Titan Fitness Safety Squat Olympic Bar V2
Overall
User Review
( votes)Summary
The Titan Fitness Safety Squat Olympic Bar V2 is a solid safety squat bar that provides a great camber, angled handles, and a decent finish.
Pros
- Handles are easy to grip.
- Angles on the handles feel comfortable.
- Camber is excellent.
- The Price is stellar.
Cons
- Padding is slightly oversized leading to some unbalance.
- The chrome coating looks budget-friendly.
The Titan Fitness Safety Squat Bar V2 is an alternative to the popular EliteFTS SS Yoke bar with one added benefit, a price point that’s $200 less expensive. At a cost of $299.99 it’s a solid buy for several reasons.
First, the Safety Squat Olympic Bar V2 offers a cambered design that allows for powerlifting without the neck and shoulder pain that is often associated with performing squats. The bar features a 5-inch drop that provides a stabilized center of gravity while delivering better balance. Attempt to squat with a regular Olympic bar and then the Titan Fitness Safety Squat Bar V2 and you’ll immediately notice the difference.
In terms of the cambered drop, other reviewers have noted that there is a one-inch difference between the EliteFTS option and the Titan Safety Squat bar. It’s unclear if the difference in size attributes to any difference in balance, although it’s not something we have noticed to be an issue on either bar. While the drop is different the actual camber angle appears to be exactly the same on both bars.
Titan has also included 6-inch handgrips that provide for a solid hold during a barbell squat, much like that of the EliteFTS version. The grips don’t feel as high quality as EliteFTS’s option but they get the job done and since they don’t require any hand movement. The grips should last for a good amount of time. Some reviewers have actually preferred the Titan Fitness handles which offer nice depth for finger gripping. The handles come detached and easily screw into place, making the shipping process a breeze. As always, the $229.99 price point includes shipping. The bar also features the same 22 degree angled handles as the EliteFTS, an optimal angle for safety squats that feels natural the moment you begin holding them.
The padding on the Titan Fitness Safety Squat Bar V2 isn’t as stellar as the EliteFTS SS Yoke Bar but it’s still comfortable. The padding is slightly thicker on the bar at 2-inches compared to 1.5″ for the EliteFTS SS Yoke Bar. The thicker padding means it doesn’t rest along my shoulders and stay in place as well as the EliteFTS option, this is mostly an issue when I’m using my squat handles on my Rogue RM-4 rack in place of the included handles on the bar.
The vinyl padding is okay but will likely need replacement when put up against heavy daily use, for example, in a commercial gym. For my garage gym, I expect the padding and vinyl to hold up over time.
At 90.5 inches the Titan Safety Squat Bar is 1.5-inches shorter than the bar from EliteFTS which may be a big consideration for anyone who is short on space.
The chrome design isn’t bad, but not exactly the best to look at compared to a strong powder coat. I love my SS Yoke’s clear coat which, unlike other reviewers, hasn’t flaked off on my bar after half-a-year of heavy use. Titan isn’t exactly known for its stellar coatings but for the price, it really shouldn’t be much of a consideration. Plus, the chrome is known to stand up better over time while a clearcoat is going to wear down much faster.
Unlike my EliteFTS SS Yoke bar, I don’t have to use my ProLoc 1 collars on the Titan Safety Squat Bar V2. Titan has machined their sleeves to traditional barbell dimensions, allowing for regular collars to be used. Specialty bars tend to ignore this option and TItan going the extra mile is rather refreshing. This isn’t a big deal since it’s standard practice for these types of bars and if you own other specialty bars you likely have a set of collars that fit.
Examining the overall bar, you will note that the welds on the Titan Safety Squat Bar V2 are a bit sloppy compared to some other options. The welds are very solid but they definitely show the type of quality we’ve come to expect from fitness equipment shipping out of China. With that said, even our EliteFTS SS Yoke bar has a few welds that are not indicative of that bars incredibly high quality build factor.
On a final note, the Titan bar is made in China. I know this matters to some buyers.
Overall, it’s a great bar. While I personally prefer the padding and handles on the EliteFTS SS Yoke Bar, for the price, the Titan Fitness Safety Squat Olympic Bar V2 is a better buy for most people.
You can check out the Titan Fitness Safety Squat Bar V2 here.