We compared more than 50 short barbells on quality, versatility, reputation and value, then picked the five worth racking.
I’ve run a gym for two decades and coached in it for most of that time. I know what a short bar is good for, and where it lets you down.
One of my short bars next to a couple of full-length bars
A good shorty saves real space without changing how a lift feels. A bad one won’t fit your rack, rattles on every rep, or runs out of sleeve the first time you load it properly.
Related
Short on space all round? See our best short power racks and best Olympic barbells. Then keep the lot tidy with a barbell storage rack and a decent pair of collars.
Editor's note · updated October 19, 2026
We rebuilt this guide for 2026. What changed:
- Every spec re-checked against the brand pages. We fixed a few numbers that had drifted, including the Titan’s 500 lb limit and the REP bar’s 50 lb plate limit.
- REP renamed its Technique bar. It’s now the Mesa Technique Bar, the same 15 lb aluminium trainer.
- Value now counts for 30% of the score. A short bar is usually a second bar, so price matters.
Compare the best short barbells
Rogue C-70S
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REP Mesa Technique
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Rogue C-68S
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Titan 60-inch
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Overall | Premium | Beginners | Women | Budget |
| Rating (*) | |||||
| Quality | 93% | 91% | 66% | 88% | 45% |
| Versatility | 95% | 92% | 66% | 88% | 64% |
| Reputation & reviews | 93% | 91% | 90% | 91% | 82% |
| Value for money | 83% | 65% | 73% | 72% | 94% |
| Bar type | Short Multipurpose | Short Multipurpose | Short Multipurpose | Short Multipurpose | Short Multipurpose |
| Bushing/ bearing | Bushing | Bushing | Brass Bushing | Bushing | Bronze Bushing |
| Bar diameter (") | 1.10 | 1.12 | 1.10 | 0.98 | 1.1 |
| Length (") | 74 | 72 | 72 | 68.25 | 60 |
| Loadable sleeve length (") | 9.84 | 8.875 | 9.4 | 7.75 | 10.75 |
| Knurl | Medium | Medium | Light | Medium | Medium |
| Knurl Marks | Dual | Dual | Dual | Dual | None |
| Centre knurl | No | No | No | No | No |
| Shaft coating | Hard Chrome | Cerakote | None | Cerakote | Chrome |
| Sleeve coating | Hard Chrome | Zinc | Duracoat® | Zinc | Chrome |
| Tensile strength (k PSI) | 190 | 190 | n/a (aluminium) | 190 | 110 |
| Rackable? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Warranty | Lifetime construction + 1 year on bending | Lifetime | 1 year | Lifetime | 1 year |
| Bar weight (lbs) | 33 | 33 | 15 | 25 | 25 |
| Sleeve diameter (") | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Price | $$ | $$$ | $$ | $$$ | $ |
Get RXd Shorty Bar
Our testing and selection process
How we picked the short barbells
- I started with my own bars. My gym has short, standard, women’s and trap bars. Between us, the team has owned a few shorties too.
- We built a spreadsheet of more than 50 short bars. Length, sleeve space, steel, finish, bushings and warranty went in for each one.
- Every bar got the weighted score below. That score decides each “best for” slot. The overall winner comes first, then the bars are grouped by who they suit.
- We trained on the bars we could get hold of and leaned on owner reports from our community for the rest. Where I haven’t used a bar myself, its card says so.
You can read more about the process in our review guidelines.
How we score short barbells
We grouped what matters into four weighted factors:
- Quality (30%) - steel, finish, knurl, spin and build precision.
- Versatility (25%) - whether it racks, how much sleeve you get, and which lifts it suits.
- Reputation & reviews (15%) - owner ratings, and how the brand treats you when something goes wrong.
- Value (30%) - what you get for what you pay.
Quality (30%)
Steel strength comes first. The best short bars here use 190,000 PSI steel, the same as a good full-length bar. Budget bars drop to about 110,000 PSI. That’s fine for moderate weights, but it bends sooner if you drop it loaded or lift heavy for years.
Then the finish.
Hard chrome is the best value. It fights rust and keeps the knurl sharp. Cerakote, which Rogue uses on its short-bar shafts, fights rust even better. You pay for it, though. Zinc dulls the knurl a little and wears with time. Plain decorative chrome chips first.
Next, knurl and spin. A medium knurl suits most people, because a short bar mostly gets used for squats, presses, rows, cleans and curls. Good bushings give all the spin you need. Bearings cost more and only really pay off in heavy Olympic lifting.
Versatility (25%)
Most of this comes down to length.
- Does it rack? A bar needs about 50 to 52 inches between the sleeves to sit on the J-hooks of a standard rack. Any shorter and you lose squats and bench from the rack.
- Sleeve space. Around 8.5 inches of sleeve takes two full-size bumpers a side, with room for a collar. Thinner iron plates go much further.
- Measure first. Measure across the outside of your rack’s uprights. The gap between the bar’s sleeves has to be wider than that, or it won’t sit on the J-hooks.
- Shaft diameter. 28 to 28.5 mm is the men’s standard. 25 mm is the women’s and junior standard, easier for smaller hands.
My tip: think about snatches before you buy. A wide snatch grip needs the full shaft. A 6-foot bar with a 52-inch shaft handles it. A 5-foot bar doesn’t, because your hands run into the sleeves.
I also wouldn’t buy a bar that won’t rack for my own gym. It can’t live in the rack, so it ends up on the floor or needs its own stand. Unless space is truly tight, skip the 5-footers and buy a rackable 6-foot bar.
Reputation & reviews (15%)
This covers what owners think of the bar and how the brand treats you. We look at owner ratings, how fast customer service replies, and how returns and warranty claims go.
Value (30%)
Value carries as much weight as quality. A short bar is usually your second bar, so paying premium money for one rarely makes sense. We score what each bar gives you against what it costs, which is why our top pick isn’t the most expensive bar here.
Find the perfect short bar for you
Overall | Premium | Beginners | Women | Budget
Here’s the overall score for all five:
Get RXd Shorty Bar
Best Short Barbell OverallQuick specs
- Total length - 74 ”
- Loadable sleeve length - 9.84 ”
- Capacity - 800 lbs
- Tensile strength - 190K PSI
My top pick. It’s the only 74-inch bar here, and those two extra inches go on the sleeves.
Our take
What I like
- The hard chrome gives a sure grip on heavy sets without chewing up my hands.
- Smooth on cleans and jerks, and the sleeves never feel loose.
What I don’t
- The spin is lively. On snatches it can keep turning once the bar’s overhead, which some lifters don’t like.
- At 15 kg (33 lb) it’s lighter than a standard bar, and that catches people out. Log your lifts with the bar’s real weight.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Lower price tier than either Rogue, with the same 190K PSI steel
- Longest sleeves of any rackable bar here (9.84 in)
- 52 in shaft fits a standard rack and a snatch grip
- Hard chrome on shaft and sleeves resists rust
- Lifetime construction warranty, plus a 1-year bending warranty
- Dual knurl marks for Olympic and powerlifting grips
Cons
- 74 in long, so it saves less space than a 72 in or 5 ft bar
- Grip is a shade slicker than Cerakote, so chalk up for heavy pulls
Read more about the Get RXd Shorty Bar
If I could only own one short bar and wanted change left over, this is it.
Get RXd uses the same 190,000 PSI steel as Rogue’s short bars. The sleeves are the longest of any rackable bar here. It’s hard chrome all over, so a damp garage won’t bother it. Nothing else in its price tier can say that.
The 52-inch shaft is what makes it. That’s long enough to sit in any standard squat rack, and long enough for a proper snatch grip.
- Bar weight: 15 kg (33 lb)
- Sleeve space: 9.84 in, enough for about 270 lb of bumper plates, and far more with iron
- Rated to: 800 lb
- Bushings: two oil-impregnated bushings
The trade is length. At 74 inches it’s two inches longer than the Rogue C-70S. In return you get an extra inch of sleeve, tougher sleeves and a much lower price.
Add it up and it takes the top overall score:
Bottom line
Buy it if you want one bar that racks, takes a snatch grip and leaves money for plates. Accept two extra inches of length.
It might be for you if… you want one short bar that does everything and leaves money for plates.
It’s not for you if… every inch of wall counts. The Titan 60-inch is a foot shorter.
Rogue C-70S Bar
Best Premium Short BarbellQuick specs
- Total length - 72 ”
- Loadable sleeve length - 8.875 ”
- Diameter - 28.5mm
Rogue’s best short bar. It racks, it’s made in the USA, and the shaft wears Cerakote.
Our take
What I like
- The black Cerakote shaft with bright zinc sleeves looks sharp, and the Cerakote feels grippy in the hand without being harsh.
What I don’t
- For my taste the spin feels a little sticky. There’s also a touch of rattle I didn’t expect at this level. Most people won’t notice it, but I did.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Cerakote shaft, the most rust-resistant finish here (shared with the C-68S)
- 52 in between the sleeves, so it racks
- Composite bushings, so the bar settles fast after each lift
- Made in the USA, with Rogue’s F16-R durability rating
- Clean knurl and sleeves on every one we’ve handled
Cons
- Zinc sleeves will show wear before the shaft does
- Top price tier, for shorter sleeves than the Get RXd
Read more about the Rogue C-70S Bar
Paying more for a short bar? Then it’s simple. Buy the C-70S.
Watch the S, though. Rogue’s plain C-70 is a hair shorter, gives more of its length to the sleeves, and won’t rack. The C-60B is under five feet and won’t rack either. The C-70S has a 52-inch shaft, so it sits in a standard rack and still leaves 8.875 inches of sleeve.
The finish is the reason to pick it over the Get RXd. Rogue claims its Cerakote resists corrosion 100 times better than standard finishes. In use, it doesn’t dull the knurl the way zinc can, and it keeps its looks for years.
| Rogue C-70S | Get RXd | |
|---|---|---|
| Shaft finish | Cerakote | Hard chrome |
| Sleeve finish | Bright zinc | Hard chrome |
| Length | 72 in | 74 in |
| Sleeve space | 8.875 in | 9.84 in |
| Price | $$$ | $$ |
Value is where it drops points. On versatility it sits just behind the Get RXd, which has an extra inch of sleeve:
Bottom line
If you want a short bar that still looks new in five years, pay the extra for this one. You get the toughest shaft finish here, shared with the C-68S.
It might be for you if… you want the best-finished short bar and the price doesn’t sting.
It’s not for you if… value matters most. The Get RXd does nearly everything for much less.
REP Mesa Technique Bar
Best Short Barbell for BeginnersQuick specs
- Weight - 15 lbs
- Length - 72 ”
- Max load - 50 lbs of plates
- Aluminium shaft, brass bushings
A 15 lb aluminium bar with the length and knurl marks of a real one. Use it to learn the lifts.
Our take
I haven’t trained on the Mesa myself, so here’s what its spec sheet means once it’s in your hands.
What I like
- The light hill knurl is kind on soft hands through long drill sessions.
What I don’t
- The 50 lb plate limit. Even a new lifter will want more on a squat within a few months.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Weighs only 15 lb, light enough to drill the lifts with no plates at all
- Full 9.4 in sleeves, so standard plates and collars fit
- Brass bushings give a smooth turn for clean and snatch drills
- Full 28 mm shaft, so the grip matches a men’s steel bar
Cons
- Same price tier as the Get RXd, which takes 800 lb
- Bare aluminium shaft with no protective coating
Read more about the REP Mesa Technique Bar
This is a teaching tool. It suits you if you’re learning the snatch or clean, coming back from injury, or coaching a teenager. For heavy training, look elsewhere.
REP copied the real thing closely. It’s 72 inches long, the shaft is 28 mm, and the knurl marks sit where they would on a steel bar. When you move up, your hands already know where to go.
That covers light technique plates, not a working squat.
Buy it if
- You're learning the Olympic lifts and want a bar that feels real at 15 lb.
- You coach kids, teens or rehab clients who aren't ready for a steel bar.
Skip it if
- You want one short bar for squats, presses and pulls. The Get RXd costs about the same and takes 800 lb.
For the rest of REP’s range, see our best REP Fitness barbell guide.
REP’s service has always answered us fast, which keeps its reputation score close to the Rogues’:
Bottom line
If you want to learn the lifts without loading a steel bar, get the Mesa. Once you need more than 50 lb on it, move up to the Get RXd.
It might be for you if… you’re learning the Olympic lifts or coaching beginners.
It’s not for you if… you want one bar to train heavy with.
Rogue C-68S Bar
Best Women’s Short BarbellQuick specs
- Diameter - 25 mm (~0.98 inches)
- Shaft length - 51.5 ” (rackable)
- Total length - 68.25 ”
- Loadable length - 7.75 ”
Rogue’s women’s short bar: a 25 mm Cerakote shaft that racks, built like the C-70S.
Our take
I haven’t trained on the C-68S. This card leans on Rogue’s specs and the build it shares with the C-70S, which I have used.
What I like
- The 25 mm grip lets smaller hands close fully on pulls.
What I don’t
- The 7.75 in sleeves fill up sooner with bumper plates than the men’s bars do.
Pros & cons
Pros
- 25 mm shaft for smaller hands, with a bit more whip
- Racks in a standard rack (51.5 in shaft)
- F12-R durability rating on Rogue’s own drop scale
- 25 lb bar keeps the plate maths simple
Cons
- Top price tier
- Sleeve finish is zinc, not the Get RXd’s tougher hard chrome
Read more about the Rogue C-68S
The C-68S is the women’s version of the C-70S. It’s a little shorter overall and in the sleeves, and the shaft is 25 mm instead of 28.5.
Everything else carries over:
- 190,000 PSI steel
- Black Cerakote shaft, bright zinc sleeves
- Dual knurl marks, no centre knurl
- Made in the USA
Our scoring docks it for sleeve length. A women’s bar gives up some sleeve to keep the shaft rackable. For most people using it, 7.75 inches is plenty.
The thinner shaft isn’t only for women either. Anyone with smaller hands, or anyone who wants more whip, can use it.
Rogue’s F-rating is worth a look here. It’s the brand’s own scale for how many drops a bar should survive, and higher lasts longer:
For full-length options, see our guide to the best women’s barbells.
On build quality it trails the C-70S by just three points:
Bottom line
For smaller hands, this is the short bar to buy. You get a 25 mm grip, a shaft that racks and a Cerakote finish. It’s top-tier money for a top-tier build.
It might be for you if… you have smaller hands and want a short bar that racks.
It’s not for you if… you load heavy bumpers often. The Get RXd has two more inches of sleeve.
Titan 60” Olympic Bar
Best Budget Short Barbell
Quick specs
- Total and loadable sleeve length - 60 and 10.75 ”
- Shaft length - 36.5 ”
- Capacity - 500 lbs
- Tensile strength - 110K PSI
Not as tough as the top bars, but it costs a fraction of a Rogue and still holds 500 lb.
Our take
I haven’t used the Titan 60-inch myself, so this is based on Titan’s specs and how 5-foot bars behave in general.
What I like
- At 25 lb and 5 feet long, it’s easy to carry around a small room and park in a corner.
What I don’t
- The 36.5 in shaft is too short for a proper snatch grip. Your hands run into the sleeves.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Cheapest bar on the list
- Holds 500 lb, plenty for most home lifters
- Longest sleeves on the list (10.75 in)
- Bronze bushings rather than bare steel
Cons
- Won’t fit a standard rack
- Plain chrome finish marks and rusts sooner than hard chrome
- Softer 110K PSI steel bends sooner under abuse
Read more about the Titan 60-inch Bar
Cheap, short and still rated to 500 lb. That’s the Titan in one line.
It’s the only 5-foot bar in our top five, so it’s the best space-saver here. It also has the longest sleeves on the list, because so little of its length goes on the shaft.
The catch is the rack. With 36.5 inches between the sleeves, it won’t reach both J-hooks of a standard rack, and Titan itself says to measure yours first. Squats and bench have to start from the floor or a pair of stands.
If you don’t snatch and you can live with some wear, it’s a bargain.
No bar here comes close on value:
Bottom line
Softer steel and a cheaper finish, but it suits two groups:
- Lifters on a tight budget.
- Anyone testing whether a short bar fits their space before spending more.
It might be for you if… every inch of floor counts and you don’t need the rack.
It’s not for you if… you squat or bench from a rack. Get a rackable 6-footer like the Get RXd.
Other short bars we looked at
These came close but missed the top five.
- Rogue C-60B. Same materials and finish as the C-70S, but it’s under five feet and won’t rack.
- Powergainz Olympic bar. It nearly took the budget slot. Decorative chrome sleeves cost it.
- CAP 5-foot solid Olympic bar. One of the most common short bars around, with a fair warranty for the money. The powder coat wears too fast to rank.
- Cali short bar. A good bar, but zinc on both sleeves and shaft can’t justify its price against hard chrome and Cerakote.
- Eleiko XF short bar. If money is no object, it’s superb for functional fitness. Its price is set for commercial gyms.
- Rogue 10 kg junior bar. Technically a short bar. The zinc coating and a construction-only warranty held it back.
- BalanceFrom bar. A generic bar sold at Walmart. It’s cheap, but the build problems were too much to overlook.
- Fringe Sport 15 kg shorty. The biggest surprise. It’s a good bar, but our value-heavy scoring marked its price down hard.
Other bars that deserve a mention: Junior Performance bar by American Barbell, SMIDOW, PEXMOR, IVANKO 5 ft Shorty, and Texas Shorty bar.
Bars that didn’t make our shortlist: RitFit, Simplel, Kenxen, CAP Ultra-lite, AXLE, Bonnlo, Sunny Health & Fitness, Elevens Oly bar, Sporzon, Troy Barbell, CAP Barbell Aluma-Lite, Torque 5′, Sentuca, Ivanko 66″, BODY-SOLID OB60B, Alphafit, Raptor Shorty 70, BodyRock, IFAST, Newton Fitness OB-72, Weider 6’, HTNBO, BodySolid, RIGEL 5 FT, YESUNEED.
The bottom line
For most people, buy the Get RXd 74-inch Shorty Bar. It matches Rogue’s steel for less money, and nothing that racks gives you more sleeve.
If you’d rather pay more for the toughest shaft finish, the Rogue C-70S is the premium pick. Learning the lifts? Get the REP Mesa. For smaller hands, the Rogue C-68S. And if you just want to try a short bar cheaply, the Titan 60-inch does that.
For full-length bars, see our best Olympic barbells guide.
There are two things to do now:
- If you want to compare them again, click here to skip back to the table.
- If you want to put a pin in it, bookmark this page and come back. We keep it updated.
Stay strong and smart.
Short barbell FAQs
What are short barbells for?
Short barbells are for training in a tight space. Most are 5 to 6 feet long, against about 7 feet for a standard bar. Use them for squats, presses, rows, cleans and curls. The ones with a full-length shaft, around 52 inches, handle Olympic lifts too.
Are short barbells good?
Yes, if you pick one that racks. The Get RXd is a foot shorter than a standard bar and still handles every lift.
How much do short barbells weigh?
Most weigh 15 to 35 lb. Technique bars like the REP Mesa sit at the bottom at 15 lb. Five-foot steel bars weigh about 25 lb, and 6-foot bars about 30 to 35 lb (the Get RXd is 33 lb). Across our database, the average is 27 lb.
Is it harder to lift with a shorter barbell?
Not if the shaft is about 50 inches or longer, as on the Rogue C-70S. Any shorter and a wide grip runs out of room. That mostly matters for snatches.
Can you squat with a short bar?
Yes, as long as it has about 50 to 52 inches between the sleeves, so it sits in your rack. With a normal shaft, your bar position and the movement stay the same. A 2020 study found those are what change muscle use in the squat.
How do you use a short barbell?
Just like a regular one. The good short bars, like the Get RXd, rack and have a normal shaft length. The sleeves are shorter, but for most people they still take plenty of weight.
Can you bench press with a 5ft bar?
Only if your J-hooks sit close enough together. A 5-foot bar has about 36 inches between the sleeves (the Titan has 36.5). That’s too narrow for almost any standard rack or bench. For bench, buy a rackable 6-foot bar.
Is a 4ft bar good?
It’s a space-saver for curls, rows and presses, and that’s about it. Buy one as an extra tool, not as a replacement for a 6- or 7-foot bar. Anything with a wide grip, like a snatch, needs a longer shaft.
