Back in my bodybuildpowerliftdrinkallthetime(TM) college days, I used to bench…a lot.
I benched so much and got so good at it that I won the 2005 University of Georgia’s Recreational Sports Bench Press Competiton (“Muscle Endurance Division”…max reps at bodyweight).
I weighed ~155, could rep out close to 40 reps.
I also hit 18 reps at 225.
To some of you beasts, this ain’t anything special, but consider that I beat 3 offensive tackles‘ (2 of them got drafted!) 225-for-reps scores at the NFL combine that year!
If getting into the NFL was all about bench pressing and the Wonderlic, I’d have it made (…well…maybe not the Wonderlic part…)
All of this is to say that:
- I like to think I know a little bit about bench pressing
- I would have done even better if I wasn’t using the awful bars at the university’s gym (sorry, Akilah; had to say it!) to train with
Now, do you need a dedicated bench press bar to put up decent numbers? Obviously not.
At the same time, does having one to train with and max out with help you to hit those mythical bench(ha!)marks (135, 200, 225, 250, 300, 315…)? You better believe it does.
If you want a big bench, you’re gonna have to put in the work. However, you may as well give yourself every advantage you can by getting your hands on the best tools for the job.
So without further ado, we present you with…
Table of Contents
…The Best Bench Press Bar (and the Top 6 Challengers)
🏆 Best Overall
94
Best General Powerlifting
90
Best Cambered
91
Best Swiss
91
Best Affordable
94
The Best Bench Press Bar (and the 6 Top Contenders)
- Texas Power Bars Texas Bench Bar– Best Bench Press Bar (overall)
- Rogue Ohio Power Bar – Best Powerlifting Bench Press Bar
- Titan Fitness Cambered Bench Press Bar – Best Cambered Bench Press Bar
- Valor Fitness Swiss Bar – Best Swiss Bar Bench Press Bar
- Bells of Steel Powerlifting Bar – Best Affordable Bench Press Bar
- REP Fitness Black Diamond Power Bar – Contender (Affordable)
- IPF Powerlifting Competition Bar – Contender (Premium)
Texas Power Bars Texas Bench Bar
⭐️ Verdict: Best Bench Press Bar (overall)
The Texas Power Bars Texas Bench Press Bar is the best bench press bar on the market today. Subtle, but intentional qualities such as its 30-millimeter diameter make it uniquely suited to best facilitate bench press PRs.
The Texas Bench Press Bar’s high tensile strength minimizes whip during pressing movements, creating an incredibly stable lifting experience. This becomes increasingly important as the loads get heavier.
There are less expensive options than the Texas Bench Press Bar, but opting for one of its (higher-rated) “blem” options saves $100 on a very high-quality barbell.
Pros
30mm diameter is easier to grasp and maintain ahold of
Decently aggressive knurling is slip-proof, but comfortable
“Blem” bar options are reasonably priced
Con
Not ideal for select other powerlifts (deadlifting)
As the name implies, the Texas Power Bars Texas Bench Press Bar prioritizes two things:
- The Lonestar Republic (that’s the State of Texas for you uneducated types)
- Bench pressing
Being that this list is focused on identifying the best bench press bars, the name alone gets it a seat at the table (everything is bigger in Texas, after all). However, the barbell’s bench press-focused attributes make it uniquely suited for enhancing the pressing experience.
The bar’s 30-millimeter shaft diameter alone sets it apart from most other Olympic-sized barebells that usually top out at 29 millimeters with some powerlifting barbells, particularly those focused with maximizing deadlifting prowess being as thin as 26 millimeters (although most are closer to 27). This thicker shaft greatly reduces the bar’s overall whip (which is the last thing you want your bar to do) and creates a less “intense” sensation in the palms of the hands.
The Texas Bench Press Bar’s 200,000 tensile strength rating is more than strong enough, but isn’t so outrageously high that there is ever concern over bar brittleness. Also, its knurling is aggressive enough to ensure for solid grip, but not so much so that the knurling itself becomes a distraction during each rep.
At just under $400, the Texas Bench Press Bar isn’t the most (or least) expensive bench press bar out there, but the $299 “blemished” options provide the most bang for your buck. A small price to pay for the best bench press bar on the market.
Rogue Ohio Power Bar
⭐️ Verdict: Best General Powerlifting Bar
The Rogue Ohio Power Bar is a top general powerlifting barbell in addition to being a contender for the best bench press bar, overall.
Combining a 200,000 tensile strength score with a 29-millimeter bar shaft diameter, the Ohio Power Bar is intentionally designed with a powerlifter’s needs in mind. The aggressive, but not overly so knurling is slip-free, but not abrasive in the hands.
There are a number of different Ohio Power Bar material options, although higher-quality metal can be expensive. However, it’s hard to discount Rogue’s reputation and the bar’s lifetime warranty.
Pros
Rogue name, quality, and warranty ensures a standard of excellence
Excellent for all powerlifting movements
Certain metal options aren’t overly expensive
Cons
Highest-quality metal options are a bit more expensive than other options
There is a lot to like about the Rogue Ohio Power Bar and its capabilities extend much further than simple name/brand recognition. In many ways it is extremely comparable to the Texas Bench Press Bar, although for powerlifting enthusiasts who are interested in performing all of the “Big 3” lifts, it actually might be a more attractive option.
The Rogue Ohio Power Bar’s 29-millimeter shaft is closer to what we expect from power bars and even if it doesn’t quite hit 30 millimeters, the difference in whip (as in how minimal it is) is discernible when compared to your everyday bro gym barbell. This combined with that superior 200,00 tensile strength makes for an incredibly stable, non-bouncy benching experience (as well as the strength to support seriously heavy loads).
Like most of Rogue’s gear, their Power Ohio Bar isn’t cheap, although if you opt for their Black Zinc or even Bare Steel (prepare for very regular maintenance if you go this route) variations will save you quite a bit of money. Less than $300 for a Rogue powerlifting barbell with a lifetime warranty is pretty good.
Titan Fitness Cambered Bench Press Bar
⭐️ Verdict: Best Cambered Bench Press Bar
The Titan Fitness Cambered Bench Press Bar is the best cambered bar for bench pressing on the market today. The instabilities that it creates makes it an invaluable complementary piece to a standard bench press barbell.
With an overly wide shaft diameter, the Titan Fitness Bar is more comfortable in the hands while creating levels of valuable discomfort in muscles that traditional bench pressing does not easily work.
Like any non-traditional barbell, the Titan Fitness Cambered Bench Bress Bar should not be relied upon as a primary tool for bench press work. However, even as a secondary bar, it’s value-to-price ratio is still quite high.
Pros
Allows for training harder-to-hit areas/muscles
Added stability works well as a tool for rehabbing lifters
Thicker-than-average; extremely easy to maintain a grip on
Cons
Can’t be substituted for a dedicated, general training barbell
Cambered bars are intended to create instabilities not possible with traditional barbells in order to help lifters take their bench press PRs to the next level. The Titan Fitness Cambered Bench Press Bar does this while also offering a tool that adds stability as well as injury-preventing qualities to assist rehabbing lifters.
The Titan Fitness Cambered Bar is one of the thickest bars on this list, almost slipping into “fat grips” territory with its 50-millimeter diameter. This diameter rides the line between enhancing stability in the hands while lifting and actually improving overall grip due to the added strain this creates.
You’d be hard-pressed to find another legit cambered bar that is as inexpensive as Titan Fitness’ offering or one that scores as many rave reviews. At the same time, keep in mind that this type of cambered bar is to be used to complement your “normal” bench press bar; it will work your rotator cuff, serratus, and other stabilizer muscles like nothing else.
Valor Fitness Swiss Bar
⭐️ Verdict: Best Swiss Bar Bench Press Bar
The Valor Fitness Swiss Bar is a valuable tool for lifters looking to strengthen their triceps muscles as well as other secondary muscles important for maximizing bench press gains.
With a number of different grip widths and angles, this Swiss Bar invites a variety of movements while also being easily loaded with Olympic-sized plates and collars.
The Valor Fitness Swiss Bar does not allow for a traditional bench press grip to be maintained, but it makes for an excellent supplementary bar.
Pros
Numerous grip width and angle options
Knurled grips mimic the feel of traditional barbell knurling
Durable 12-guage steel composition
Cons
Impossible to bench with a standard, pronated grip
Like the Titan Fitness Cambered Bench Press Bar above, the Valor Fitness Swiss Bar is a speciality bench press bar. It is incorporated into training to better work certain muscles (this largely depends on the chosen grip, but most serious bench pressers use it to better hit the triceps) that don’t get as much work when working towards building a solid bench press PR.
The Valor Fitness Swiss Bar does not have a tensile strength rating, but its 12-guage steel rating rivals that of many power racks on the market today. Despite weighing only 26 pounds (not an uncommon weight among Swiss Bars), its thick, durable steel ensures ideal functioning for whichever exercise or grip is chosen.
Regularly-sized Olympic plates fit perfectly on the Valor Fitness Swiss Bar and its numerous grips are knurled in the same manner as our other best bench press bar options. You won’t be able to bench with your standard pronated grip with this bar, though, so, like the cambered bar option, be mindful that Swiss Bars are too be used to complement your existing bench press regimen.
Bells of Steel Powerlifting Bar
⭐️ Verdict: Best Affordable Bench Press Bar
The Bells of Steel Powerlifting Bar may not have the name recognition of other brands and barbells, but is nevertheless one of the best bench press bar options.
With an impressively high tensile strength score (210,000) there is absolutely zero bar whip. The 29-millimeter shaft is in line with better powerlifting barbells, although the bar’s extremely affordable price point sets it apart from most others.
The overly aggressive knurling may be preferable to some lifters, but may be a bit too intense for regular training. However, the Bells of Steel Powerlifting Bar ensures that you won’t miss a lift due to a slipped barbell.
Pros
Meets all official IPF specifications
Impressive 210,000 tensile strength score
Very affordable
Cons
Knurling might be a little too aggressive
Interestingly enough, the most affordable “best bench press bar” on our list also happens to have one of the highest tensile strength (210,000) scores. The Bells of Steel Powerlifting Bar combines this nearly unflappable quality with a 29-millimeter diameter (right in the wheelhouse of heavy benchers) to create a subtle, yet legitimate bench press bar option.
In addition to meeting all of the standard International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) specs, the Bells of Steel Powerlifting Bar prides itself on its extremely aggressive knurling. We personally know a lot of lifters (ourselves included that don’t appreciate too aggressive of knurling (it literally markets itself as being at “cheese-grater” level), but if this is something you’re into, this could be the best bench press bar for your lifting needs.
Like many of the entries on our list, the Bells of Steel Powerlifting Bar doesn’t come in too many shaft or sleeve options. However, considering how inexpensive the bar is as well as its limited lifetime warranty, we think that just about any lifter will be more than satisfied with the combined cerakote/bare steel/hard chrome combination.
REP Fitness Black Diamond Power Bar
⭐️ Verdict: Contender (Affordable)
The Black Diamond Power Bar is the less-aggressively knurled, but arguably better-suited for bench pressing barbell in the REP Fitness equipment lineup.
Sporting classic specs of a superior bench press barbell (29-millimeter diameter and 200,000 tensile strength), the Black Diamond Bar possesses many of the same features of excellent bench press bars with a lower price tag than most of the best bench press bars.
If more aggressive knurling is desired, the Double Black Diamond is likely the better choice, although either option is likely a good one for bench press enthusiasts.
Pros
More than adequate as a general purpose powerlifting barbell
If more aggressive knurling is desired, the comparably-priced Double Black Diamond Bar is an option
More affordable than the comparable Ohio Powerlifting Bar
Cons
Nothing “spectacular” sets it apart
REP Fitness has rapidly made its way to the top of the lifting gear and equipment heap and its Black Diamond Power Bar is a testament to that success. We actually prefer the first iteration of this bar (as opposed to the aptly named Double Black Diamond Power Bar) bar for benching (although if you’re looking for a more well-rounded bar, especially one that’ll really help you keep your grip during max deadlifts, you should give the Double Black a look).
Although nothing really “spectacular” stands out with the Black Diamond Bar, it possesses just about all of the qualities that we look for in our best bench press bars (200,000 tensile strength, 29-millimeter diameter, aggressive…but not overly aggressive knurling, minimal whip). Also, if you pit REP’s offering against its rival Rogue’s entry, the former will always be (in many cases, significantly) less expensive.
Eleiko IPF Powerlifting Competition Bar
⭐️ Verdict: Contender (Premium)
The ELEIKO IPF Powerlifting Competition Bar is one of the most popular and widely used bars at the highest levels of competitive lifting.
With possibly the ideal tensile strength rating (215,000) for powerlifting barbells (and, more specifically, for bench pressing) the Eleiko Powerlifting Competition Bar is the most stable on the market.
The Eleiko Powerlifting Competition Bar is by no means an inexpensive barbell, although having access to one will greatly help to prepare for high-level powerlifting competitions.
Pros
Ideal 215,000 tensile strength score
Exact specifications for IPF competition lifting
Flawless review scores and ratings
Cons
Very expensive
Despite a rather significant elephant in the corner (which we will discuss very soon), Eleiko’s products are essentially unbeatable. Its IPF Powerlifting Competition Bar has just about everything one could ask for in a bench press bar (and, as you can probably imagine, a general powerlifting barbell) with numerous flawless reviews to confirm this.
With a 215,000 tensile strength rating, the Eleiko Powerlifting Competition Bar has what many would consider to be the ideal combination of lack of whip and lack of brittleness that one looks for in a power bar. This combined with a 29-millimeter diameter, aggressive knurling, and luxuries such as graphite-infused bushings, make it obvious as to why this is the bar of choice for sanctioned International Powerlifting Federation Events.
Clocking in at over $1300, Eleiko’s Powerlifting Competition Bar is likely out of the price range for most lifters. However, getting ahold of one not only means you’ll have an (almost) ideal bench press bar for training, but that you’ll also have regular experience benching with the same bar that you’ll likely be pressing in competition.
What we Look for in Bench Press Bars
Picking out a bench press bar can be surprisingly tricky. I mean, think about it: can you really tell the difference between a couple of barbells when looking at them from 15 feet away?
In most cases, the answer is probably “no” (if you replied “yes” I call bullshit!)
That being said, we want to provide a bit more information regarding our rationale for rating certain barbells as “the best bench press bars” and how we ultimately came to our decisions about the inclusions on our list.
A bench press bar isn’t going to run you as much as a Smith Machine or an Air Bike, but it’s a decently significant outlay, nonetheless. Let’s ensure it’s a “buy once, cry once” type of deal.,.
Bench Pressing Facilitation
This is probably the hardest measure to quantify and is, to be fair, based on a few different preferences that while subjective, are held by (or are at least appreciated by) the majority of lifters out there.
So, what can a bar do to make your bench press experience “better”?
First off, the best dedicated bench press bars are going to be a bit thicker than average. While being nowhere in the “Fat Gripz” realm of straining the grip, a chubbier shaft (heh…) is easier to hold onto and will shift/move less in the hands. You look at something like the Texas Bench Press Bar’s 30-millimeter diameter and know that bar was designed for bench-ing.
Knurling also has a big impact on how well you can keep your grip on the bar. However, while most bench press bars solidly fall into the “aggressive” camp, some want to take things just a bit further.
Overly aggressive, “cheese-grater” knurling can be really slip-proof, but may not be the most comfortable after 100 reps and warm-up reps over the duration of a workout. Because of this, while we appreciate bars with the most aggressive knurling, we think a step or two below this is level is preferable.
Finally, we consider some of the non-traditional bench press supplementary movement abilities that our cambered and Swiss bar options possess. Obviously, the purpose of these bars is a bit different than those of traditionally-sized and shaped barbells, but a Swiss bar with 6 grip widths and angles is gonna give you more functionality than one with 3.
Again, there is a bit more subjectivity in this measure than in others, but we’re pretty sure that you’ll appreciate our rationale for including these areas of consideration…especially when you have a plate or three suspended over your chest…
Tensile Strength
Some people put more stock into a barbell’s tensile strength score than others, but when it comes to dedicated bench press bars, the stakes get a little bit higher. While this score/rating is oftentimes used as a proxy for general barbell durability (with higher scores being better), it can tell us a bit more.
Bars with lower tensile strength scores tend to “whip” and even bend more than those with higher scores. Get a bar with a low enough tensile score and load it up enough and you’re looking at a recipe for a broken barbell. Many barbells designed for Olympic weightlifting will have “high” tensile strength scores (enough so they won’t break), but not so high that their whip (which is important in Oly lifting) is minimized.
However, when you’re benching, do you want that bar to move…or worse, bend….at all…?
No, you don’t.
Now, going with a bar that has a tensile rating that is too high probably won’t be an issue for most people, but if a lot of weight is loaded onto a bar that is unable to bend at all to accommodate it (i.e. a bar that’s too brittle), there is also potential for a busted bar.
(This doesn’t apply unless you have a really heavy barbell with a really high tensile strength rating).
In general, we like to see power bars with a tensile strength score of at least 190,000 but not much higher than ~230,000. That 210,000-215,000 range is a sweet spot with +/- 15,000 being ideal. In this range, your bench press bar is definitely hard and stable enough, but ain’t gonna bust when you PR.
Price
We wouldn’t be normal humans if we didn’t factor price into our assessment formula. Thankfully, you don’t have to spend like a drunken sailor to get a bar to help you take things to the next level.
Truth be told, when it comes to dedicated bench press bars (and powerlifting barbells in general), outside of extreme budget bars (which, I can assure you, you don’t want) and the likes of the Eleiko IPF Powerlifting Competition Bar, there isn’t as much variance as you might think.
Excluding a few of the higher-end coating options from the Rogue Ohio Powerlifting Bar, all of the traditional best bench press barbell options fall in the ~$250-$400 range with the speciality bars coming in a bit lower.
(We didn’t mention the Eleiko Bar because…ya know…)
This goes to show that you don’t have to put out that much to get a high-quality bench press bar and you shouldn’t feel the need to go too far out of this price point to find your ideal barbell.
Customer Reviews
Opinions differ and as much as we like to think that there could be no other take on fitness gear as on point as ours is, we know that a lot of other people have commented on their purchases, both good and bad (especially the bad ones, it seems).
So…what do they have to say?
In our opinion, there is a lot to learn from customer reviews and we go out of our way to sift through them with a fine-toothed comb in order to get insights from real-world, hands-on users.
Much of the time, these reviews line up with our personal experiences, but sometimes, the crowd sees things just a bit differently.
As such, we’re always confident on our assessments…
Shopping tips for Bench Press Bars
Now that we’ve covered some of the things that go into our assessment process, we want to point out some areas of consideration that may influence your decision-making process. Just because a bar has a high tensile score and an appropriately aggressive knurling doesn’t mean it’s the perfect barbell for you.
With this in mind, let’s discuss a few other qualities/components for you to keep in mind when you finally decide to “go shopping”.
Coating
Contrary to what you might have always known and believed, not all barbells are made of the same material.
Some are more resistant to rust and wear; some get dirty just by looking at them.
Some feel smooth in the hands while others have more of a sticky or even spongy feeling to them.
Point blank, the kind of metal your bar was crafted out of has a pretty decent impact on how the bar is going to feel in your hands and how well it’s going to hold up against the elements.
While most of the best bench press bars tend to coalesce around a few main coating types (Stainless Steel, Cerakote, Hard Chrome, Black Coat, E-Coat, Bare Steel), there are a lot of different options out there.
Unfortunately, unless you’ve consciously lifted with a particular coating type, you probably don’t have a good idea of how it feels compared to others. As such, we suggest you check out REP Fitness’ handy “Barbell Coating” guide as it breaks down a number of different coating types.
It’s completely possible that you’ll find that barbell coating doesn’t really matter to you, but it’s nice to have the knowledge of how it could matter.
Knurling
We briefly discussed knurling above, but want to reiterate the significance of it here.
Most lifters are going to want barbell knurling that is on the more aggressive side (as opposed to the more smooth or passive side) as this will create less opportunity for the bar to slip free during heavy sets.
However, if you’re a newer lifter and your hands haven’t developed the requisite calluses to absorb the intensity of a more aggressive knurling, lifting with anything more than a “standard”-rated knurling may be very uncomfortable (and could possibly even lead to more barbell slippage as you struggle to maintain a grip on the bar).
You may want to head over to your gym and look very closely at the different bars/bar knurlings there and knock out a few sets with each one. This should give you a better idea of how different “levels” feel and what you will most prefer for your training sessions.
IPF Specs
Every year (or something like that), the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) distributes its Technical Rulebook where it discusses a few very important pieces of information and a lot of technical mumbo jumbo. The thing is, if you want to compete in powerlifting’s (arguably) most prestigious organization’s events, you gotta know a lot of this stuff.
…and have the right gear.
Granted, you’re not expected to rock up to a meet with your own bar, but it doesn’t hurt to have experience lifting with a bar that fits the rulebook’s official barbell specifications to a “T”.
Thankfully, these specs aren’t all that different than what you’d expect from most Olympic-sized barbells you’d find at your local gym (or, more than likely, in your home or garage gym), but if you’ve trained in at least 2 or 3 gyms in you life, you know full well that a lot of bars feel really different.
If you’re serious about competing or if you simply want a more consistent feel and specifications to your bars, check to see if they meet the official IPF specifications.
At the same time, if you don’t want to be constrained by what many would classify as rather arbitrary barbell attributes, don’t shell out extra money for the “official” IPF stamp of approval!
Additional Functionality
You probably noticed that a couple of the bars on our list look just a little different from the others. Indeed, cambered barbells and Swiss bars (also known as “Football bars”) usually aren’t anyone’s “daily drivers” when it comes to typical bench press training.
In the case of (most) Swiss bars, you can’t even grip the bar in a standard pronated manner!
With that being said, these speciality barbells allow lifters to utilize different grip styles, widths, weight distributions, and bar diameters to better target important muscles that don’t receive as much attention/work with traditional bars. In the case of Swiss bars (and even some cambered bars), there are numerous non-bench press exercises that can also be performed in a unique manner.
A more obvious form of “additional functionality” can be found with bench press bars that are simply legit general powerlifting barbells. This is a little difficult to come by most of the time, mainly because the preferred grip diameters for bench pressing and deadlifting generally move in opposite directions (thinner is preferred for deadlifts, thicker for bench pressing), but bars with high tensile strength and low whip will be good for any and all of the “big 3”.
If you’re looking to do more than just bench, definitely take a longer, harder look at general purpose powerlifting barbells.
How we Chose the Best Bench Press Bar
As you can tell, there are a few more factors to selecting a good bench pressing bar than those that might immediately come to mind (if…ya know…any factors actually do immediately come to mind). We base our selections off of these factors as well as our personal experiences with this gear (remember, I did outbench 3 Combine OTs back in 2005…I could also throw a football a quarter mile…)
These experiences (not the football throwing bit, though) in relation to additional research (both practical and theoretical) conducted on a plethora of different bench press bars has helped us to come to our conclusions. We’re confident that we have indeed found…
The Best Bench Press Bar…
…which is the Texas Power Bars Texas Bench Press Bar. I get that the company may not have as much notoriety as some of the others on this list, but this bar is truly designed for benching.
That’s not to say that our other high tensile strength, wide diameter contenders won’t be the bar that you use to hit your next PR. If you really want to get into powerlifting, most of those would probably be a better choice.
…but today, we only care about benching. Monday is always just around the corner; let’s hope you got the right piece of equipment in your arsenal the next time “International Bench Press Day” rolls around!
The Best Bench Press Bar (and the Top 6 Challengers)
🏆 Best Overall
94
Best General Powerlifting
90
Best Cambered
91
Best Swiss
91
Best Affordable
94
