PowerBlock Elite EXP Series Straight Bar

I was just recently made aware of this bar for the Elite Exp (2020) version. It will not fit any other version. Id say it’s a great addition to my home gym being that I don’t have any weight plates as my home is small but I wanted the bar for curling, squats, benching. I coupled this with the Titan spotter rack (other racks seem to tall for the current bench I have now) and i think it’s not ideal but I am glad I went with this combo. The straight bar comes in 2 packages - the bar itself and the part where the PB plates are placed. It gets attached to the bar with 4 supplied nuts and bolts with washers. Supposed to be able to load the entire complete set of PB elite exp dumbbells. Going to up 195lbs total max. You will also need to put the adder weights into the “handles” of the straight bar. Putting this together was easy. They also supplied stickers for the various weights with and without the adder weights. The dark pink/purple weight indicator has no contrast making it hard to decipher otherwise it’s fine. There is good knurling but there isn’t any knurling in the middle. The bar likes to roll on its backside if you do not put the adder weights in. With the adder weights it feels balanced and doesn’t really roll but it is awkward to do a clean because there’s no ball bearings since the powerblocks are rectangular box shaped it really should not spin. It feels ok on the bicep curl. This bar is too short for average to taller people for bench press. Might even feel too short for squatting that is to say taller people may want a wide arm extension to hold it to the back. I think it’s good for people up to 5’5” maybe 5’6” other wise you’d prob want a longer bar. Also this may not hold enough weight for the strong person. Only up to 195 esp on the squat. That being said I do like this bar because I don’t have any other way (short of buying a entire new barbell set) to do a straight bar bench press or a back squat. I think it could be a bit cheaper but look for it onsale. But I think the price is ok. Glad to have it. Edit to say you can flip this upside down on a rack to load the plates. Some said this on another review and it has a been helpful tip.

I was very excited to purchase this straight bar as I already had the EXP dumbells. Here are the major issues that make it not worth the price: 1) Poor Stability. It twirls non-stop due to poor weight distribution. This becomes dangerous with higher weights, and make it very difficult while performing bench, snatches, and even deadlifts. 2) Too short. The inner bar is about 32" long. This makes it barely fit a narrow home bench or squat setup. I'm 5'9". If you are 5'6" or less than maybe this works for you. 3) Poor Storage and time consuming. A dumbbell stand will not work for this. You must slide it over the weights to change plates, so you can't really keep it on bench. You can keep it on the ground along with weights, or purchase PowerBlocks special barbell stand that cost $330 and is always out of stock. It also takes a long time to change the weights. 4) Minimal Value. This product is expensive for how poorly it works.

Arrived in two packages. Easy assembly. Excellent build quality. Expands the uses of my PowerBlock Elite EXP dumbbells. Take note of the overall width of the bar. Having a squat/bench press rack with an adjustable width is helpful. When racked, flipping the bar so that the labels are facing the ground makes it easier to add weights.

Looks and works as intended but didn’t realize the barbell length was only about 35 inches. You will not be able to rack it on a bench/squat rack unless the width is less than 35 inches between supports

Not the most stable when in use. Doing any sort of exercise and the bar keeps trying to flip arpund due to the weight distribution. I don't think the weights will fall off and works well for what I need it for. Overall seems okay and a good option if you need a barbell

This bar is like a transformer for your PowerBlock Elite EXP dumbbells—suddenly, you’ve got a barbell without needing a full rack of plates. It’s sturdy, easy to assemble, and perfect for exercises like curls and presses. However, it's not without quirks. The bar can feel a bit short for squats, and the weight distribution might make it rotate unexpectedly during lifts. It’s like the bar has a mind of its own, adding a surprise element to your workouts. Still, for the convenience and space-saving design, it’s a solid addition to any home gym. Just be prepared for a bit of a learning curve—and maybe a few unexpected spins.

I initially purchased the EZ curl bar with the expectation that it would be compatible with my current rack for various exercises. After about a month, I decided to purchase the straight bar for bench pressing, mainly because it’s advertised as being significantly longer—by an additional 8.25 inches—compared to the EZ curl bar. My reasoning was that a longer bar would make racking easier and more convenient, especially after performing multiple reps with heavy weight, as it would offer more leeway when positioning the bar on the rack. However, upon receiving the straight bar, I immediately noticed something was off. As shown in the pictures, the supposed difference in length between the EZ curl bar and the straight bar is nonexistent. When I compared both bars side by side, they were exactly the same length—32.75 inches. This is a clear discrepancy from the advertised specifications and defeats the purpose of purchasing the straight bar to begin with. The lack of length difference offers no added benefit in terms of racking convenience. Additionally, the straight bar arrived with a serious quality issue. One end was visibly bent due to poor welding, which prevented the bolt from being secured properly. This lack of quality control and the misleading product description are extremely disappointing. I expected a more reliable product that matches its advertised specs, but unfortunately, this was not the case.

We went from moving from a house to an RV so we needed to find an efficient compact way to still workout on the road vs standard dumbbells. These are easy to use. They take some time to setup as you workout but it is what we were looking for and needed in our compact space. I love how the grip is perfect to hold, not too small and not too thick. These pair well with the powerblock elite exp adjustable dumbbells! Very nice. Now I need them to come up with a compact bench and squat rack.