-Review written by Jake - Garage Gym Experiment
Crandall Fitness began its journey a little less than a year ago, simply intent on providing high-quality equipment at lower prices than what you see on the market today. One of the first products offered was this barbell being discussed, and it has quickly expanded to more equipment offerings suited for both home and commercial gym settings.
Overall, this barbell’s specs and performance are similar to other multi-purpose barbells, but this one definitely stands out from them with a clean camo look. The process of getting to the end product is a time-consuming one. Each color is hand-painted and then baked. The process is repeated 4 times for each color. The result is pretty magnificent.
Overall, this barbell is built solidly and would make a trustworthy option for anyone looking for a multi-purpose barbell, including Cross-Fitters. In addition to the Cerakote finish, the barbell includes a 28.5 mm diameter, dual knurl marks, a 1,500 lb rating, and 8 needle bearings. This is a solid lineup of barbell specs.
For it to be shipped to your door, it costs $350, which is a bit more than similar “bearing” options (Bomba Bar, Legend Bar) that do not include the camo look. Therefore, the camo must be of great interest for someone to consider this barbell.
The rotation of the bar is extremely smooth for Olympic lifts because of the bearings. However, if you do not plan on performing these lifts (clean, clean & jerk, snatch), go with one with bushings. While there aren’t any huge issues with benching, squatting, and deadlifting, it’s the bar is more likely to rotate, which could cause a minor disruption.
The rotation of the bar is extremely smooth for Olympic lifts because of the bearings. However, if you do not plan on performing these lifts (clean, clean & jerk, snatch), go with one with bushings. While there aren’t any huge issues with benching, squatting, and deadlifting, it’s the bar is more likely to rotate, which could cause a minor disruption.
The knurl is pretty mild. It’s also not quite as grippy as some other as other Cerakote options. It feels similar to an E-Coat version of the Ohio Bar.
With the camo coating, the knurl marks are tough to see. It’s a non-issue but worth pointing out.
There is no center knurl, which will save your neck during high-intensity workouts, including power cleans, but that also means a little less grip when doing back squats. This is another feature that suits well for those doing Olympic lifts or CrossFit workouts. However, if that is not a priority, a barbell with a center knurl would be ideal.
This barbell has held up well through the winter and up to the summer in Indiana. There will be little maintenance needed to maintain the look of this barbell. In addition, the smooth chrome sleeves still look pretty fresh.
With all of that being said, it comes down to whether or not you like the look of the camo bar. For the most part, its specs and overall performance align with most other high-quality multi-purpose bars on the market. It’s a rock-solid option. While camouflage typically is used to help someone blend in, this barbell is for a home gym owner that wants it to stand out from the crowd.