Shortlist · Barbells
6 ft Olympic barbells for small rooms
Olympic bars in our index that are 1.9 m long or less, and what a shorter bar gives up: sleeve length, load claims or rack fit.
4 of 17 bars in our index qualify · Checked against published specifications · Updated
By IRONINDEX · How we research
How this list is chosen
Every barbell in our index stated to take Olympic (2 in) plates and to be 1.9 m long or less overall.
The list is not ranked: products with photographs come first, then each group is in name order. We haven't tested these products; every figure comes from a checked product page, linked from each product profile. How we build shortlists.
The shortlist
- Plate system
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Length (1.9 m or less)
- 1.8288 m
- Mass
- 12.85 kg
- Between sleeves
- Not published
- Sleeve length
- 23.3 cm
- Load claim
- 700 kg
- Price band
- £100 to £250
- Plate system
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Length (1.9 m or less)
- 1.829 m
- Mass
- 12.85 kg
- Between sleeves
- 1.321 m (calculated)
- Sleeve length
- Not published
- Load claim
- 220 kg
- Price band
- £50 to £100
- Plate system
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Length (1.9 m or less)
- 1.828 m
- Mass
- 14 kg
- Between sleeves
- 1.178 m
- Sleeve length
- Not published
- Load claim
- 113 kg
- Price band
- £50 to £100
- Plate system
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Length (1.9 m or less)
- 1.8 m
- Mass
- 7 kg
- Between sleeves
- Not published
- Sleeve length
- 24.5 cm
- Load claim
- 80 kg
- Price band
- £50 to £100
"Not published" means the checked product page doesn't state the value. Line drawings show the type of equipment, not the exact product. Open this list in the barbells table to sort, add your own measurements or compare products side by side.
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About this list
A full-size Olympic bar is about 2.13 to 2.2 m long, and you need room at each end to load it. This list includes every bar in our index that takes Olympic plates and is 1.9 m long or less.
Short bars save length in different places. Some keep a wide span between the collars, so they still fit racks built for a 7 ft bar but have shorter sleeves; others are narrower and won't reach the J-cups on those racks. The span between the collars, where it's published, decides rack fit.
Before you buy
- A 6 ft bar saves around 30 to 40 cm of width compared with a full-size bar, which can decide whether a barbell fits the room at all.
- Rack fit depends on the span between the collars, not the overall length. Some short bars are too narrow for racks built for a 7 ft bar.
- Short bars usually have shorter sleeves, so they hold fewer plates, especially thick bumpers.
- Short bars often weigh less than 20 kg and may carry lower load figures. Both are worth checking against the weights you plan to lift.
Notes on the list
- Body Power 6' Olympic Bar, Fits Olympic Width Equipment (28 mm grip)
6 ft (72 in, about 1.829 m) with 52 in (about 1.321 m) between the collars, for racks and benches built for a 7 ft bar. Rated to 220 kg; sleeve length not published.
- BodyMax 6ft Olympic Barbell
1.828 m and 14 kg, with 1.178 m between the collars. Rated to 113 kg and not for dropping.
- Body Power Aluminium Training/Technique Bar, 1.8 m, 7 kg
A 7 kg aluminium technique bar with an 80 kg maximum: for learning lifts, not heavy loading.
Couldn't confirm
These may qualify, but a figure the rule needs isn't published or sources disagree. Ask the seller before relying on them.
- BodyMax 5ft Olympic Barbell
Overall length not published.
- Gym Gear Elite 7ft Olympic Bar
Overall length: sources disagree.
- Gym Gear Premium Olympic Bar, 5 ft
Overall length not published.
- Gym Gear Premium Olympic Bar, 6 ft
Overall length not published.
- Gym Gear Standard 7ft Olympic Bar (Black)
Overall length not published.
Ruled out
- York Fitness 5 ft Standard Solid Barbell
Plate system: Standard (1 inch)
- York Fitness 5 ft Standard Spinlock Barbell with Collars
Plate system: Standard (1 inch)
- BodyMax 7 ft Olympic Bar (180 kg)
Length (1.9 m or less): 2.155 m
- York Barbell 7 ft Olympic Bar, 20 kg
Length (1.9 m or less): 2.21 m
- Body Power 7 ft Olympic Bar, Black Shaft with Chrome Sleeves
Length (1.9 m or less): 2.1336 m
- Body Power 7 ft Prestige Olympic Bar
Length (1.9 m or less): 2.1336 m
- Gym Gear 7ft Premium Olympic Bar (Black)
Length (1.9 m or less): 2.13 m
- Gym Gear Ladies Olympic Lifting Bar
Length (1.9 m or less): 2.01 m
What this list doesn't check
- Rack fit depends on the shaft between the sleeves, not the overall length. The shaft must be longer than the outside-to-outside span of your J-cups.
- Shorter sleeves hold fewer plates. Check your plate stack against the sleeve length before buying, where one is published.
- Load figures are the brands' own claims. This is the qualifying catalogue set, not a survey of the market.
Related guides
- Will Your Barbell Fit Your Rack?
Check the shaft between the sleeves, the installed J-cups and the space to load plates. Overall bar length cannot answer all three questions.
- Barbell Loading Space and Sleeve-Capacity Worksheet
Keep overall bar length, room access and space for plates on each sleeve as three separate checks.