Best Powerlifting Barbells for 2022

Looking for the best powerlifting barbell? Look no further!

A massive amount of barbells out there claim to be the best in one way or another, but I'm only focusing on powerlifting bars for this round-up. I did plenty of research on the internet, in-person testing, and personal experience with many of the barbells to ensure that you find the right powerlifting bar for your home gym.

Finding the right barbell is hard enough, so I've gone ahead and narrowed down this list to include the only the best powerlifting barbells.

Best Powerlifting Barbells

• Best Overall Powerlifting Barbell - Rogue Ohio Power Bar
• Best Runner-Up Powerlifting Barbell - Texas Power Bar
• Best Upgrade Powerlifting Barbell - Kabuki Strength New Generation Power Bar
• Best Premium Powerlifting Barbell - Eleiko IPF Powerlifting Competition Bar
• Best Alternate Powerlifting Barbell - REP Fitness Power Bar EX
• Best Budget Powerlifting Barbell - Bells of Steel Powerlifting Bar 2.0
• Best Runner-Up Budget Powerlifting Barbell - Titan Fitness Power Bar
• Best Ultra Budget Powerlifting Barbell - CAP Barbell The Beast Power Bar

Best Overall Powerlifting Barbell - Rogue Ohio Power Bar

It should come as no shock that the Rogue Ohio Power Bar tops my list of best powerlifting barbells. In fact, it'll probably top my list of best barbells overall.

It's so good I did a full in-depth review of it, but I'll discuss it now for you to see what I mean.

I rant and rave about Rogue all the time and the Ohio Power Bar feels like a culmination of their work.

It's well-built, with the made in the US (Columbus, Ohio to be exact) quality we've come to expect. Their manufacturing process has shown that they can make great barbells.

First, the knurling is quite excellent, being aggressive but not overly aggressive for most looking to get into powerlifting. It feature IPF-markings and center knurling as well.

All of this is found on its 29mm diameter shaft which comes in a few coating options:

• Stainless Steel
• Bare Steel
• Black Oxide
• E-Coat
• Black Zinc

The bar is also 45 Lbs., so it's slightly above the 20kg (44.1 Lbs.) IPF-certification, so it's not competition approved. 

Not to worry, as the bar has a 200 000 PSI tensile strength rating which is more than enough for at home lifting. It's 86.25", so what you'd expect in length from a power bar, and has 16.25" loadable sleeves.

A few downsides to this bar are the price and the sleeve finish. Even though the price is fairly middle of the pack, it can still be out of reach for budget lifters.

I wouldn't worry about the price at all because the value is where it shines. Dollar-for-dollar, this bar is going to last a lifetime (it has a lifetime warranty too).

The chrome sleeves are fine, but I would have liked stainless steel for the price point.

Rogue also uses an F-scale to determine the strength of a bar. If you look at the graph below, you can see how their rating works.

The Rogue Ohio Power Bar ranges anywhere from F2 to F-8R on this scale.

I can go on and on about the specs, but the real fact of the matter is this bar works and it feels great. I've never used a bar I didn't like as much as this one, which is why it remains as my top pick now, and likely for years to come.

Best Runner-Up Powerlifting Barbell - Texas Power Bar

What could have easily been my top choice, but gets slightly edged out, is the Texas Power Bar by Buddy Capps.

This bar has made a legacy name for itself being used in more lifting competitions, and being used to break more records, than any other barbell.

It isn't just a great barbell on name alone, it's incredibly well-built too.

Much like Rogue, the Texas Power Bar has been manufactured proudly in the US since 1980. In their Texas facility, the TPB has been providing utmost quality for decades now.

The thing that stands out the most is that the knurling is aggressive, even sharp to some, which is often necessary for those heavy lifts.

The Texas Power Bar is IPF-approved, being used in tons of competitions, as it weights 44.1 Lbs. (20kg) and has a shaft diameter of 28.5mm.

It comes in a variety of finishes too:

• Bare Steel
• Cerakote
• Chrome
• Black Zinc

So you have options when it comes to oxidation prevention. 15" loadable sleeves and an 86" total length make it slightly smaller than other bars of its class.

Something that makes the Texas Power Bar so worthy of being the runner-up choice for best powerlifting bar is that it's one of the most affordable.

The bare steel option is the cheapest, >$300, but it's more exposed to rust, but even the better coating/finish options are still under $400.

What Texas Power Bars have done with this bar is nothing short of spectacular and it very easily is one of the top choices all-around.

If you're looking for a high quality barbell, that has all of the specifications for a decent cost, then the TPB is excellent.

Not to mention, you can feel good about joining in on the history of this revolutionary barbell.

Best Upgrade Powerlifting Barbell - Kabuki Strength Next Generation Power Bar

It's hard to argue against the Kabuki Strength New Generation Power Bar having a claim as the best around, but it is held back for a few reasons.

Before I explain why it isn't the best powerlifting bar, lets looking at reasons it could be considered one of the best.

First, the construction of this bar is a sight to behold. You might think that all bars look the same, but you'd be wrong.

The steel and manufacturing process they use is top-notch, given that their co-founder Chris Duffin has a background in engineering.

The high quality of manufacturing, which includes electroless nickel sleeves, means these bars are top-notch.

As for the steel itself, it's American and proudly made in the USA which is a big selling point for brands like Rogue and Texas Power Bars so if you feel like buying and supporting American, this is the way to go.

What sets the Kabuki Strength Power Bar apart from the competitors is that it has the highest rated and tested tensile strength of any bar I've seen.

A whopping 250K - 285K PSI tensile strength and a 51 RC rating (Rockwell Hardness rating). This puts it well above the Ohio Power Bar, Texas Power Bar, Mammoth Bar, and many others.

Other dimensions/specs you'll want to know:

• Bar Length - 86.5"
• Shaft Diameter - 29mm
• Sleeve Length - 16.25" (Bushing)
• Knurling - Volcano
• Weight - 45 Lbs.

You can choose from 5 finish/coating options as well:

• Red Cerakote︱Black Sleeves
• Black Oxide
• Red Cerakote︱Nickel Sleeves
• Smokey Graphite Cerakote︱Nickel Sleeves
• Bright Aqua Cerakote︱Nickel Sleeves

It is worth noting that the bars cheapest option, the Zinc bar, is $599.00. Other Kabuki Power Bars can be upwards of $699.00. 

So while it is an insanely well-made bar, it's also not for the faint of heart budget wise. Keep in mind all versions of the bar are currently on waitlist at the moment.

Oddly enough, the F-rating of the Kabuki Strength Power Bar is only F0.6. This isn't something to fret about, it simply means it's not going to handle the duress of explosive motions like Oly-lifting.

Otherwise, this is one of the strongest most well built bars on the market.

It is unfortunate there is no stainless steel option, but Duffin explains that stainless steel is simply more rust-protective and not necessarily stronger. He also mentions how the manufacturing process is very labor and cost intensive for this bar.

Best Alternate Powerlifting Barbell - REP Fitness Power Bar EX

The REP Fitness Power Bar EX isn't going to win awards for most tensile strength, or having electroless nickel sleeves, but it will win awards for being a dependable and well-crafted powerlifting bar.

Beyond that, it's also likely to win over some fans who want a powerlifting bar that has some aggressive knurling.

Diamond pattern is fairly common for any power bar to use for their knurling, but what sets the REP Fitness Power Bar apart is that it comes in regular Power Bar EX or Deep Knurling Power Bar EX which has even deeper diamond pattern.

It's also fairly tactile as well. I won't say sharp, because it's not incredibly aggressive like the Fringe Sport Lone Star Bar, or to some, the Texas Power Bar, but it provides excellent grip.

That isn't even the best part about the REP Power Bar EX.

Why this barbell is such a good alternate option is the fact that it is entirely stainless steel - shaft and sleeve.

Both Power Bar EX and Deep Knurling Power Bar EX feature an entirely stainless steel construction which makes for a very durable bar that protects from oxidation.

If you work out in a moist or humid area, then this is something that will appeal to you.

Some specs for the REP Fitness Power Bar EX:

• Weight - 44.1 Lbs. (20 Kg.)
• Bar Length - 87.4"
• Loadable Sleeve Length - 16.9" (Bushing)
• Shaft Diameter - 29mm
• Tensile Strength Rating - 200K PSI
• Weight Capacity - 1500 Lbs.

As you can see from its specs, it's a pretty well-to-do barbell that can handle anything you can throw at it.

Unfortunately, a stainless steel barbell comes at a cost. 

The regular Power Bar EX costs $399 (regular $429) and the Deep Knurl Power Bar costs $349 (regular $449).

For that price, the cost is a little more than some of the other bars on this list like the Ohio Power Bar, but if budget isn't a huge concern, then you're getting your moneys worth for sure.

Best Premium Powerlifting Barbell - Eleiko IPF Powerlifting Competition Bar

I was lucky enough to use this bar once in my life, and that's all it took for me to understand why Eleiko was the king of competition weightlifting equipment.

The Eleiko IPF Powerlifting Competition Bar is your go-to choice if you want the absolute premium, cream-of-the-crop barbell and budget is no concern whatsoever.

Trust me, if budget wasn't a concern, I'd snatch this thing up - pun intended.

I'll get right to the price since it's one of the things that makes eyes pop about this bar - it starts at $1200.

Is that insane? Probably. Is it justifiable? Yes.

If you're not familiar with the world of strength training equipment, competition lifting, or the Olympics, Eleiko is a prestige name that you'll see on plates, barbells, belts, and plenty of other high-end gear. They're no stranger to making the top of the line equipment.

Now for the nitty gritty - just how does Eleiko justify a $1000+ barbell? First of all, it's IPF-certified, as in it's actually used in IPF competitions, the Olympics, IWF World Cup, and many, many more.

As for technical specifications:

• Bar Length - 86.61"
• Loadable Sleeve Length - 17.05" (Graphite-Infused Self-Lubricating Bronze Bushings)
• Bar Weight - 44.1 Lbs. (20 Kg.)
• Weight Capacity - 3306 Lbs. (1500 Kg.)
• Knurling - Aggressive
• Coating - Dust-Proof Raw Swedish Steel 
• Sleeve Coating - Chrome
• Shaft Diameter - 29mm

Eye-popping stats for a barbell to say the least. There's no tensile strength rating for this barbell, but I would not be surprised if it competed with Kabuki Strength Power Bar, or surpassed it.

Although $1200 seems like a ton for a barbell (and it is), the bars quality along with Eleiko's pedigree are equal parts justification for it.

Would I recommend this to the first time home gym buyer? Of course not, even if you had the budget, you don't need to pick out the baddest bar around right away, but if you are an experienced lifter, have the need for it, and don't mind the money - why not?

If any of you do buy this bar, please send us pictures at the very least!

Best Budget Powerlifting Barbell - Bells Of Steel Powerlifting Bar 2.0