Bells of Steel Powerlifting Bar
A 29 mm aggressive-knurl power bar rated to 1,500 lb, offered bare steel or Cerakote — the bar that admits it is for squat, bench and deadlift only.
Specs
| Shaft diameter | 29 mm (1.14 in) |
|---|---|
| Length | 86.6 in (2,200 mm) |
| Max capacity | 1,500 lb (680 kg) |
| Tensile strength | 210,000 PSI |
| Knurl | Aggressive |
| Knurl marks | Powerlifting |
| Center knurl | True |
| Shaft finish | Black Cerakote or bare steel |
| Sleeve finish | Black Cerakote or hardened chrome |
| Loadable sleeve length | 16-15/16 in (430 mm) |
| Sleeve assembly | Bushings and snap rings |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime |
These figures are copied from Bells of Steel’s own published specs and were last checked on 2026-08-31. Manufacturers revise products without notice, and variants differ. Confirm anything your decision depends on with Bells of Steel before you buy.
Choose this one if
- You squat, bench and deadlift and do not clean or snatch
- You want aggressive knurl and are past pretending you do not
- You want a bare-steel option and are willing to maintain it
The detail
Everything about this bar is a commitment to three lifts. 29 mm shaft, aggressive knurl, centre knurl, powerlifting marks only, bushings rather than bearings. There is no version of this bar that is good at a snatch, and Bells of Steel has not pretended otherwise — which is more useful than a spec sheet hedging toward "multipurpose."
The thick shaft is the point. A 29 mm bar whips less than the 28 mm Olympic bar, and under a heavy squat you want the bar to stay where you put it rather than oscillate across your back. Combined with a 1,500 lb capacity and 210,000 PSI tensile, this is a bar you will not out-lift.
The centre knurl is not optional here, and that is deliberate. It keeps the bar from sliding down your back in a low-bar squat. It will also shred a t-shirt during high-rep bench, which is the trade every power bar makes. If that bothers you, the Juno or a mixed-use bar like the Colorado is the better buy.
The finish choice is the real decision. Bare steel — Bells calls it Barenaked — gives the best raw knurl feel there is, and it will rust if you look at it wrong. Bells even documents the maintenance: Simple Green and a BBQ brush. Cerakote is nearly maintenance-free and slightly mutes the knurl. In a humid garage, take the Cerakote.
At 16-15/16 inches, the loadable sleeve is long enough for a full set of bumpers plus change, which matters more on a bar you will genuinely load to four figures.