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11 Best Titan Barbells (And A Few To Avoid)

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You’ll want to bookmark this guide if you belong to one of these two groups:

  1. You’re looking to get a decent barbell for your home gym without breaking the bank
  2. You’re looking to get a GREAT barbell and save some money in the process

There’s a difference between the two, and I’ll get to it in a second.

We recommend the Titan Blues City bar with a Cerakote coating for most people looking to get the best bang for their buck.

If there ever were a time to use the cliched “forget everything you knew about…”, this would be it.

The Blues City bar is made in the US, from 200K PSI steel, and finished in Cerakote.

But, while you’re forgetting everything you knew about Titan, forget the price perception, too… ’cause Blues City ain’t cheap.

If you’re looking for a budget barbell that still ticks all the major quality boxes, your best bet is the Titan Midway bar. It costs 50-60% less than the Blues City, and it’s only inferior to it in two aspects – the tensile strength and the finish. Not inferior enough for us to suggest you stay away, though!

Why read on?

You’re vulnerable to incomplete and misleading information with changing brands like Titan. Where are the barbells made?

What kind of chrome is used?

What are the bushings like?

We’ll answer all that today and rate each Titan bar against 12 criteria – from weight capacity and knurling to price and warranty.

In my two-decade-long career as a personal trainer, I’ve read hundreds of reviews and listicles of “best” products. More importantly, I’ve used many of these bars.

I stand behind my words when I say that our approach is unique because it’s data-based with little to no room for opinion.

Let’s find you a barbell…

Budget Option

Titan Midway Olympic Power Bar

The Midway bar

Best Overall

Titan Blues City Olympic Barbell Cerakote

The Blues City bar

Best Women’s Option

Titan Women Bombshell Olympic Cerakote Barbell

The Bombshell Bar

11 Best Titan barbells

NameBest in categoryRatingPriceTensile Strength (thousand PSIs)Finish (shaft/sleeves)
1. Blues City (Cerakote)Overall (our guide)8.2
(out of 11.8)
$$$190Cerakote/zinc
2. Midway OlympicBudget ​​(our guide)8
(out of 11.8)
$165Chrome/chrome
3. MaxxumPowerlifting (our guide)7.7
(out of 10.6)
$$$230Stainless steel
4. Yukon BarCurved7.2
(out of 10.6)
$$180Black oxide/chrome
5. Blues City Deadlift BarDeadlift (our guide)13.8
(out of 19.25)
$$$200Zinc/chrome
Women’s bars
6. Women’s BombshellWomen’s (our guide)12.25
(out of 30.5)
$$190Cerakote/zinc
Specialty bars
7. 60-In Olympic BarShort barbell (our guide)19.25
(out of 34.625)
$not listedChrome
8. Olympic EZ CurlCurl bar (our guide)12.25
(out of 19.125)
$not listedChrome/stainless steel
9. Safety Squat Bar V2Safety squat bar (our guide)15.5
(out of 16.75)
$$not listedChrome
10. Rackable Trap Hex Bar V2trap/hex bar (our guide)13.875
(out of 23.75)
$$not listedpowder coat
11. Multi-Grip Camber BarSwiss bar (our guide)22.25
(out of 31.625)
$$not listedpowder coat

1 – Top-rated standard bar from Titan – the Blues City Olympic barbell (Cerakote)

Titan Blues City Olympic Barbell (Cerakote)

Summary

(rated 8.2 out of 11.8)

I’d be a bore to talk to if you asked me about Titan barbells three years ago. I’d keep coming back to the same “if-you-want-to-save-money-then-maybe” argument.

The three main problems they had back then were finish, quality control, and the warranty.

The Blues City eliminates two out of those three “problems.”

This barbell is an indicator of where the Titan brand is headed – moving away from the “cheap” aura and becoming a serious competitor to Rogue and the likes.

Specifically, Blues City takes on the Rogue Ohio Cerakote and gives it a run for its money.

What makes it the best Titan barbell?

At first glance, two things stand out:

  1. It’s one of two Titan bars coated in Cerakote
  2. It’s one of two Titan barbells made in the US

(the other one is a women’s bar)

Is it as good as the Rogue Ohio? Is it the better value?

No and no.

I could talk about knurling termination and the spin ’till the cows come home, but I’ll skip that.

Instead, I’ll just point out the obvious – the warranty.

When all is said and done, a company has to stand firmly behind a barbell in this price range, and 1-year does not inspire confidence. When you consider a lot of the big brands offer anywhere between several years and a lifetime warranty, it lends a bit of perspective to how little protection you have with this bar.

Bottom line – it’s better than the rest of the Titan family. So much so that it outranks bars that cost half as much. That speaks volumes because our rating models are value-centric (i.e. we look for the good stuff that doesn’t break the bank).

You can see our main guide on the best Olympic barbells here

PROs

  • Cerakote finish – stands up to time much better than chrome. It doesn’t chip or rust and takes print much better, which means you can choose from a range of colors.
  • High weight capacity (1500 lbs) – you can pack on weight without worrying if the bar can take it.
  • High tensile strength (200K PSI) – just right for a multi-use bar, lends a bit of whip but doesn’t feel wobbly.
  • Zinc-coated sleeves – more durable than decorative chrome (that you see in most Titan bars).

CONs

  • Premium price point – if you’re looking into Titan to save money, this will be an unpleasant surprise.
  • Sub-par 1-year warranty – you can easily find a bar backed by a lifetime warranty in this price range.

2 – Budget pick among standard barbells – the Midway bar

Titan Midway Olympic Power Bar

Summary

(rated 8 out of 11.8)

If you’re purposefully looking at Titan, you’re probably on the prowl for a bar like this – not great (relative to the very best on the market), but good on all key points. 

And cheaper…much cheaper.

At the time of completing this guide, it’s the runner-up in popularity among lifters (second only to the “Regular” bar).

It’s listed at the same weight capacity (1500 lbs) and has a slightly lower tensile strength (165k vs 190k PSI) than the Blues City. It “runs” on the same bronze bushings, and it costs about half.

If you’re OK with the thicker shaft (30 mm), this is a “value bar” if there ever was one. 

Is this a power bar?

There is “power” in the name, and the shaft is thicker, but Titan does advertise it as a multi-use bar.

And it can be that as long as you don’t have small hands.

Bottom line – you can get two of these instead of the Blues City and still have money to get a good pre-workout drink. The chrome coating has no place being compared to Cerakote and it will chip over time or mis-use, but that’s to be expected at this price point.

Finally, skip this one if you’re looking for a bar for Olympic weightlifting. You’d need a thinner shaft and (in my opinion) a higher tensile strength. For general weight training though, this is a great value choice.

PROs

  • Budget-friendly – costs about half as much as the Blues City or Rogue Ohio.
  • Solid tensile strength and weight capacity for the price – most other bars in this price range will be lower on both those scales.
  • Collar-to-collar space is 52 inches – this makes it easy to rack, which can be a big deal on heavy squats.

CONs

  • Chrome-coated shaft and sleeves – not as corrosion resistant as Cerakote; it will chip and rust in time.
  • Shorter sleeves – at 15.25 inches, the sleeves of the Midway are the shortest among the standard Titan bars. This might be an issue if you’re lifting heavy and using bumper plates to do it.
  • 30mm diameter shaft – a regular Olympic bar has a 28mm shaft and a power bar uses 29mm. This doesn’t seem much thicker but it reduces whip, is harder to grip and an experienced lifter would hate this!

3 – Best Titan Fitness power bar – Maxxum Stainless steel bar

Titan Maxxum Stainless Steel Power Bar

Summary

Maxxum tops the power category of Titan barbells, but with a caveat.

First things first

It’s obviously designed to be a contender to the OPB (Ohio Power Bar from Rogue) and the likes. It’s stainless steel all over, and boasts 230 K PSI of tensile strength and 2,000 pounds of max load.

The stainless steel finish separates it from the two other power bars from Titan – the Yukon and the Blues City.

A caveat for powerlifters

If you’re used to a “true” powerlifting bar, this one might feel weird because it’s 28 mm thick (instead of 29mm), the knurl is not overly aggressive, and it’s “spinnier” than your average power bar.

That all makes it a viable choice as a multi-use Oly bar, too.

What it means for you

Maxxum might be right for you if powerlifting is a part of your workouts, but you’re not a powerlifter first. If you are (a powerlifter), the only true option in the Titan line-up is the Blues City power bar.

On the other hand, if you do a lot of cleans and snatches, note that the Maxxum does have almost 5 inches of center knurl.

I know, I know…a few contradictions live here. Maxxum is the “gender-fluid Frankenstein” of the Titan bunch. It’s clearly trying to be the jack-of-all-trades and to be honest, it’s succeeding. I like the variety of features.

But here’s the bottom line – for the average home gym owner leaning towards power lifts in their routine, Maxxum might hit the spot in a way that no other bar will. And that goes past the Titan bunch. 

If you’ve got the cash for one general purpose bar, and want something suitable for weightlifting, powerlifting and general training, this is a superb choice.

You can see the complete guide and our top power bar picks here.

PROs

  • Stainless steel bar – as durable as a “finish” (it’s not actually a finish, it’s bare steel, as this metal is so robust) gets, and it doesn’t dull the knurling.
  • Higher tensile strength (230 K PSI) – the bar will feel stable, even on heavier lifts.
  • Higher maximum capacity – at 2,000 lbs capacity, this one’s made for blasting through personal bests.
  • Both bushings and bearing in the sleeves – a smoother spin compared to bushing only.

CONs

  • Deviates from the specs of your typical power bar – if you’re used to a 29-mm bushing bar, Maxxum might feel thin (28mm) or spinny.

4 – Runner-up in the power category – Titan Yukon Curved bar

Titan Yukon Curved Bar

Summary

This is Titan’s take on the awesomeness that is the Kabuki Duffalo bar.

To be precise, it’s their second iteration of the curved power bar. The first one, Bison, is an awkwardly shaped forgettable bar…so that’s what we’ll do – forget that the Bison bar ever existed.

This is a super-specialized barbell, so you’re only likely to be buying it if you have a specific use case in mind. It’s way too indulgent for general training purposes in your home gym!

Is Yukon as good as the Dufallo bar?

Well, no. But then again, neither are the curved bars that cost twice as much as the Yukon.

It’s not about being as good as Duffalo – it’s about getting most of the benefits of a fat, curved power bar at a fraction of the cost.

PROs

  • Curved shape – more comfortable body position for squats, gentler. on your back, and easier to use if you have shoulder mobility issues.
  • Thicker shaft (32 mm) – minimal whip on squats and presses.
  • Snap-ring end-caps – make the sleeves easier to open for maintenance (not a given with cheaper specialty bars).

CONs

  • Knurling on the passive side – you’re not likely to use this for deadlifts (it’s too fat for that anyway).
  • Black oxide coating – the shaft will likely chip and show signs of oxidation in time.
  • Not stable on the rack – because it’s curved all the way, the contact between the rack the Yukon is actually one spot on both sides, which compromises the stability. That means you’ll need to pack it on strategically because it might flip.

5 – Top-rated Titan Fitness barbell for deadlifts – Blues City Deadlift bar

Titan Blues City Deadlift Bar

Summary

There’s only one bar in the Titan line marked as “deadlift.”

It’s the US-made Blues City, and it ticks all but one box of an excellent deadlift bar.

  • At 90.5 inches, it’s longer than your average bar (86.6”), so you get more whip.
  • It’s flexible without feeling flimsy (200K PSI).
  • The sleeves are longer – 16.25 inches.

The one aspect that could (and should) be better is the shaft diameter. It’s your standard 28.5 mm, which misses the mark of a dedicated deadlift bar by 1.5 mm.

Not really a “deadlift” bar

There’s a reason behind the thin shafts on deadlift bars – they work in unison with the extra length to give you more flex and whip.

So, we have a similar situation as with the Maxxum – it’s a decent deadlift bar for lifters who plan to use it for other stuff, too.

I’d have to see a thinner shaft to consider it a dedicated deadlift bar.

You can see our top-rated deadlift bars here.

PROs

  • Longer (90.5) – the weight sits further apart, so you’ll get more whip.
  • Generous 55.5 inches collar-to-collar distance – provides more whip- most normal bars have around 51” distance.
  • Black zinc coating – makes the bar “grippier” because it doesn’t dull the knurl.

CONs

  • Standard shaft thickness (28.5) – you don’t benefit from the added whip as you would with other specialized deadlift bars.

6 – Best Titan Fitness barbell for women – Bombshell Olympic Cerakote bar

Titan Women Bombshell Olympic Cerakote Barbell

Summary

In the category of multipurpose bars for women, the Bombshell stands alone because Titan only makes one other women’s barbell – the 87-inches Olympic Atlas bar.

The Bombshell is the women’s counterpart to the Blues City bar (BC).

And it does a solid job at doing that – Cerakoted (if that’s a word), three color options for the shaft, Zinc sleeves, and solid strength specs (190K PSI and 1,500 capacity).

It’s planned and made to compete with the Bella bar from Rogue, just like the BC is made to compete with the Ohio bar.

And it does compete, just not in the way you might expect from Titan. It does not undercut the pricing and costs only a peg (~10-15%) less than the Bella.

In other words – if you’re buying the Bombshell, you’re not doing it to save 20 bucks.

Follow this link to see our complete guide on the best women’s Olympic barbells.

PROs

  • Cerakote shaft – highly resistant to corrosion and wear.
  • High tensile strength and weight capacity (190K PSI and 1,500 lbs) – no worries about packing on too much weight, and an indicator of durability.
  • Three color choices – you can add a personal touch to your home gym.

CONs

  • Expensive for the warranty – you’re on your one after a year. The Bella bar costs a bit more but comes with a lifetime warranty on construction.

Best dedicated and specialty bars from Titan

The section below is dedicated to bars that probably didn’t bring you here but might be what you take away.

They might not be the hero you want, but the hero you deserve…and this city needs them…

K, enough with the Batman quotes; let me explain what I mean.

This is where I present the 5 dedicated and specialty barbells from Titan that deserve a mention but don’t belong to the “standard” group. 

Side note: My definition of standard and specialty might not be the same as everyone else’s. I chose simplicity – a full-length, straight bar is “standard.” Period.

7 – Top-rated shorty Titan bar – 60-inch Olympic bar

Titan 60-in Olympic Bar

If you’re looking for a space-saver, there are few more effective ways to do it than getting a shorty bar like this 60-inch from Titan.

It’s the only short barbell they make, but it’s found its way into the TOP 5 picks in the category.

Its main fortes compared to other shorties are the long sleeves and low price. Its main downside is not being rackable.

The latter is a significant trade-off.

I like my bars rackable, even if it’s a shorty – it’s much less messy (and if you have a small home gym, safer – you don’t want barbells rolling all over the floor, waiting to be tripped over).

You can see the complete analysis and all our picks in the best short barbell category here.


8 – Our pick in the curl bar category – Olympic EZ bar

Titan Olympic EZ Curl Barbell

Titan makes 5 curl bars….actually, it’s 4 and one series of fixed curl bars.

In that line-up, the only classic is the Olympic EZ bar, which makes it our top pick.

I know that being the only classic isn’t a great reason to label something as “best.”

You’ll notice I didn’t do that.

It’s just our “top pick” because the alternatives are:

  • Fixed curl bars
  • Fat rackable bar
  • A 48-inch bar that doesn’t fit Olympic weight plates

How it compares to other curl bars

It’s not in our top 10. The competition in the category is fierce, and deco-chrome sleeves and a 1-year warranty aren’t cutting it.

You can see the complete list of the best curl bars here.


9 – Titan Safety Squat bar V2

Titan Safety Squat Olympic Bar V2

The safety squat bar is designed around a few simple ideas:

  1. Lower the injury risk on squats, especially for the lumbar spine
  2. Allow people in recovery to squat with more motion control
  3. Change things up and test you in ways you’ve never been tested before
  4. Allow beginners to work on their technique whilst reducing injury risk

Version 2 of their squat safety bar was a game-changer for Titan.

At least that was the case for me…it changed my perception of Titan from “cheap knock-off” to “good knock-off.”

A word about Titan’s design practices

I do still think they’re basing most of their designs on what other companies do, but that’s not the problem of the person planning a home gym on a budget. 

In this particular case – the second version of Titan’s safety squat bar bears an uncanny resemblance to the universally-praised EliteFTS SS Yoke.

Of course, it costs less – about 30% less.

They did such a good job with this one that it’s currently our top overall pick in the guide on best safety squat bars.


10 – Top-rated Titan hex bar – Olympic Hex Weight

Titan Rackable Hex Trap Bar V2

A hex bar is not an essential part of a home gym.

It changes your deadlift game and hits your legs differently but isn’t a substitute for a barbell (except in injury-related scenarios).

Among the few trap bars from Titan, the basic Olympic hex bar will be the best choice for most people.

You could pay more for something like the EZ load or the rackable hex bar V2, and they would both make sense. The former because loading the weight on is much easier and the latter because it’s rackable.

In their respective price ranges, these two were never going past hex bars like the Rogue TB-2 or the budget-friendly Gymax.

This hex bar from Titan is currently the 8th top-rated hex bar in our main guide on best trap bars here.


11 – Titan multi-grip barbell (winner of Swiss bar category)

Titan Multi-Grip Camber Bar

A multi-grip barbell is an awesome addition to any home gym and a great way to hits your chest, tris, and back from new angles while lowering the risk of wrist, elbow and shoulder injury. It’s also helpful for people training around existing injuries in these areas.

Out of the 4 multi-grip bars Titan makes, the cambered Swiss bar is the most complete. That’s primarily because a camber adds an extra layer of versatility.

It’s also the most expensive of the 4, but it still falls under the umbrella of “budget-friendly” in the broader market context.

That’s the label it carries in our guide on best multi-grip barbells here.


Choosing a good Titan Fitness barbell – complete guide for the conservative buyer

What to look for in a Titan bar – 10 primary factors

Olympic Barbell Buying Guide

1. Maximum load (capacity) of Titan barbells

(0 to 1 point in our ratings)

Most Titan barbells have a listed capacity in the 1000-1500 lbs range.

The one barbell that falls below that range is the Economy barbell, with a listed capacity of 700 lbs. The two barbells that go over that range are listed at 2,000 pounds (the Maxxum Power bar and the Blues City deadlift bar).

Even the barbells on the lower end of that range will do fine for your average home gym setup.

My advice – think about the max load as an indicator of quality rather than just a number that limits you to lift half a ton.

2. Tensile strength of Titan barbell

(0 to 1 point in our ratings)

Nine out of eleven Titan barbells we analyzed have a tensile strength in the acceptable 165-220 K PSI.

Five of those are in the “sweet” 180-210 range.

We refer to the range as “sweet” because the steel in this range is flexible without feeling “wobbly.”

Going into more depth about what tensile strength means for you is beyond this guide. To read more on that, head over to our main guide on the best Olympic barbells here.

3. Finishes of Titan barbells – sleeves and shaft

(0 to 1.5 points in our ratings)

Titan has become “famous” as a go-to alternative to Rogue and other high-end brands, but they are evolving past that image.

Sure, they’re still “borrowing” ideas, but they upped their execution game, primarily in the coating and finish aspect.

They used to rely on cheap decorative chrome that chips like old paint in a Florida basement.

Today, the Titan line-up includes Cerakote and solid stainless steel shafts.

Finish resistance of barbells

Still, the most popular Titan bars use chrome on both shaft and sleeves. These budget bars remain popular because lifters go to Titan to save money above anything else.

4. Overall length and collar-to-collar distance (rackability) of a Titan barbell

(short analysis and an important caveat)

All standard Titan barbells we looked at are rackable, which is crucial for a home gym setup.

The differences in the collar-to-collar distance are not substantial, and I don’t see anyone having problems racking the Blues City, which has the least rackable space (51.5 inches).

While we’re on the point of racking a Titan bar, let me mention the issue with the Yukon bar.

It is unstable on the rack and can flip. The shaft is curved sleeve-to-sleeve, so there are only two contact points between the bar and the rack. This is actually a much bigger deal than it sounds – you’d be better off storing this bar in a floor-based barbell stand.

Yukon is Titan’s take on the Duffalo bar, but this is a significant flaw. The Duffalo is curved but transitions into a flat line toward the rackable part, making the bar as stable as any.

That’s why Chris Duffin (the brain behind the Duffalo bar) is who he is.

5. Sleeve length

(0 to 0.3 points in our ratings)

We awarded 0.3 points to the standard Titan bars if the sleeve length was over 16 inches and 0.2 if it was over 15.5.

Those are minor differences and won’t mean much to 95% of you.

We choose those two numbers as cutoff points because, for some bumper plates, it’s the cutoff between packing 400 and 500 lbs.

6. Sleeve spin – room for improvement

Titan uses bronze bushings in all but one of their bars (Maxxum bar has both), and that’s not bad per se. If the tolerances were always close and precise, which they aren’t.

Olympic Barbell Bushing vs Bearing Sleeves

Even in the better Titan bars, you still might see some “wiggle” between the shaft and the sleeves.

That’s a problem beyond cosmetics, especially with bronze bushings that need oiling and maintenance.

The higher the tolerance, the higher the chance of dust getting into the sleeve and forming gunk.

And oil-dust gunk is where barbell spin goes to die.

This should probably be #1 on their to-do list because, while it was something you just accept in cheaper bars, it’s not acceptable in the medium and high-end of the market.

7. Shaft diameter – thickness of a Titan barbell

This is typically a section I slide through, but not with Titan…because very few things here are standard.

Three out of five standard multi-use barbells for men are thicker than the standard.

Regular, Economy, and Midway all boast a 30 mm shaft.

Only the Blues City (28.5 mm) and the Atlas bar (28 mm) fall into the standard range.

On the other hand, two out of three power bars Titan makes have a standard shaft thickness, with the “fat” Yukon as the exception (32 mm).

Finally, even the bar they labeled as “deadlift” is not as “thin” as most dedicated deadlift bars.

You typically get a 27 mm shaft in a bar like this so that it flexes and whips more, but Titan went with the standard 28.5 mm.

Unless I’m missing something, Titan needs to go back to the drawing board with this kind of stuff… or at least be clearer on what the suggested use case for each bar is.

8. Price points of Titan bars

You can get a good Titan barbell like the Midway for under $150.

That was true at the time of completing this guide, but the prices in the industry (much like everything else these days) have an upward trend.

I’ve just looked into what Titan is doing with their prices, and they seem to be taking a calmer approach than most brands and keeping stuff as is.

However, there are exceptions, like the Yukon bar that went from under $200 to around $250.

i

Source: pricepulse

9. Titan’s warranty terms

Titan offers a 1-year warranty on pretty much all their barbells.

That’s not good enough. Not at this price point, anyway.

Again, it was good enough before they started making bars that cost upwards of $300. If I had a say in it, the warranty for the Blues City would go from a year to a lifetime…and today.

Even if it means taking a net loss in the short term.

Because, with the Ohio bar in the world, you have to grab buyers’ sleeves and not let go if you want to get them to buy the Blues City.

I can only assume the warranty is letting go of many a proverbial sleeve.

10. Quality control and attention to detail

Titan has taken serious leaps over the past few years and is now much closer to brands like Fringe Sport, American Barbell, and REP.

Rogue? Not quite there yet.

I applaud the effort, and I’m rooting for Titan because competition only brings good stuff.

With that said, a lot of what they did feels cosmetic and doesn’t pass the smell test.

Areas for improvement?

Warranty terms, product planning (think center knurl and shaft thickness), knurling termination, shaft-to-sleeve tolerances, shipping and handling…to name a few.

Knurling of a barbell

They’ll get there…

How we assessed and rated the Titan barbells

I’ll take a moment here to go over the steps that lead us from ideation to completing this guide.

If you’re confused by the points and ratings, this section will shed light on that.

  1. We compiled a database of all Titan barbells currently listed on their website.
  2. We broke that list up into 3 major categories – standard barbells for men (multi-use, power, and deadlift), women’s barbells, and specialty barbells (like the trap and hex bar).
  3. We gathered all the relevant information on Titan barbells – from the basics like dimensions to manufacturing and shipping practices.
  4. We consulted industry experts (in-house and out) on the optimal approach to rating a Titan barbell. The main challenge here turned out to be the gravity of the pricing category.
  5. Based on 4, we crafted unique rating models for the major barbell categories Titan carries. We used the existing data from our previous guides for some categories, like the hex bar.
  6. We went through the list, awarded each bar a rating in several quality categories, and summed that up. The result of that is the Top 11 picks.

We went this deep to come out with a single number as a reliable measure of quality for a Titan bar.

It’s like Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption“…the man who crawled through 500 yards of sh*t and came out clean the other end.”

FAQs about Titan Fitness equipment

Is Titan Fitness a good brand?

Yes, Titan Fitness is a good brand. Some of their products, like the SB-2 safety squat bar, are leaders in their respective categories.
Titan currently has a 4.7 rating on TrustPilot link (out of 5), with 90% of reviewers rating Titan as either excellent or great. Those with grievances most often complained about customer service and shipping times.

Are Titan bars good?

Yes, Titan bars are good, with the Blues City Cerakote and the Safety squat bar V2 as prime examples of that.
In most barbel categories on our site, they’re moving from “cheap” to budget picks. In some categories (i.e. the safety squat bar), their bars are highest-rated overall.

Where is Titan Fitness made?

Titan Fitness is mainly made in China, but some of their products, like the Blues City barbell, are now made in the USA.
It’s worth noting that the ‘made-in-China’ label means much less today than it did 10 years ago. It’s more about outsourcing practices and quality control than the manufacturing location.

Where is Titan Fitness located?

The Titan Fitness headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee.
On their About Us page, Titan goes out of their way to stress that they process and ship all orders directly from US-based distribution centers. I didn’t find the precise answer to how many of those centers exist.

How long does Titan take to ship?

Titan typically takes three days to ship (order to delivery).
They significantly improved the shipping times by growing the distribution center network and the available stock. In the busier times of the year, shipping can take up to six days.

What’s Titan Fitness’s “scratch and dent” program?

“Scratch and dent” is Titan’s term for discounted items with some damage.
I’ve seen people saving up to 70 percent on Titan barbells by getting them from their website’s scratch and dent section.
This is a direct link to the section (for reference, it’s nested under SALE in the main menu).

Commercial gym vs. home gym equipment from Titan

Up until a few years ago, if you’d asked whether Titan could be good enough for a commercial gym, you’d probably get a definite “no.”

Today, I wouldn’t be so sure.

The vast majority of their stuff is still better suited for a home gym, but I can see some of their high-end bars (like the Blues City or the Maxxum) taking the abuse of a commercial gym.

Other Titan Barbells that we rated

Below is a list of Titan barbells that didn’t make it to the top 11, followed by a blurb on what kept them out.

Standard Titan barbells outside of the Top 11

  • Atlas bar (rated 7.1 out of 11.8) – price-wise, the Atlas bar is nested between the premium Blues City and the budget Midway. Atlas bar boasts the highest tensile strength among the Titan multi-use barbells (220 K PSI). I dropped points in the shaft and sleeve coating.
  • Economy barbell (rated 6.6) – a cheap bar that might have a place in a home gym as a second barbell. The tensile strength is not even listed, but with only 700 lbs weight capacity, it’s probably too low for a primary bar. It is a bargain, though.
  • Regular Olympic barbell (rated 6.3) – Like the Economy bar, the “regular” is exceptionally popular among lifters. The weight capacity is 300 lbs higher than the Economy, and it’s slightly shorter (both overall and in loadable sleeves). Pair that with the chrome coating, and you have a bar that doesn’t impress with anything other than the low price point (it costs 40-50% less than the Atlas bar).
  • Blues City power bar (rated 6.02 out of 10.6) – Blues City is ONLY the 3rd top-rated Titan in the dedicated power category. That should tell you two things:
  1. The Maxxum and the Yukon are great value
  2. The Blues City had its work cut out because of the price point. This makes the win in the multipurpose category all the more impressive.

On a tangent – other Titan equipment (pull up bar, racks, weight plates)

I’ll just take a moment here to address a few popular pieces of home gym equipment from Titan that are beyond the scope of this guide and “redirect” you to our relevant guides:

Titan pull-up bar

The pull-up bar from Titan is one of the most popular pieces because it costs about 50% compared to similar systems from brands like Rogue. There are few ways you can go wrong with a pull-up bar, making the price even more appealing.

It’s not a home gym essential, and there are easy ways to work the same muscles without it – you can see our guide on some great pull-up alternatives here.

Titan power rack and squat rack

Titan makes a few popular racks, with the T-3 and T-2 power racks standing as the most popular series to date.

You can see how they compared to other top-rated budget power racks here.

Titan barbells – the bottom line and next steps

Making sense of where exactly Titan stands in today’s barbell market is crucial for our long term-mission – making a home gym affordable. We were extra careful with this guide, and I firmly believe it was worth it.

Below are the key takeaways…

For most people, the Blues City Olympic Cerakote will be the top choice among the multi-use barbells from Titan. Its tensile strength and weight capacity are in the “sweet range” (200k tensile strength and 1,500 lbs capacity).

It’s US-made and coated in Cerakote, all part of a plan to give Rogue Ohio a run for its money.

Click here to skip back to the mini-review of the Blues City.

If you’re looking to save money, the Titan Midway barbell is your best bet. It costs 50% less than the Blues city, and the main trade-off is the coating (zinc and Cerakote on the Blues City; chrome on the Midway).

Click here to skip back to the mini-review of the Midway barbell.

We also found winners in a range of other categories, from power and deadlift bars to specialty bars. You can skip back to the table with all our top picks by clicking here.

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Steve Hoyles is a certified personal trainer and gym owner. Since graduating with his Sports Science degree in 2004 he's worked in the fitness industry, helping thousands of people reach their health and fitness goals. His writing has been read by millions of people in over 200 countries as he inspires to help as many people as possible live a healthy lifestyle.

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