Rogue Ohio Bar – E-Coat

  • Manufacturer: Rogue Fitness
  • Purpose: Multipurpose
  • Bar Weight: 20kg
  • Gender: Men
  • Tensile Strength: 190,000
  • Yield Strength: N/A
  • Knurl Type: Medium
  • Center Knurl: No
  • Knurl Marks: Dual
  • Shaft Finish: E-Coat
  • Shaft Diameter: 28.5mm
  • Sleeve Finish: Bright Zinc
  • Sleeve Type: Grooved
  • Rotation System: Bronze Bushing
  • Made In: USA
  • Warranty: Lifetime

Read below to get a closer look at the Rogue E-Coat Ohio Bar including product details, features, real user feedback, and more.

$295.00

Rogue Ohio Bar – E-Coat

The Rogue Ohio Bar is one of the most popular multipurpose bars on the market and it comes in multiple variations. This particular version uses an electronically-applied coating known as E-Coat on the shaft, and bright zinc on the sleeves.

Equipped with a 28.5mm shaft, dual knurl marks, and bronze bushings, the E-Coat Ohio Bar is built for a variety of lifts, ranging from Olympic lifts to power lifts.

Here are some further details about the bar:

Knurling

The knurling on the Ohio Bar leans towards the moderate side terms of feel, largely due to it’s low & shallow profile. This type of knurl is ideal for lifts across the entire spectrum, and it’s especially good for higher rep/volume training. Most users have very good feedback on the knurl overall.

With E-coat being an applied coating, it will tend to fill in some of the knurl depth. Compared to a bar with no coating (stainless, bar steel, etc..) or a conversion coating (black oxide, etc..), E-coat will make the bar feel slightly less aggressive.

The Ohio Bar does not come with a center knurl, making it a comfortable bar in most positions, especially the front rack position. You won’t get the tactile feel that you would with a center knurl, however, so if you’re someone who likes that on back squats, you may want to look elsewhere. Dual knurl marks indicate that this is a true multi-purpose bar.

Shaft

This bar has a 28.5mm shaft, which is a very common diameter for a multi-purpose bar. This creates a hybrid shaft of shorts: one that isn’t too whippy nor too rigid. It’s good for all lifts ranging from olympic weightlifting to powerlifting. The E-Coat Ohio Bar offers a 190,000 PSI tensile strength, putting it right in the wheelhouse for a multi-purpose bar.

The e-coat 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 E-Coat Ohio Bar are grooved and they’re finished in bright zinc. Bright zinc is a fairly common sleeve finish since it’s cost-effective and it’s overall a pretty durable finish. With a grooved sleeve, you will get the benefit of plates staying on the bar better in the absence of collars. The drawback is the loud zip noise that you’ll hear when sliding plates on and off.

The sleeves rotate using bronze bushings, which differs slightly from the composite bushings on the Cerakote and Stainless Steel versions of the Ohio Bar. Still, this bar will offer a smooth and steady spin.

Aesthetics

Aesthetically, the E-Coat Ohio Bar will look very nice early on in its life. While it won’t oxidize as quickly as black zinc or even hard chrome, E-Coat will have a tendency to allow surface rust to form over time. It’s a good idea to oil this bar from time-to-time with 3-in-1 oil or similar, especially if you train in a humid environment. This will help keep the bar looking good for longer.

Bright zinc sleeves are nice-looking but, again, you should use oil on occasion to limit the onset of oxidation.

The end caps on the Ohio Bar are classic, and I think they’re one of the best in the game. The outline of Ohio with “R” in the center is a refined look, and it pops on the red background.


Features & Highlights

  • E-Coat Finish – E-Coat is an electronically-applied coating that was first introduced in the automobile industry as a reliable finish with regards to coverage, adhesion, and corrosion resistance. It is more resilient to rust than chrome and zinc, which are also applied coatings, albeit not electronically-applied. It has some environmental benefits, namely limited production of hazardous air pollutants and volatile organic compounds. 
  • 28.5mm Shaft – The 28.5mm shaft on the Rogue Ohio Bar is comfortable in the hands and provides a nice balance between rigid and whippy, making it ideal for a variety of lifts.
  • 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 E-Coat Ohio 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.
  • American Made – This bar is 100% made in America.

What They’re Saying at Roguefitness.com

The Rogue E-Coat Ohio Bar receives very positive feedback from users. With an average rating of 4.9/5 at roguefitness.com, here are some of the things they have said about the e-coat version:

Positive

  • “This is a great barbell and I am so glad I chose to go with it as the foundation for my garage gym. So far so good. I’m a little under a month since finishing my setup and the workouts have been good in many thanks to good equipment. This barbell has a great feel and screams quality.”
  • “Love it! E coat looks great and feel solid. Black coating comes off a bit after couple of months, but thats not my concern. Overall would definitely recommend this barbell”
  • “What can I say, it’s in awesome bar. I’ve had it for about 2 months now and I couldn’t be happier. Excellent knurling, great spin, very sturdy, and the e-coat has left me not too worried about maintenance. 10/10 would recommended!”
  • “I’ve had the bar for about 7 months now and have tried really hard to abuse this thing. Not only does it look great but it holds up really well. This is probably the best investment i’ve made for my garage gym yet. Super happy and this is a great product. Would recommend to anyone asking.”
  • “Awesome barbell. A nice balance between the knurling on this bar and the Ohio power bar. I have both and thus bar is perfect for higher rep work, while the power is great for lower reps stuff and squats. The texture of the e-coat feels better than black. If your only going to have one bar, you can’t get much better than this one.”
  • “I’ve had this Bar for about 2 months. Honestly can say it’s better than commercial gym bars out there. The feel of the knurls are tremendous! It’s absolute Quality! Highly recommend.”

Critical

  • “This is a good bar but e-coat is a little slippery. I like the zinc coated bar better I have much better.”
  • “As I began my first workout, my hands began to slip on the bar. The knurling seems to be less aggressive than what I was use to due to the e-coat. Once I get sweaty, my hands slide all over the bar. I am hoping that the more I use it the better the grip will become but I don’t use it as much as my other bars so it will take some time. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great bar to add to your gym, just understand you may have to concentrate on your grip more than you might like.”

Garage Gym Lab Review

Best Barbell Logo 2022

The Rogue Ohio Bar was a winner in the Garage Gym Lab 2022 Best Barbell Awards.


Other Options

The below barbells were picked as alternatives to the Rogue E-Coat Ohio Bar.