Rogue Ohio Bar – Stainless Steel
- Manufacturer: Rogue Fitness
- Purpose: Multipurpose
- Bar Weight: 20kg
- Gender: Men
- Tensile Strength: 200,000
- Yield Strength: N/A
- Knurl Type: Medium
- Center Knurl: No
- Knurl Marks: Dual
- Shaft Finish: Stainless Steel
- Shaft Diameter: 28.5mm
- Sleeve Finish: Hard Chrome
- Sleeve Type: Grooved
- Rotation System: Composite Bushing
- Made In: USA
- Warranty: Lifetime
Read below to get a closer look at the Rogue Stainless Steel Ohio Bar including product details, features, real user feedback, and more.
$355.00
Rogue Ohio Bar – Stainless Steel
The Rogue Ohio Bar is one of the most popular multipurpose bars on the market and it comes in multiple variations at various price points. This particular version is the top-of-the-line Ohio Bar. It comes with a stainless steel shaft, hard chrome sleeves, and a higher tensile strength than the others in the lineup. At $350, it’s also the most expensive.
Equipped with a 28.5mm shaft, dual knurl marks, and composite bushings, the Stainless Steel 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 has a relatively shallow-depth knurl that provides a medium feel, which makes it ideal for training a variety of lifts. It’s particularly nice on higher rep/volume training. It’s not going to offer much of a bite, so on heavier lifts, chalk or straps may be necessary. Overall, the knurling gets very good feedback from users, especially on the stainless steel version.
With stainless steel being uncoated, you’re feeling the knurl in all of its glory. Compared to a bar with an applied coating (black zinc, hard chrome, etc…), it will feel far superior. Not only that, but it will take chalk extremely well.
The Ohio Bar does not come with center knurl, which makes it comfortable in a variety of positions. On the other hand, it won’t provide any tactile feel when performing a back squat, for instance. 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 shaft that blends whip and rigidity into something that plays nicely with everything from powerlifting to weightlifting. The Stainless Steel Ohio Bar offers a 200,000 PSI tensile strength, which is higher than the 190,000 on the other Ohio Bar variants. This puts it in the upper echelon of multi-purpose bars in the overall market.
The stainless steel shaft will provide outstanding feel and you’ll also get top-tier resistance to oxidation.
Sleeves
The sleeves on the Stainless Steel Ohio Bar are grooved and they’re finished in hard chrome, which is a very common sleeve finish. It’s durable and cost effective. It’s still a good idea to apply some oil to the surface on occasion just to mitigate any rust that may surface over time. This is especially true if you train in a humid environment.
Regarding the grooves, the benefit is that they tend to keep plates in place better than smooth sleeves if/when you’re not using collars. The downside, however, is that they make a loud zip noise in comparison when sliding plates on and off.
The sleeves rotate using composite bushings, which help to create a smooth and consistent spin across any lift.
Aesthetics
Aesthetically, the stainless steel version of this bar will look outstanding. Stainless offers a classic look that looks great out of the box and for years to come. You’ll need the least amount of maintenance on this bar compared to the other Ohio Bars. Still, I would recommend some 3-in-1 oil on the sleeves from time-to-time.
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
- Stainless Steel – Stainless steel is excellent at preventing rust and it provides a true raw feel. While it is one of the more expensive options, it is arguably the best one available. Aside from the oxidation resistance and excellent feel, stainless steel also looks fantastic. This bar offers stainless steel on both the shaft and the sleeves.
- 28.5mm Shaft – The 28.5mm shaft on the Rogue Stainless Steel 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 Rogue Stainless Steel 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 Stainless Steel Ohio Bar receives very positive feedback from users. With an average rating of 4.9/5, here are some of the things they have said at roguefitness.com:
Positive
- “It is a multi-purpose bar, so it was great to use in my type of training; mix of Powerlifting and Olympic lifting. The knurling is just right — not too passive, not too aggressive. The spin is great as well.”
- “This stainless Ohio bar is perfect. Great knurling, look, and build quality. Have a Rogue 2.0 bar in black zinc that is now a murky green. Chose to not deal with coatings anymore and went with the stainless. A flawless barbell in my opinion.”
- “This was my first barbell. Wanted the less aggressive, no center knurling. This has become my WOD bar and it’s perfect. When you hold it, you know you’re holding quality.”
- “I’ve received my bar a few months ago and I love it. I have been using the rogue Olympic weightlifting bar for a few years and wanted to add another bar and stainless steal is the way to go for a garage gym. Minimal up keep by comparison and the knurl is great. I’m not sure I lift heavy enough to notice a big difference in the whip, but I do prefer the slightly thicker bar when doing anything other than the Olympic lifts just because of how it feels in my hands.”
- “I’ve had my Ohio bar since 2017. It’s been a fantastic all around bar for my weightlifting needs and goals. It is very versatile and I am comfortable doing crossfit like exercises as well as general strength training.”
- “This bar just feels good. I went with stainless steel bc I want it to last forever and I have a home gym in garage. The bar just feels great. Like the grip is very good but it doesn’t hurt or anything like that just great. I am very pleased with the bar. It looks great besides being extremely functional.”
- “The bar is 100% as advertised. Smooth spin, perfect knurling, and just the right amount of whip. I have shared with friends and all marvel at the bar. Highly recommended.”
Critical
- “No center knurl. It’s silly that a multi purpose barbell is not designed to be back squatted. I am aware that the Chan bar has a center knurl but the outer knurl starts way too wide for sumo deadlifts or close grip bench press. Also, the Chan bar doesn’t come in Stainless.”
- “Being a multi-purpose bar, it doesn’t have a center knurling to help the bar from slipping during squats.”
Garage Gym Lab Review
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 Stainless Steel Ohio Bar.