⭐️ Best Multi-use Barbell for Beginners: 85/100
The REP Fitness Colorado Bar is the company’s “flagship” barbell. Advertised as a “mixed-use” i.e. CrossFit barbell, it fits rather nicely in the growing market of ~$300, durable, “do everything” bars.
The bar’s knurling, although advertised as “medium” is actually much more passive, making it a perfect option for beginner lifters. Additionally, it’s sound-cancelling capabilities make it ideal for home/garage gym athletes.
The knurling is a bit too passive for effective gripping during heavier lifts and the lack of needle bearings reduce the bar’s spin.
The Colorado Bar is the true definition of a “jack of all trades, master of none”…
Pros
Works well for moving and cycling lighter weights
Feels very nice and comfortable in the hands
Very quiet when dropped from the front rack and from overhead
Cons
Advertised as “medium” but knurling is very passive
Not good for heavy lifts; difficult to maintain a grip on the bar
Spin isn’t great for Olympic lifting
Certain companies, like Rogue, get a lot of attention. For some products, it seems like they are the main guys in the yard with everybody else simply try to catch up.
Of all of these other contenders, REP Fitness has probably made up the most ground on Rogue, specializing in racks, rigs and functional trainers among other original garage gym gear.
REP has actually assembled a pretty extensive lineup of barbells with by far their most popular offering being the Colorado Bar.
This bar is REP’s answer to Rogue’s Ohio Bar (like Rogue, they even named it after a state!) and is intended as serving as your home or garage gym’s “mixed-use” barbell.
As someone who has a lot of experience with Rogue gear and with the Ohio Bar in particular, I was excited to get my hands on the Colorado Bar and after some logistical troubles, my hands really liked the feel of the bar…
…but there were a few other things about it that they didn’t like so much. Let me tell you all about it.
Table of Contents
Sport-specific Functionality
At its core, the Colorado Bar is a CrossFit (or “functional fitness”, if you prefer) barbell. It is intended for use across a variety of different types of lifts, many of which come from very different disciplines like powerlifting and Olympic lifting. I’ll discuss how the bar performs in each of these in the next section, but for now, I want to get into how good it is for CrossFit.
It’s probably easiest to discuss how CrossFit athletes of different “levels” would likely appreciate the bar. With that in mind, this is an excellent bar for beginners. The main reason for this is that although the bar’s volcano knurling is classified as “medium”, I actually find it to be very light. This is perfect for newer lifters who haven’t developed years’ worths of protective calluses who would otherwise shred their hands on bars with more aggressive knurling.
In my experience, the bar tends to slip from my hands when I am using heavier weights (I actually missed a few heavier cleans that I have hit before because I felt the bar was slipping), but this likely wouldn’t be a problem for beginner lifters. Even in a relative sense, they probably won’t have any trouble with lifting lighter weights, even as they’re learning technical lifts.
In contrast, advanced and even many intermediate lifters would likely run into some trouble with heavier lifts (either in strength portions of WODs or when heavier weights are programmed into metcons) when using the Colorado Bar.
I’ll discuss this grip situation in more detail in the next section as well as some design components (bushings, but no bearings) that make the bar less than ideal for heavy Olympic lifting, something we see in the CrossFit Open every year as well as in CrossFit competitions of all levels.
On a more positive note, CrossFit athletes of all levels would probably appreciate just how nice the bar feels in the hands. This is likely at least partially due to passive knurling, but I can’t think of many bars that have felt so good. If overall hand comfort is a high priority for you in a barbell, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Sport-specific Functionality: 82.5 (90 for beginner lifters/75 for advanced lifters)
Multi-use Functionality
Although CrossFit is by nature a “multi-use” sport, in this section, I want to talk about how well the Colorado Bar holds up when used for 3 specific disciplines:
Bodybuilding, powerlifting, and Olympic weightlifting
As far as bodybuilding goes, the bar’s functionality is comparable to how well it facilitates CrossFit movements. Common bodybuilding movements are, in many cases, lighter variations of bigger compound lifts (ex. stiff-leg deadlift or RDL vs. a conventional deadlift). Because of this, I don’t think the passive knurling is a major issue.
Also, none of these exercises are overly dynamic or technical so the decent, but not great barbell spin is not going to impede your ability to do these exercises. At the same time, you have to remember that MOST bars are gonna work for bodybuilding so it’s hard for a specific barbell to really set itself apart.
I think the Colorado Bar is kind of a mixed bag when it comes to powerlifting movements. If we’re talking about the “Big 3 (plus 1)” of bench press, squat, deadlift, and overhead press, I had an outstanding experience overhead pressing with the bar (I set an all-time PR at 227 pounds with it) and it is perfectly functional for squatting (where no gripping is required) and bench pressing (where some, but not too much gripping is required).
On the other hand, I found the knurling to be so passive that on a day where I intended to go heavy on deadlifts, I had to switch the bar out during warmups.
Like, 225-pound warmups (where I planned to hit ~ 500 pounds)
I hook grip everything so if a bar is slipping out of my hands, it’s really not working out too well for me. You might like it for light deadlifting (or if you have an actual deadlift bar, you should be good), but for anything remotely heavy, your grip will likely be the limiting factor with this bar.
Out of the three disciplines we’re looking at here, the Colorado Bar is probably the least suited for Olympic lifting. As you can probably guess, the knurling just doesn’t do it for me when lifting heavy and even when I’m cycling bigger sets, I find that it starts to want to slip out of my hands.
The bar’s composite bushings are more durable than more typical brass bushings, but the lack of any type of needle bearings negatively affects the bar’s ability to spin which is a major downside for those who are serious about their Olympic lifting.
If you’re more of a casual lifter in any of these three areas, you probably won’t mind any of the shortcomings I’ve mentioned (except the comments I made about deadlifting since 225 pounds is well in the range for most men) and can probably appreciate the bar’s hybrid design. However, if you’re a serious powerlifter or weightlifter, you’ll probably want to look elsewhere.
Multi-use Functionality: 80
Tensile Strength
The Colorado Bar’s Tensile Strength rating is 190,000. This is in the normal range for multi-use barbells and should be perfectly adequate for most male lifters, elite powerlifters excluded.
There is a small possibility that men lifting seriously heavy weight, most likely during a deadlift or squat, might experience some type of bending, but I wouldn’t count on this. REP Fitness includes a secondary, “Static Rating” score that states that the bar is rated to handle 1,500 pounds.
At the same time, this score isn’t in a range where the bar’s whip is affected. I have yet to notice any significant whip, but I probably haven’t gone heavy enough to truly experience this.
Tensile Strength: 90
Coating
Unlike many of the other barbells in its category, REP only offers a couple of different Colorado Bar coating options: hard chrome (with hard chrome sleeves) and cerakote (with Duracoat sleeves). Mine is the much more common cerakote with REP’s original Duracoat sleeves.
I have to admit that the bar looks really smooth and it wouldn’t surprise me if the coating itself factored into the high levels of comfort I feel with it in my hands.
At the same time, I can’t help but think that there is some kind of mixture with the knurling and general coating that contributes to the former’s passivity.
Although I haven’t had the bar for an extended period of time, I do have confidence that the Duracoat will help to preserve the sleeves for a bit longer than I would normally expect for other bars to hold up for.
It is not directly related to the coating, but I want to mention how nice some of the labeling is on different parts of the barbell, specifically some of the artwork and script. This doesn’t add to its functionality, but it is a nice touch.
For being more or less the standard option (only one color comes in hard chrome), the Colorado Bar’s coating is pretty good and depending on how well the Duracoat actually works, I may update this score accordingly in the future.
Coating: 85
Price
In the world of barbells, there are very distinctive price “tiers” that just about every bar seems to fall into.
There are the dirt-cheap Amazon bars from companies you’ve probably never heard of and slightly more expensive Amazon bars from companies you probably only know from Amazon.
There are “discount” bars from well-known brands and then there are the signature barbells from brands like REP, Rogue, and Texas Power Bars. The bars in this latter category almost always fall into the tight $285-305 range (at each bar’s lowest end).
At $300 (technically $299.99), the Colorado Bar is solidly in this category.
Unlike something like the Rogue Ohio Bar where the price can fluctuate between $295 for the Black Oxide and E-coat finishes to $375 for the Stainless Steel option), that $300 price is pretty much the price whether you go with Hard Chrome or Cerakote options.
You can pretty much always find much less expensive options than those in this price range, but you run the risk of “getting what you pay for”.
Price: 80
Customer Reviews
You’re gonna have a hard time finding a significant number of reviews for the Colorado Bar, or for any of REP Fitness’ products, in any single location. If you want to find a lot of reviews in one place, you have to go to the REP Fitness website.
The good news is that the Colorado Bar scores very highly on the website. It has a score of 4.9 out of 5 with 235 total reviews.
Of these reviews, only 12 are 4-star reviews and the bar has zero 1-star, 2-star, or 3-star reviews.
The most common complaint in the 4-star reviews has to do with packaging concerns. You can see a couple of these that happened to be side-by-side on the bar’s review page.
I find this to be a bit odd because I think the packaging was excellent. It was a little hard to get the bar out of the casing, but it was worth it to know how well packed and protected it was during shipment.
It would be nice to see some reviews on 3-rd party websites, but a 4.9 out of 5 is still plenty high, especially considering how many reviews that bar has.
Customer Reviews: 98
Warranty and Returns
REP has a number of different warranty policies and each different barbell appears to have a different policy. The Lifetime Warranty the Colorado Bar has seems to be in line with industry standards. It reads like this:
“REP Fitness will warranty these products from defects in material, functionality, and workmanship for the lifetime of the product. Lifetime warranty coverage ends when the product becomes unusable for reasons other than defects in material or workmanship. The warranty applies only to the original purchaser and is nontransferable. Warranty does not apply to basic barbell maintenance.”
I don’t know how you would ever have an argument 3 years later that there were material or workmanship defects that caused your bar to bust, but I guess it’s better than nothing.
The return policy is also completely standard:
“If for any reason you find our product unsatisfactory, you may return the product within 30 days of receipt for a refund. All returns require you to contact us first in order to get a Return Shipping Label (if you are not planning to use your own), and a Return Authorization document. Please print out your Return Authorization document, and attach it to one of the packages being used for your return, along with your return label. If your return requires a refund, please note that you have 30 days from receipt of these documents to use your shipping label. If the item(s) have not been shipped within 30 days, the shipping label will be voided, and the return will be closed.
All returns will incur a Return Shipping Fee, which will be deducted from your final refund amount. There is a 15% restocking fee for items that are not returned in their original packaging…items that are used or damaged may be denied a refund.“
You probably have to have a pretty good idea of what the bar is going to be like before you lay a hand on it since they may classify it as being “used”. And good luck getting the bar back in the tube to avoid that 15 percent restocking fee!
Warranty and Returns: 80
Customer Service
This one is a little tough because, on one hand, our single interaction with REP Fitness was actually pretty good.
Unfortunately, the event that led up to it caused the company to lose a number of points in this area.
Tom originally placed the order for the barbell and let me know that I should be expecting it in a week at that latest. I didn’t hear anything from him for a few days and didn’t really think anything of it. Fast forward almost 10 days and he tells me that the bar had not yet shipped and that I probably wouldn’t receive it for another 4 or 5 days.
Apparently, REP flagged the shipment because he ordered it, but was sending it to me. Rather than immediately reaching out to him to confirm that he had indeed ordered the bar to be sent to me, the order just sat in limbo until he contacted them about the missing bar.
Tom told me the representative was responsive, apologized for the delay, and dispatched the bar within 24 hours, but didn’t ask for any type of additional verification. It is a little weird that the address “discrepancy” was enough to delay the shipment, but a simple “yeah, it was me” over email was good enough to ship it.
I ended up receiving the barbell about 2 weeks after the order was placed.
We’re not sure if this is a common occurrence with REP or not but it was unfortunate that our first experience was met with this kind of delay.
Another thing that is slightly annoying is that you have to register a “Shop” account if you want to track your order. Tom didn’t want to do this so he wasn’t able to get any updates until he reached out REP. It’s kind of strange that they won’t just send the tracking information with the order when it is placed.
Customer Service: 80
Who is The REP Fitness Colorado Bar really for?
One of the great things about the Colorado Bar is that there are definitely distinct groups of people who would likely really appreciate it and others who would probably not appreciate it very much at all. Let’s take a look at both groups:
New CrossFitters
If you’re new to CrossFit or to lifting in general, the Colorado Bar is a very good option for you. The more passive knurling is very unlikely to cut up your hands and makes it easier to grow accustomed to feeling of a barbell in your hands.
The bar itself feels really nice and is incredibly comfortable to lift with. The only problem new lifters might face is that it may make other bars feel too uncomfortable to lift with!
Home/Garage gym lifters
A sneaky, but welcome aspect of the Colorado Bar is its noise-reducing ability. When I drop the bar, it is much quieter than when I drop other barbells, to include competitor barbells. For those working out below the family or a few feet over from the neighbors, this might be the most important quality this bar has to (literally) help “keep the peace”.
Not for advanced or specialized lifters
Lifters who go heavy, whether in the Olympic lifts or with their deadlifts, will likely be disappointed with the passive knurling on the Colorado Bar. With each plate you load on, being able to confidently grip the bar becomes more important and I don’t think you can really do that with this bar.
How we reviewed The Colorado Bar
Once I got my hands on the Colorado Bar, I tried to put it to use as much as possible and for as many different types of exercises as I could. This included everything from my heavy powerlifting sessions before metcons to lighter Olympic lifting sessions (as well as metcons that included cycling the bar for Olympic lifts).
I also wanted to make sure I got a feel for how the bar felt after the initial “break-in” period, mainly because when it arrived, it was rather oily and the knurling felt a little weird during my first few workouts. Once the oil dried up a bit, things got better, although I’m still not the biggest fan of the knurling.
Colorado Bar Alternatives
The Colorado Bar isn’t a bad choice for your main, do-everything barbell (especially if you’re a beginner) but at the same time, nothing about it really stands out compared to many others from competitor companies. Here are a few of those that are very similar to the Colorado Bar in a number of ways, but might possess a few different qualities that could make them better options for you:
Rogue Fitness – Ohio Bar
Another “state” bar, the Ohio Bar is one of the most iconic, multi-use company barbells of all time. Interchangeable with the Colorado Bar in many ways, but with many more coating options while better accommodating more advanced lifters.
Pros
The iconic barbell from the fitness equipment company
Extremely multifunctional
Numerous coating options
Cons
Some have complained of premature rusting
“Better” coating options can get pricey
Rogue Fitness – Bella Bar 2.0
Could affectionately be referred to as the “Women’s Ohio Bar”, the Bella Bar is very similar to both bars and is perfectly multi-functional for female lifters. Like it’s Rogue counterpart, it has a number of customization options.
Pros
High tensile strength for a women’s barbell
Superior barbell whip
Internal sleeve tolerances muffles sound; ideal for home gym lifting
Cons
Only more limited “construction” warranty
E-coating isn’t overly resilient
Bells of Steel – The Utility Bar
Combining all of the elements one could ask for in a multi-functional barbell (medium knurling, durable coating, good tensile strength, affordable price) the Bells of Steel’s The Utility Bar is another solid “centerpiece” option.
Pros
Center knurling to assist with powerlifts
Multiple coating options
Inexpensive
Cons
Does not include bearings
Warranty is kinda meh
Frequently Asked Questions
A new barbell isn’t a small investment item. Let’s cover a few more frequently asked questions to help you know for sure if the Colorado Bar might be a good pickup for you:
I’m just getting started with the Olympic lifts; is this the bar for me?
It depends on how serious you want to get with them. If you are probably going to be more of a casual lifter, this should be fine. However, if you have any aspirations of going big with Olympic lifting, you may as well start with a bar that is best suited for this type of lifting.
How well do you think the Duracoat will hold up?
It's a unique take on more standard coating options and I think that it will add a bit of longevity to my bar. I wouldn't plan on being less mindful/lazy about bar upkeep simply because the Colorado Bar has this type of coating, though.
The Colorado Bar…a “Rogue-killing” bar?
REP Fitness has been growing at a fast pace over the last few years and with their expansion into Europe and other parts of the world, it is obvious that they are closely following along in Rogue’s footsteps. As I have mentioned a few times, the Colorado Bar is REP’s version of the Ohio Bar.
There are a number of similarities between the Colorado Bar and the Ohio Bar, but the former just doesn’t quite compare, especially as a bar for more experienced lifters. I know I’m only comparing the companies’ main barbells, but I think all of the talk about REP being a “Rogue-killing” brand is probably premature at this point.
That’s not to say that there aren’t distinctive merits that come with the Colorado Bar. It’s hard to match how nice it feels in the hands and for those who need a bar that’s not gonna make a lot of noise when it’s dropped from overhead, this may be their go-to barbell.
As long as you’re not expecting something from Eleiko and you have a backup barbell on hand for low-to-moderately heavy deadlifting, you the Colorado Bar could turn out rather well for you.
⭐️ Best Multi-use Barbell for Beginners: 85/100
The REP Fitness Colorado Bar is the company’s “flagship” barbell. Advertised as a “mixed-use” i.e. CrossFit barbell, it fits rather nicely in the growing market of ~$300, durable, “do everything” bars.
The bar’s knurling, although advertised as “medium” is actually much more passive, making it a perfect option for beginner lifters. Additionally, it’s sound-cancelling capabilities make it ideal for home/garage gym athletes.
The knurling is a bit too passive for effective gripping during heavier lifts and the lack of needle bearings reduce the bar’s spin.
The Colorado Bar is the true definition of a “jack of all trades, master of none”…
Pros
Works well for moving and cycling lighter weights
Feels very nice and comfortable in the hands
Very quiet when dropped from the front rack and from overhead
Cons
Advertised as “medium” but knurling is very passive
Not good for heavy lifts; difficult to maintain a grip on the bar
Spin isn’t great for Olympic lifting
