Fringe Sport Wonder Bar – Bearing

  • Manufacturer: Fringe Sport
  • Purpose: Multi-purpose
  • Bar Weight: 20kg
  • Gender: Men
  • Tensile Strength: 205,000
  • Yield Strength: 160,000
  • Knurl Type: Medium
  • Center Knurl: No
  • Knurl Marks: Dual
  • Shaft Finish: Black Zinc
  • Shaft Diameter: 28mm
  • Sleeve Finish: Black Zinc
  • Sleeve Type: Grooved
  • Rotation System: Bearing
  • Made In: China
  • Warranty: Lifetime

Read below to get a detailed look at the Fringe Sport Bearing Wonder Bar including product details, features, real user feedback, and more.

$290.00

Fringe Sport Bearing Wonder Bar

The Fringe Sport Bearing Wonder Bar is a basic multi-purpose bar that comes in several different versions. This particular version is a black zinc bearing bar that’s priced under $300 shipped.

Considering some of the specs, like a 205,000 PSI tensile strength, 28mm shaft, 4 needle bearings per sleeve, and an impressive lifetime warranty, there is a lot to like about this bar.

Here are some further details about the bar:

Knurling

The knurling on the Fringe Sport Bearing Wonder Bar has a low profile that creates a mild-to-medium feel. It’s not going to chew your hands up like an aggressive bar, which means it’s ideal for higher rep/frequency training, like CrossFit and others. Although this bar is certainly capable of handling heavy weight, you may find yourself reaching for chalk or straps on PR/heavy attempts.

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

This bar offers a 28mm shaft, which is slightly thinner than the 28.5mm that you’ll find on most multi-purpose bars. On this version of the bar, which includes bearings, it will act much more like a true Olympic Weightlifting bar. The main difference would be the dual knurl rings vs. only Oly rings. 

In general, this diameter will give the bar a little more whip. If you pull with a hook grip and/or you have smaller hands, you may also prefer the 28mm diameter over the 28.5mm.

The tensile strength comes in at an impressive 205,000 PSI, which is on the higher end of the multi-purpose bar spectrum, especially at this price. Fringe Sport also reports a yield strength of 160,000 PSI. The difference between the two is that tensile strength measures the point at which the bar will literally break and yield strength measures the point at which the bar will not return to straight.

The black zinc shaft will provide a good-not-great feel and you’ll get the same when it comes to resistance to oxidation.

Sleeves

The sleeves on the Bearing Wonder 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 also coated in black zinc and this particular version utilizes four needle bearings per sleeve to spin the bar. Bearings create a faster spin than bushings, making them more ideal for Olympic-style lifts.

Aesthetics

Aesthetically, the Fringe Sport Wonder Bar will look very nice early on in its life. As time goes by, black zinc has a tendency to lose some of its finish. If you train in a humid environment, it’s recommended that you oil this bar on occasion with something like 3-in-1 oil to keep it looking good for a longer time.

The sleeves also use a black zinc finish. 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/female and bushing/bearing.


Features & Highlights

  • Black Zinc – Black Zinc is a cost-efficient plating that does an OK job at fighting off rust. You won’t get the same feel as you would with a non-plated finish like bare steel, stainless steel, etc… but you get a good blend of feel and rust resistance without the larger price tag.
  • 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.
  • Bearing System – Four needle bearings per sleeve work to spin the bar quickly and smoothly. This is great for Olympic Weightlifting, CrossFit, etc… although it may require some additional maintenance (oil) over time.
  • No Center Knurl – The Fringe Sport Bearing Wonder 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.

From the Manufacturer

The Wonder Bar reigns as the nucleus of the barbell universe here at Fringe. We set out on a noble quest to design and build the best bar suited for commercial gyms, and make it available to you at a home gym price. We completed our hero’s journey and now offering our reward to you delights us. This versatile bar will serve almost everyone well. You can set world records on this bar, and use it for most training. If you’re a seasoned athlete or an affiliate owner, consider stepping up to the Bomba Bar V2 (made in America) or even our Fringe Sport Weightlifting Barbell. Here are a couple of Wonder Bar features to be aware of:

  • The 28mm shaft diameter is great for Olympic movements.
  • The needle bearing cartridges provide great spin, but may require oiling in time.

We have an informal state motto here in Texas- “come and take it.” Not only do we want you to do this with the Wonder Bar V2, but we’d like to put our own spin on it. Fringe it, or forget it.


What They’re Saying at FringeSport.com

The Fringe Sport Bearing Wonder Bar receives very positive feedback from users. With an average rating of 4.9/5 at fringesport.com, here are some of the things they have said:

Positive

  • “Best bar by far in its price range. Super functional and looks sharp too. Definitely satisfied with my decision to purchase this bar. The home gym is better off with the Wonder Bar in the rack.”
  • “Item was shipped fast and packaged very well. The wonder bar is awesome, it has the right amount of spin, whip and knurl. Not sure how they got it right but they nailed it. This bar is built to last.”
  • “I love this barbell. I purchased the bearings instead of the bushings. Silent when dropping bumper plates to the ground. Love the spin and the feedback it gives. Bought this as a replacement to a 31mm Rogue Beater Bar. What a difference.”
  • “Great barbell. We have a few of these at work and we’ve been using and abusing them for 3 years and they have held up. There was no second guessing when I wanted an additional barbell for the home gym.”
  • “Perfect for my garage set up. Does what it’s supposed to, looks great, the knurling feels good on the ol’ hands, spins great and feels snappy. Other than the coating on the sleeves scuffing easily (minor and cosmetic), the bar outperforms my expectations. If I ever need another bar I now know exactly where to get it from…”
  • “I researched reviews on Olympic barbells and this bar came in at the top for the price. I’ve had it now for a few months and have been using it in my training and training my athletes. The reviews were correct. Great barbell. Highly recommended.”

Critical

  • “The reason I gave it 4 and not 5 stars is the black coating scratches very easily.”
  • “All good, EXCEPT that the black coating comes off pretty consistently on either bar end when loading/unloading plates.”

Garage Gym Lab Review

Best Barbell Logo 2022

The Fringe Sport Bearing Wonder Bar was a winner in the Garage Gym Lab 2022 Best Barbell Awards.


Other Options

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