Fringe Sport Bomba Bar

Fringe Sport Bomba Bar

The Fringe Sport Bomba Bar is a made-in-the-USA multipurpose bar that offers a few nice specs at this price point. This is the newly released v3 Bomba Bar, which switched from bushings to bearings and from a black zinc shaft to a Cerakote shaft.

This bar differs from the slightly less expensive Bearing Wonder Bar in that it offers a superior shaft finish and it’s made in the USA.

With a 201k PSI tensile strength, a 28mm shaft, a Cerakote shaft, needle bearings, and a lifetime warranty, this bar has quite a lot going for it.

Here are some further details about the bar:

Knurling

The Bomba Bar offers a medium depth knurl that will give you a moderate feel in terms of aggression. It has a low, slightly volcanoed knurl pattern that will provide a good overall grip without tearing up your hands. If your training involves higher reps/frequency (CrossFit, etc…), then you will probably find this knurl to be very suitable. It’s definitely capable of handling heavy weights, but you may find yourself using chalk or straps for those heavy attempts… not that there is anything wrong with that.

The bar does not offer a center knurl, which will further increase comfort when in the front rack position or in the high-bar back squat position.

Dual knurl marks make it easy to perform Olympic Style lifts as well as powerlifting movements.

Shaft

The 28mm shaft diameter on the Bomba Bar is different from the 28.5mm shaft that a lot of multi-purpose bars use. With a 28mm shaft, you’ll get a little more whip on the bar, and it’s generally more comfortable for those pulling with a hook grip or for those with smaller hands. The tensile strength comes in at 201,000 PSI, which is right in the wheelhouse for bars of this style.

The black Cerakote shaft will provide a good overall feel and it will offer excellent resistance to oxidation. 

Sleeves

The sleeves on the Bomba Bar are lightly grooved, which helps keep the plates on the bar a little better than smooth sleeves when not using collars. The downside to grooved sleeves is that they’re louder when sliding plates on and off.

The sleeves are coated in black zinc and they use needle bearings to spin the bar. This will generate more spin than bushings, which are commonly used in multi-purpose bars. 

Aesthetics

Aesthetically, the Fringe Sport Bomba Bar will look very nice early on in its life. The Cerakote shaft will continue to look very good over time since it’s so effective at fighting oxidation. The black zinc sleeves, however, will not look as good over the long term. As plates slide on and off, this finish will begin to show some imperfections. There have been a few user reviews pointing this out as well.

The end cap uses a simple design with a color system that tells you whether the bar is male or female, and the collar includes a band for easy identification.

Features & Highlights

• Cerakote Shaft – Cerakote is a high-quality finish option that has been made popular on barbells due to its outstanding resistance to rust and corrosion. Originally created to be used on firearms, Cerakote has been shown to withstand abuse and harsh environments. If you train in a humid environment like a garage gym, Cerakote is a great option. The potential downside to Cerakote is that it’s applied on top of the shaft, which has a tendency to remove some of the raw feel of a bare steel, stainless steel, etc.. shaft. The moderate version of this bar comes with an orange Cerakote finish.
• 28mm Shaft – The 28mm shaft is a nice option for a multi-purpose bar since most of them have a 28.5mm diameter. If you like a thinner shaft or if you train the Olympic lifts more than the powerlifts, you’ll love the 28mm.
• Grooved Sleeves – The grooved sleeves will tend to keep the plates on the bar better than a smooth sleeve when not using collars, but they will also be louder.
• No Center Knurl – The bar does not offer a center knurl, which is useful on high rep training sessions and/or in cases where a lifter wants a more comfortable bar.
• Strong Warranty – This bar comes with a lifetime warranty.
• Made in the USA – The Bomba Bar is 100% made in the USA with Alabama-sourced steel.

From the Manufacturer

America’s barbell. The same great Bomba Bar you know and love… except this one is even better. Our new and improved Bomba Bar V3 is suited for all types of training and guaranteed to last long enough to become a family heirloom.

• The American Dream – We all know that achieving the American Dream requires hard work, dedication, and grit. It’s all the same with strength in your garage gym, but with the ‘Murica bar the journey is just a little simpler. Smooth, black Cerakote tops the strongest American steel to give you an experience you’ll never forget every time you grasp the dually-marked knurling of the Bomba Bar V3.
• Gains are Earned, not Given – …but the work through which you earn those gains is a little bit smoother with the ‘Murica bar. Newly added needle bearings and a moderate whip allow for everyone to use this barbell, no matter your skill level. As you grow into your gains, the barbell grows with you. The gains cannot be stopped.
• The Patriot’s Ultimate Tool – The ‘Murica is bar bound to give you limitless gains and strength with regular use, but it’s also super badass and contains super-strength itself. 201,000 PSI tensile strength is a force to be reckoned with. This is the Bomba Bar V3. America’s barbell.
• Black on Black – Black zinc-coated sleeves let your plates slide effortlessly on or off, while a black cerakote coating on the bar itself gives your hands a smooth grip while working. The U.S. military trusts cerakote to protect their weaponry, which is why we chose to coat our American-made barbell in the same sweet substance.

What They’re Saying at FringeSport.com

The Fringe Sport Bomba Bar receives  positive feedback from users. With an average rating of 4.7/5 at fringesport.com, here are some of the things they have said:

Positive

• “Great barbell. Perfect for everything from squats, deadlifts, benchpress and anything else you can think of.”
• “The reason I went with the Bomba was for the combination of the bushing construction and the whippiness- they killed it on both fronts. The amount of spin is perfect; it turns over easy on cleans, but the weights don’t pinwheel on bench presses or feel squirrely on squats. The bar is unbelievably sturdy, but still has a great feel on the olympic lifts, even at my moderate weight levels. In terms of knurling, it’s just about right, at least for me- as grippy as it needs to be, but as long as you have some callouses already it won’t tear up your hands. Lastly, the service was second to none- ended up pairing the barbell with some bumper plates to round out my set, and they were super responsive and helpful in getting me set up. They shipped everything really fast and everything came in spotlessly- one tear in the box on the bumper plates, but it was protected by the plastic tape around it and they were no worse for wear so I’d call that a win. The barbell was packaged up super tightly with the end caps and it was easy to get it out after removing the screws.”
• “The zinc coating is excellent and the knurling is perfect…not too aggressive. Well done Peter and team!”
• “It’s grip is impeccable. The whip has gives about an 1/2 to an inch at 405lbs. Makes deadlifts feel good. The bushings are smooth and makes Olympic lifts a breeze.”
• “I bought this for my new home gym and I could not be more happy with my purchase. Super sturdy with nice slick look.”
• “Good spin, good knurling, love the 28mm design. Love the products Fringe puts out!”
• “I’m very pleased with this purchase. As a crossfitter, I need something that can be good for both power and olympic lifting, and this bar fits the bill. Collar spin is good, the bar has a nice little whip for clean & jerks, while still feeling stiff enough for a good deadlift or other power lift. Knurling is nice – just aggressive enough. The lack of center knurling is a personal preference, but I’m glad it isn’t there.“

Critical

• “Some of the paint/coating is starting to wear off on the sleeves.”
• When spinning, left side end cap makes clanking noise. Scratched in 5 minutes – just from sliding my Pendlay econo bumpers on! Shaft scratched from simply racking the bar! Aesthetics not that important to me, my main concern is possibility of rust on the exposed steel.”

Garage Gym Lab Review

Garage Gym Lab has not yet reviewed this bar, but stay tuned!

Other Options

The below barbells were picked as alternatives to the Fringe Sport Bomba Bar.