I get asked time and time and time again about the various trap bar options out there, so I figured that it was finally time to put something together for those of you who who happen to be in the market. Here it is! My [long overdue] hex and trap bar shopping guide.
I hope that this guide helps you zero in on the best trap bar for you. With any luck, you will find not only the products that you’re currently considering already in this guide, but maybe even a couple of new options that you didn’t already know about.
If you don’t see a particular bar that you would like some feedback on, leave a comment. At the very least I will give you my opinion. I may also add the bar in question to this guide.
Table of Contents
- What to Look For In a Trap Bar
- Vulcan Prime Hex Trap Bar
- Rogue Fitness TB-1 Trap Bar 2.0
- Kabuki Strength Trap Bar
- Vulcan Pro High Hex Trap Bar
- Rogue Fitness TB-2 Trap Bar
- American Barbell Fat Grip Trap Bar
- Edge Fitness Systems Rickshaw
- Intek Modular Function Bar
- Bells of Steel Trap Bar 2.0
- Body Solid Combat Ready Trap Bar
- X-Mark Revolving Grip Trap Bar
- Rep Fitness Trap Bar
- A Note About Economy Trap Bars
- Trap Bar Shopping Guide Summary
What to Look For in a Trap Bar
The Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar with a handful of arrows representing just some of the dimensions / specifications that you may want to pay close attention to when choosing a trap bar for your gym.
- Check dimensions carefully. Consider how big of a trap bar you want, and how big of a trap bar you can even store in your gym. Some of these bars are huge, others are more compact; at least relatively compact.
- Pay attention to sleeve length. If you use basic bumpers and the sleeves of the trap bar that you are considering have only 10″ sleeves, well you’re gonna run out of space long before you max out that deadlift.
- Do you care if your trap bar is rackable? Would you actually use it in the rack if you get a rackable trap bar?
- Are you a pretty big dude? Maybe lean towards a trap bar with 25-26″ distance between the handles rather than those with a smaller ~24″ handle distance.
- Do you care about dual handles? Do you care if the handles are knurled?
- Most trap bars are an easy-to-mathulate weight; something nice and even like say 55-lb or 65-lb, but some have a completely random weight; like the TB-1 at 58-lbs.
Additionally, free shipping is NOT free! If you’re buying a trap bar that costs anywhere near $100 shipped (see the economy trap bars section below), you’re not buying a very nice trap bar. These large, heavy bars cost a lot to ship. Matter of fact, the cost to ship Rogue’s TB-1 is more than $100, and Rogue gets (and passes on to us) fairly decent shipping rates. You can imagine how nice of a trap bar you’d be buying if the total cost shipped is less than just the shipping of most other products.
Vulcan Prime Hex Trap Bar (ACRT Spec)
The Vulcan Prime Hex Trap Bar is one of the nicest; if not the nicest; standard-design, trap bars on the market. This 7′ long, 60-lb monster is manufactured with 1.5″ x 1,5″, 11-gauge steel and has reinforced steel-plate corners for extra strength and durability. It’s big, strong, and loaded with a ton of nice features. These include:
- true 50 mm Olympic sleeves with chrome plating. No chipping, no rust, and no special collars needed.
- those Olympic sleeves are solid steel, not hollow.
- no maximum weight capacity. If you can lift it, the Vulcan Prime can handle it.
- two stainless steel Vulcan logos that contrast well with the black powder coating, giving the Prime a very classy look..
- it’s rackable! (in most power racks)
The Vulcan Prime Hex Bar also meets the specification requirements for the deadlift portion of the Army’s new Combat Readiness Test (ACRT)! You Military buyers can buy Vulcan!
The Vulcan Prime is $379 shipped and that price includes the shipping. It’s certainly not the most amount of money you could spend, but it’s not the cheapest either. Still, this is a super premium piece of equipment; a product that will never let you down or need to be replaced. I have no problem recommending Vulcan Strength or the Vulcan Prime Trap Bar.
Dimensions: 85″ x 28.5″, handle distance: 25″; handle diameter: 33 mm; handle length: 15.5″, weight: 60-lbs, 16″ loadable sleeves, capacity: n/a, imported, no on-site reviews yet, $389 shipped
Rogue Fitness TB-1 Trap Bar 2.0
The Rogue TB-1 Trap Bar is a standard-design hex bar that is built with strong, 1.5″ square tubing instead of the round tube steel found on most basic trap bars; exactly like the Vulcan Prime Hex Bar mentioned above. This durable design is able to handle much more weight – so much so that neither Rogue or Vulcan bother providing a max capacity.
The TB-1 is massive. It is 89″ long, it has fully knurled 34 mm handles, and it’s finished in a resilient black powder coat. It does not have true Olympic sleeves like the Prime, but this is still one hell of a trap bar, and the $295 price tag isn’t really at all unreasonable for a bar of this quality.
Still, one does have to wonder if spending the difference for the TB-2 isn’t a better idea. You get the dual handle feature, and a nice even-number weight (60-lbs versus 58-lbs).
Dimensions: 89″ x 28.5″, handle distance: 25″; handle diameter: 34 mm; weight: 58-lbs, 16″ loadable sleeves, capacity: n/a, made in USA, 4.7-star rating, $295 pre-shipping (~$425 shipped).
Kabuki Strength Trap Bar
The Kabuki Strength Trap Bar is an ingenious take on the trap bar. It’s a dual-handle, open ended trap bar with built-in bar jacks. It’s well-balanced, easy to load and unload, and there are actually three different handle diameters to choose from (1″, 1½”, and 2″); each finished in bright zinc, and all of them knurled (though the 2″ ‘Love Handle’ is an optional purchase.)
The Kabuki Trap Bar; like all Kabuki products; is loaded with clever features, is aesthetically pleasing, and incredibly expensive. The Kabuki does have machined sleeves which I guess saves your $25 on a pair of axle collars, and you can set the handles to be either stationary or to rotate (well the 2″ handles anyway), but you are looking at about $600 delivered. That is a lot of money for a trap bar.
To be fair, I really like Kabuki bars. I think a lot of thought goes into the development of their products. The prices are outright ridiculous though.
Dimensions: 84″ long; handle distance: 24″; handle diameter: varies; distance between handle pairs: 3″, weight: 55-lbs, 16.5″ loadable sleeves, capacity: n/a, Made in USA, 5-star rating, $549 pre-shipping
Vulcan Pro High Hex Trap Bar
At 75-lbs, the Vulcan Pro High Hex Trap Bar is the heaviest trap bar that I know about. It’s so heavy because it’s manufactured with 2″ x 2″ steel tubing and has true Olympic sleeves rather than just schedule 80 pipe.
The Vulcan Pro is a super nice trap bar. It has double height handles; both of which are fully knurled, the 16″ long, true Olympic sleeves are finished in resilient hard chrome and do not require you to own specialty bar collars, while the rest of the bar is finished in a black, matte powder coat.
This bar is a beast, and a true contender if you are looking for an end-game, no weight limit trap bar for your gym, and it doesn’t matter if your gym is a commercial gym or in a garage; you will not destroy this trap bar. Sure the $389 price tag is up there, but this is the last trap bar you’ll ever buy, and on the bright side that price does include the ground shipping.
Dimensions: 82″ x 28″, handle distance: 24″; handle diameter: 33 mm; distance between handle pairs: 7″, weight: 75-lbs, 16″ loadable sleeves, capacity: n/a, imported, 5-star rating, $389 shipped
Rogue Fitness TB-2 Trap Bar
The Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar is pretty much the Rolls Royce of trap bars. This 60-lb, 7-ft long monstrosity is made from 1.5″ square tubing with reinforced corners, has dual handles that are both knurled, and a gracious 16″ of loadable sleeve length. It’s also finished in Rogue’s standard (and resilient) black powder coat.
In my opinion, even the $600 Intek Mod Bar isn’t as nice as the TB-2, and the TB-2 is “only” $375. Yes I know $375 is a lot of money to spend on any specialty bar; especially when that price does not include shipping; but I have no doubt that this trap bar would be the last trap bar that you ever purchased. The TB-2 is going to last forever.
I highly recommend the TB-2 if it’s within budget. Read those reviews if you’re in doubt. You won’t find a nicer dual-handled, full-size trap bar. The Vulcan Pro High Trap Bar is arguably a better deal since its $389 price tag includes shipping, but the TB-2 is still the Rolls.
Dimensions: 88.5″ x 28.5″, handle distance: 25″; handle diameter: 34 mm; distance between handle pairs: 7″, weight: 60-lbs, 16″ loadable sleeves, capacity: n/a, made in USA, 4.9-star rating, $375 pre-shipping
American Barbell Fat Grip Hex Bar
The American Barbell Fat Grip Trap Bar is fairly unique in that it has dual-handles that are both the same, very thick diameter of 1.91″. I suppose this would be great if all you’ve ever wanted was an axle trap bar, but I think the lack of at least one smaller-diameter grip does make this kind of a niche trap bar.
Outside of the fat handles, the American Barbell has pretty typical specs. The weight looks good, the inner dimensions look good, it has long 16″+ sleeves, and it’s even rackable. It is a very nice trap bar, and the price isn’t even out of control for American Barbell. Still, you’d really have to be into Strongman-style, fat bar training to lean on this trap bar over most the others.
Dimensions: 85″ x 28.5″, handle distance: 25″; handle diameter: 48 mm; weight: 55-lbs, 16″ loadable sleeves, capacity: unknown, made in USA, no on-site reviews, $349 pre-shipping
Edge Fitness Systems Rickshaw
Not quite a hex bar, but still basically a trap bar, the Edge Fitness Systems Rickshaw is one very heavy-duty, budget-friendly option you should know about.
As Edge puts it, the Rickshaw is a walk-in trap bar that’s easier to load. In addition to using it for deadlifts, shrugs and carries just like you would with a standard trap bar, the Rickshaw offers a little more exercise variety because of its wide, stable stance and elevated handles. Most of us probably wouldn’t base the decision to buy on these bonus exercises, but bonus features are bonus features.
At only $250 before shipping, the price of the Rickshaw is extremely reasonable. Edge has a solid reputation for quality and ingenuity, and while you will wait a few weeks to receive a product from Edge, the word is that it’s always worth the wait. I personally like this option.
Joe Gray has a fantastic one-year-in review of the Edge Rickshaw that you should definitely check out if this product is on your radar. I have included it below for your convenience!
Yes Titan Fitness has a copy of the Edge Rickshaw, but if you respect your garage gym you won’t want that inferior piece of scrap metal anywhere near your other equipment; unless of course you’re already donating all of your gym budget to Titan anyway (shame on you.)
Dimensions: 56″ x 19″, handle distance: 24.5″; handle diameter: 32 mm; handle length: 7″,weight: 55-lbs, 13″ loadable sleeves, capacity: 700-lbs, made in the USA, no on-site reviews, $250 pre-shipping.
Intek Modular Function Bar
The Intek Mod Bar is an open-ended trap bar that can be used for pretty much all the same movements as a standard hex bar; shrugs, deadlifts, carries, presses, and so forth. There’s an optional roll bar that allows you to use it for a few more movements as well; movements that you’d probably never imagine doing with a trap bar. A squat, for example.
This thing is an absolute beast for sure; it’s made with 2″ square tubing and has reinforcing plates on the corners. It weighs in at 65-pounds and is pretty massive at 86″ long and about 30″ deep. It’s a very nice and very strong piece of equipment, and it even has dual handles, but the price seems a little high at $595. It does ship for free so it doesn’t end up being a lot more than say the Rogue trap bars to your door, but it’s a pretty penny no matter what.
Dimensions: 86″ x 29″, handle distance: 27″; handle diameter: 32 mm; distance between handles: 5″, weight: 65-lbs, 15″ loadable sleeves, capacity: 700-lbs, rackable; made in USA, no on-site reviews, $595 shipped.
Bells of Steel Trap Bar 2.0 w/ Rotating Sleeves
The Bells of Steel Trap Bar is a stand-out in my opinion. At only $247 shipped this trap bar has great dimensions, a 65-lb solid steel frame, a real zinc finish (rather than the decorative chrome found on most lower-cost trap bars), and dual-height handles. The BoS Trap Bar is also equipped with rotating sleeves; a rarity on trap bars.
The BoS Trap Bar has a lot going for it. In addition to the low price and solid specifications, it has a 4.9 star rating based on nearly 20 reviews, it has extremely long sleeves (that outta make bumper plate owners very happy), and the $247 price not only includes shipping, but includes shipping in enhanced packing that will ensure the bar shows up still in its box.
So long as you’re not looking for something super fancy like the TB-2 or the Vulcan Pro, I’m thinking the Bells of Steel Trap Bar 2.0 should be at the top of your list. Though do consider that the BoS Trap Bar has fairly narrow handles at only 25 mm in diameter.
Dimensions: 73″ x 23″, handle distance: 24″; handle diameter: 25 mm; handle length: 12″,weight: 65-lbs, 16″ loadable (rotating) sleeves, capacity: 700-lbs, imported, 4.9-star rating, $247 shipped.
Body Solid Combat Ready Trap Bar
The Body Solid Combat Ready Trap Bar is designed specifically for the new Army Combat Readiness Test. Of the six tests in the ACRT, the deadlift is one of them, and it is performed using a trap bar rather than a standard barbell.
The Army has certain requirements for the size, maximum capacity, and unloaded weight of the trap bar to be used for this test, and the Body Solid CRTB meets these requirements.
As a civilian training for the ACRT, I do not see any advantages of owing this bar over a trap bar that doesn’t meets Army standards, but costs less. That is to say, you can train your pull with any like-sized trap bar and it’s still going to improve your lift. Then again if it just makes you feel better to know it’s to spec, by all means have at it. You lose dual-handles with a bar like this one, but it does have some long sleeves and it may even be rackable in your rack!
Dimensions: 89″ x 28.5″, weight: 60-lbs, 16″ loadable sleeves,capacity: 600-lbs, made in the USA, no on-site reviews, handle diameter: 34 mm; $259 shipped. (many dimensions for this bar are unavailable, even through Body Solid.)
XMark Revolving Grip Trap Bar
The Revolving Grip Hex Bar is a style of trap bar that seems to be exclusive to the big box-store brands; companies like XMark, Valor, and CAP. Rather than being a fully welded unit with fixed-position handles like pretty much every other trap bar in this guide, this design is a bolt-together product that features rotating handles and elevated sleeves.
Personally I think this is a clever idea. With each rotation of the handles, the diameter of the handles gets thicker – from 30 mm to 38 mm and all the way up to 45 mm. That largest size at 45 mm is pretty damn thick, and that can make for one heck of a forearm workout. Those elevated sleeves will make loading and unloading the bar easier as well.
The overall size of the XMark Revolving Grip Trap Bar is generous. It is 65″ long, offers 26″ between the handles, and it weighs an even 25 kg; or 55-lbs. The sleeve length is about as short as they can be at only 10″, but for a bolt-together unit with a 700-lb max capacity, it’ll probably do so long as you’re not using bumper plates.
CAP Barbell makes a similar model for less money, but looking at the specs and details of it I can tell that it’s not built as well as the XMark. If you’re going to miss the standard trap bar and go for something like this, at least avoid the CAP model. Personally I don’t like the idea of an assembled specialty bar (vs welded) either way, and having two grip options like what is found on the dual-grip, fixed trap bars seems good enough. But hey, to each their own!Dimensions: 65″ x 31″, handle distance: 26″; handle diameters: 30, 38, & 45 mm; handle length: 7″,weight: 55-lbs, 10″ loadable sleeves, capacity: 700-lbs, imported, 4.5-star rating, $230 shipped.
Rep Fitness Trap Bar
Rep Fitness’ Trap Bar is a solid trap bar for the money. While definitely still an economical bar at only $125 (before shipping), it does feature dual-height (knurled) handles, a good 24″ distance between said handles, an even 25 kg/55 lb weight, and a very nice 16″ of loadable sleeve length (that’s a lot for a basic trap bar).
Like most fully welded trap bars of this size (71″ long), it needs to be shipped freight. This of course makes a $125 bar a bit more than $125. So while I wouldn’t exactly recommend this particular trap bar as a solo purchase, I think it may be an auto-buy if you’re already making a purchase from Rep that will ship freight. It’s really a lot of bar for only $125.
Dimensions: 71″ x 25½”, handle distance: 24″; diameter: 25 mm; length: 14½”, dual handles (6″), weight: 55-lbs, 16″ loadable sleeves, capacity: 600-lbs, imported, 5-star rating, $125 pre-shipping.
Super Economy Trap Bars (Titan / CAP / XMark / etc)
You will find a number of very inexpensive, strikingly similar trap bars scattered on Amazon, the large fitness outlets, and your local box stores. If you look closely enough at the images and specifications of these budget trap bars, you’ll find that they are more or less the same.
I strongly recommend avoiding the low-end trap bars as they have very low max capacities, numerous quality-control issues, poor finishes, and damage issues from shipping. Here are some examples of what you should avoid:
CAP Barbell OB-88HZ: How nice do you think an $88 Trap Bar (and that includes shipping) will really be? Low 400-lb max capacity, garbage welds, random diameter sleeves that may or may not work with your plates, and a very low-quality finish. Please don’t be this cheap if you care about your training.Titan Fitness Hex Bar: At $113 it’s a few bucks more than the above-mentioned CAP, but do not be fooled! This is more or less the same bar. It has a low max capacity, Titan’s infamous weak welds and rampant quality-control issues, short sleeves, and a poor, decorative finish. You can do a lot better for not a lot more money.
XMark Hex Bar (XM-3686): I don’t always have a problem with XMark but this particular bar is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. At $150 it’s basically the same underweight, lower capacity bar as the two I just mentioned. It has a small stature, short sleeves, and can only handle up to 400-lbs of weight. It has a nicer finish than the other two, but finish-be-damned on a product that can’t handle even a moderate amount of weight (this is a deadlift bar after all.)
I could drag this list of weak, under-spec’d trap bars on forever, but I think you get the idea. Maybe it’s easier to suggest the following:
Look for 700+ lb capacity, 24″ or more of distance between handles, a total length of 56″ at the very least (more if you want more than 10″ sleeves), a price that isn’t all by itself a giant red flag, and a finish that will actually protect the bar. Read reviews for issues with shipping, uneven sleeves & warped frames, and finish issues or rust right out of the box.
Trap Bar Shopping Guide – Summary
As you can see there is a lot of variation in the trap bar game – short sleeves, long sleeves; knurled or unknurled; single grip or double-handled; fixed or modular, and so forth. You can spend nearly nothing for a piece of garbage that can’t handle even a half-decent deadlift, or you can spend even just a little more and get something that can handle the weight, will last forever, and maybe even offer you more movement variety. Your options are endless.
What do I recommend? Well I think I’ve made it clear that you should avoid the lowest price bars like those you’ll find on Amazon. If you just need something that will work but that does not bust your bank account, go with someone like Rep Fitness. It’s a fine trap bar at a really reasonable price.
My personal favorite is the Vulcan Prime Hex Bar. I like the 25″ handle distance, I like that it has Olympic sleeves and no maximum capacity, and I even like the aesthetics. It’s not dual-handled, but that’s fine by me. If I wanted those dual handles I’d lean towards Rogue’s TB-2 or the Vulcan Pro. Yes all of these are fairly pricey bars, but they are all end game bars that will never need to be replaced – ever.
Any thoughts towards the Kabuki Strength Trap Bar? Very interested in this one when it re-stocks.
Do we know what that’s supposed to cost?
J:
The Kabuki (currently out of stock) is $549 + shipping. Total approx. $600, depending on where you live. Also looked at the Eleiko Oppen Deadlift bar at $796 (recently increased from an already high $699). Total to me was $830.
Thank you for that Kabuki price Gil. That’s uh, a lot in one case, and ridiculous in the other haha.
The Kabuki also is not rackable, if that’s a factor to anyone.
Yeah not even close by the looks of it.
Prime Fitness should be releasing some info this month about their upcoming open-design trap bar (like Intek, Kabuki, & Eleiko)
I bought the rackable Black Widow a while back and am pretty happy, but some of the new designs do look interesting. Maybe I’ll end up with two at some point.
Trap bars are so big! You wanna store two of those?
What I was thinking was very storage-driven — possibly store the Black Widow high in the rack and keep 1 of the more-compact floor-focused ones down low. This would require careful study of the specifics.
I’ve done that – placed bars at the top of the rack lol
I’m surprised you didn’t include the Eleiko open bar in this roundup. Any reason why not?
I recently tried the Eleiko and besides great ergonomics, it was QUIET when dropping heavy deadlifts. Something about those four rubber pieces really stops the iron plates from rattling like happens with other trap bars.
Honestly, because I think the price is ridiculous, and the only non-commercial gym owners who would pay $800 for a trap bar aren’t looking for my recommendation. I do believe that the Kabuki is worth adding to this list, and I intend to do that, but even Kabuki is pushing the boundary of reasonable prices. But hey, so is Intek and I included their Mod Bar, so at the very least the Kabuki deserves a mention.
Now if I was a Kabuki salesman I’d add the Eleiko for shock value. Show people that if you think $600 is too much, what about $800!? But I’m not =p
I ended up with the Vulcan Pro when it was on a Black Friday sale. It’s a beast and I’m generally happy. A couple of things I’ve noted. First, the high handle is a little higher than I want it to be. I end up stacking mats to reduce the effect during high handle lifts. Second the sleeves are hollow. They seem solid but the sound of sliding weights over it makes the bar seem cheap, even if it’s not.
For someone who doesn’t want to spend more on a functional trap bar than their barbell, I would recommend the CAP OB-91HZ. Much more robust than the 88 model. 32 mm vs 28 mm steel. 1000 lbs vs 700 lbs capacity. The sleeves are standard size, not 1.9 OD pipe like some more expensive bars (ROGUE etc), so clips work. Only $115-130 shipped. I bought it when I was decided to do a deadlift every day program one year ago, and this bar has held up. If you do decide to go this direction you should know that the bar is not zinc plated as advertised, it is ?spray painted silver?. The first thing I did was use paint stripper to get it down to bare metal and oil it. But you cannot keep that paint on the bar, it will get on everything, it is not plated. Being a cheap bar some of them are better than others in terms of welds and alignment. For any trap bar, having the handles offset above the bar reduces the tendency of the weight to try to roll out of your hands significantly since you are not holding the weight in the same plane as the torque or something. Some higher quality trap bars use a 1/2 – 1 inch offset for the handles for this reason. I just lift using the top handles and stand on different blocks to simulate rack pulls or a deficit or a standard deadlift height, not the lower handles for this reason. Sorry for the block of text, glad to hear other people’s thoughts on this.
I think I have the bar you are talking about. If I remember correctly it was advertised as the CAP Mega Hex bar. It’s an absolute beast at 75lbs, takes 50mm collars, and though technically not rackable, I’ve found that the sleeves are long enough to put them on the rack, add a inside pair of collars, and still had room to load iron and a second set of collars.
You’re absolutely right about the finish though…complete shite. I grinded mine off with a wire wheel and have been very happy with it ever since. Picked it up on sale through amazon for $99 shipped a few years ago, and while I am patiently waiting for an affordable open trap bar, I can’t otherwise see ever needing to upgrade/replace this one
Kabuki Px increased to $599 (~655 w Shipping). Trying to close the gap with Eleiko…!
Correction, gap closed. Shipping rates have gone up considerably: $210 to most of East Coast; $160 to Austin; $110 to San Diego. Cost to me with 1.5″/38mm Handles (which I feel are essential, given the base handles are only 1.0″) is $870. That’s a lot to pay for a bar which is not rackable, has unprotected bar jacks (use limited to 800 lbs) that can damage a platform, and powder coated sleeves. Granted, its a nice bar, but not as elegant and not to the quality standards of the Eleiko Oppen Bar, which is rackable, has rubber protected jacks which are not limited by weight, hard chrome sleeves, and… actually costs less shipped to me!
I agree. Personally, I am going to try to wait it out til the inevitable wave of Vulcan/Rogue/Rep versions of an open trap bar with built-in deadlift jack come out and get one of those. The Kabuki looks great but they have it priced exorbitantly. I have lifted for years without a trap bar, another 6-12 months won’t make a difference.
So I’m gonna ask a dumb question, but is it possible to do lunges with a trap bar? My guess is no because there isn’t enough space inside it, but some of the ones with an open back (like the Rickshaw and Kabuki) seem like it COULD be possible, especially if you flipped them around so that the open end is in front of you instead of behind.
yes you’ll want the open-ended trap bar for lunges
the Combat Ready Trap bar you have on the list isn’t made by Body Solid. It is made by Solid Bar Fitness from Kansas. The specs for it are on this link…
http://www.solidbarfitness.com/products/yruusqttvu1qeuyaojtdnzyb4fa52l
What’s your opinion on Synergee? I’m looking at their Hex bar which looks pretty standard, and also their Cerakote barbell. Both seem reasonably priced compared to others factoring in discount + free shipping. I realize they’re not premium…
Eleiko Oppen Bar looks awesome but the price…
Do you have facebook or instagram? Would love to add some likes/follows
I do! though I wonder where my Social list on the sidebar went. I think my plug-in broke. hrmmm! Anyway it’s https://www.instagram.com/garagegymscom/ Thank you!
I don’t really have an opinion on Synergee. I’ve glanced at them from time to time though. They just strike me as just another import company, of which there are too many to keep real tabs on.
If you’re going to buy that basic trap bar, it can be had for less on Amazon… the X-Mark I mentioned, for instance.
Bells of Steel also has a new one coming out soon I hear. Open ended maybe? They have pretty good prices, and they aren’t bottom-tier in terms of quality and performance.
Do you know if the Vulcan Pro High Hex Trap Bar will fit on the safeties of a Rogue SML-2 (for lazy loading off the floor).
It doesn’t look like it based on the just-under 47″ distance between collars. Rogue racks are 49″ outside-to-outside. I’m gonna say no
I have the Vulcan but after using a different hex at an Army gym I use, I just bought another (I’m def out of control). My primary motivation was the much smaller handle diameter, which works much better for my grip. The Knurl omg is as good or better than the Rogue as well. Since this wasn’t in your list, I thought I’d post it. It’s a great bar and I think in line with the better ones you’ve reviewed here.
https://www.gophersport.com/fitness/weightlifting/detonate-hextreme-bar
FWIW, Titan recently upgraded its trap bar big time to mimic the Rogue TB2. At $255, it’s a great price. You can also find it on sale from time to time. As with anything, I pay up for things when quality is required ( majority of my gym is Rogue), but the new Titan bar is a great buy. The prices in general for “luxury” trap bars is insane. Not sure if you guys have partnership with those brands above or not, but some of the prices are silly to even recommend.
haha man, I’m with you. If memory serves I opted to leave Kabuki out of this guide originally, but then was asked one too many times why it wasn’t in the list, so I added it. I use a Vulcan Trap Bar personally – middle of the road in terms of price, but indestructible.
I do have a solid position against Titan though. They make five decent items and 5000 bad items, so any endorsement comes with the risk of someone walking away from that site with junk rather than one of those five items. I leave them alone until they’ve upped their game on more than a handful of miscellaneous items.
Hello,
I’m wanted your input for someone that is 4’10”, can I pull off 25″ distance or should I go for something smaller.
I honestly can’t speak to that, but maybe someone else will be able to chime in. My guess is that it would be fine still, but I suppose if you were looking at a couple different trap bars, maybe you’d favor the narrower model?
Do you have any recommendation for loading and unloading the rogue tb 2.0 trap bar?
I contacted rogue and they said that their deadlift jack would work with the tb2.0 but i’m not really sure if it will work or not.
You could try to A-Jack that they sell. I have one of those and I like it more than either of the standard metal jacks. You could also use the Dead Wedge to get all but the last plate off. The full size deadlift jack is such a waste of space, even if it would work on the TB-2.
The Cap Bar (CAP Barbell OB-88HZ) at the link you have near the end has a 750 lb capacity, not 400 lb. Might want to review your own link.
any vendor make one for standard plates? I have a huge pile of 1 inch plates.
I sure can’t think of any. I seriously doubt it though.
So as of today the Vulcan Hex Trap bar is up to $418, and the TB-1 is $295.
I’m hard pressed to believe the Vulcan is that much better…?
Well now be fair, the Vulcan price includes the shipping. The Rogue does not. Check what it costs to ship that TB-1 to you and then compare.
I would think deadlift grip width should be part of the discussion.
https://barbend.com/deadlift-grip-width/
I am researching trap bars right now and found this Force USA trap bar, which looks to be a very nice piece of equipment, puts your grip position way to far out for optimal positioning.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/-d4pSKRhV3s/
Using dumbbells, and the technique from the first hyperlink, my optimal distance between handles would be 24″.
Like all your other reviews and videos: this is super helpful! Thanks so much for being awesome!!!
Could you explain the offset you spoke about in greater detail. I’ve yet to see a higher quality trap bar, a bar in the $300.00+ range.