Trap bars are one of the best ways for any level athlete to properly deadlift since the design is more aligned with your body compared to a barbell, leading to better form and a more natural feeling overall. The Rogue TB-2 is one of our favorite trap bars out there, and for good reason. If you aren’t familiar with trap bars, they tend to be a hexagon shape with an opening for you to step into. They feature two loading sleeves (similar to a barbell), and a set of handles for you to perform exercises like deadlifts, shoulder shrugs, and farmers walks (just to name a few). The TB-2 features two raised, fully knurled handles that decrease your range of motion, making them perfect for beginners or anyone who is rehabbing an injury, but you can also flip the bar over to use the other set of handles to increase your range of motion.
This trap weighs 60 pounds on its own, has 16-inch loading sleeves (which is comparable to a barbell), and is 88.5 inches in length from sleeve to sleeve. The handles are 25 inches apart from one another (which should be accommodating for the majority of lifters), and sit just over eight inches from the floor. The TB-2 is also rackable, so you can use it with a power rack to work in some bench presses, or shoulder presses. When looking for a solid trap bar for your workout program, we think the TB-2 should be on your short list of targets due to its sticky tack knurling, strong steel build, and overall versatility it brings to the gym.
Main Takeaways
- The TB-2 has two sets of fully knurled handles to add some variety in your workouts, and provide optimal grip.
- The 16-inch loading sleeves are comparable to those on a barbell (a lot of trap bars have sleeves that are only 13 inches long).
- Since the TB-2 is a rackable trap bar, you can use it with a power rack, and work in some bench presses or shoulder presses if you choose to.
This trap bar features two sets of fully knurled handles for you to workout with. One set of handles are raised, and sit 8.25 inches off the ground, while the other set are level with the frame of the bar to increase your range of motion.
Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar Video Review
Our reviews writer Jake, shows you everything the Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar has to offer during his detailed video review. Check out what he has to say as he walks you through the features of this trap bar, and puts it to the test.
Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar Highlights
Like the majority of trap bars, the TB-2 allows you to lift more naturally than you might with a barbell since your shoulders are in a more natural position with handles on either side of you (rather than holding a barbell in front of you). Because of this more natural position, you are able to learn better form, which could be beneficial as you begin to load on some super heavy weight — plus, this trap bar can help decrease the amount of pressure on your lower back.
Aside from the standard deadlifts, shoulder shrugs, and farmer’s walks athletes often perform with a trap bar, the TB-2 adds some more versatility since it’s rackable. This is going to allow you to use it for bench presses, and even shoulder presses. The handles are fully knurled, which will provide you a solid grip on their own, and they’re 25 inches apart, which should be comfortable for the majority of users. You can also flip the bar over to use the set of handles that are not raised to increase your range of motion.
While we weren’t able to find out the weight capacity from Rogue, we still believe you can load over 600 pounds of weight onto this bar without hesitation — it felt quite strong and sturdy it felt in our hands. Since the loading sleeves may not be compatible with equipment from other companies, some athletes may run into a bit of trouble though when looking to add a pair of weight collars onto their sleeves to keep their weight plates or bumper plates in their proper position. And the powder finish on the sleeves may wear over time as you change your weight plates.
Who Should Buy the Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar
- Any level athlete can benefit from this trap bar for their deadlifts since your shoulders can be properly aligned with the handles, as opposed to their positioning when lifting with a barbell. The raised handles are also great for beginners, and anyone rehabbing an injury.
- Customers who want a highly versatile trap bar will enjoy that the TB-2 is a rackable trap bar, and can be used for bench presses and shoulder presses.
- Since the loading sleeves of this trap bar are the same length as the majority of barbells, you can really pack on some weight plates for a heavy lift.
Who Shouldn’t Buy the Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar
- Even though this is a versatile trap bar, $500 is a decent chunk of money to spend. If you don’t want to spend that much money, you could opt for a cheaper trap bar, or even just go for a barbell, and you’ll be able to do the same exercises.
- Anyone who doesn’t already have Rogue weight collars or plates may not want to make this extra purchase since the loading sleeves here aren’t compatible with all equipment.
- If you need your handles to be less than 25 inches apart from one another you’ll want to keep searching.
Price
The Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar is listed right around $400 on the Rogue Website, but shipping brings your total to about $515. That’s a pretty high cost for a trap bar, but considering this is a rackable bar, and can be used for both bench presses and shoulder presses, we think it’s actually a solid deal. Plus, the 1.5-inch square steel tubing makes it super strong, and we feel as if it can handle well over 600 pounds. There are definitely cheaper options available, but those likely can’t handle as much weight as the TB-2 can.
$500 may be out of your price range, and if that’s the case, you may not be interested in this trap bar. Yes, it is really versatile, but so is a barbell, and you can do more exercises with a barbell on top of what you can do with a trap bar. You can find yourself a solid barbell for around the same price as what you’d spend here, which may be more worth the cost. That being said, your lower back goes under more stress with a barbell when deadlifting, and your arms aren’t aligned the same way. If you’re looking for financing options, Rogue allows you to make your purchase through PayLater from PayPal where you’ll have four payments of around $130.
Overall Build and Quality
The Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar is about as versatile as you could ask for a trap bar to be. It has two sets of handles that you can work out with, so anyone who is learning to deadlift for the first time, or rehabbing an injury can use the raised handles to attain proper form. To use the other handles, all you have to do is flip the bar over, and you can increase your range of motion. We don’t know the actual weight capacity, but the overall build makes us feel pretty confident that you can easily load over 600 pounds of weight onto this bar.
There aren’t any grooves in the 16-inch loading sleeves, so you’ll most likely experience some sliding of your weight plates if you were to drop the bar between sets or reps — this means you will want a weight collar on either sleeve. Since the loading sleeves aren’t compatible with all equipment, you might want to invest in some Rogue weight collars just to be on the safe side. The raised handles on the TB-2 sit just over eight inches off the ground without any weight loaded onto the sleeves, and they’re 25 inches apart. This bar is 88.5 inches long from end to end, and weighs a solid 60 pounds. The handles are 1.34 inches in diameter, the loading sleeves are 1.91 inches in diameter, and it’s constructed from 1.5-inch square steel tubing.
Features
The Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar features two sets of handles for you to utilize. The raised handles are great for anyone who needs to learn the proper form for a deadlift, while the handles underneath are even with the frame of the bar — which can increase your range of motion. The handles have a pretty abrasive knurling, which provided a great grip when we were working out with ours, but not to the point where we felt like it was going to tear our hands up.
The loading sleeves do not feature any type of grooved pattern, and they also aren’t guaranteed to be compatible with every weight collar out there. So it may be best to go ahead and find yourself a pair of Rogue weight collars to keep your weight plates locked in place.
Handle Design
The TB-2 features two sets of handles for you to lift with. The ones on top are raised 8.25 inches from the ground without any weight loaded onto the bar, while the other pair is even with the frame of the bar. Both sets are 25 inches apart from each other, which seemed to be spaced far enough apart for athletes of all sizes to comfortably lift. That being said, some people of smaller stature may find that to be spaced a little bit too far.
Knurling
The knurled handles are designed to assist your grip while lifting, and resemble the knurling you’ll find on some power bars. It might be a little rough for anyone who doesn’t have some calluses built up, but we didn’t find it to be too aggressive during our sweaty lifting sessions — we actually found it to be extremely helpful.
Sleeve Design
A common trait with trap bars is that the loading sleeves are smooth, so you will need a pair of weight collars to keep your plates in place while lifting. Since the sleeves here aren’t guaranteed to work with all weight collars out there, Rogue recommends using one of theirs with the TB-2.
One problem you won’t need to worry about is running out of room for plates on your loading sleeves since they’re 16 inches long as opposed to around 13 inches like they are on a lot of trap bars.
Product Specs
The Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar is one of our favorites on the market, and for good reason. The raised handles make it a good choice for beginners to learn the proper technique when deadlifting, and you can always utilize the other handles as you progress. While we don’t know the exact weight capacity, during our time with this trap bar, we felt confident that it could handle well over 600 pounds. It’s made from 1.5-inch square steel tubing and has a matte black powder coat finish. From end to end, it’s 88.5 inches long, each sleeve is 16 inches, and the raised handles sit 8.25 inches up from the ground.
Materials
We often speak on how the quality of materials used when constructing gym equipment leads to the overall quality of that equipment. Rogue is known for their high quality products, and the TB-2 is no exception.
The 1.5-inch square steel tubing creates a highly durable piece of equipment that is built to last. We also really enjoy the matte black powder coat finish — though your loading sleeves might get scratched when changing your weight plates because of this finish.
Weight Capacity
The weight capacity for this trap bar is not listed on the Rogue website, and when we asked for the specifics — they weren’t able to give us an answer. However, that shouldn’t make you turn away from the TB-2. The 1.5-inch square steel tubing makes it feel super sturdy, and we believe you could load more than 600 pounds without any issues. That is a pretty solid number for most home gym owners, but there are some trap bars out there that are guaranteed to hold up to 1,500 pounds.
Dimensions and Weight
The Rogue TB-2 is 88.5 inches long, the sleeves are 16 inches long, and the handles sit 8.25 inches high from the ground. The length of the sleeves is a really nice touch in our opinion. Oftentimes, trap bars have sleeves that are around 13 inches, leading to the issue of running out of room before maxing out the weight capacity. We feel confident that you will not experience that issue with this trap bar. It weighs 60 pounds on its own, which is heavier than your standard barbell.
Warranties
The exact warranty for this trap bar is not listed on the Rogue website, but they do mention that they have a lifetime limited warranty on all frames and structural welding. So we would imagine that applies to the welded frame of the TB-2, but be sure to verify this information before you purchase if the warranty is of importance to you.
Places to Buy
You can purchase this trap bar directly through the Rogue website.
Company Information
Since 2006, Rogue has been one of the leaders in producing fitness equipment. They’ve stayed true to their dedication of producing high quality equipment for all athletes. If you want to find out more about their operations, you can call their support number at 614-358-6190, or you can live chat with a representative on their website.
Final Word
The Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar is a versatile bar that can be used by athletes of all levels, especially because of the raised handles, as they can help teach beginners how to properly deadlift. It’s also a rackable trap bar, so you can use it for your bench presses and shoulder presses if you want. $500 may be a lot for some people to spend on a trap bar, but there are some others that are more expensive than this. So you’re actually getting a pretty good deal, in our opinion.
The knurling on the handles gave us an awesome grip during our lifts, and somewhat resembles a power bar. Even though we don’t know the exact weight capacity, the TB-2 felt so sturdy that we believe you can load over 600 pounds onto this bar — so we think it can satisfy the needs of the majority of the fitness community. When looking for a reliable trap bar to add to your home gym, we think this is one of the best options that you could consider. We like it for its two sets of handles, strong steel build, and overall versatility it brings to the table.
FAQs
What workouts can I do with the Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar besides deadlifts?
Trap bars are pretty versatile pieces of equipment, and allow you to perform a slew of different exercises. Since the TB-2 is a rackable trap bar, you can also incorporate some bench presses and shoulder presses with a power rack or squat rack — giving this bar even more versatility than some competitors.
How much weight can the Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar hold?
We reached out to Rogue about the weight capacity of this trap bar, and weren’t given a concrete answer. However, when comparing this bar to some similar trap bars — we think it’s just as strong, if not stronger than the competition, so we think you can rest assured that it will handle over 600 pounds of weight.
This may be more than enough for the average lifter, but if you are an elite powerlifter who is worried about the weight capacity, there are some trap bars out there that can hold up to 1,500 pounds.
How much does the Rogue TB-2 Trap Bar cost?
This trap bar is listed at right around $395, but shipping and taxes will bring that final price tag to around $500. You can absolutely find some cheaper trap bars on the market, but we can’t speak on the quality of those options like we can with the TB-2.
This trap bar is the definition of sturdy, and even though the weight capacity is not listed, it feels as if it could easily handle over 600 pounds of weight. If you’re someone who wants to incorporate trap bar workouts into your routine, we think this is an awesome option worth considering, and that the price tag is warranted.
