Trap bars, also known as hex bars, are highly recommended for deadlifts.
They have a hexagonal trap area and you need to stand inside it. This design helps keep the weights on your sides instead of being in the front, as it happens in case of barbell deadlifts. It also helps reduce the pressure on the spine and lower back. Plus, it helps you maintain a correct posture.
They can be great for lifters who cannot get into a proper deadlift position with a regular barbell, for whatever reason.
Trap bars are not as versatile as barbells but you can still do a decent variety of exercises using them.
Watch the video below to get an idea of what you can do with a trap bar.
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Quick Review Summary
The Everyday Essential Olympic trap bar is suitable for beginners and casual trainers. Although it is a solid piece of home gym equipment with a weight capacity of 1000lbs, it has poor knurl marks which may not be enough to give you a proper grip if you lift heavy loads. It is one of the most affordable and top-rated hybrid bars and deserves to be on our list of best trap bars for home gym.
Pros
- Compact footprint
- One of the cheapest trap bars available for beginners and casual trainers
- Can handle decent amount of weight
Cons
- Poor knurl marks
- Paint isn’t great and can chip sooner than expected
Rating
We are giving this a rating of 4.0 out of 5.0.
Full Review
Now on to our full review.
Trap bars are of two types – Open and Closed
The standard trap bars have a closed hexagonal ‘trap’ area and you need to stand inside it. Look at the image below of the Everyday Essentials Olympic Hex weightlifting trap bar that we are going to review in this article.
Due to a the design, closed trap bars can be more restricting when using them.
That’s where open hex bars come in. They have one open end, usually the front end, so you can do a lot more exercises than what you can do with a standard trap bar.
Look at the image of the Bells of Steel 3.0 Open Trap Bar below to get an idea of what an open-ended trap bar looks like.
As you can expect, open-ended trap bars are more expensive than the standard ones but they can be worth their price due to their versatility and the additional range of motion they provide.
We have reviewed a number of them recently. Do check out our detailed reviews of CAP Barbell Olympic Open Trap Bar, Bells of Steel Open Trap Bar / Hex Bar 3.0, Hulkfit Olympic 2″ Hex Trap Bar, Kabuki Strength The Trap Bar HD, and Fitek Premium open trap bar.
If you would rather go with a closed-ended one, here are some of the best trap bars that we recommend.
As you can see in the list, Everyday Essentials hex bar is one of the top-rated products with a 4.7 star rating and thousands of positive reviews from satisfied buyers.
Features and specs of Everyday Olympic 2-inch Hex weight lifting trap bar
- Dimensions: 56” X 22”
- Weight- 45lbs
- Weight-bearing capacity- 1000lbs
- Length of loadable sleeves- 10”
- Has two sets of handles
- Comes with standard 2-years manufacturer warranty
Suitable for beginners and casual trainers
Everyday Essentials or BalanceFrom Hex trap bar has received more than 4-star ratings from 90% of the buyers. Most buyers have agreed that the bar is solid and sturdy.
The size is smaller than the other trap bars we have listed above. But, that's exactly what you need for a small home gym or already cluttered garage gym.
So, if you are a heavy person with a broad body type, you may not be able to use it comfortably. It is suitable for average persons who have just started lifting or those who have no intentions of lifting anything beyond 300lbs.
Moreover, we would never trust a $100 bar to handle weight above 350-400lbs. If you are lifting that heavy, you should invest in better equipment than this one.
The Everyday Essentials/Balancefrom Hex trap bar has really short sleeves
They are just 10” long whereas the standard barbells have at least 15” long sleeves.
Now, here is what annoys us the most. The manufacturer claims that you can load up to 1000lbs of weight on it. Yet, it provides just 10” long sleeves, which can’t handle more than 350-400lbs of weight. If you want to use bumper plates, you will probably not be able to load more than 350lbs because you have to leave room for the barbell collar.
As we mentioned above, BalanceFrom hex trap bar has a compact footprint and is meant for casual trainers, so the short sleeves are quite expected, especially at this price range.
The knurl marks are almost non-existent
That’s the major complaint people had with Everyday Essentials hex bar. The knurl marks are so passive that you won’t even feel if they are there. You will have to use good-quality gloves to get a decent grip.
The knurling could have been better but, considering the price of this hybrid bar, we won’t consider that to be a dealbreaker.
The paint job isn’t great
Well, we pretty much expected this. A $100 specialty barbell will obviously won’t have the finest quality rust-resistant powder coating.
The hex bar is covered with thick black paint, which will start chipping as soon as you start using it. The paint might stick to the holes of the plates, making it difficult to move them in or out of the sleeves.
No matter what the manufacturer claims, the EveryDay Essentials Olympic hex/trap bar is not rust-resistant.
Once the paint starts chipping, it will start rusting. To prolong its life, you will have to use and store it in a place where it won’t be exposed to humidity.
Here is a useful article on how you can remove rust from barbells.
Rating
We are giving this a rating of 4.0 out of 5.0.
Wrap Up
We recommend Everyday Essentials/BalanceFrom hex bar only to people who are on a very limited budget. You can buy it as a temporary piece until you are ready to invest in something better.
It isn’t a home gym equipment that you would love to use for years. But, it gets the job done, which is why it is one of the top-rated affordable trap bars.
If you think you need something better, do check out Hulkfit Olympic 2″ Hex Trap Bar, CAP Barbell Olympic Open Trap Bar, or Bells of Steel Open Trap Bar/Hex Bar 3.0.
Want to buy a good-quality barbell instead? Here are some of the best affordable barbells, best mid-range barbells, and best high-end barbells that we recommend.
Before you go, do check out these helpful guides on how to prevent your home gym from smelling like a typical gym and how to clean horse stall mats for your home gym. These articles will help you keep your home gym clean and hygienic.