What barbell to buy? Eleiko vs ZKC vs DHS ?

Hello everyone, So currently I'm accumulating money to build a garage gym and wanted to start by buying a quality barbell and plates first. I'd like to say I'm comfortable buying a $800-$1100 barbell.

Many hold the eleiko to a gold standard, as well as say good things about the werksan and uesaka. I've also heard good things about the DHS training barbell, being one of the best quality barbells at its price range.

Everyone i've talked to is biased towards the Eleiko comp or training. I've tried the training bar at a local WL gym, it felt great but the knurling was still aggressive. I don't have issues with grip but I wanted a barbell for daily use.

There is ZKCUSA now, and all i've read about it is that it's a really whippy bar with a more passive knurling. I am considering it but wanted more info from anyone that has owned one or tried one. I wish there were more thorough reviews on it, as well as reviews on the DHS comp bar too.

Naturally I am conflicted because I just wanted to be sure of things before I set my heart on my first weightlifting barbell lol. In terms of bumper plates, I'm still debating between Wersksan training or comp plates.

Would you prefer an Eleiko training over the comp? Would you like a ZKC over an Eleiko? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: (update) Thank you everyone for your valuable input thus far. There's still a ton of time before i decide what to buy as im still saving money. Ill continue to research and do my best to try out the barbells (most especially zkc if i can find one) to help solidify my decision. Will keep you guys updated.

Posted May 29, 2016, 8:54 PM UTC · edited

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