The Best Barbells to Upgrade Your Home Gym

Best Overall

CAP Barbell 7-Foot Olympic Bar

4.7

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We named this barbell our top pick for its overall value and versatility. The CAP Barbell Beast Olympic Bar is an Olympic barbell you can use during CrossFit, powerlifting, classic strength training, and more. Crafted from high-strength steel, the bar can hold up to 1,000 pounds of weight at once and accommodates 2-inch center hole plates.

It’s lined with multiple grip positions, which have been textured to give you plenty of traction. What’s nice? The bar’s steel sleeves are designed to swivel. This unique feature promises to keep the bar from warping, even under the stress of a heavy training load, and it also promises to reduce pressure on your wrists. 

When not loaded, the barbell weighs 44 pounds, and its shaft length is 51.5 inches.

Price at time of publication: $250

^{Key Specs:
Bar Weight: 44 pounds | Bar Length: 7 feet | Weight Capacity: 1,000 pounds | Plate Compatibility: 2-inch plates}

Best Lightweight

CAP Barbell 72-Inch Solid Threaded Barbell

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It can be tough to find a long, classic barbell that weighs less than 15 pounds. And that’s exactly why the CAP Barbell Solid Threaded Barbell is so special. The 6-foot barbell weighs just 13 pounds, so it’s a particularly beginner-friendly option.

Despite its light weight, the barbell doesn’t skimp on durability. The bar is crafted from solid steel and finished with a chrome coating that promises to protect it over time. The barbell is also lined with multiple knurled (textured) grip positions, which promise to give you plenty of traction during your workouts. 

Price at time of publication: $50

^{Key Specs:
Bar Weight: 13 pounds | Bar Length: 6 feet | Weight Capacity: 250 pounds | Plate Compatibility: 1-inch plates}

Best Olympic

Sporzon! Olympic Weightlifting Barbell

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The Sporzon! Olympic Barbell is a classic Olympic barbell you can use during CrossFit as well as during traditional strength-training. And since it comes in an array of different weights (10 to 45 pounds) and lengths (5 to 7 feet), you can easily find an option that suits your routine.

Though the barbell options vary in size, they’re all crafted from the same sturdy steel—and chrome-plated to ensure durability. And they’re all capable of supporting 700 pounds of weight at a time. Each of the barbells also boasts multiple textured grip positions, allowing you to tackle different exercises with ease. 

Price at time of publication: $170

^{Key Specs:
Bar Weight: 10 to 45 pounds | Bar Length: 5 to 7 feet | Weight Capacity: 700 pounds | Plate Compatibility: 1-inch plates or 2-inch plates}

Best All-in-One Set

Step Fitness Club Quality 4-Weight Deluxe Barbell Set

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Most barbells are sold on their own—without the weights you’d use them with. But the Club Quality Deluxe Barbell Set makes it easy to stock up on everything you need at once. The set comes with one 4.5-foot barbell (which weighs a mere 5 pounds) and four sets of weight plates. The weights range from 2.75 to 11 pounds apiece, giving you a total of 60 pounds to work with. And since the weights come equipped with quick-release collars, you can easily secure them and remove them as you see fit.

Unfortunately, the steel barbell is only designed to be used with these weights, so you shouldn’t try to pair it with weights of your own. But this set does offer an easy way to get started with barbell training—and enough of a weight range to keep you going for a while.

Price at time of publication: $160

^{Key Specs:
Bar Weight: 5 pounds | Bar Length: 4.5 feet | Weight Capacity: 60 pounds | Plate Compatibility: 1-inch plates}

Best for Powerlifting

Synergee 45lb Rhino Power Bar

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The Synergee Rhino Power Bar is a heavy-duty barbell that can support a massive training load. The durable bar can support up to 1,500 pounds at a time, making it a particularly great pick for powerlifting. The barbell is crafted from high-strength steel, and it’s finished with a protective coating designed to cut down on corrosion and rusting. And it promises to remain rigid as you lift, so you won’t have to worry about your bar warping under pressure.

Like other barbells, the Synergee Rhino Power Bar boasts multiple grip positions, all of which are knurled to give you plenty of traction.

Price at time of publication: $211

^{Key Specs:
Bar Weight: 45 pounds | Bar Length: 7 feet | Weight Capacity: 1,500 pounds | Plate Compatibility: 2-inch plates}

Best for Crossfit

Body-Solid OB86B Olympic Bar

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When cross-training, you need an Olympic barbell that can handle a variety of exercises, and the Body Solid OB86B Olympic Bar promises to fit that bill. The classic Olympic barbell is crafted from aluminum and coated with a protective black oxide finish that promises to keep the bar from rusting, chipping, or peeling.

As you’d expect, the barbell boasts multiple grip positions—all of which are finely textured to give you traction as you tackle your favorite exercises. 

Price at time of publication: $131

^{Key Specs:
Bar Weight: 44 pounds | Bar Length: 7 feet | Weight Capacity: 600 pounds | Plate Compatibility: 2-inch plates}

Best Curl Bar

Everyday Essentials Olympic Barbell Curl Bar

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The Everyday Essentials Olympic Curl Bar is a classic curl bar that can handle up to 350 pounds of weight at a time. Crafted from alloy steel, the curl bar promises to be durable. And it’s lined with a set of knurled grips that will give you plenty of traction as you lift.

You may notice that this curl bar is shorter and wavier than your average barbell. That’s because curl bars are designed with bicep curls in mind. They tend to be narrower than other barbells, and they’re bent to accommodate the way your hands rotate during curls.

Curl bars may still prove useful for other weighted exercises, like backloaded walking lunges, but they're not ideal for heavier lifts or compound exercises.

Price at time of publication: $89

^{Key Specs:
Bar Weight: 25 pounds | Bar Length: 4 feet | Weight Capacity: 350 pounds | Plate Compatibility: 2-inch plates}

Best Hexagonal Bar

HulkFit Olympic 2-Inch Hex Trap Bar

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Looking to add a hexagonal bar (or trap bar) to your routine? The HulkFit Olympic Trap Bar is a solid choice. Crafted from heavy-duty steel, the bar promises to be durable. And since it can handle up to 1,000 pounds at a time, you can use it during your most intense strength-training exercises.

Take advantage of the trap bar’s extra-long sleeves, and pile on all the weight you can handle. Rest assured knowing that since the handles are lined with multiple knurled grips, you can easily find a lifting position that works for you.

Price at time of publication: $130

^{Key Specs:
Bar Weight: 45 pounds | Bar Length: 4.5 feet | Weight Capacity: 1,000 pounds | Plate Compatibility: 2-inch plates}

Best Adjustable

Bowflex SelectTech 2080 Barbell with Curl Bar

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If you already or planning to have an elliptical machine or treadmill in your home gym and are looking for a small space-friendly way to stock up on fitness equipment, the Bowflex SelectTech 2080 Barbell may be just what you need. The adjustable barbell set ships with a 5-foot barbell, a 5-foot curl bar, and six sets of weight plates, which you can combine to reach training loads between 20 to 80 pounds.

To increase your training load, simply set your bar of choice inside your weight rack, and turn the bar’s built-in dial to scale up your weight. This system makes it easy to keep your workouts as challenging as you want them to be, and it doesn’t demand too much space, either. 

Price at time of publication: $600

^{Key Specs:
Bar Weight: 20 pounds | Bar Length: 5 feet | Weight Capacity: 80 pounds (120-pound upgrade available) | Plate Compatibility: None}

Best Budget Adjustable

Nice C Adjustable Barbell 2-in-1 Set

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If you don’t mind doing a little work, you can find an adjustable barbell set at a (relatively) budget-friendly price point. The Nice C Adjustable Barbell Set ships with 15 pieces: two dumbbell grips, one connector bar, and 12 weight plates. (The set also comes with bolts you can use to secure all these pieces).

Place the weight plates on the dumbbell grips to use them as dumbbells, or connect your dumbbell grips to your connector bar to use the piece of equipment as a barbell. You can combine the weight plates to reach a total training load of 22 to 66 pounds (depending on which set you buy). So if you’re looking for a challenge, be sure to snag one of the heavier sets. 

Price at time of publication: $110

^{Key Specs:
Bar Weight: 1.1 pounds | Bar Length: 5 feet | Weight Capacity: 22–66 pounds | Plate Compatibility: None}

Best for Small Spaces

Yes4All Total Body Workout Weighted Bar

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The Yes4All Total Body Workout Bar is a creative solution to the problem of strength-training in a small space. Whereas other barbells require you to stock up on weight plates, the Yes4All Total Body Workout Bar requires no weights at all. Instead, the bar is weighted to give you an effective workout on its own.

The bar comes in eight different weights—between 5 to 30 pounds—so you can easily find an option that works for you. And since the durable steel bar is padded with foam, you don’t have to worry about it roughing up your floors.

Price at time of publication: $26

^{Key Specs:
Bar Weight: 5–30 pounds | Bar Length: 4 feet | Weight Capacity: none | Plate Compatibility: None}