Best Ohio Power Bars Review In 2022

Ohio Power Bars have become one of the most recognized bars in the fitness world. If you’ve been to a commercial gym, you’ve most likely already tried one. As a collegiate athlete who has trained in several small to world class gyms, I’ve been able to test out different Ohio Power Bars

I got to test out six different Ohio Power bars and concluded that the Rogue Bare Steel Ohio 45 LB Power Bar because of its aggressive knurling and steel to steel touch. 

Once you begin using actual steel, the coatings on other bars do not even compare in terms of the grip and feel it has on your body if you’re squatting. 

With zero whip or flex and a superior rigidity, this is the best bar to use if you’re looking to squat or bench press. However, you will have to apply constant maintenance to keep it rust-free.

The Top Ohio Power Bars Reviewed

Product Image	Product's name	Main Features	More Info
	Best Standard Rogue Bare Steel Ohio 45 LB Power Bar	20 kg (45 lbs) 1500lbs	View latest price
	Best Durable Rogue 45 LB Ohio Power Bar - Stainless Steel	20 kg (45 lbs) 1400lbs	View latest price
	Best Feel Rogue 45 LB Ohio Power Bar - Bare Steel	20 kg (45 lbs) 1500 lbs	View latest price
	Most Affordable Rogue 45 LB Ohio Power Bar - Bare Steel	20 kg (45 lbs) 1500 lbs	View latest price
	Most Resistant Rogue 45 LB Ohio Power Bar - Cerakote	20 kg (45 lbs) 1500 lbs	View latest price
	Best Customization Rogue 45 LB Zeus Custom Ohio Power Bar	20 kg (45 lbs) 1500 lbs	View latest price

Find the Best Ohio Power Bar for You

Rogue is one of the largest American distributors and manufacturers of strength and conditioning equipment. From CrossFit and military to collegiate and professional sports teams, Rogue has become a household name to all North Americans that want trustworthy and reliable sports equipment.

Their Ohio Power Bar has a classic barbell design with a black zinc finish. This improves the overall durability and reduces the amount of chipping and rusting that most cheaper brands face.

The 29MM diameter steel shaft has a tensile strength of 205,000 PSI, meaning it can withstand loads of over 1500 lbs. With zero whip or flex and superior rigidity, this is the best bar to use if you’re looking to squat or bench press.

The aggressive knurling is present in all the Ohio Power Bars. It’s deep, coarse pattern provides the reliable grip that you need when you are lifting heavy weights, without being abrasive or sharp. 

If you’re looking to increase your personal records for your squats and benching, the Rogue Ohio bar is definitely made for you.

Rogue’s 45lb Stainless Steel Ohio Power Bar is similar to the standard Ohio Power Bar but the difference is the stainless steel finish. The stainless steel provides a superior oxidation resistance in comparison to all other barbells. This means it’s perfect for gym owners and fitness enthusiasts that are looking to own one barbell for a long time.

Stainless steel is low maintenance which eliminates any worries on chipping or wearing down the finishes on the bar’s sleeves. All it takes is a simple synthetic bristle brush to clean the stainless steel barbell and it will last you decades.

Although it has a reduced tensile strength of 200,000 PSI, it still gives the rigidity and minimal whip that the Black Zinc Ohio Power Bar provides.

If you’re looking to have a solid Ohio Power Bar that will last you for a long time, we recommend choosing the stainless steel options.

The Bare Steel Ohio Power Bar by Rogue is the complete opposite of Rogue’s stainless steel option. With a bare steel finish, you get a classic and natural feel. However, the barbell is more likely to corrode and oxidize due to the higher oxidation rate and lack of coatings.

The advantage of using bare steel is you get a better feel of the bar. As a beginner lifter you may not know the difference, however if you’re lifting really heavy weights, the grip and feel makes a big difference. It feels like the bar is stuck on your hand.

This is further magnified with a coarse and deep knurling pattern that sticks on your hand no matter how heavy the weight is. With a lifetime warranty, this is a bar to get if you’re more of a feel person who loves the touch of genuine steel instead of a barbell that is coated over.

Rogue’s 45 LB Black E-Coated Ohio Power Bar offers a greater resistance against corrosion, pollutants, and other harmful compounds. This is useful if you have a home gym and store your barbell in a humid place.

The Black Electrically Applied Coating is known for its adhesion, reliable coverage, and it’s environmentally friendly ingredients. Used by leading manufacturers for finish military equipment, auto parts, and agricultural equipment, the E-Coat stands up to the harsh rays of the sunlight, water, and household chemicals.

With quality bronze brushing, simple powerlifting knurl marks, center knurling, and bright zinc sleeves, this makes a great barbell to use if you don’t want a completely different feel from bare steel.

The Rogue 45 LB Ohio Power Bar with the Cerakote finish is one of the more popular Ohio Power Bar that Rogue provides. The cerakote is a ceramic based coating that is 100 times more resistant to abrasion, wear and tear, and corrosion than the standard black zinc option.

Often used by firearm manufacturers, the coating finish provides a superior durability for thinner applications. The biggest difference with Rogue’ Cerakote Bar is the option of exclusive colors that is available; it comes in black, blue, red, and green.

Aside from the Cerakote finish, it still has the 205,000 tensile strength, knurl marks, center knurling, zero whip, and a snap ring design for a smoother and consistent spin. This is the perfect bar if you want a bar that has a superior resistance to environmental factors with a color customization that makes your bar stand out.

Rogue has expanded and given gym owners and everyday athletes control over the feel and look of their barbell through their ZEUS Build-a-Bar System.

It allows teams, schools, businesses to customize the color of the shaft and sleeves, and add custom lettering and logos to represent who they are.

These barbells are made using the cerakote finish on the shaft giving you the options to choose black, blue, red, and green colors. With the sleeve finish you have the choice of the Classic Chrome and Black Cerakote. With the cerakote option, you can add custom texts to the sleeve collars.

With the included 205,000 tensile strength, knurl marks, center knurling, zero whip, and a snap ring design for a smoother and consistent spin, this is the bar to get if you want to stand out from the other businesses, gyms, or schools.

It takes around 3 – 5 business days for Rogue to assemble your personalized Ohio Power Bar, but it is worth the wait.

Ohio Power Bar Buying Guide

What Is A Ohio Power Bar

In 2015, Rogue Fitness created and released the Ohio Power Bar. It was the next generation of the older Rogue Power Bar, the only self-branded powerlifting bar by Rogue. At this time, Rogue only sold Rogue Power and Westside that had very similar specifications.

These power bars were underwhelming because it was only available in black zinc and the tensile strength was below average. With other competitors on the market and an expensive price tag, The Old Rogue Power Bar was not as popular as it is with the Ohio Power Bar Today.

Now it has expanded with the bar having over a 50,000 PSI tensile strength increase (205,000 PSI) with several finishes, multiple weights, at a lower starting price.

These power bars have become a staple in all fitness and home gyms.

The Standard Ohio Power Bar Specs 

The Standard Ohio Power Bar specifications are:

Length – 86.5 ” (219 cm)

Weight – 20 kg (45 lbs)

Diameter – 29 mm

Weight Load Capacity – 1500 lbs

Tensile Strength – 205,000 psi

Shaft Material – Varies from bare steel, zinc, e-coat, cerakote, and stainless

The Benefits Of Using and Purchasing an Ohio Power Bar

Ohio Power Bar Tensile Strength and Capacity

Tensile Strength is measured in PSI, which shows the amount of force that it will take for your bar to break. When you’re looking for a power bar, keep an eye out for the PSI rating. The higher the PSI rating, the less likely it will break when you add heavier weights. 

The Ohio Power Bar is stronger in tensile strength than most other power bars. (around 200,000+ PSI). This means they can withstand over 1500lbs of weight on each side. Perfect for a bar to be used for beginners to advanced lifters.

This also means there is minimal whip which is perfect for squatting and benching.

Ohio Power Bar Knurling

For power bars, knurling plays a crucial role as it influences your grip

It can be the difference between hitting a heavy deadlift and missing the attempt all together because it slipped out of your hand. Knurling can play a part in the positioning on your back squat.

The Ohio Power Bar has a volcano knurling pattern that is deeply pitted and spread wide that grips onto your hand. The smaller pits between them provide a nail-like pressure that sticks onto your hand. If you’re locking the bar on your back or your hands tightly, it should not tear your skin as much if you’re not lifting near your max.

Ohio Power Bar Sleeves

Older bars and older plates often make it harder to push inside the sleeves as it gets stuck mid way. This can be an issue if you’re loading and unloading plates every set.

The Ohio Power Bar’s sleeve uses a bronze bushing system that allows a consistent spin. This makes it easier to put and slide plates on the power bar.

Ohio Power Bar Finish and Feel

The Ohio Power Bar has a variety of finishes giving you a numerous number of choices that suit your needs. These bars that are coated helps prevent rusting and keeps the quality of the bar healthy for several years.

Bare Steel – When you’re using bare steel, the knurling feels like glue as there is no coating interference. However, they are more prone to rust. If you train or live in a humid environment, you’ll need to oil it regularly to limit the oxidation from the bar.

Black Zinc / Bright Zinc – The black zinc shaft and right zinc sleeves offer a better corrosion resistance. You won’t get the natural feel of bare steel because of the zinc coating, but you’ll still get a similar grip feeling.

You won’t need to do as much maintenance as the bare steel, however we recommend brushing your bars with oil monthly .

Cerakote – Cerakote is one the newer versions of the Ohio Power Bar. It’s gained in popularity because of aesthetic qualities and resistance to oxidation. Cerakote can be customized with patterns, colors, and logos making it ideal for schools, sports teams, businesses, and gyms.

Stainless Steel / Chrome – Stainless Steel provides a maximum amount of rust resistance however you do feel less of the knurl. It feels more slipperier however you won’t have to worry about oiling and maintaining it as often.

FAQs for Ohio Power Bar

Difference Between Texas Power Bar vs Ohio Power Bar

The Texas Bar is very similar to the Ohio Bar. They both weigh 20kg (45 lbs) and an average length of 86.5 inches (2.19 meters) with a shaft of 27 mm.

The price tag for the Ohio Power Bar is a bit more expensive; however, it has a larger loadable area allowing you to add an extra plate of weight. 

The biggest difference is the variety options available for the Texas Power Bar. You’re only given a chrome and black zinc coating finish whilst the Ohio Power Bar provides four varieties; Bare Steel, Black Zinc / Bright Zinc, Cerakote, and Stainless Steel / Chrome.

Difference Between Eleiko Powerlifting Bar vs Ohio Power Bar

Eleiko is known as the global leader of barbell manufacturing as they’ve been in the business for over 60 years. These bars are one of the best in the business and it’s seen by its high price point of $850+.

Used in both competition events and optimized for training, it can withstand loads up to 3306 lbs (1500 kg). With a 215,000 PSI tensile strength and four bronze bushings, the Eleiko is unmatched in performance and durability. 

The sleeves have been completely re-engineered and re-designed. Making changes on the bearings, adding a dust proof seal, and modifying their greasing processes. 

This increases the longevity of the barbell and provides a higher performance as the new sleeves keep the moisture, chalk, and other contaminants out. Resulting in less wear on the components, less maintenance, and no loss of spin over time.

Eleiko has provided three different knurl depths (1.0 mm, 1.2 mm, and 1.5 mm) which provides buyers options and varieties to what suits their hand.

While the Ohio Bar has limited knurling options and are more likely to be worn and torn faster, it is significantly cheaper than the Eleiko Power Bar.

Difference Between Kabuki Strength Power Bar vs Ohio Power Bar

Kabuki Strength Power Bar is the next generation of barbell as the performance and specs are beyond any competitors on the market. It is one of the best daily use bars however due to high end features and price point, it may not be the barbell for every type of lifter.

The knurl is the biggest difference in comparison to the Ohio Bar. The crisp and grippy but not painful or uncomfortable knurling pattern and the feeling you have when you grab it and the knurl durability is nearly indestructible as it is resistant to damage and dulling.

This is all due to the hardness of the barbell which is measured as 51 HRC on the Rockwell Hardness Rating, while the ohio bar is nowhere near that.

The tensile strength is over 258,000 PSI which is higher than the Ohio Power Bar. This means it’s less likely to deform and stay at its original shape regardless of how heavy the load. 

However, the bar is very stiff meaning it will be a lot harder to pull in comparison to a bar that provides a lot of whip.

The Kabuku Strength Power Bar is available in Black Oxide, Zinc, and Bright Nickel, which are less customizations offered in comparison to the Ohio Power Bar.

Ohio Vs Texas Power Bar Deadlifting

Powerlifting Power Bar makes a huge difference in comparison to a standard bar. Here are the qualities that make a difference:

1. Bar Length -The deadlift bar is normally longer which means a thinner shaft diameter. This results in more whip and flexibility allowing you to lift heavier loads of weight.
2. Shaft – As the deadlift bar shaft is thinner (27 mm) in comparison to a normal bar (29 mm), you get better grip capabilities.
3. Knurling – Deadlift Power Bar has a more aggressive knurling than standard bar. This prevents your hands from slipping when you lift heavier weight.
4. Whip and Flexibility – A Deadlift power bar offers more flexibility and whip than a normal barbell. This keeps the weight on the floor for a longer period of time, allowing the bar to increase moment on the upward bull. The higher the weight, the greater the flex of weight.

Both Ohio and Texas Power Bar provide excellent whip and flexibility for deadlifts. However the Texas Barbell is relatively cheaper at around the $250-$350 range while the Rogue Ohio Bar you’ll be looking for $350+.

Rogue’s Power Bar has more options in terms of maintenance with several different finishes while the Texas Power Bar.

Our recommendation is try them both out and see which knurling feels best before buying. That will be the biggest difference in lifting heavier weights.

Conclusion

Ohio Power Bar has now become one the mainstream go-to power bars for kind of lifters. The range of variety, personalization, and durability is what sets Rogue’s Power Bars from the rest.

Out of the six different Ohio Power Bars that we were able to test and research, we recommend the Rogue Bare Steel Ohio 45 LB Power Bar because of its aggressive knurling and steel to steel touch. Once you begin using actual steel, the coatings on other bars do not even compare in terms of the grip and feel it has on your body if you’re squatting.

With zero whip or flex and a superior rigidity, this is the best bar to use if you’re looking to squat or bench press. However, you will have to apply constant maintenance to keep it rust-free.

If you’re looking for an Ohio Power Bar that needs less maintenance without too much give to the knurling, we recommend the Rogue 45 LB Ohio Power Bar – Cerakote or Rogue 45 LB Zeus Custom Ohio Power Bar if you want more customizations towards the bar. Less maintenance needed and a wide of customizations make it a good alternative if many athletes and individuals are using the bar.