10 Best Affordable Barbells (Reviews For Home Gyms On a Budget)

1. The Rogue Bar 2.0  

The Rogue Bar 2.0 barbell is our top pick for you. It not only looks fantastic, but it performs brilliantly and doesn’t cost you a fortune. It costs under $300, making it an excellent choice if you’re on a budget but wants a good quality barbell.  

A 28.5mm (1.1 inch) barbell is highly comfortable to hold and is suitable for users with smaller hands who can struggle with thicker barbells.  

I found the knurling on the Rogue Bar 2.0 to be excellent, and I didn't lose my grip while working out. However, there isn't a center knurling which isn't a significant issue, as it stops your chest from being ripped to pieces during your workout.  

The Rogue Bar 2.0 weighed 45lbs which is the correct weight that all Olympic barbells should weigh. Some other brands come in just below this and still claim they are Olympic standard barbells.  

While I was using the Rogue Bar 2.0, the barbell had a great spin and a decent amount of whip. This makes it an excellent barbell to use if you perform a lot of Olympic or power lifts. Even beginners will love what the Rogue Bar 2.0 has to offer.  

One of my favorite aspects of the Rogue Bar 2.0 is how well made it is. The barbell will easily last you decades with the proper care. Even if you placed the barbell in a busy CrossFit gym, you'd see the barbell last over 10+ years.  

Speaking of CrossFit, I tested the durability of the barbell by dropping it from overhead, and it remained intact and in perfect condition.  

To top it off, Rogue is so confident in the quality of their barbell that it comes with a lifetime warranty.  

However, my main issue with the Rogue Bar 2.0 is that its black zinc coating wears off easily. This is more of an aesthetic problem, and it doesn’t affect the barbell’s performance, but it’s still rather annoying.  

If you’re looking for a barbell to add to your home gym for as little as $300, you can add the Rogue Bar 2.0 to your equipment. Buying a barbell for your home gym is priceless, and Rogue has knocked it out of the park on this one.  

If you’re looking for a lighter Olympic barbell, be sure to check out The Bella Bar 2.0 – CERAKOTE; it’s one of Rogue’s cheapest barbells, designed for women and it’s excellent.  

2. REP FITNESS Gladiator Olympic Bar 

Next on the list is the REP FITNESS Gladiator Olympic Bar. It comes in several different variations, but in my opinion, this is the best one.  

The REP FITNESS Gladiator Olympic Bar is constructed entirely from stainless steel, so it’s incredibly hard-wearing and has a rather impressive spec for the price. At around $350, it’s one of the best value barbells you’ll come across.  

Even though the bar has excellent strength, it also has a great whip. This is mainly due to its 28mm (1 inch) diameter, making it perfect for heavy lifting and CrossFit style workouts.  

I’m always a fan of 28mm barbells as they’re easier to grip, and I find I can lift more weight without worrying about my grip strength giving away before I can max out.  

One interesting aspect is the five-needle bearing, which gives the barbell a nice and fast spin, making it the best Olympic barbell for CrossFit. 

However, even though the barbell is one of my best-rated, I have a few issues with the barbell that you should know about.  

Firstly, (and this is extremely picky of me), the grooved barbell sleeves make the barbell a lot louder than a non-grooved sleeve. While this isn’t a significant issue, it can be rather annoying if you’re trying to train in your home gym during the early hours. The last thing you want to do is wake up your neighbors... or worse, your partner, yikes.  

My second issue is that the barbell is made in China.  

China isn’t known for its quality, and Chinese steel can often be problematic. However, don’t let this put you off choosing the REP FITNESS Gladiator Olympic Barbell. After testing the bar thoroughly, I’ve experienced no issues with it, and it’s excellently made.  

If you’re looking for the best barbell for CrossFit, the REP FITNESS Gladiator Olympic Bar is a fantastic choice.  

3. XMark Lumberjack Weight Bar 

If you’re looking for one of the best-rated budget barbells, the XMark Lumberjack Weight Bar is an interesting choice.  

For starters, the barbell is incredibly cheap, and you’d be hard-pressed trying to find another barbell for cheaper. The low price makes it a fantastic barbell for newbies looking to start weightlifting.  

The knurling has an excellent feel, and the black manganese phosphate shaft has a great look to it. It would look perfect in most home gym setups. The barbells manganese phosphate coating also acts as a corrosion protector, preventing rust from forming.  

The barbell sleeves come with self-lubricating brass alloy bushings to ensure the barbell continues to rotate freely without any trouble. This makes the XMark Lumberjack Weight barbell perfect for Olympic style workouts. 

It’s always important for the barbell to rotate as it limits the torque in the barbell, preventing your wrists, forearms, and elbows from injury.  

With a 1000+ lbs rating, it should last you a long time before you start approaching those limits.  

While using the XMark Lumberjack Weight Bar, I noticed it keeps its shape and can be dropped from overhead without smashing the bearings and making the barbell useless.  

Even though it’s a hard-wearing barbell, I feel that because the barbell is super-cheap, it might begin to show signs of bending over several years. This is backed up by the manufacturer’s 90-day warranty against bending, which in all honesty seems relatively low.  

But, when you compare this barbell to other cheap barbells, it performs exceptionally well. I’d have full confidence that you’d be happy with what this barbell has to offer you. If you do outgrow the barbell, you can always upgrade further down the line to a heavier duty option.  

4. Synergee Regional Olympic Barbells 

When you first look at the Synergee Regional Olympic Barbell, it looks fantastic, and it has an excellent looking black phosphate finish that’ll suit any home gym.  

If you’re looking to use this cheap barbell for Olympic weight lifts, you’ll be pleased to know it has a good whip while remaining stiff enough for squats, deadlifts, and pressing exercises.  

The Synergee Regional Olympic Barbell comes with five needle bearings per barbell sleeve, providing the perfect amount of rotation, making it the best CrossFit barbell around.  

I was a massive fan of this barbell as it’s not overly expensive and will make an excellent barbell for beginners who don’t want to spend too much on gym equipment. The bar is also incredibly versatile, so it’s suitable for all types of exercise.  

However, the barbell lets itself down by weighing in less than 45lbs. When I checked, the barbell weighs around 42lbs, and other users have confirmed their barbells weigh between 42-43lbs. It’s not the most weight accurate budget option, so keep that in mind. 

While this might not seem like a huge deal, it does mean you’re not lifting as much weight as you initially thought. Unfortunately, this makes the barbell unsuitable for anyone training for competition as every pound matters, especially when you're competing to a high standard.  

The only other flaw I found on the Synergee Regional Olympic Barbell is that the black phosphate finish shows visible signs of wear after a few months of use. While this is normal for a barbell, it does affect the barbell’s aesthetics. 

5. XMark VOODOO Weight Bar 

If you’re looking for the best cheap powerlifting barbell, the XMark VOODOO Weight Bar is the perfect option for you. It’s excellent for major powerlifting movements such as the deadlift, squat, and bench press.  

The XMark VOODOO Weight Bar has an excellent price, making it one of the most cost-effective barbells on the market. Usually, with cheaper barbells, they have a poorer quality, but I haven’t found any issues with this barbell. Overall it’s excellent and has a fantastic design.  

I’ve dropped the barbell from overhead, and it didn’t damage the barbell at all, which is always good to see. This makes it a decent affordable barbell for Olympic lifts such as power cleans. 

However, some users have reported their barbells began to rust after several months. This isn't what I wanted to hear, although I suspect the barbells weren't cared for correctly (e.g., cleaning and maintenance).  

The only other issue is XMark VOODOO Weight Bar only comes with a 90-day warranty, which isn’t long enough if you ask me.  

Yet, even though the barbell has these minor issues, it still remains the best cheap barbell for squats and deadlifts.  

6. Yes4All Multi-Grip Barbell  

The Yes4All Multi-Grip Barbell is slightly different from the other barbells on this list. It isn't a traditional Olympic-style barbell and has multiple grip positions that you can utilize.  

Each grip position helps reduce the amount of stress on your shoulder and wrist joints, making this an excellent affordable barbell for anyone with joint issues.  

Yes4All has given the barbell a robust design capable of lifting 400lbs. While this isn’t as much weight as other barbells, it should be enough for most gym-goers. The steel frame also comes with a black powder coating to help protect the barbell from corrosion.  

However, even though the Yes4All Multi-Grip Bar is the best budget multi-grip barbell, it has minor flaws.  

Firstly, the Yes4All Multi-Grip Barbell can’t be used to perform Olympic lifts. The grip positions aren’t suitable, and the robust steel frame has virtually no whip, making it one of the stiffest barbells on the list.  

Another reason why the barbell isn’t suitable for Olympic lifting is because the weight sleeves are welded to the barbell, so they don’t offer any rotation.  

But, even though the barbell isn’t suitable for Olympic lifting, it is excellent for traditional weight lifting such as bicep curls, chest press, tricep press, bent-over rows, and many others.  

If you’re looking at getting this barbell, you should ask yourself what you want to do with it. If you want to perform deadlifts, squats, and Olympic lifting, this isn’t the best cheap barbell for you.  

7. Rep Technique Barbell 

The Rep Technique Barbell is the best cheap barbell for beginners; it only weighs 15lbs, making it ideal for learning how to perform Olympic lifts without using a heavy standard barbell.  

Even though the barbell weighs less, it still has the exact distances between sleeves, and the knurling is identical to that of a traditional 45lb barbell. This makes the transition from the Rep Technique Barbell to a standard Olympic barbell far smoother.  

Even though this affordable barbell is the best for beginners, it’s also the best barbell for women. Again, it’s due to the lower starting weight, making it the perfect barbell for women who’ve been struggling with 45lb Olympic bars.  

I’ve also found that the Rep Technique Barbell is a foot shorter than an Olympic barbell; this makes it perfect for performing barbell hip thrusts, as shorter bars are more optimal for that movement. If you’re looking to grow your glutes, the Rep Technique Barbell is perfect.  

But, even though the barbell is fantastic, I think the weight capacity is too low. There will be a point in your training where you’ll need to lift heavier, which means you’ll have to upgrade the barbell at some point.  

Overall, if you’re new to the weight lifting world, the Rep Technique Barbell is a perfect low-cost barbell for you to start with.  

8. Titan Fitness Olympic Technique Bar 

If you find yourself on a tight budget and need to buy a new barbell, the Titan Fitness Olympic Technique Bar is perfect. It costs under $100, making it one of the cheapest barbells available on this list.  

Thankfully, even though the barbell is cheap, it doesn’t lack quality. The Titan Fitness Olympic Technique Bar is made from strong stainless steel with chrome finished sleeves. 

I did notice the barbell looks rather basic, as it doesn’t have a fancy phosphorous coating like other barbells on the list, but it still performs excellently.  

The Titan Fitness Olympic Technique Bar has Olympic standard knurl markings and a medium pattern, making it ideal for performing Olympic lifts. It provides adequate whip, enough to comfortably perform each exercise. Yet, it doesn’t offer as much whip as the longer Olympic standard barbells.  

As the barbell has a lower weight rating, it can’t handle as much weight as the traditional Olympic barbell can, but it’s still an excellent choice if you’re on a budget.  

It’s also worth mentioning that even though the Titan Fitness Olympic Technique Barbell is smaller in length, it fits perfectly on bench presses and squat racks, making it suitable for weight lifters looking to perform those exercises. 

9. CAP Barbell 60-Inch Solid Standard Bar 

This bar is the best budget standard barbell around; it has a low price, making it a cheap investment for your home gym.  

The CAP Barbell 60-Inch Solid Standard Bar has a solid steel construction, making it a robust barbell, capable of withstanding 250lbs. While this might not sound like much, it’s more than enough for beginners.  

However, the barbell isn’t suitable for Olympic lifters as it doesn’t offer much whip and doesn’t support Olympic weighted plates. This is disappointing, as you won’t be able to use your Olympic plates with this bar, so you’d have to invest in a new set.  

But, if you’re looking for a basic barbell to use in your home gym, the CAP Barbell 60-Inch Solid Standard Bar isn’t a bad choice.  

If you’re on the fence, CAP has been in the fitness industry for over 30 years, producing gym equipment worldwide. They have plenty of experience making quality gym equipment, so you don’t have to worry about purchasing this budget barbell.  

10. MX Select 80 Adjustable Barbell 

Even though the MX Select 80 Adjustable Barbell isn’t your traditional barbell, it’s made it on the list as I think it’s one of the best adjustable barbell systems around.  

It’s an all-in-one system that combines 26 barbells into one bar. It does so using a high-tech adjustable weight selector so you can set the weight you want to lift. The barbell ranges from 20 to 80 lbs and can be adjusted using a dial. 

The MX Select 80 Adjustable Barbell also comes with two handle types; you can have the traditional straight bar or an EZ bar attachment. The EZ bar is excellent for those of you with wrist and other joint issues as it allows you to have a more natural grip on the barbell, reducing the stress on your joints.  

If this wasn’t enough, the barbell comes with a brilliant storage rack that’ll look excellent in any home gym. The rack is compact and won’t take up much room.  

However, as the barbell is adjustable, it does have a few flaws.  

Fristly, the barbell can’t be dropped at all. Dropping the barbell will damage the weight selector mechanism, rendering the barbell useless. If you’re looking to perform Olympic lifts with this barbell, it’s not the one for you.  

The other flaw is the weight can’t be increased any further than the 80lbs. While this isn’t a huge problem for beginners, if you’re more advanced, you’ll want to opt for a regular barbell to which you can add weight.