[Review] RepFitness: Hard Chrome Rackable Curl Bar

[Synthetickiller]

It's a curl bar review. How exciting could this possibly be?



Crap no one cares about:

Shipping: Ordered on a Saturday. Shipped Monday, received the bar Thursday (4 total days).

Packaging: Excellent! I rarely get excited about packaging. This is the exception. The tube used is stout. The metal end cap is secured with a wire tie design that loops through the tubing. Each cap is further reinforced with 3 screws to prevent it from shifting or rotating.

The bar was packaged in a plastic bag. Each sleeve was wrapped in packing foam, along with wide packing rubber bands to protect the inner collar of the sleeve.

Other than a minor scratch, the bar appears to be perfect. Well done. I’m impressed.






Customer Service: N/A.

Specs:

Diameter: 30mm ( 1-1/4" / 32mm (this is more of an eyeball measurement as my caliper is MIA)
Weight: 35lbs (dead on 35 lb)
Finish: Hard Chrome Coating
Knurl: 4x70mm sections of medium depth knurl (didn’t bother to measure)
Length: 6'2" (6'1-15/16")
Loadable length: 10" (9-3/4")
Distance between sleeves: 4'3" (4'4-1/4")



Key Features:
• Spin: With 1 needle bearing and 1 bushing per sleeve, these bars are the perfect combination of spin and stability. This unique combination reduces wrist strain while helping isolate different muscle groups.
• Length:You can get this bar in a rackable or nonrackable length to fit your training style best!
• Knurl: This curl bar incorporates the same knurling from our best-selling mixed-use bars to bring you a grip that lasts through high rep sets without ripping your hands.
• Camber: The cambers on these bars allow a semi-supinated grip so you can to develop your biceps and triceps in a joint friendly way.
• Coating: Available in Stainless Steel or Hard Chrome. The Hard Chrome coating is a more durable finish than regular chrome and has a matte appearance. Hard Chrome is also rust resistant and requires low maintenance!

[Synthetickiller]

Finish:
The hard chrome is dull in comparison to other chromed bars I have. I almost thought it was stainless.

For those who are not sure what the purpose of hard chrome is, here is a quote from wikipedia.

Hard chrome, also known as industrial chrome or engineered chrome, is used to reduce friction, improve durability through abrasion tolerance and wear resistance in general, minimize galling or seizing of parts, expand chemical inertness to include a broader set of conditions (especially oxidation resistance, arguably its most famous quality), and bulking material for worn parts to restore their original dimensions.

I can’t say much more than I actually like this coating. I can’t stand decorative chrome, but I would be willing to give a power bar a chance with hard chrome if it had aggressive knurling. Overall, I’m pleased with the quality of the hard chrome.

For those of you wanting a stainless vs hard chrome comparison, I can’t justify dropping an extra $300 to review both versions of this bar. I’d especially like to compare knurling that’s what really matters in the long run. Continue reading...






This last shot is off the sleeve wiped down with 3in1 oil. This coating cleans up very well!

[Synthetickiller]

Knurling:

The knurling is soft, but not passive.
At first, I wanted a more aggressive knurling, but as I’ve used it, I wouldn’t want any other knurl. As a general statement, I can say that the knurling is aggressive enough to provide grip for the heaviest curl while not irritating the palm or fingers. I would not want to use my PowerSpeed bar for curls for this exact reason. As my meathead mentality would have me believe, sharper knurling is better. This is not the case here.

The start & stops are excellent. Only one spot has feathering. In no way does it effect the lifter’s grip. The locations have also been thoughtfully designed. The smooth portions of the bar where you jam your thenar webspace into would be more of an irritant than a benefit. (The thenar webspace is the skin between the base of the thumb to the side and base of the index finger). The knurling is long enough to catch all 4 fingers and provide grip. For reference, the width of all my fingers is just over 3" across.

Very minor imperfections:
(Yes, I tried to clean these before taking pictures)



Minor issues with application on the left: (this doesn't matter, but you guys love pictures)


Shots of the Knurling:

[Synthetickiller]

Functionality:

As much as it’s really not proper to bring up another bar or a company in a review, I will anyways. The Ivanko OBZ-40 has been on my list of bars to buy for over 10 years. $500+ for a curl bar is hard to swallow. In contrast, Rep’s version shipped was less than half that price & appeared to finally have proper curves compared to other rackable curl bars on the market. The Troy model many people have picked up in the recent years is costlier with poorer curves. That said...

Rep’s version of a rackable curl bar piqued my interested, so I took a chance purely on the bends in the bar. I am not disappointed. In fact, I use to suffer when curling. The angles of my cheap CAP curl bar actually cause me pain. I have yet to experience any pain with this bar. I’m extremely pleased with the bends & wouldn’t change them. I have no interest in picking up the Ivanko now. I never thought I’d say that.

The functionality does not just stop with curling.
Here is a breakdown of exercises I decided to test the bar with and my impression.

Absolute Hate:
• Close Grip Bench Press

Not a Preference:
• Upright Rows
• Drag Curls

Like as a variation:
• French Press
• Overhead Press
• Paul Dicks Press
• Reverse Curls

Absolutely Love:
• Skull Crushers
• JM Press
• Curls

I would give reasons, but this since is a forum post, just ask why I liked or disliked these exercises.

[Synthetickiller]

Sleeves:

I love chromed sleeves.
There is no “zip” when loading & removing plates. Plates can slide off when using the bar, at least for curls. I’ve already experienced this. Throwing collars on is an easy fix, but length of the sleeve partially stops any plate from entirely falling off.

The inner collar is 1" thick, on the dot. Unfortunately, the sleeves on this unit are 9-3/4" instead of the advertised 10". Does this matter? Functionally, no, not at all. As a reviewer, it’s something to merely point out. I can’t speak for why the measurement is off.





Both the inner collars & the end of the sleeve are beveled. Removing plates is extremely easy. This small touch also makes the bar feel premium. Small touches like these go a long way with me.





The spin is excellent on one side. The other has significantly less spin. It’s a curl bar, so this doesn’t matter. Maybe the problem is limited to this bar, but it does make me question if I want to pay more for needle bearings. I clearly don’t need them.


All of my collars & plates fit.

[Synthetickiller]

Fit & Finish:

If I walked into a gym & saw this bar, I would be drawn to it. I could not ask for a better design.

As for all of the other measurements that are off, they are not noticeably different from the description. My only guess is that the measurements were more of a guideline than anything. The bar does weigh 35 pounds on the dot, so maybe that’s why dimensions are different than on paper. I would rather have a bar that is the advertised weight and off by up to 1.25" (the space between the inner collars should be 51", not 52-1/4" ).



The diameter appears to be 32mm (1-1/4"). I am eyeballing this from a tape measure, so take the measurement with a grain of salt. I can confirm it feels thicker than a 29mm power bar. If it is indeed 30mm, I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m sure someone else doing a review can confirm the diameter. Either way, I really like the diameter.



Despite all of these small measurement issues, the fit & finish is just awesome. And by awesome, I mean that I was surprised by the quality of this bar.

[Synthetickiller]

Build Quality (40%):

Overall, I can’t find any flaws in the build quality. I rarely say this, but the fit & finish is mind blowing for a Chinese-built bar. The knurling is applied evenly. The sleeves have very little slop. The bar will roll back to an “upright” position. The bar I received is very balance. The bar weighs the claimed 35 pounds.

The bar also can hold some serious weight. I have 190kg / 418 lb (including the bar) in the picture below. The bar does not give much. You can load more weight onto this bar than you will ever use.



I will dock points for some of the measurements being off. Functionally, it doesn’t matter. I simply consider it a “quality” issue because the measurements don’t reflect what the website claims and are off more than an acceptable amount, in my opinion. I will remove 1 point.

The sleeve spin differences between sleeves also bothers me. Since the spin is an advertised perk, I have to remove 1 point.

Spin: With 1 needle bearing and 1 bushing per sleeve, these bars are the perfect combination of spin and stability. This unique combination reduces wrist strain while helping isolate different muscle groups.

For the record, this doesn’t matter at all from a functional perspective. I want to make that clear.

Score: 8/10 (32)

[Synthetickiller]

Overall Functionality (15%):

It’s a curl bar. I shrug at this part of the review as people know why they would want to buy one or at least I hope. The bar can be use for some pressing movements, upright rows (possibly bent over rows, but I prefer to not test this), triceps work, etc.

It can’t (or maybe “shouldn’t” is the more proper term) be used for squats or deadlifts, or heavy rowing.

This score exists to gauge what bar should you buy based on overall functionality. It doesn’t apply to those who just want a rackable curl bar. It would obviously be 10/10 (see below)

Score: 3/10 (4.5) (this score is almost arbitrary)


Specific Functionality (15%):

It’s a curl bar and advertised as one. Furthermore, Rep states that the bar is to be used for triceps work. I very much agree. The bends are great for JM Presses & Skull Crushers. The sleeves are long enough to load up with more than enough plates to do massive drop sets.

I want to insert a personal reason for buying this bar. As some of you know, I have lower back pain from SI joint dysfunction & a slight scoliosis. Repeatedly bending over gives me a huge back pump and not in a good way! I hated always having to bend over to set up my curl bar, so I never curled. Finally owning a rackable curl bar has fixed all of these issues & I now enjoy curling. As minor as this sounds, many lifters are at times or constantly are working around injuries. I consider this a great tool for people who have the same issues I’m facing.

This bar does what it’s supposed to do & excellently at that.

Score: 10/10 (15)


Value (30%):

Is the bar worth $160 plus shipping?
Compared to every other rackable curl bar on the market, YES.

Now for the more important question: stainless versus hard chrome. Which is better?

I bought this bar in hard chrome for two reasons. First, someone (Garage Gym Lab) was doing a review on this bar as well and had purchased the stainless version. The second, and more compelling reason for buying this version was the $100 savings. From the moment I held the bare bar to working up to heavy sets, then higher volume sets, I had no regrets. While stainless is a nice upgrade, the chrome version is excellent for a coating. I normally second guess purchases. This is one of the few that I am completely content with my purchase. If I had to buy the bar over again, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy the chromed model. All of the minor short comings with the measurements & spin issues don’t negate from the value as no one has a rackable curl bar of this quality in this price range, even for the stainless version.

If you really like stainless and are happy with spending $100 more, go for it. If you view a rackable curl bar purchase from a more frugal perspective, save that money and go for the hard chromed model. There is simply no competition here & Rep is in a league of their own.

Score:10/10 (30)

[Synthetickiller]

Summary:

Now for the more important question: stainless versus hard chrome. Which is better?

I bought this bar in hard chrome for two reasons. First, someone (Garage Gym Lab) was doing a review on this bar as well and had purchased the stainless version. The second, and more compelling reason for this version was the $100 savings from avoiding stainless. From the movement I held the bare bar to working up to heavy sets, then higher volume sets, I had no regrets. While stainless is nice, the chrome version is excellent. I normally second guess purchases. This is one of the few that I am completely content with my purchase. If I had to buy the bar over again, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy the chromed model. All of the minor short comings with the measurements & spin issues don’t negate from the value as no one has a rackable curl bar of this quality in this price range, even for the stainless version.

If you really like stainless and are happy with spending $100 more, go for it. If you view a rackable curl bar purchase from a more frugal perspective, save that money and go for the hard chromed model. There is simply no competition here & rep is in a league of their own.


TL;DR version for the review:
Are you in the market for a rackable curl bar?
Unless you really want to spend $500 on one, this is THE bar to get.
There is also no reason to be concerned with the chrome model. It’s great.

Score: Overall
82.5/100
(Good score for the asking price)
Keep in mind that I am being fairly judgemental of a curl bar.
Score: Ignoring General Function
90/100 (I am rounding down here)



If you actually read the whole thread, thank you!
Writing reviews take more time and effort than I'd like to admit.

Questions?
Comments?

For anyone interested, all pictures were taken with a Galaxy Note 9 with minor tweaks to the settings. Other than cropping, the photos are unaltered.

[chadsalt]

Hell of a review, like usual. I don't need another rackable but I do like the sharper bends.

[GamecockLifter]

Excellent review! On spread.

[Duplicitous]

Thanks for the great review. I'm still not sure whether I want a rackable curl bar, but if I go that route I'll probably get this bar based on your review.

[radrd]

Awesome review. I'm going to sell my current non-rackable bar and upgrade to this or the stainless. That's a great point about reduced injury curling from the rack. Definitely worthwhile to me.

[lsi1]

I agree with your review almost completely. I put off buying a rackable curl bar until the Rep I am glad I did. My thoughts on the hard chrome version are similar to yours. I can not imagine a situation that I would get another $100 of functionality out of the stainless.

[swimmer32]

On spread. Your reviews are always a great read!

I have not used a curl bar in years..........not sure that I will use it when I buy it........but odds are I'm going to purchase it anyways. ha

[thejosef]

Beautiful review, as always SK. Thanks for the time you put in there. The stainless shorty model is on my wishlist. Hope all is well bud!

[McBrody]

Great review and nice bar, however, according to Body by Jake all you need is a broom stick and 2 soup cans to do curls.

http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger...0-%20front.jpg

[gym62richard]

As usual, a top notch review. I don't need a rackable curl bar, or indeed another curl bar, but a while ago Duke mentioned that Rep were hoping to sell their equipment in Europe, if they decide to do so, then it would be damned hard to ignore this bar..

[Synthetickiller]

Thanks everyone.
I hope anyone's questions were answered by the review.


I also want to mention that I tried some lying triceps extensions with this bar, yesterday. The curves actually make the exercise less painful (I'm still dealing with some tendonitis issues) I'm getting better triceps activation.
My only concern is how the bearings will hold up over time from doing this exercise. I'm curious to know if this will be a problem in the future as I'm not using bumpers.

[dparty82]

Awesome review man! Very in depth and informational review as usual. Might have to send my convict bar back to prison and upgrade it to this.

on spread!

[BulkMore]

A rackable curl bar?? ffs

I have to ask...is it a requirement to make fun of yourself if you're doing curls from a power rack? Everyone likes to make fun of those at a gym doing curls on racks/squat racks. How the tables have turned.

[sm1ke]

A rackable curl bar?? ffs

I have to ask...is it a requirement to make fun of yourself if you're doing curls from a power rack? Everyone likes to make fun of those at a gym doing curls on racks/squat racks. How the tables have turned.

Nothing wrong with doing curls in the power rack if you're at home. You're the only one using the equipment. If you curl in the power rack at a commercial gym, you're a douche for preventing others from using the power rack.

[sm1ke]

Thanks for the review SK. If I ever decide to upgrade, the stainless bar will be at the top of the list.