8 Best Budget Barbells (2024) – Cheap, High-Quality Bars

Best Budget Barbell

28.5 MM Rogue Boneyard Ohio Barbell

Many people don't know about Rogue's boneyard. It's where you can pick up barbells at a fraction of the brand-new price because it has a slight cosmetic blemish. This is the ultimate place to shop since you're on a budget.

And since slight scuffs and marks won’t affect the barbells performance, you’re getting a perfectly functional barbell for cheap. Specifically, I recommend going for a 28.5 mm barbell suitable for multi-purpose training.

You will likely find the Rogue Ohio Bar in the 28.5 mm boneyard. This barbell has a 190,000 PSI tensile strength, so it can handle aggressive workouts like CrossFit when dropping weights overhead.

Dual knurl markings mean you can easily dabble in Powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting without purchasing another barbell. It has a hybrid knurling which isn't overly aggressive. My experience with the Ohio Bar’s knurling is it still has great grip even with sweat.

No center knurling makes it more challenging to squat or front squat heavy when sweaty. I prefer center knurling when front squatting so it doesn't slip as easily. However, having no center knurling is a bonus if you do high-rep movements like cleans.

The budget coating options are black zinc or e-coat. Both offer good rust resistance. However, the black zinc may fade with use. E-coat is a relatively new barbell coating taken from the automotive industry. It is incredibly resilient and maintains its gloss even with heavy use.

It feels smoother than black zinc, so it'll be a preference on what you choose. You'll also be limited by what's available in the boneyard, often black zinc finishes.

One downside is there is no warranty like there is with new barbells.

Best Budget Olympic Weightlifting Barbell

Rogue IWF Olympic Weightlifting Training Bar

You may be wondering why I’m including a $560 barbell in a list of budget bars. An IWF-certified Olympic Weightlifting barbell will typically cost you over $900.

Being IWF certified means it's a competition-ready barbell that adheres to their specifications, having a tight weight tolerance and a near-perfect manufacturing process.

For $560, it’s a bargain. Why are Olympic Weightlifting barbells so much more expensive than others? It’s the construction and materials unique for Weightlifting bars.

First, the Rogue IWF Olympic Weightlifting Training Bar has exceptional 215,000 PSI tensile strength, so it will never deform or break with proper use.

The bar features non-aggressive knurling, meaning you can enjoy long and daily training sessions without the fear of ripped hands or uncomfortable grips.

The bar's needle bearings provide a buttery-smooth spin, crucial for executing clean and jerk or snatch with precision and protecting your wrists and elbows.

The bar has a bright zinc coating which will provide a different feel to the hard chrome you may use on competition day but provides decent rust resistance.

The cherry on top? Rogue's lifetime warranty. It's not just a product you're investing in—it's a lifelong partnership with Rogue, a brand that stands behind the quality and durability of its gear.

Best Budget Multi-Purpose Barbell

Fringe Sport Wonder Bar V2

Best Budget Barbell For Women

Rogue Bella Bar 2.0

When you pick up the Rogue Bella Bar 2.0, you'll notice it feels lighter than your typical weightlifting bar. That's because it's a 15kg bar designed specifically for female athletes.

Weightlifting and CrossFit require women to use a 15 kg, 25 mm shaft diameter barbell. The smaller shaft diameter is better for female lifters who, on average, have smaller hands than males. It’ll be much easier to grip snatches with a smaller diameter shaft.

While the shaft diameter is smaller, the quality isn't diminished as it's made from the same material as the Ohio bar with a 190,000 PSI tensile strength, so it won't deform with use. It has a good whip making it perfect for CrossFit and Weightlifting.

However, you can perform your heavy strength movements and Powerlifting with this bar, with dual knurl markings and bronze bushings giving a smooth spin.

The hybrid knurling gives a firm grip without being overly aggressive. The Bella Bar 2.0 has the same finish as the Ohio bar with a black zinc coating for rust resistance. But it presents the same issue with wear.

Rogue also has a lifetime construction warranty, so as long as you're using the bar correctly and not dropping it with iron plates, for example, you're covered.

You can't beat the price for a women's barbell, either. At $235, you're looking at a quarter of the price of a women's Weightlifting barbell. You may also find it in the Rogue boneyard cutting the price further.

You can read my full list of best women's barbells here.

Best Budget Powerlifting Barbell

Titan Elite Series Power Barbell

The first thing you’ll feel when unracking the Titan Elite Series Power Barbell is the solid 29mm shaft diameter of a Powerlifting barbell. Its aggressive mountain knurling is a game-changer.

Whether it's a sweaty deadlift session or a grueling set of squats, this gripping pattern ensures the bar stays firmly in your hands, providing an unbeatable blend of comfort and control.

If you’re not used to aggressive knurling, this may cause some pain initially. The barbell has a hard chrome coating which most premium barbells have, as it has excellent rust resistance and feel. High-quality chrome coatings don’t chip and peel.

It has a weight capacity of 2000 lbs for the strongest Powerlifters, backed by a 220,000 PSI tensile strength giving it robustness. It's the highest tensile strength barbell on this list since it is designed for lifting extremely heavy weights on the big three.

The rough center knurling means it stays tight on your back when squatting and doesn’t slip on your chest when benching. One downside is the lack of warranty, with Titan only offering 1-year while many other companies offer at least 10 years or lifetime.

However, for $230, you won’t find many Powerlifting barbells with these specifications.

Best Budget Barbell For CrossFit

Rogue Echo Bar 2.0

The Rogue Echo Bar 2.0 is part of Rogue's Echo series, which is their budget equipment line. Think of it as the budget Ohio bar. Because of the multi-purpose 28.5 mm shaft diameter, decent whip, and 190,000 PSI tensile strength, it makes a great partner for CrossFit.

It uses bushings for the smooth spin, ideal for high-rep Olympic lifts and heavy-strength training movements. It's an all-around CrossFit barbell on a budget. It only has Olympic knurl marks, so if you plan on Powerlifting, a barbell with dual knurl markings like the Ohio bar is a better option.

The Rogue Echo Bar 2.0 uses a bright zinc coating which looks nice and is rust-resistant but will wear with use. There's no center knurling which is ideal for a CrossFit bar since you'll be performing high-rep cleans and thrusters.

Because it’s part of their budget range, Rogue only gives a 1-year warranty. For $265, though, you're getting a decent barbell at their lowest price point. Also, don't forget to check out the boneyard to see if you can pick this up even cheaper. I've seen this for $165 in the boneyard.

Best Budget Barbell On Amazon

XMark Blackhawk Barbell

I’m not a fan of buying barbells on Amazon. But if you’re on a budget, you may go searching there. This is the cheapest barbell you’ll find on this list at $185. But it means there’s a trade-off for the price.

The most apparent is the manganese phosphate coating. This is one of the lowest quality barbell coatings and causes this barbell to rust. To prevent rusting, you must regularly apply oil and wipe the barbell down.

This is a step I don’t want to take after training when I’m wiped out. The knurling is also too smooth and doesn’t provide the same grip as other budget barbells on this list. However, there are some good features with the XMark Blackhawk Barbell.

A 185,000 PSI tensile strength, 1500 lb weight capacity, and needle bearings give it durability and resistance to deforming. It spins well, making it useful as a hybrid barbell.

As your main lifting barbell, I wouldn’t purchase this one. However, barbells like this have a role in your collection. To be used and abused on the power rack and in landmines.

You don’t need to worry about scratching and ruining the knurling since it’s a budget, low-quality barbell solely used for these purposes.

Best Budget Trap Bar

REP Fitness Trap Bar

There are cheaper trap bars. But you won’t be happy with the knurling on them or the sleeve length. The cheapest trap bars on Amazon or some manufacturer's stores have smooth diamond knurling and slippery, oiling coatings.

Further, they have short sleeves, so you can't load enough weight on them. Typically, that's what you're getting if it's between the $90 and $130 range.

Hence why I recommend the REP Fitness Trap Bar as the best budget option. Yes, it's $265, but it's half the price of the high-end trap bars.

It has dual handles so you can use high or low handles for deadlifting or carrying. The handles are 25 mm in diameter, the same as a women's barbell, which is easier to grip.

The knurling is a medium depth which is why I added this trap bar to the budget barbell list, as cheaper trap bars are smooth.

It's coated in chrome for rust resistance and weighs 55 lbs making it heavy-duty. Unfortunately, it has a weight capacity of 500 lbs. Many males will surpass 500 lbs on the trap bar deadlift, especially with the high handles, so bear this in mind.

It also comes with a 5-year warranty, so you have plenty of room to put it through its paces.

How To Pick The Best Budget Barbell

Tensile Strength

Tensile strength measures how durable the barbell is so it doesn't deform. Greater than 180,000 PSI is considered high tensile strength. The bigger the number, the more durable the bar. Even on a budget, you can find high-tensile strength barbells.

So spending a little less doesn’t mean you can’t find a quality barbell in this regard.

Coating

You may notice that most budget bars in this list use a zinc coating. This is the trade-off when on a budget. High-quality barbells use stainless steel or high-quality hard chrome. Zinc is a cheaper coating that wears with use.

Knurling

Premium bars often have more refined and comfortable knurling patterns that provide a better grip without discomfort. Budget bars may have less precise knurling that could either be too aggressive or too soft.

Bushings vs. Bearings

Bushings are typically on cheaper bars, and bearings are used in more expensive barbells. But this isn't always the case. High-end Powerlifting bars require bushings to reduce the spin. In general, bushings are more budget-friendly.

Spin

High-quality barbells have a smoother spin with better-quality bushings or bearings. But spin is dictated by needle bearings giving faster spin than bushings.

Diameter

Regardless of budget, you can get a barbell with any shaft diameter. You’re typically looking for diameters between 28 – 29 mm. 28 mm for Olympic Weightlifting bars and some multi-purpose bars, 28.5 mm for multi-purpose bars, and 29 mm for Powerlifting barbells.

Whip

Whip isn’t dictated by your budget. Many barbells on this list have good whip as they are multi-purpose barbells. Instead, the whip is dictated by the purpose of the barbell. For example, Powerlifting bars are stiff for more control when lifting.

Price

Price is the obvious factor when deciding on a budget barbell. I consider under $300 as a budget. Typically, when you go very cheap, under $200, you don't get a barbell worth lifting with or are prone to damage and breaking.

However, some specialist barbells, like Olympic Weightlifting bars, are more expensive, even for their budget versions. You're looking at the Rogue IWF Weightlifting Barbell as the cheapest Weightlifting Barbell at $560.

Warranty

Rogue Fitness offers a lifetime warranty on most barbells, so they are a good option. However, when buying through their boneyard or their Echo range, you're looking at no to 1-year warranty.

Unfortunately, this is a feature you need to compromise on when on a budget.

Frequently Asked Budget Barbell Questions

How Much Should You Pay For A Barbell?

How much you spend on a barbell depends on your budget. However, a good rule to follow is to spend at least $200. It's the most important piece of lifting equipment for your home gym, so it is worth spending on.

What Is The Best Weight Barbell For A Beginner?

Always choose an Olympic barbell as a beginner. It weighs either 45 lbs or 20 kg. A 15 kg barbell is also an option for women if Weightlifting and CrossFit are your training type.

What Barbell Should I Start With?

Start with a multi-purpose barbell, which gives you the best of both worlds. You can perform heavy strength exercises and faster Olympic-style lifting with the same barbell. If you decide to pursue a strength sport further, you can get a specialist barbell when you have the budget.

Summary

While barbells are pieces of gym equipment you shouldn’t skimp on, we all have a budget to adhere to. Luckily, with the explosion in the popularity of lifting and home gyms, many manufacturers make excellent barbells at a fraction of the cost.

The best option is to watch the Rogue Boneyard often. They update it with new barbells that perform well while only having cosmetic issues.