Looking for a trap bar/hex bar for your home gym? Read on and get all the details on the best trap bars for stronger and better workouts.
The trap bar is a funny looking piece of gym equipment.
But make no mistake—this bad boy can DO WORK.
For lifters who are tall, for those of you who want a safer way to do deadlifts, or for those of you who want to develop more power for your sport of choice, the trap bar/hex bar is a killer addition to your training.
(For more details on why I love trap bars and using them specifically for deadlifts, you can bread my breakdown on the benefits of trap bars here.)
Picking up a hex bar for your home gym requires a little bit of planning.
Handle size, handle height, weight capacity, composition, even the style of the bar—all these things come into play.
Below I’ve compiled the best trap bars and hex bars for every kind of lifter.
Whether you are just getting started with one or you are an experienced power user, one of these trap bars will work for you.
Read on, and let’s get lifting.
Rogue TB-1 Trap Bar
Rogue Fitness makes some of the best fitness gear on the planet. I am a huge fan of their flat workout bench and especially their adjustable weight bench. Although their stuff typically ranks at the higher end of the cost scale, the quality matches the price tags.
The Rogue TB-1 Trap Bar, now in its second iteration, has a reduced weight profile designed to make the bar easier to move around without compromising weight capacity. The bar now comes in at around 60-pounds.
For home gym owners, being able to move the bar around easily is key as it makes it rackable (perfect for neutral grip pressing, for example). This kind of versatility isn’t so important for commercial gyms, but the home gym owner, typically facing a space crunch, will appreciate the multi-functional capability of the bar.
The sleeves can load up plenty of plates (16” of loadable space), thicker bumper plates included. The knurled and neutral handles create a comfortable and secure grip.
That said, there is only one set of handles on the Rogue TB-1 Trap Bar. As a taller person, I enjoy having the second, elevated set of handles available to me.
Rogue Fitness TB-2 Trap Bar
If you just finished my breakdown of the Rogue Fitness TB-1, you are going to understand why I like the TB-2. That second pair of handles, giving me an option of a regular height pull and an elevated pull, makes it a winner for me.
Besides the extra raised handles (which provide an additional 8” of clearance), the TB-2 is basically exactly the same as the TB-1. The TB-2 weighs the same, around 60-pounds.
Made in the USA with American and Canadian steel, with 16” of loadable sleeve space, and that sexy black powder coating that is typical of Rogue Fitness products.
CAP Barbell Olympic Trap Bar
Barbells generally don’t come with a lot of style options (it’s a chrome or steel bar, after all…). The CAP Barbell Trap Bar, available in a wide variety of colors, gives you some choices when it comes to what you want your trap bar to look like.
For those of us building our dream (or at least, ideal) home gym, this is a nice perk. But in terms of raw functionality, the CAP Barbell delivers.
Weighing in at 28-pounds, the trap bar is rated for up to 500-pounds.
Made of high-grade steel and held together with steel carbon bolts, the CAP Barbell Trap bar has two sets of handles (at different heights—the elevated ones are perfect for taller lifters) and is priced extremely reasonably.
Depending on the seller and color, they cost approximately $100, making them a stylish and well-priced addition to your home gym.
Everyday Essentials Olympic Hex Bar
The Everyday Essentials Hex Bar is just like the ones you are most likely to see at your local neighborhood gym.
The bar weighs 45-pounds, is made constructed of heavy-duty steel (no bolts and the bar is not hollow), and is rated to handle 1,000-lbs of weight plates.
The sleeves are smooth and extra long to accommodate all the weights you can find, and two sets of handles, one extra raised, means you can get a proper grip on the bar.
Priced affordably (just under $100), the Everyday Essentials provides all of the heavy duty perks of a high-performance trap bar with a completely reasonable price tag.
Cap Barbell Super Trap Bar
What’s better than a trap bar? A super trap bar!
All jokes aside, Cap Barbell’s Super Hex/Trap Bar is fantastic.
You get the dual benefits of a high weight capacity (up to 750-pounds for you Hulk-certified lifters) and a variety of grip thickness with a revolving tri-grip.
Yup, the grill literally rotates around, giving you a choice of 30mm, 38mm, or 45mm grip thickness. Seems pretty super to me.
In addition, the sleeves (10-inches long) are elevated enough off of the ground that loading and unloading plates isn’t such a struggle.
Altogether, Cap Barbell nails it with this thing, which looks great, has a wide range of grips for multiple users (or the same user who likes to play around with different grips), and a durable powder-coating finish that prevents rust and looks great in your home gym.
Sunny Health & Fitness Olympic Hex Bar
Sunny Health and Fitness make a lot of budget-friendly equipment for home gyms.
Although their gear tends to be on the lower side of weight capacity (and by extension, quality), and for less serious lifters, the price point and load-bearing capacity of their hex bar make it hard to argue against.
The 9.5-inch sleeves can be loaded with up to 750-pounds. Knurled handles provide a secure and comfortable grip that won’t tear up your hands too much.
(That said, if your palms get really sweaty while working out, and you don’t want to rip up your hands with blisters, use lifting chalk, weight training gloves, or even lifting straps to keep your grip slip-free.)
