We test and review fitness products based on an independent, multi-point methodology. If you use our links to purchase something, we may earn a commission. Read our disclosures.
Are you ready to put down your dumbbells or barbell to find the best trap bar for you? If you’re building your home gym, you’re probably looking for a trap bar that doesn’t break the bank. If that’s the case, then the BalanceFrom Olympic 2-Inch Hex Weight Lifting Trap Bar may be a good option. Costing only $99.00, this budget-friendly bar has an open hexagonal shape that is great for lifters who want to have more versatility with their trap bar.
In this BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar review, I’ll talk about everything from specs to user experience and will compare this bar to the Bells Of Steel Open Trap Bar, a similar piece of equipment. Let’s dive into the specifics.
We’ve Tested a Wide Variety of Trap Bars
Our goal at Garage Gym Reviews is to write honest reviews to help people determine which fitness products are best for their home gym. Our team includes CrossFit Level 1 Trainers, certified personal trainers, weightlifting coaches, Olympic athletes, and other experts who work to provide the most factual scientific data and most reliable opinions.
Almost all the products featured on our site, including the BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar, have been personally tested by our team to demonstrate the user experience and provide detailed reviews.
BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar
BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar
Product Highlights
- Open trap bar
- Priced below $100
- 1,000-lb weight capacity
- Rotating sleeves
- Minimal knurling
- Arrives fully assembled
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Priced at $99.99
- Rackable
- High weight capacity of 1,000 lbs
- Free returns for 90 days
Cons
- Knurling is not aggressive
- Paint easily chips and scratches
- Poor packaging
- No warranty available
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for an inexpensive and rackable trap bar, you should consider the BalanceFrom Olympic 2-Inch Hex Weight Lifting Trap Bar. Weighing only 45 pounds with a 1000-pound weight capacity, this bar offers the benefits of an open-ended design at a lower cost. When using this bar, its footprint is 70 inches long by 22 inches wide by 8 inches high, and it is also rackable for easier storage. The bar is constructed from steel and has a black paint finish. It also comes fully assembled, so you simply add weight plates to the loadable sleeves to begin your workout. If you’re an experienced lifter who’s putting a lot of weight on the bar, this is not the right product for you; however, if you’re a beginner, this is a good trap bar to check out.
A Quick Look at the BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar
The founder of BalanceFrom started the brand after making his own DIY bathroom scale due to a lack of quality scales on the market. He listed it on Amazon so other people could enjoy his product, and soon had many orders. After, BalanceFrom joined the fitness market to create affordable products with good quality and has since expanded to sporting goods, home, and apparel categories.
The BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar is a budget-friendly piece of gym equipment that has a wide range of workout possibilities. With a 1000-pound capacity and rotating sleeves, this bar is good for home gyms, especially for people who do not need a state-of-the-art bar.
Before You Buy
- The loadable sleeves are short so you will only be able to fit two to three 45-lb plates on each side if you’re using calibrated plates or bumper plates.
- The quality is good for the less-than-$100 value, but it could be more durable.
- The most common complaint about this bar is the packaging; don’t be surprised if your box or the bar inside shows up smashed.
Video Review
Is the BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar Worth It?
The BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar is a good option for those who want to do pressing, lunges, deadlifts, and more. This piece of equipment is considerably more budget-friendly than other trap bars on the market and offers the benefits of an open-ended design. If you are more advanced and need a heavy-duty bar that can hold more than 90 pounds on each side, then you should consider a different trap bar.
Great for:
Not recommended for:
- A budget-friendly option
- Children or new lifters who are beginning to workout
- People with a lower-back injury who want to continue to workout
- Experienced lifters, looking for heavy-duty equipment
- Individuals who want aggressive knurling
- Anyone not wanting to deal with possible customer service issues
BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar Specs
| Price | $99.99 |
| Footprint | 70″ L x 22″ W x 8″ H |
| Weight | 45 lbs |
| Weight capacity | 1,000 lbs |
| Loadable sleeve length | 17” (though the version we received had 9.5” sleeves) |
| Handle diameter | N/A |
| Warranty | N/A |
| Return policy | 90 days after delivery |
Using the BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar
GGR founder and barbell aficionado Cooper Mitchell tried out the BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar because there was so much buzz about it in our Home Gym Community on Facebook. A decent trap bar for $100? Let us be the judge of that.
All in all, Coop was surprised by its performance. After testing the BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar and using both sets of handles for deadlifts, he said that he was impressed because the bar felt like a “normal” open-ended trap bar. He also did lunges and RDLs with ease and had no problems.
When adding Rogue HG 1.0 plates, Coop noted that the jack does work, which is a nice added benefit. He was able to comfortably fit two plates and said you could fit a third without a collar. If you do add Olympic barbell collars, you will only have about 7 of the 9.5 inches left to add plates.
Some exercises that you can do with this bar include:
- Lunges
- RDLs
- Pressing
- Deadlifts
- Bent over rows
- Squat jumps
- Ab roll-outs
RELATED: The Biggest Trap Bar Benefits
Footprint and Portability
The BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar’s footprint is small relative to other bars on the market. This 45-pound bar is also rackable on most power racks, allowing it to be easily stored. The sleeves are advertised as being 17 inches, yet Coop measured approximately 9.5 inches on the bar received at GGR HQ (which was ordered from Walmart.com).
The trap bar we received also has a Signature Fitness logo on the end caps, not a BalanceFrom logo; Signature Fitness is BalanceFrom’s “high-end residential fitness brand,” so they are related, but the fact that we ordered a BalanceFrom bar as indicated on Walmart.com and didn’t receive the exact product is a touch worrisome.
Is the BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar Durable?
The BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar is constructed from steel and includes a black paint finish. The rotating sleeves have no bushing, which may cause more friction due to the steel on steel construction.
The BalanceFrom Open trap bar also has dual handle heights that are 24 inches, which is a good size for most people and just slightly smaller than the 25-inch average. The handles are thin, but Coop says that they’re not too thin.
The bar does have knurling, however, it is extremely minimal; it’s faded on the sides, very uneven, and painted over, although for being less than $100, Coop says that the company did not have to include knurling at all, so it’s a bonus.
The construction of this trap bar could be better. After adding Rogue HG 1.0 plates to either side, Coop noticed that the bar did not sit evenly on the ground—instead, there was a little wobble to it.
Comparison to Bells of Steel Open Trap Bar
Bells of Steel Open Trap bar
Bells of Steel Olympic Open Trap Bar / Hex Bar
Product Highlights
- Has rotating sleeves
- Open-end frame
- Built-in deadlift jack
- Costs under $200
- 700-pound weight capacity
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- Rotating sleeves
- 700-pound weight capacity should be enough for most users
- Built-in deadlift jack
- Open-ended frame
- Free shipping
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Knurling is inconsistent
- Bends at higher weights
- Poor packaging
Bottom Line
For less than $200, the Bells of Steel Open Trap Bar/Hex Bar is a great product with a unique design that sets it apart from the competition in its price range.
The Bells of Steel Open Trap Bar is similar in weight to the BalanceFrom trap bar, but the Bells of Steel Open Trap Bar has a lower weight capacity of 700 pounds, which may restrict more experienced users who need a trap bar for Olympic weightlifting.
The BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar is advertised as having a 1,000-pound weight capacity, which can hold a good number of Olympic weight plates. However, Coop says that he would personally not lift 1,000 pounds with this bar because it may bend.
Reviews for the BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar indicated that there were nicks and scratches on the paint. Likewise, the Bells of Steel Open Trap Bar is powder coated in black oxide, which may scratch and peel over time.
Both bars have dual handle heights, which increases their versatility, and is great for new lifters. This feature can help with balance, form, and back and hip strength. A con of the BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar is that the knurling is extremely minimal, which may affect grip strength. Yet, the Bells of Steel Open Trap Bar does not have the most aggressive knurling either.
Also, unlike the BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar, the Bells of Steel Open Trap Bar is not rackable and will take up more space in your home gym.
Read our full Bells of Steel Open Trap Bar review for our full thoughts on this specialty bar.
| BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar | Bells of Steel Open Trap Bar | |
| Price | $99.99 | $299.99 |
| Weight | 45 lbs | 47 lbs |
| Weight capacity | 1,000 lbs | 700 lbs |
| Dimensions | 70″ L x 22″ W x 8″ H | 59” L x 22.2” W x 4.8” H |
| Width from handle to handle | 24” | 23.6” |
| Handle sleeves diameter | 1.97″ | 1.9” |
| Return | 90 days after delivery | 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Warranty | N/A | Limited lifetime warranty |
Ordering and Assembling the BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar
The ordering process shouldn’t be very difficult; you can purchase the trap bar from Walmart. There is free shipping available with this purchase and the bar will arrive a little over one week after it ships.
Some people had no issues with shipping and handling. However, negative reviews mentioned that the bar came scratched or bent, or the bar poked through the packaging. Others commented that the shipping packaging is poor and arrived in bad condition.
The BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar comes completely assembled, so all you have to do is add Olympic plates.
Customer Experience
Since we ordered our bar from Walmart.com, that’s what we’ll focus on here. The customer experience ranges from excellent to poor.
Of those who received damaged products, two people said Walmart Customer service was very helpful and offered to exchange the bar, but one person said that Walmart did not help them get a refund for this product. Multiple people have complaints about Walmart’s customer service, specifically the long wait time to receive their product.
For a $100 barbell your expectations have to be realistic, but it isn’t acceptable that people aren’t receiving help with damaged products. We had no problems ordering and receiving this bar, although the fact that we got a Signature Fitness barbell is a red flag.
Customer Reviews
Customer reviews for the BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar are extremely mixed, with some customers loving the product and others hating it.
Positive reviews state that the bar fits their needs or is durable and better than expected, especially for the money.
Negative reviews note the poor packaging and state that the product came damaged.
Final Verdict of Our BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar Review
The BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar is a good option for people who want a budget-friendly piece of equipment for strength training. It would work great for new lifters or experienced lifters with a back injury. Although the sleeves are short and the knurling is not aggressive, its $100 value, dual handle heights, and open-ended design make this bar a good value proposition.
BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar Rating
BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar
This BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar review will explain how a budget-friendly bar is great for everything from beginner exercises to powerlifting reps.
Product Currency: $
Product Price: 99.99
Product In-Stock: InStock
4.02
BalanceFrom Open Trap Bar FAQs
What is the purpose of an open trap bar?
An open trap bar allows for a greater range of motion than a traditional trap bar as well as an easier setup, as the user won’t have to step over the bar to assume the starting position.
Is a trap bar safer than a straight bar?
If you’re referring to an injury perspective, a trap bar is better to use if you’re concerned about lower back aggravation. Trap bars allow you to have a centered position, which decreases the pressure on your lumbar muscles. However, a straight bar is best to use when aiming for maximum back extensor and hamstring use.
What is the difference between a hex bar and a trap bar?
A hex bar is another term for a trap bar. Its function is for heavy lifting and reduction of injury compared to a straight barbell, for example.
Should the trap bar be in front or behind?
If you’re performing a trap bar deadlift, you should keep the trap bar in front of you for good leverage. You also want to align your shins with the center of the bar.
Further reading
If water is king for healthy hydration then electrolytes are queen. Find the best electrolyte drink list here, all supported and tested by nutrition experts. Read more
The Triads from Acme Sledgeworksare a triangle-shaped "dumbbell" that can be used in a similar fashion as dumbbells and kettlebells with some unique advantages. We love the use of unconventional equipment to increase engagement and interest and training and the Triads hit the nail on the head in this area. Read more
Want an affordable treadmill that doesn’t require an internet connection and that offers a great warranty program? Read our Horizon T303 Treadmill review! Read more
The Rep Fitness 3-in-1 Soft Plyo Boxis a wooden-framed plyo box that is wrapped in foam and then secured with a vinyl cover. There are a plethora of plyo-boxes available today including foam, wood, resin, and others. This is by far the best value plyo-box available for a safe plyo-box that doesn't break the bank. We highly recommend this plyo-box to anyone in the market, garage gym owner or commercial gym owner. Read more