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This is a review of the 4 best rackable EZ curl bars available.

I’ve been in the fitness industry for a long time, and up until recently, I’d never heard of a rackable curl bar. 

When I discovered it, I thought, this is an awesome workout tool and would be a great addition to any gym.

I’ve spent a considerable amount of time looking at and testing all 4 options to help you choose the best rackable EZ curl bar for your home gym or business.

Best Olympic Ez Curl Bars Overview

Rogue does it again with their rackable Olympic EZ curl bar – a solid piece of equipment that looks just as badass as everything else they sell.

REP offers both an affordable and premium option for rackable curl bars. Both are great, but the stainless steel version looks way better and will last forever.

The Titan rackable curl bar is a great bang for your buck product, but can’t be used for as many exercises and requires upkeep.

Finally, XMark’s “Convict” bar is low cost and more appropriately sized than Titan’s bar, but doesn’t look as good and will rust quickly. 

Keep reading to learn more about each rackable bar brand – the good, the bad, and which I recommend after all things are considered. 

Let’s get started!

What is a Rackable EZ Curl Bar?

The rackable EZ curl bar is an elongated EZ curl bar that you can rack on a power rack. It’s that simple! This is helpful for a few reasons that I’ll go over.

What Are the Benefits of a Rackable EZ Curl Bar VS a Standard Curl Bar?

The rackable EZ curl bar offers the same fantastic hand positioning as the standard curl bar, meaning your wrists are slightly angled in a more natural position.

This reduces wrist stress and allows for the maximum gripping that gives your forearms and upper arms a better burn when curling.

Most rackable bars are the length of a standard Olympic barbell. On top of being compatible with standard olympic plates, having the curl bar racked while you load it means no more wrestling with it while it’s on the ground to add weight.

When you’re ready to curl, you simply unrack it in a standing position and get going.

The reduced stress on your back with a rackable EZ curl bar cannot go understated.

As someone that incorporates many sorts of curling exercises, like standing overhead tricep extensions and reverse grip curls, I can tell you the ease of use is well worth it. Especially over a period of many years. 

The cambered design of some rackable curl bars is also handy for good mornings, lunges, and various types of squats.

This is because it can double as a camber bar by the way it sits on your shoulders. On top of not being able to rack it, a standard curl bar is also too short for proper hand placement.

Let’s look into the specifics of each bar, what they offer, and where they fall a little short.

Rogue Fitness Rackable Curl Bar

Rogue Rackable Olympic EZ Curl Bar
Rogue Fitness Rackable Curl Bar

Rogue fitness does not disappoint with one of their newest bars, an Olympic EZ curl bar with an added 20 inches of shaft length that you can rack on any standard power rack.

This bar is heavy duty. At 110000 PSI tensile strength, it’s one of the stronger curl bars on the market. 

Rogue uses their patented Ohio knurling for this bar. It won’t destroy your hands but gives you a tight grasp nonetheless.

The medium coarse knurl is very generous, extending well over both curves with small ungrooved sections only in the middle and at each end. 

The e-coat finish for the shaft is popular within the automotive industry; the black looks great and aptly prevents rusting and chipping.


Click To Visit Rogue Official Website


It’s a step down from good old stainless steel but better than the black oxide you see with other curl bars, and even better than the black phosphate on Xmark’s Convict’s bar (which we will get to). 

The sleeves are the same length as the Rogue standard EZ curl bar (10.5”).

They contrast the shaft nicely with a shiny zinc coat and are sized to be compatible with most standard Olympic plates. Plenty of space for your weights on this one, and the spin is just right too.

This rackable bar is made in the US, built with good old US-sourced steel. Rogue backs this bar with a 5 year warranty.

Rogue Rackable Curl Bar Product Specifications

  • Total Length: 74.75 inches
  • Shaft Length: 51.8125 inches
  • Sleeve Length: 10.50 inches
  • Diameter: 28.5 mm
  • Weight: 35 LB
  • Knurling: Medium fine
  • Tensile Strength: 110 000 PSI
  • Finish: Black e-coat & bright zinc
  • Bearing/Bushing: Bronze bushings
  • Warranty: 5 year

Click To Visit Rogue Official Website


XMark Convict 6′ Rackable Olympic Curl Bar

This is Xmark Fitness’ longest curl bar. Unlike with their standard EZ curl bar products, there is no alternative for the rackable bar. What you see is what you get, and at Titan’s price point, how can you go wrong?

The Convict 6’ bar, at 74 inches, is as long as REP’s rackable curl bar, so it’s longer than its affordable counterpart. Like REP’s and Rogue’s bars, it fits on any standard power rack. But it weighs slightly less than both bars, giving it a cheaper feel. 

The knurling in the black phosphate coating is moderate but grittier than the other bars. Unlike the Titan bar there are only two grooved sections – on both angled parts where your hands grab to perform standing curls. 

Although a common iron surface preparation, the coating isn’t as rust proof as it should be for a curl bar. It’s better than black oxide, though.

The consistent contact with your sweaty palms will form rust fast, especially in high moisture areas like basement gyms. So you’ll have to make sure you wipe it down with WD-40 from time to time.

The cambered design is exactly the same as the Titan rackable with inferior close grip qualities along with the discomfort when positioned on your shoulders. 

The chrome sleeves are meant to fit standard Olympics plates but are undersized by a sliver, hence why you need snap rings to hold your weights in place.

You’ll notice they spin more than the first two bars which some people love, but with brass bushings, they’ll loosen over time, which won’t be so great. 

Xmark Convict 6′ Product Specifications

  • Total Length: 74 inches
  • Shaft Length: 52 inches
  • Sleeve Length: 10 inches
  • Diameter: 28 mm
  • Weight: 33 LB
  • Knurling: Standard knurling
  • Tensile Strength: 110 000 PSI
  • Finish: Black phosphate & chrome steel
  • Bearing/Bushing: Brass bushings
  • Warranty: 90 days

Click To Visit Amazon Official Website


REP RACKABLE EZ CURL BARBELL

Rep Rackable Ez Curl Barbell
Rep Rackable Ez Curl Barbell

REP heard its customers loud and clear and finally developed rackable EZ curl bars in both hard chrome and stainless steel to go along with their standard EZ curl bar counterparts. 

REP’s rackable bar comes in a tad shorter than Rogue’s with a 51” shaft length. Not to worry, it still racks on most standard power racks. 

They’ve implemented a unique needle bearing and bushing to the sleeves to create a good mix of spin and stability, a combination that is nice to your arm joints when performing heavy curling motions.

And it won’t wear down.

The knurling, like Rogue’s, is of medium depth. But unlike Rogue’s uniform knurling all the way across, there are 4 small separate sections, one on either side of the two bends.

You won’t notice much difference though, it provides good gripping in the right spots without causing your hands to callus. 

REP’s cambered design is slightly different than Rogue’s and sags slightly more in the middle, meaning your hands are angled a touch more towards the middle with the innermost grip.

The mirrored bends provide less stress for your wrists when doing close-grip exercises like preacher curls or skull-crushers, which is a big plus. 

With options like stainless steel or hard chrome, you can be sure your rackable curl bar will last. The stainless steel is, of course, the better of the two. It offers more durability, better rust-proofing, and won’t discolor, peel, or chip. 

The sleeves, unlike rogue’s bar, match the shaft. They are half an inch shorter at 10 inches, which doesn’t make a difference unless you load the bar up with 10 pounders. And why in the world would you!?

The stainless steel is a hundred dollars more, but it absolutely shines (not just look-wise). So if it’s within your budget, go for it.

Rep Rackable Curl Bar Product Specifications

  • Total Length: 74 inches
  • Shaft Length: 51 inches
  • Sleeve Length: 10 inches
  • Diameter: 30 mm
  • Weight: 35 LB
  • Knurling: Moderate depth
  • Tensile Strength: 200 PSI
  • Finish: Hard chrome or stainless steel
  • Bearing/Bushing: Needle bearing + bronze bushing
  • Warranty: Lifetime

Click To Visit Rep Fitness Official Website


Titan Rackable EZ Curl Bar

Titan Rackable Ez Curl Bar

The Titan rackable curl bar is the affordable yet sturdy little cousin of the Rogue and REP rackable bars.

The Titan rackable bar is shorter than both our other bars. From sleeve to sleeve it’s only 49.25 inches, and the sleeves add another 9.25 inches for a total of 71 inches.

This means it may not fit on all power racks, which totally defeats the purpose, so measure your rack before buying. 

This bar has rotating sleeves, so it spins more than the first two bars. Typically this is a matter of personal preference, but sleeve spinning is better suited for explosive lifts like jump squats.

Spin preference really only depends on how quickly you perform your curl bar movements. Titan’s rackable bar may start squeaking if you don’t properly maintain it, so keep some WD-40 nearby. 

The Titan rackable has a unique camber design. The bends are very subtle but the center has a “V” shaped bend which is awkward when performing close grip exercises.

It also prevents you from resting the bar on your shoulders like a traditional cambered barbell would, a big bonus with our other bars. 

The medium diamond grooving is similar to the Rogue’s and REP’s, but the placement implies that the bar doubles as a standard barbell where your hands are wider apart.

This is because the grooving starts just outside the first angle and continues slightly past the second. Then there’s a small gap before another section of grooving covers the straight part at each end of the shaft. 

Titan’s high quality steel weighs a tad less than our other bars and it looks good. And at two thirds of the price of REP’s cheapest rackable curl bar, it’s worth it, even if it has a short warranty and requires more TLC to last.

Titan Rackable Curl Bar Product Specifications

  • Total Length: 71 inches
  • Shaft Length: 49.5 inches
  • Sleeve Length: 9.25 inches
  • Diameter: 28mm
  • Weight: 31 LB
  • Knurling: Medium diamond
  • Tensile Strength: 110 000 PSI
  • Finish: Chrome steel
  • Bearing/Bushing: Bronze bushings
  • Warranty: 1 year

Click To Visit Titan Official Website


Buying Guide For The Best Rackable EZ Curl Bars

Here’s what tp look for in a rackable EZ curl bar.

Build Quality

Obviously, the bar’s finish is super important. But another element comes to mind – the type of bearing/bushing. 

Bearings and bushings, without getting into too much detail, are mechanisms that help the bar’s sleeves spin. Bearings are more elaborate and expensive but provide a smoother movement – a good thing if you favor Olympic lifts.

But bushings (lubricated metal rings), provide enough spin for a rackable curl bar and cost less. If you can, stay away from cheap bushings like brass.

Knurling

Knurling is the engraved pattern on the bar that gives you a better grip. Typically, there are 3 types – medium, pointy coarse, and non-pointy coarse.

The first does the trick without callusing your hands. The second grips better but is hard on your hands. The third is the best as it provides more surface area contact with your skin. 

Curls aren’t usually heavy lifts and thus shouldn’t require heavy duty gripping patterns. But the Rogue and REP rackable curl bars can be used for other, heavier exercises.

So the non-pointy coarse knurling, although overkill for a curl bar, is too nice to grip that I’d have to recommend it for any bar you purchase. 

Placement is also important. Look for a rackable curl bar with lots of knurling. You can use this bar in non-traditional ways, so it helps to have plenty of grip placement options.

Stainless Steel Finish

Stainless steel is number one, no question. It’s rust proof, provides great grip, and looks awesome. 

E-coating is relatively new but is fairly durable, won’t chip or discolor, and looks cool. 

Hard chrome does the job, but is harder to hold with sweaty hands, and doesn’t look as good as the other two. 

Black phosphate. Next to bare steel and black oxide, this is the worst. It has little esthetic appeal, discolors easily, scratches, and rusts quickly. Avoid.

Cambers

The cambered designs of a rackable curl bar don’t matter too much if you don’t plan on using different grip placements. Look for bends that let you hold the bar comfortably for every exercise you plan on doing. 

The subtleness of the curves is a matter of personal preference. You won’t notice the little variations in angle from one bar to the next.

Frequently Asked Questions

EZ Curl Bar vs. Straight Bar: Which is Better?

Straight bars have their place at the top of the mountain as the ultimate bars. The big three – squats, deadlifts, bench – are best performed with straight bars.

But that’s not to say you can’t with EZ curl bars. Some curl bars have cambered designs that will allow you to get more range of motion with bench, less range of motion with deadlifts, and a lower center of gravity with squats. 

At the end of the day, if you want to be creative with your workouts you can implement curled bars everywhere.

So on that basis, and keeping in mind that curl bars rule for any curling or close grip exercises, I’d say rackable curl bars offer more comfort for your joints than straight bars with nearly the same variety of exercise. So they edge out.

At the end of the day, they both play a part in a balanced weightlifting regimen.

Can I do Bench Press With the Rackable EZ Curl Bar?

Of course!

Rackable EZ curl bars are optimal for close grip bench press. The next time you grip a straight bar and bring your hands closer together, notice the tightness on the outside part of your wrist. With the proper cambered design, your wrist will be more naturally positioned and you’ll feel a better burn in your triceps when you push.

Final Verdict

Drumroll please … There are two winners!

The REP stainless steel rackable EZ curl bar is a dream. It looks fantastic and will outlast you, hence the lifetime warranty. It also has the best quality bearing/bushing combination for a fluid spin, and it’s compatible with most gym equipment. 

The Titan rackable EZ curl bar looks similar to REP’s bar, cambered design aside, but is less than half the price. Yes it’s a bit shorter, but it should fit on any standard rack (although racking the bar after a lift might take more precision).

And let’s face it, this bar isn’t your first purchase. It’s a nice addition. For a specialty bar, it offers the curling and racking advantages you’re looking for at the price you’d want to pay.