Bells of Steel Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0 Review

Many home gym owners opt for the versatility of a multi-purpose barbell, but dedicated powerlifters might be better off targeting a powerlifting-specific bar. While you’ll find a variety of different power bars on the market, one of our favorites — and quite possibly the best budget-friendly option — is the Bells of Steel Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0. This power bar features a tensile strength rating of 210,000 PSI and a 1,500-pound weight capacity, but it’ll only cost you around $220, which is at least $100 cheaper than some of the top power bars on the market. 

While the loading sleeves are chrome, the price tag is this low because of the bare steel finish on the 29mm shaft — meaning it offers the lowest level of corrosion resistance. However, the lack of coating combined with the sharp mountain knurling provides some of the best grip out there since there isn’t an extra layer between the bar and your hands. Due to the low price tag, high tensile strength rating, and sticky grip, we think this is one of the best barbells on the market, especially for deadlifts.

Bells of Steel Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0

Bells of Steel Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0

The Bells of Steel Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0 has some of the most aggressive knurling we've seen, so deadlifters won't have to worry about losing grip during heavy pulls. Plus, it has almost no flex, which will appeal to lifters who prefer not to have to pull the slack out before lifting. 

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Main Takeaways

Bells of Steel Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0 Video Review

Our Reviews Writer, Jake, takes the Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0 for a spin during his detailed video review. Tag along as he tells you everything there is to know about this budget power bar, and decide if it belongs in your home gym.

Bells of Steel Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0 Highlights

• Price: $220
• Weight Capacity: 1,500 pounds
• Tensile Strength: 210,000 PSI
• Coating: Bare Steel
• Intended Use: Powerlifting

The Bells of Steel Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0 is a true power bar with its aggressive knurling, rigid 29mm diameter shaft, and low-spin bronze bushings. The mountain knurling is one of the sharpest we’ve had our hands on, making it less than ideal for movements like a power clean but perfect for your next heavy deadlift day. Knurling is the cross-hatching pattern on the bar shaft designed to increase friction between the bar and your hands to give you a better grip. It can vary in pattern and abrasiveness, but a mountain knurl is the most aggressive, with each marking on the pattern ending in a point. This makes the knurl markings look like little mountains and allows them to dig into the skin for a solid (though sometimes painful) grip.

The shaft is 29mm in diameter (within the IPF specifications), which adds rigidity and is ideal for benching and squatting since the whip (flexion in the bar) is at a minimum. While the 1,500-pound weight capacity is standard with high-caliber barbells, the tensile strength rating of 210,000 PSI is on the stronger side of the spectrum. This is important because tensile strength measures the overall strength of a barbell and how much weight it can bear and still return to its normal shape after bending. This number typically ranges from 120,000 to 230,000 PSI, so this bar is on the stronger end, which is ideal for the high loads you’ll often find in powerlifting.

The low price tag here of $220 makes it a great match for those on a tight budget, but the savings come with a little less durability. This bar’s bare steel offers less protection from rust and corrosion than a coated bar would. So yes, this bar will save you money, but if you don’t intend on taking the proper steps to clean and care for your barbell, you might want to shell out some more cash for a bar with a higher level of protection.

Pros

• The low $220 price tag is ideal for anyone on a strict budget.
• The lifetime warranty from manufacturer defects is a rarity for a barbell in this price range.
• The sharp mountain knurling helps you achieve a death grip on the bar and ensures it won’t slip out of your hands during a heavy deadlift.

Cons

• Thanks to the bare steel shaft, you must provide the proper upkeep to prevent rust and corrosion from forming.
• This is a powerlifting-specific barbell, so you will want to target a multi-purpose bar if you intend on incorporating Olympic or CrossFit-style workouts.

Training With the Bells of Steel Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0

The Bells of Steel Barenaked Powerlifting Bar made our short list for a reason, and we’ve been pretty pumped about how it’s performed in the gym. We can get a firm grip when bench pressing and deadlifting, and even though the center knurl is just as sharp as the handgrip knurling, it helps keep the bar on your back when squatting. 

While there are bronze bushings in the chrome loading sleeves, and it’s possible to do Olympic lifts like the clean & jerk, we wouldn’t recommend it. That movement requires some hand movement on the bar, and the aggressive knurling might make hand movement extremely uncomfortable.

Knurling

Powerlifting bars generally have more aggressive knurling than multi-purpose and Olympic bars, but since this barbell is bare steel, you’ll find it to be razor-sharp. In fact, it left indentations in our hands after we used it.

This extra grip could be what some people are searching for since bars with a chrome, zinc, or cerakote coating tend to feel a little slick. However, we also understand that texture is preference-based, and not everyone will like how this feels. 

Loading Sleeves

While the shaft on this bar is bare steel, the loading sleeves are coated in chrome and will provide a respectable amount of corrosion resistance. You’ll also find bronze bushings in the sleeves. This is standard with power bars like this since bushings don’t provide as much spin as bearings. 

You’ll also notice a grooved pattern on the sleeves. These are designed to assist you in keeping your weight plates in their original placement when lifting, but we always recommend using a pair of barbell collars for your safety. 

Finish

Once again, this barbell features a bare steel finish on the shaft and chrome-coated loading sleeves. Bare steel provides a grip that is tough to beat, but this also means you’ll have to clean it more frequently to keep it corrosion-free. This is especially true if you’re stashing your gear in a non-climate-controlled environment. Even though we have AC in our gym, it still gets pretty steamy during the summer, and we’ve already noticed some corrosion build-up after around two months.

What to Consider Before Buying the Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0

Whether it be a new weight bench, power rack, or, in this case, a new barbell, there are some important factors to consider before spending your hard-earned money on home gym equipment. While the factors vary for everyone, we suggest focusing on the bar’s price, coating, knurling, and tensile strength, as well as your workout style.

Price

If you think a $500 barbell is leaps and bounds better than this $220 barbell, you might be surprised. This barbell can perform with the best of them, and the only reason it’s “cheap” is because it doesn’t have a coating. That extra money can help you add more gear to your iron oasis, so you might’ve found your match if you’re on a tight budget.

Finish

This barbell only comes in one finish — bare steel. Bare steel provides a grip that’s tough to top, but remember, you need to clean it more frequently (at least once a month) to prevent rust from forming. We’ve only had ours for a few months and have already noticed some build-up.

Workout Style

This dedicated powerlifting barbell is ideal for those who only bench, squat, and deadlift.

But if you want to mix in movements like the snatch or some hang cleans, you’ll want a second bar with less aggressive knurling, more whip, and better collar spin. 

Knurling

The mountain knurling on this bar makes it one of the sharpest we’ve used. While this extra grip is great for those who deadlift eye-popping numbers, it also might be too abrasive for some athletes. There are other barbells, like the REP Fitness Double Black Diamond, that also feature a sharp mountain knurling, but the bar’s cerakote coating makes it feel less abrasive.

Tensile Strength

The Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0 offers a 210,000 PSI tensile strength rating. As previously mentioned, tensile strength refers to the actual strength of the barbell and how much punishment it can handle before it cannot return to its intended shape. Since this number ranges from around 120,000 to 230,000, it’s in good company and should suit the needs of most athletes. However, if you want a bar with a higher rating, the Force USA Gunner Barbell is an outlier with a 235,000 PSI rating. 

Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0 Vs. The Competition

Before deciding on any new equipment, we always like to see how it stacks up against the competition. So, in this instance, we chose some of our favorite power bars and our number one overall barbell on the market.

As you look at this chart, the first thing you might notice is that the tensile strength of the Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0 is a bit higher than the others. But that may not be a big enough gap to prevent you from targeting any of the other three. 

However, we do need to discuss the price tag. If you’re only into powerlifting and working with a tight budget, it’s a bit of a no-brainer to go after the Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0. That said, you will have to clean it more frequently to keep it in good shape. This is where spending more money for a bar with a finish comes in handy. 

Now, if you want the best overall value on this list, the nod has to go to the Living.Fit Barbell. The finish determines the price tag, but both options are affordable, and you can hit all your lifts — meaning you don’t have to purchase a power bar and an Olympic Bar. 

While the chrome finish on the Again / Faster Olympic Power Bar offers a respectable amount of protection, the cerakote REP Fitness Double Black Diamond is the ideal choice for those working out in a non-climate-controlled room. This is because cerakote offers the second-highest level of protection, with stainless steel being the best overall.

The knurling is another important aspect that may heavily influence your decision. If you want the stickiest grip on this list, look no further than the Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0. The bare steel finish adds to the grippiness, but it may also be too abrasive for some. We’re big fans of the grip from the Double Black Diamond since it has a sharp mountain knurl, but the cerakote finish makes it feel a little better in your hands.

Now, our personal favorite knurling pattern is the volcano that you’ll find on the Again / Faster and Living.Fit barbells. Similar to how a mountain knurling resembles a mountain, each marking on a volcano pattern has the top chopped off, leaving a flat top that resembles — you guessed it — a volcano. Since there are more points of contact for your hands, you can still achieve a good overall grip, but it won’t feel as abrasive. 

You can’t go wrong with any of these barbells, but we also realize that everyone has personal preferences. So, as always, be sure to do your homework, and you’ll land on the best possible option for you and your training goals. 

Places to Buy

You can purchase the Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0 directly through the Bells of Steel website. 

Warranties

Bells of Steel offers a limited lifetime warranty on this barbell, covering any manufacturing defects. However, this does not cover negligent use, such as lifting with damaged plates. 

Company Information

Bells of Steel offers a wide range of fitness equipment, from free weights to power racks and even cardio equipment. They offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, but you will be responsible for a return shipping fee. You can contact a team member via email at support@bellsofsteel.us or by phone call at 1-888-718-7997.

In Conclusion

The Bells of Steel Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0 is one of our favorite barbells on the market, and the $220 price tag makes it an ideal purchase for those on a tight budget. While the bare steel finish requires more upkeep, the tensile strength is elite, and the sharp mountain knurling provides a grip that is tough to top. If you’re a dedicated powerlifter looking for a new toy to help you meet your fitness goals, we think you might’ve found your match.

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