Shortlist · Barbells
Olympic barbells rated to 300 kg or more
Olympic bars in our index whose brands state a maximum load of at least 300 kg, with length, shaft and sleeve figures so you can check fit as well as strength.
9 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, with a brand's load figure of 300 kg or more.
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)
- Load (300 kg or more)
- 680 kg
- Mass
- 20 kg
- Length
- 2.13 m
- Between sleeves
- Not published
- Sleeve length
- Not published
- Rotation
- Bearings
- Price band
- £100 to £250
- Plate system
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Load (300 kg or more)
- 680 kg
- Mass
- 20 kg
- Length
- Sources disagree
- Between sleeves
- Not published
- Sleeve length
- 41.5 cm
- Rotation
- Bearings
- Price band
- £100 to £250
- Plate system
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Load (300 kg or more)
- 453 kg
- Mass
- 15 kg
- Length
- 2.01 m
- Between sleeves
- Not published
- Sleeve length
- Not published
- Rotation
- Bearings
- Price band
- £100 to £250
- Plate system
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Load (300 kg or more)
- 680 kg
- Mass
- 13 kg
- Length
- Not published
- Between sleeves
- Not published
- Sleeve length
- Not published
- Rotation
- Bearings
- Price band
- £100 to £250
- Plate system
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Load (300 kg or more)
- 317.5 kg
- Mass
- 20 kg
- Length
- Not published
- Between sleeves
- Not published
- Sleeve length
- Not published
- Rotation
- Bushings
- Price band
- No single band
- Plate system
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Load (300 kg or more)
- 700 kg
- Mass
- 12.85 kg
- Length
- 1.8288 m (calculated)
- Between sleeves
- Not published
- Sleeve length
- 23.3 cm
- Rotation
- Bearings
- Price band
- £100 to £250
- Plate system
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Load (300 kg or more)
- 320 kg
- Mass
- 20 kg
- Length
- 2.1336 m (calculated)
- Between sleeves
- 1.3208 m (calculated)
- Sleeve length
- Not published
- Rotation
- Bearings
- Price band
- £50 to £100
- Plate system
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Load (300 kg or more)
- 700 kg
- Mass
- 20 kg
- Length
- 2.1336 m (calculated)
- Between sleeves
- Not published
- Sleeve length
- 41 cm
- Rotation
- Bearings
- Price band
- £100 to £250
"Not published" means the checked product page doesn't state the value. Line drawings show the type of equipment, not the exact product. Compare every product in the barbells table to sort, add your own measurements or compare products side by side.
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About this list
A load figure of 300 kg or more screens out the light and budget bars whose brands set lower limits. This list includes every bar in our index that takes Olympic plates and has a brand-stated load figure of 300 kg or more.
Load figures are the brands' own claims, and brands rarely say how they were tested. The span between the inner collars, which decides rack fit, is published for only some bars.
Before you buy
- A load figure is the brand's own claim, and brands rarely say how it was tested. Two bars with similar figures may not be directly comparable.
- A strong bar still has to fit your rack. The span between the inner collars is the figure to compare with your J-cups.
- Grip diameter, knurling and sleeve type affect how a bar feels and what it suits, whatever its load figure.
- Sleeve length sets how many plates fit. A high load figure is only useful if the sleeves hold the plates to reach it.
Notes on the list
- Body Power 6 ft Prestige Olympic Bar
700 kg maximum load, 202,000 psi and 23.3 cm loadable sleeves; fits Olympic-width equipment, span not published.
- Body Power 7 ft Olympic Bar, Black Shaft with Chrome Sleeves
320 kg maximum load with 52 inches (about 1.32 m) between the sleeves and a 30 mm shaft.
- Body Power 7 ft Prestige Olympic Bar
700 kg maximum load, 185,000 psi and 41 cm loadable sleeves; the span between the sleeves is not published.
- Gym Gear 7ft Premium Olympic Bar (Black)
213 cm long. The '36-inch internal dimensions' is not defined, so rack fit is not established.
- Gym Gear Elite 7ft Olympic Bar
41.5 cm sleeves. Overall length is 220 cm or 214 cm depending on the Gym Gear source.
- Gym Gear Ladies Olympic Lifting Bar
453 kg as printed on the spec sheet; the product page says 1,000 lb. 201 cm long. Grip given as 25 mm and as 28 mm.
- Gym Gear Premium Olympic Bar, 6 ft
680 kg is stated for the Premium range. No metric length, shaft span or sleeve length for the 6 ft size.
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.
- York Barbell 7 ft Olympic Bar, 20 kg
Load figure: sources disagree.
Ruled out
- York Fitness 5 ft Standard Solid Barbell
Plate system: Standard (1 inch); Load (300 kg or more): 125 kg
- York Fitness 5 ft Standard Spinlock Barbell with Collars
Plate system: Standard (1 inch); Load (300 kg or more): 125 kg
- BodyMax 5ft Olympic Barbell
Load (300 kg or more): 113 kg
- Body Power 6' Olympic Bar, Fits Olympic Width Equipment (28 mm grip)
Load (300 kg or more): 220 kg
- BodyMax 6ft Olympic Barbell
Load (300 kg or more): 113 kg
- BodyMax 7 ft Olympic Bar (180 kg)
Load (300 kg or more): 180 kg
- Body Power Aluminium Training/Technique Bar, 1.8 m, 7 kg
Load (300 kg or more): 80 kg
What this list doesn't check
- Load figures are the brands' claims. Neither brand says whether its figures are static or how they were tested.
- A strong bar still has to fit your rack and plates. Only one of the nine publishes a shaft span, so confirm the distance between the inner collars against your J-cups before buying.
- This is a catalogue screen, not a survey of the market.
Related guides
- How to Choose a Barbell
Check dimensions, intended use, sleeve system and care instructions for the exact bar. Similar-looking barbells are not necessarily compatible with the same rack or plates.
- 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.