Rogue Cerakote vs. Stainless Steel For Athlete S&C

[mormonbro]

Hi All,

I'm taking over the Strength & Conditioning program of my local high school and our first order of business is getting new barbells. Our current bars are in disrepair.

To those who have experience with both the Cerakote and S.S. from Rogue, how do they compare? Is the S.S. worth the additional cost for how it feels in the hand and the level of maintenance? I'd like to get the Cerakote if the quality is close so I can incorporate the school colors and athlete's can easily differentiate easily between the 15kg and 20kg bars. But if the S.S. is noticeably better than that's what I'm after.

I use Rogue at the facility I manage but we don't get near the foot traffic that a high school weight room or a box sees, so I'd like to hear how they hold up on a larger scale. Thank you!

 

[rtrcam]

@mormonbro The cerakote is fine if they will be looked after, but I’d be wary of them being properly maintained and cared for in a high school. They need to be cleaned with nothing more abrasive than nylon brushes. I bought my wife a used cerakote Bella bar that was cleaned using a metal wire brush and there are rust deposits in those areas. I have a SS power bar with cerakote sleeves and the shaft is so nice and low maintenance, whereas the sleeves are fairly banged up from the plates. Given the intended use, I’d recommend SS all the way

 

[mormonbro]

@rtrcam Thanks for the insight!

 

[oxfordmoveman]

@mormonbro Stainless competition ball bearing bar from American barbell.

Out of the hundreds of bars I have used, that is bar far my favorite.