The 7 Best Trap Bars For Your Home Gym (2023)

Are you looking for the best trap bar for deadlifts, shrugs, and other cool exercises?

If so, you’ve come to the right place.

Read on to get familiar with the best trap bars on the market for 2023. Our list includes something for everyone: a budget option, the best premium trap bar, and everything in between.

Let’s review.

The 7 Best Trap Bars For Your Home Gym (2023)

• Best Overall Trap Bar: Rogue Fitness TB-1 Trap Bar 2.0
• Best Budget Trap Bar: Titan Fitness Olympic Hex Weight Bar
• Best Multi-Grip Trap Bar: Valor Fitness OB-HEX Trap Bar 
• Best Rackable Trap Bar: Titan Fitness Rackable Hex Trap Bar V3
• Best Flat Trap Bar: Combat Ready Olympic Trap Bar 
• Best Trap Bar on Amazon: CAP Barbell Olympic Trap Bar
• Best Premium Trap Bar: Bells Of Steel Industrial Trap Bar

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

Picking the TB-1 trap bar 2.0 as the best overall shouldn’t be a surprise. Rogue is a company known for making high-quality products, and its customer service is among the best in the industry.

The bar weighs 60 lbs, which is a great starting point, and its immense weight capacity makes it virtually unbreakable, even by the strongest lifters in the world.

The knurling is quite aggressive, which might not be to everyone’s liking, but you should get used to it after a few workouts. It will come in handy during heavy pulls by preventing slippage.

Considering the price tag and everything the bar offers, I consider it the best trap bar on the market today.

2. Best Budget Trap Bar: Titan Fitness Olympic Hex Weight Bar

Are you looking to get a trap bar for your home gym but are working with a limited budget or don’t want to splurge on something you might not use often? If so, the Titan Fitness Olympic Hex Weight bar is the perfect option.

The bar is quite affordable and serves as a decent starting point, especially for newer lifters who aren’t working with that much weight on the bar. With a max capacity of 500 lbs (226 kilograms), the trap bar is enough.

Additionally, the medium knurling on the handles is good enough to support your grip but not to the point where it digs into your skin.

It’s important to note that the loadable sleeves aren’t that long, so you might not be able to add much weight to the bar if you only have bumper plates.

3. Best Multi-Grip Trap Bar: Valor Fitness OB-HEX Trap Bar

The Valor OB-HEX trap bar has a unique design that allows trainees to select the best handle thickness for their goals.

Trainees can adjust the position of the handles and work with diameters ranging from one to two inches (25 to 51 mm).

The trap bar also comes equipped with rubber padding on the bottom to protect the floor of your home gym. Its unique design makes adding or removing weight plates easy without lifting the trap bar off the ground.

Combining its compact size and impressive maximum capacity, the Valor OB-HEX is a great budget option for beginner and intermediate-level lifters.

4. Best Rackable Trap Bar: Titan Fitness Rackable Hex Trap Bar V3

If you’re looking for a cool and rackable trap bar that gets the job done, the V3 by Titan Fitness is an excellent option. It comes with some decent upgrades from the V2, including black powder coating throughout, cool Titan-branded caps on both ends, and medium diamond texture knurling.

Unlike many trap bars on the market, this one can be used inside a power rack, which makes it great for exercises like rack pulls and overhead presses.

One drawback of the V3 is that the black powder coating is prone to chipping, especially on the loadable sleeves that get some damage from adding and removing weight plates.

Another potential issue with the bar is that it doesn’t have knurling on the bottom handles, which is a bit odd.

5. Best Flat Trap Bar: Combat Ready Olympic Trap Bar

Combat Ready is an excellent flat trap bar with a decent loading capacity and sleeves long enough to support multiple bumper plates on each side. The 60-lb starting weight makes it relatively easy to move around, and beginners can easily get to their working weights by adding a pair of 45-lb plates.

The bar’s medium knurling feels rigid enough to support a solid grip but not to the point of causing pain or tearing the skin.

What’s unique about the Combat Ready olympic trap bar is that it meets all the specifications laid out by the US army for the Combat Readiness Test, which means it can handle some stress.

Its unique design and overall length (89” or 2.26 meters) make it rackable in almost any squat or power rack, even the widest models on the market.

6. Best Trap Bar on Amazon: CAP Barbell Olympic Trap Bar

The CAP barbell olympic trap bar is another excellent budget option you can get on Amazon. It is certainly not as impressive as other bars we’ve listed today, but it offers some unique benefits.

First, the bar costs less than $70 at the time of writing this, which makes it a bargain compared to most other trap bars. Second, it has an impressive 500-lb weight capacity, which is excellent even for relatively strong lifters. Third, the bar is compact and works great for people with limited space for a home gym.

One issue I have with the CAP trap bar is that it has no knurling on the handles, which can be an issue for people with sweaty hands. Consider using chalk to support your grip.

Another drawback is the length of the loadable sleeves: only 9.5” (24.1 cm). You won’t be able to load the bar close to its capacity if you only have bumper plates.

7. Best Premium Trap Bar: Bells Of Steel Industrial Trap Bar

The Bells of Steel industrial trap bar is one of the best bars on the market today, but it also comes at a high price of $599.99, excluding shipping.

So what does that price tag get you? First, the bar is of excellent quality and offers an impressive 882-lb weight limit, which is enough to challenge even the strongest lifters.

Second, the knurling is relatively aggressive, which supports your grip on heavy sets.

Third, unlike most trap bars on the market, it has an open-ended design. Having the front of the bar open allows you to do more exercises, including weighted carries, Romanian deadlifts, lunges, and more.

In addition, the bar comes at a hefty 80 lbs, which makes it feel sturdy and able to withstand any weight you add to it. The rotating sleeves are another nice touch that makes the weight feel comfortable in your hands when doing heavy sets.

Another unique feature of the Bells of Steel bar is the built-in deadlift jack that allows you to raise the loadable sleeves and add or remove weight without lifting the bar off the floor. Simply rotate the bar, position it on the stands, and easily add weight plates.

What Are The Benefits of a Trap Bar?

1. Trap Bar Deadlifts Are Awesome

Trap bar deadlifts are an incredibly beneficial exercise that’s easier to learn than traditional barbell deadlifts. You can lift more weight to provide the necessary overload and keep yourself free of any injuries.

The ease of teaching trap bar deadlifts is one reason the US army has added the exercise to their Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT). Soldiers must perform a 3-rep max on the trap bar deadlift.

Here’s what they say about the movement:

Trap bars put the Soldier in a more controlled biomechanical posture to promote adherence to precision during the lift. The trap bar lift exerts less spinal loading due to an upright torso than the regular deadlift.

And:

To date, we've tested more than 500 untrained Soldiers with zero reported injuries.

2. Usable on Many Exercises

While trap bar deadlifts are one of the best exercises, there are multiple other activities to take advantage of, particularly if you get an open-ended bar like the one by Bells of Steel.

Great movements you can do with a trap bar include:

• Shrugs
• Rows
• Loaded carries
• Romanian deadlifts
• Split squats
• Overhead presses

3. The Ability to Use Heavier Weights

Most people are surprised to learn that using a trap bar allows them to lift slightly more weight, mainly on the deadlift. One potential reason is that a trap bar allows for a more upright posture, leading to better quadriceps engagement.

According to research, trainees can generally lift 5 to 10 percent more weight on trap bar deadlifts than on barbell deadlifts.

4. Lower Injury Risk

There are a couple of reasons why a trap bar can reduce the injury risk, particularly during deadlifts.

First, a trap bar makes it easier to assume the correct starting position and maintain a neutral spine. Your hips are in a lower position, allowing your quadriceps to contribute better from the bottom, leading to less spinal loading than a barbell deadlift.

Second, a trap bar allows you to maintain a firm grip even when using near-maximal weights without using a mixed grip.

A mixed grip is a go-to tactic for trainees who struggle with holding a straight bar but doing so presents a couple of issues. The supinated arm (palm facing forward) is in a compromised position, and there is a risk of a bicep injury. In addition, using a mixed grip can contribute to muscle imbalances, which bring numerous unfavorable consequences in the long run.

5. No Need to Scrape Your Shins

To some, barbell-scraped shins are a sign of hard work, and there is nothing wrong with that.

But if you’re the type of person who doesn’t like raw metal scraping against your skin or ruining your clothing, a trap bar is an excellent way around the issue.

Best Trap Bars Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is a trap bar worth it?

Yes, a trap bar is worth it for everyone looking to create a home gym. Even if you have a tight budget, bars like the CAP Barbell Olympic Trap Bar and Titan Fitness Olympic Hex Weight Bar bring a lot to the table at a bargain.

2. If I can only get one, should I buy a barbell or a trap bar?

It comes down to preference because both are excellent pieces of equipment. I’ve used barbells in my training from the start, and I cannot imagine a home gym setup without one. But newbies can get as much value from a trap bar as they can from a standard barbell.

If possible, get both to keep your training fun and varied.

3. When should I use a trap bar?

You should use a trap bar for every exercise where it feels better. For example, if barbell rows don’t activate your back muscles well, experiment with trap bar rows where you use a neutral grip.

Similarly, you can do trap bar deadlifts, shrugs, and other heavy compound exercises.

4. Are open-ended trap bars better?

An open-ended trap bar makes it easier to get inside, and the design allows you to do more exercises, including lunges, split squats, and Romanian deadlifts.

These bars also generally have a built-in jack that allows you to elevate the handles, making loading and unloading plates easy.

Unfortunately, open-ended trap bars, like the one from Bells of Steel, are much more expensive than closed ones.

5. Are trap bars and hex bars the same?

The terms trap bar and hex bar are often used interchangeably today, but they are not exactly the same.

A trap bar is the original name for this piece of equipment because early designs resembled the shape of bear traps. Some sources suggest that trap bars are called that because they were initially designed to train the trapezius muscle, hence the name ‘trap’ bar.

Hex bars are similar but have a hexagonal shape, which is where their name comes from.

What Factors to Consider When Picking The Best Trap Bar For Your Home Gym

1. Loadable Sleeve Length

The loadable sleeve length is important, especially if you only have bumper plates. Short sleeves can stop you from loading the bar appropriately.

2. Overall Size

The trap bar’s overall size is also important to consider. You must ensure there is enough room to freely use the bar in your home gym and store it when you’re done.

3. Weight Capacity

The average trainee will never have to worry about the weight capacity of their trap bar, but that is still something to consider. If you plan on using it for a long time and want to get strong, a 400 to 450-lb capacity might not be enough down the road.

4. Grip Diameter

Grip diameter is also important, especially if you have smaller hands or struggle with hand strength. Thicker handles can develop grip strength, but they can also be limiting when attempting to use near-maximal loads.

5. Knurling

Medium knurling is best for most people because it provides enough support without feeling too rough in your hands.

More aggressive knurling might be better if you’re quite strong and plan on lifting over 500 lbs.

6. Cost

You might be eager to get the cheapest bar out there, but I advise against that. As the saying goes, “Buy cheap, buy twice.”

If you’re not sure a trap bar is for you, it would be better to test some models at local gyms to see how they feel. Once you’re confident that the equipment works, spend more money to get something that will last you at least a decade.

The Best Trap Bars Summary

There you have it: a list of the best trap bars on the market today. Whether you’re on a tight budget, looking for something more affordable, or interested in the best thing money can buy, our list has you covered.

As you can see, there are plenty of things to consider before making a purchase. I urge you to think about it and do your independent research before opening up your wallet.