Everything You Need to Know to Find the Best Trap Bar for Your Home Gym

Trap bars can help you stay safe while lifting by reducing the strain on your spine. Here are the best picks for most lifters.

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Trap bars are an often underutilized piece of weightlifting equipment. Unlike barbells, trap bars centralize the load you lift rather than placing it in front of your center of mass. This enables the optimal, ergonomic grip, reduces stress and strain on your lumbar spine and allows you to lift more weight for better gains.

However, while trap bars may seem basic enough, there are actually quite a few options in terms of the style and features of the bar, making it difficult to find the best trap bar to buy for your personal needs.

In this article, we will share our picks for the best trap bar for various uses plus a comprehensive guide that covers the basic types, their benefits, how to find the best one for your needs and important features to consider when buying a trap bar.

So, if you’re looking to turn your garage, basement or living room into an effective weightlifting studio, keep reading for our top picks for the best trap bars and why you may want this piece of fitness equipment for your home gym.

Our Picks for the Best Trap Bar of 2024:

• Best Trap Bar Overall: Rogue Fitness TB-1 Trap Bar 2.0
• Best Trap Bar with Jack: Force USA Walkthrough Trap Bar
• Best Open Trap Bar: REP Fitness Open Trap Bar
• Best Trap Bar for Beginners: Fringe Sport Hex Bar
• Best Budget Trap Bar: Titan Fitness Olympic Hex Weight Bar
• Best Upgrade Trap Bar: Eleiko Öppen Deadlift Bar
• Best Trap Bar on Amazon: Hulkfit Olympic 2” Trap Bar

Best Trap Bar Overall: Rogue Fitness TB-1 Trap Bar 2.0

Rogue

Key Features:

• $325
• Classic trap/hex bar design
• Ergonomic grip
• Approved for use with the United States Army’s Combat Fitness Test
• 60 pounds

Our pick for the best trap bar overall is the Rogue Fitness TB-1 Trap Bar 2.0. Now in its second iteration, the updated Rogue Fitness TB-1 Trap Bar retains all the tried-and-true design features of the brand’s original trap bar, but is now constructed using a precision sleeve that reduces the weight of the bar by more than 25 percent.

Weighing just 60 pounds, the 2.0 version is an even more maneuverable, manageable trap bar that can still load just as much weight. It’s also more beginner friendly, if you’re focusing more on form and technique rather than lifting massive weights.

The Rogue Fitness TB-1 Trap Bar 2.0 features the classic Olympic trap bar design with fairly aggressive knurl on the neutral grip handles.

The Rogue TB-2 trap bar is manufactured in the United States and is fully compatible with all standard Olympic plates. With that said, it’s important to note that this is a specialty bar, so some standard barbell collars may be incompatible. Rogue Fitness recommends using either its Rogue Metal Axle Collars or the OSO Axle Collars with the trap bar.

One cool perk is that this trap bar has been officially approved for use with the United States Army’s Combat Fitness Test, so if you’re training for the armed services, this may be the best trap/hex bar to buy for your preparations.

The trap bar is 89 inches long and 28.5 inches wide. There’s 16 inches of loadable space for plates on each side and the diameter for the sleeves is 1.91 inches while that of the sleeves is 1.34 inches.

Overall, it’s a super solid, well-designed trap bar that will serve beginners to elite athletes alike. The price is also extremely reasonable, making it a spectacular value given the quality of the construction and design.

Pros:

• Very well made
• Heavy-duty construction
• Great value

Cons:

• Hex design isn’t as versatile as open trap bars
• Doesn't fit all collars

Best Trap Bar With Jack: Force USA Walkthrough Trap Bar

Force USA

Key Features:

• $600
• 65 pounds
• Built-in jack for easy loading and unloading
• Open-ended trap bar design
• Ergonomic low and high rotating lifting handle design

Loading and unloading plates on a trap bar can be quite a hassle, which is where a trap bar with a jack can become your home gym MVP.

Not only does the Force USA Walkthrough Trap Bar have a built-in bar jack to help you easily load and unload your weight plates for convenience, speed and ease, but it also features a walkthrough design.

The benefits of a counterbalanced open trap bar like this one is that it’s more comfortable and natural to perform a wider range of exercises rather than just the trap bar deadlift. From lunges to rows and carries, you get the ergonomic benefits of hex bars but the versatility of a barbell.

The Force USA Walkthrough Trap Bar has ergonomic low and high rotating lifting handles. They have medium knit long for an anti-slip grip and are precisely positioned for balance and stability during heavy lifts. The transition handle design allows you to seamlessly transition the trap bar from the lifting position to the standing position.

With just one or two uses to get accustomed to the design, it quickly becomes apparent that this open-ended trap bar with jack is thoughtfully designed and engineered with function, quality and strength at the forefront. It’s an ingenious user-friendly, stable, solid trap bar.

It measures 69 inches wide, 10 inches deep and 29 inches long. The unloaded trap bar weighs 65 pounds and can hold a max of 661 pounds, which is relatively low—many higher end models can support upwards of 1,000 pounds of weight. The loadable sleeve length is 12.8 inches per side.

Finally, the Force USA Walkthrough Trap Bar is compatible with all standard Olympic weight plates and bumper plates, which again, are super easy to load and unload, thanks to the built-in jack.

At $600, it’s a little bit more of an initial investment, but its versatility and convenient features will make it a good choice for many users.

Pros:

• Integrative jack
• Open design

Cons:

• Expensive
• Only holds 661 pounds

Best Open Trap Bar: REP Fitness Open Trap Bar

REP Fitness

Key Features:

• $400
• 60 pounds
• Open trap bar design
• Premium chrome handles
• Integrated jack for easy loading and unloading

The best open trap bars, like this one, essentially offer the balance, stability and ergonomic benefits of a hex bar with the functional benefits of a barbell.

For example, with the REP Fitness Open Trap Bar, you can perform deadlifts in a much less technique-intensive manner than with a straight bar deadlift because of the neutral hand grips and in-line weight distribution, while simultaneously permitting a versatile range of movements like lunges, rows and presses more comfortably than a hex trap bar.

Another nice feature of this open trap bar is that it has a built-in deadlift jack for easy loading and unloading of the bar, and the jack serves as a counterweight so that the trap bar stays balanced while you load and use it.

Plus, with details like plastic liners on the feet to protect your floors from scuffs and scratches, and a rackable design, this trap bar won our vote for the best open trap bar because every last feature seems thoughtfully engineered for utility and durability.

There is a round tube frame on the REP Fitness Open Trap Bar, which enables you to comfortably use it as a cambered bar for both squatting and pressing. The frame has a six-inch section with textured matte black powder coat medium knurling to enhance your grip when squatting.

The stainless-steel handles are knurled for grip and fully removable, so you can replace them with alternative handles—such as wide, narrow or rotating options—to change up your workouts.

The sleeves of this trap bar are plated with hard chrome. This premium material adds to the durability, enabling the coating to stand up to countless times of sliding plates on and off.

Lastly, in terms of specs, the unloaded bar weighs 60 pounds. It measures 84.3 inches long, while the collar-to-collar length is 50.5 inches. The width from handle to handle Is 27.3 inches. The loadable sleeve length is 16.5 inches, allowing you to load up 10 standard 45-pound iron plates per side or five standard 45-pound bumper plates per side. The trap bar can support a maximum of 1,350 pounds.

At $400 and backed by a five-year warranty, this is a premium open trap bar at an entry-level price.

Pros:

• Open trap bar design
• Great value
• Premium chrome sleeves
• Built-in jack
• Supports a ton of weight—1,350 pounds
• Good warranty

Cons:

• Bulky
• Slow shipping

Best Trap Bar for Beginners: Fringe Sport Hex Bar

Fringe Sport

Key Features:

• $350
• 45 pounds
• Classic hex bar design
• Dual handles

If you’re just getting into lifting, you need a beginner-friendly trap bar that will help you master the technique for your lifts.

Our pick for the best trap bar for beginners is the Fringe Sport Hex Bar.

It’s not only one of the best trap bars for beginners due to its user-friendly, simple design, but at $350, it’s also one of the best budget trap bars.

Featuring the classic hex bar design, this Olympic trap bar is perfect for learning deadlifting technique or banging out heavy shrugs.

You can easily step into and out of the trap bar, and the double handles (one set that’s flush with the sleeve and a second set directly above the first) increases the versatility and adjustability of your grip to improve ergonomics and comfort. Both sets of handles have medium knurling for an anti-slip grip, even as you work up a sweat.

This beginner trap bar features a chrome finish on top of the steel to resist rust over time.

Weighing just 45 pounds, this is a lighter trap bar, so it’s easier to maneuver and manage than many hex trap bars, which usually weigh at least 60 pounds.

The loadable sleeves are 10 inches long per side, with a two-inch handle diameter. The maximum weight capacity is 600 pounds. The trap bar is 56 inches long, 23.375 inches wide, and 5.25 inches high, and the handles are 24 inches apart.

Although this might be the most robust hex bar on the market, it’s a great trap bar for beginners and certainly does the job.

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Light unloaded bar weight
• Fairly aggressive knurling to prevent slipping
• Two sets of handles

Cons:

• Doesn’t hold a lot of weight (600 pounds)
• Hex trap bar design can be limiting

Best Budget Trap Bar: Titan Fitness Olympic Hex Weight Bar

Titan Fitness

Key Features:

• $135
• 44 pounds
• Classic hex bar design
• Dual handles

Trap bars aren’t cheap. They’re always a bit of an investment, though they can be one of the best pieces of exercise equipment to buy for serious weightlifters.

The good news is that there are some decent inexpensive trap bars. Our top pick for the best budget trap bar is the Titan Fitness Olympic Hex Weight Bar. It has the normal flush handles you’d expect with a standard hex trap bar with raised handles, plus raised grips, enabling more versatility with deadlifts, shrugs, pulls and rows.

This design allows you to easily switch to shrugs by just flipping the bar. Both sets of handles have medium knurling to prevent slipping.

The Titan Fitness Olympic Hex Weight Bar is crafted from precision-grade stainless steel with a chrome finish. It weighs just 44 pounds and is 56 inches long, 22.75 inches wide, and stands six inches off the ground. The loadable sleeve length is 9.75 inches, and the trap bar can hold up to 500 pounds.

Although it’s not the most robust or feature-forward bar, it’s a great inexpensive trap bar, costing right around $135.

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Light unloaded bar weight
• Raised handles

Cons:

• Doesn’t hold a lot of weight (500 pounds)
• Hex trap bar design can be limiting

Best Upgrade Trap Bar: Eleiko Öppen Deadlift Bar

Eleiko

Key Features:

• 55 pounds
• $800
• Integrated jack
• Open hex bar design
• High maximum weight

Trap bars can seem limited in their usage. Many people perform the trap bar deadlift and shrugs and then struggle to think of other exercises to perform.

While standard hex trap bars aren’t necessarily the best for performing a wide range of exercises, some trap bars are designed for greater versatility. We love the Eleiko Öppen Deadlift Bar because the open design hex bar lends the bar to better use for exercises like lunges and carries.

It also is a very accessible trap bar, with user-friendly features like wide, neutral handles that make mastering the deadlift much less technique driven.

There is a built-in rubber-footed loading jack, which not only raises the sleeves above the ground to facilitate loading and unloading plates and bumpers, but also doubles as an upright storage solution for this upgraded trap bar. This saves space and prevents back strain, as you can easily transition it down to the horizontal lifting position.

The handles are chrome-plated for durability, and have medium knurling to prevent slipping as you sweat. The trap bar weighs 25 kilograms (55.12 pounds) and can hold a maximum of 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds). You have 16.34-inches of loadable sleeve length per side, so you can certainly load this trap bar for the heaviest lifts.

Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that at $800, this is certainly a premium trap bar at a premium price, but it does come with a five-year warranty.

Pros:

• User-friendly design
• Versatile open trap bar
• Holds a lot of weight (1,102 pounds)
• Easy to load and unload plates

Cons:

• Quite expensive
• Compatible with all Eleiko products, but may not work with other systems and racks

Best Trap Bar On Amazon: Hulkfit Olympic 2” Trap Bar

Amazon

Key Features:

• $125
• 45 pounds
• Classic hex bar design
• Holds a lot of weight
• Basic design is good for beginners

You might be surprised to learn that you can buy trap bars on Amazon, but the good news is that with such a massive catalog of products, there are actually some great trap bars.

Our top pick for the best trap bar on Amazon is the Hulkfit Olympic 2” Trap Bar. At only $125, it’s one of the best budget trap bars and is impressively robust at that price point.

With a sleeve length of 9.25 inches per side and a maximum weight of 1000 pounds, this mighty trap bar can hold quite a bit of weight, despite the fact that it only weighs 45 pounds.

Featuring a classic hex trap bar design, the Hulkfit Olympic 2” Trap Bar is good for mastering the deadlift and shrug. It measures 55.75 inches wide by 23.1 inches wide and is made from solid steel with knurled handles to enhance your grip.

This basic trap bar accommodates standard two-inch Olympic plates, and is a reliable, sturdy bar that’s more than suitable for beginners and even more advanced lifters.

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Lightweight
• Holds a lot of weight

Cons:

• One set of handles
• Hex trap bar design can be limiting

The Benefits of Owning a Trap Bar

Since the pandemic, it’s become increasingly common for people to take their workouts out of the gym and perform them at home instead. At-home workouts have the convenience and privacy you just can’t get at a gym, but the downside is that you have to equip your home workout space.

Buying a trap bar for a garage gym or home use allows you to replicate all the powerlifting exercises you would be able to do at a gym right at home.

Trap bars are designed to decrease stress and strain on the lower back relative to using a barbell for traditional deadlifts because the trap bar allows the weight to be directly in line with your center of mass rather than in front of your body.

They also support optimal range of motion by helping to prevent hyperextension and locking out at the end of the deadlift.

Additionally, the improved weight distribution of this piece of equipment allows you to deadlift more weight than with a traditional barbell, helping you make greater improvements in your strength, hypertrophy and power.

Moreover, it’s much easier to teach and learn how to properly deadlift using a trap bar compared to a standard barbell or dumbbells.

Trap bars are also great for shrugs, which was their original purpose—hence the name trap bar (for strengthening the trapezius muscle), and if you opt for the open trap bar design, the range of exercises you can perform is essentially as extensive as it is with a barbell with the added benefit of better ergonomics and weight distribution.

How to Use a Trap Bar

​​Many people assume that trap bars are useful for a little more than deadlifts and shrugs. However, there are actually quite a few exercises you can perform with a standard hex trap bar, and even more that you can perform with the open trap bar.

For example, with the open trap bar frame, you can perform exercises like walking lunges and unilateral squats without worrying about hitting the bar.

Trap bars are also great for shrugs, carries or farmer walks, squats, mid-thigh pulls, deep push-ups, jump training and overhead presses. Depending on the design of the trap bar, you can even use them for the incline, decline or standard chest press.

What to Look for in a Trap Bar

Almost any time you buy a piece of exercise equipment for your home, it’s a bit of investment, so you want to make sure you get a good trap bar.

Here are some factors to consider when buying a trap bar:

Size

The size of the trap bar will help you determine if it will fit well in your space with ample room to move around the bar. If you have a power rack, look for a trap bar that can be racked. Other important factors regarding trap bar size are the length of the loadable sleeve and the diameter of the bar, which will tell you how many plates you can fit and the size of the plates. Standard Olympic plates accommodate a two-inch diameter bar, so look for a handle diameter that is suited to this size.

Shape

Trap bars typically come in one of two different shapes—the classic hex bar design or an open trap bar design. The classic design can be great for beginners trying to master the deadlift technique, while the open trap bar design is generally considered to be more versatile for a range of exercises. Rather than placing the weight in front of your center of gravity in the way that a traditional barbell does, either style of trap bar will keep the weight directly in line with your own center of gravity. This reduces strain on your lumbar spine and positions you in a way that allows you to lift more weight, boosting your gains that much more.

Weight

When buying a trap bar, look at the weight of the bar itself as well as the maximum weight capacity. Most solid steel trap bars are around 60 pounds, but there are lighter ones, which are ideal for smaller users and beginners.

Construction

For strength and durability, trap bars should be made from solid steel, not hollow, particularly if you anticipate heavy-duty use.

Cost

The price of trap bars for home use spam the gamut from about $150 up to $800 or more. There are certainly some great trap bars in the $300-500 price range and decent budget trap bars that cost significantly less.

FAQs

How heavy should a trap bar be?

It’s important to buy a solid steel trap bar. Hollow bars are not durable and can be unsafe, as they may allow the bar to bend or snap when loaded. Most trap bars are at least 45 pounds and can weigh up to 60 to 65 pounds or more when unloaded.

Are all trap bars the same?

There are two primary types of trap bars: hexagonal trap bars with a closed, step-in design and open trap bars with a walkthrough design. Gym owners might want to buy one of each design, whereas if you’re purchasing fitness equipment for home use, consider which style of trap bar better suits your needs.

Can trap bar deadlifts replace squats?

Deadlifts and squats activate similar muscle groups, but the targeted muscles differ, so it’s important to include both of these foundational lifts in a well-rounded strength training program. Trap bar deadlifts are a fantastic way to target muscles of the posterior chain, including the glutes, hamstrings and erector spinae in the lower back. Squats focus more of the effort on the glutes, quads and core.

Why should I use a trap bar?

A trap bar is a safer way to perform deadlifts, and a versatile piece of weightlifting equipment for ergonomic lifts that strengthen the upper and lower body.

What accessories do I need with a trap bar?

You’ll need a range of weight plates, plus collars to hold them on the bar. It also helps to have a weightlifting belt, weightlifting shoes and possibly some lifting straps.

Final Thoughts

A trap bar is a surprisingly versatile training tool for your home gym that can elevate your strength training workouts. The best trap bars are engineered to be durable, functional and easy to use for a variety of exercises.

Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.