Shortlist · Speciality Bars
Speciality bars for Olympic plates
Trap, safety squat, EZ curl and triceps bars whose brands state an Olympic (2 inch) plate system, with sleeve length and load figures shown separately.
5 of 7 bars in our index qualify · Checked against published specifications · Updated
By IRONINDEX · How we research
How this list is chosen
Every speciality bar in our index whose brand states an Olympic (2 inch) plate system.
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
- Olympic (2 inch) plates
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Type
- Swiss (multi-grip) bar
- Mass
- 15 kg
- Sleeve
- Not published
- Grip Ø
- Not published
- Load claim
- Not published
- Price band
- £100 to £250
- Olympic (2 inch) plates
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Type
- Safety squat bar
- Mass
- 21 kg
- Sleeve
- 28 cm
- Grip Ø
- Not published
- Load claim
- 450 kg
- Price band
- £100 to £250
- Olympic (2 inch) plates
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Type
- Swiss (multi-grip) bar
- Mass
- 30 kg
- Sleeve
- 38.5 cm
- Grip Ø
- Not published
- Load claim
- 680 kg
- Price band
- £100 to £250
- Olympic (2 inch) plates
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Type
- EZ curl bar
- Mass
- 10 kg
- Sleeve
- Not published
- Grip Ø
- 28 mm
- Load claim
- 317.51 kg (calculated)
- Price band
- No single band
- Olympic (2 inch) plates
- Olympic (2 inch / nominal 50 mm)
- Type
- Triceps bar
- Mass
- 9.5 kg
- Sleeve
- Not published
- Grip Ø
- 25 mm
- Load claim
- Sources disagree
- Price band
- Under £50
"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 speciality bars table to sort, add your own measurements or compare products side by side.
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About this list
If your plates have 2 inch (50 mm) holes, a speciality bar needs to take Olympic plates. This list includes every speciality bar in our index whose brand says it does.
The bars do different jobs: a trap bar, a safety squat bar, an EZ bar, a Swiss bar and a triceps bar aren't substitutes for each other. The plate system says nothing about sleeve length or load.
Before you buy
- Each speciality bar does a different job: a trap bar, safety squat bar, Swiss bar, EZ bar and triceps bar aren't substitutes for each other.
- Speciality bars often have shorter sleeves than a standard barbell, so they hold fewer plates.
- Bars used from a rack, such as safety squat bars, need to fit your J-cups and rack width.
- Load figures vary a lot between bar types. The brand's figure for the exact bar is the one that applies.
Notes on the list
- BodyMax 9.5 kg Olympic Chrome Triceps Bar
BodyMax's page gives 115 kg in the spec table and 80 kg in the description, so the load is shown as a conflict.
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.
- Gym Gear 1.8m Open Ended Deadlift / Trap Bar
Plate system not published.
Ruled out
- BodyMax Standard Spinlock EZ Curl Bar with Collars
Olympic (2 inch) plates: Standard (1 inch)
What this list doesn't check
- Plate system is not sleeve length or load. An Olympic bar can still have short sleeves; check your plate stack and collars against the published sleeve length, where there is one.
- One of the four load figures is a brand conflict, so this list does not screen on load.
- Rack fit is a separate check: the safety squat and Swiss bars are meant to rest in J-cups, and neither brand publishes the rackable section.
Related guides
- Olympic vs Standard Barbells: Check the Actual Dimensions
The plate-loading system matters more than the label. Check sleeve diameter, matching plates and collars before comparing bar features.
- 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.