Rogue Ohio Power Bar – Cerakote

Rogue Ohio Power Bar – Cerakote

The Rogue Ohio Power Bar is perhaps the most popular power bar ever made. This bar is made in multiple finish options ranging from bare steel all the way to stainless steel.

This version of the OPB includes a Cerakote shaft and Cerakote sleeves in a variety of colors, including black, red, blue, and OD green (all with black Cerakote sleeves).

This bar has several other notable features that are outlined below.

Features & Highlights

• Cerakote Finish – 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.
• Multiple Color Options – The bar includes a variety of color options including black, blue, red, and OD green. 
• Aggressive Knurling – The knurling on the OPB is on the aggressive side, but it offers a volcanic pattern that’s less aggressive that some bars with a more mountainous profile. It’s a high-quality, refined knurl that makes for great all-around use.
• 29mm Shaft – The 29mm shaft on the Rogue Cerakote Power Bar is consistent with IPF standards. It creates a very rigid shaft ideal for the big 3 power lifts. 
• IPF Knurl Marks – This bar offers single powerlifting knurl marks spec’d to IPF requirements.
• Tensile Strength – This version of the OPB offers an impressive 205,000 PSI tensile strength, which is firmly in the wheelhouse of top-flight power bars.
• Grooved, Cerakote Sleeves – The bar offers grooved sleeves, which tend to keep plates on the bar better when not using collars. The downside to grooved is that they make an audible zip noise when loading and unloading plates. These sleeves are also finished in Cerakote which are susceptible to cosmetic imperfections over time as plates slide on and off.
• Bushings – The bar offers a bronze bushing rotation system, which is very common with a power bar.
• Center Knurl – This bar includes a center knurl in the same knurl pattern as the rest of the bar.
• Strong Warranty – This bar offers a lifetime warranty.
• Made in America – The OPB is made in Columbus, Ohio.

What They’re Saying at Rogue Fitness

The Rogue Cerakote Power Bar receives very positive feedback from users. With a 4.9/5 average rating at roguefitness.com, here are some of the things people have said:

Positive

• “It’s certainly not cheap at nearly $400 with shipping and tax (and that doesn’t include collars), but I’ve been using it for bench pressing, overhead pressing and barbell rows and it’s been great. Feels good and I’m very happy with it.”
• “I’ve been using this bar for a few months now and love it! The finish is really nice looking and fees great. The cerakote doesn’t negatively affect the knurling, it’s certainly sharp enough for my liking, without destroying my hands.”
• “Solid knurling and excellent power bar. Bar is very grippy and well build. Arrived just 8 days after ordering and in perfect condition. Only change I would like is to see is Rogue offer chrome sleeves as an option on the Cerakote Ohio Power Bar like they do for the Cerakote Ohio Bar. The cerakote on the sleeves will scratch if iron plates are used primarily, but overall they have held up very well after a couple months of continuous use. I still rate it 5/5 because that doesn’t affect the bar’s function in any way.”
• “Bought 2 cerakote Ohio blue power bars a few months back for myself and my family. Absolutely love the bar and the cerakote finish is phenomenal. Awesome for bench, squats and deadlift and the added blue gives it a beautiful look to it.”
• “This bar is fantastic in ever way. Just wanted to point out that purchase two in the last month and the knurling was quite different between the two. The red bar was much more aggressive and really digs in, while the black bar has a more grippy feel. It’s not a problem for us but it might be for you depending on your preferences and what you receive. Love the bars!!”

Critical

• “The only thing I was a little disappointed on was the aggressiveness of the knurling. It wasn’t as aggressive as I thought it would be.”

Garage Gym Lab Review

The Rogue Ohio Power Bar was a winner in the Garage Gym Lab 2022 Best Barbell Awards. You can also read my review of the Rogue Stainless Ohio Power Bar.

Other Options

The below barbells were picked as alternatives to the Rogue Cerakote Ohio Power Bar.