eight needle bearings.

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