Rogue bella bar Toomey edition vs Castro bar

This is a comparison of the Rogue Toomey bar and the Castro bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details

Overview and review of the Rogue Castro bar [Article, Video]

This is an overview of the Rogue Castro bar which is made of bare steel and therefore very cost efficient. This article was originally oublished under "Which Rogue barbell to buy". Follow the links to learn more.

Price 275$

Overview

The Castro bar is a bare steel bar which comes closest to what you find in most commercial gyms. This is the lowest price tag you can get from Rogue for a full barbell. This makes it a good fit for anyone on a budget who has to buy a lot of barbells or expects them to be stored outside/transported often. For those scenarios, it is a waste of money to get anything that it pretty or elaborate in function.

The Castro bar weighs 20kg and comes in at 28.5mm diameter. It can take up to 190K PSI tensile strength with a good whip. The knurling is standard and the sleeves are attached via bushing. The loadable sleeve length is 16.50. Based on this it is the lowest priced multi-purpose bar available from rogue. Other bars are either special use or designed for children.

The Castro bar is the option to go for if you want to go spend as little as possible while still maximising the training options. If your gym/facility can also live with the fact, that these bars might look quite beaten up pretty fast, even better.

Pros of the Castro bar

The ultimate reason for the Castro bar are the costs. You still get a Rogue bar which is made in the United States at relatively low prices. The bar still goes through the same basic quality checks and holds a warranty. There are other vendors out there who might send you a bar with a lower price tag. Think twice whether you will get the same customer service, warranty and quality checks which only slightly retails over the cost of the raw materials, never mind the labour.

Cons of the Castro bar

A big con of the Castro bar is the bare steel. This finish is likely to show corrosion and use. This means you will need to take more care of it and maintain it more often. If you already have the labour and the necessary equipment to clean bare steel, you might even turn this into a plus. If you want to drill discipline into a bunch of new recruits you might get in a barbell cleaning session once a month on top of the other equipment maintenance you do.

Learn more about the specs of the Rogue Castro bar and purchase on the Rogue website

Overview and review of the Rogue Bella bar Toomey Edition

This overview of the Toomey bar was originally published in my comprehensive guide on which Rogue barbell to buy. If you are currently considering to buy a Rogue barbell it is worth a read to get input on the latest models. I update the guide on a yearly basis depending on Rogue's new releases.

Price 375$

Overview of the Rogue Bella bar Toomey edition

The Toomey Edition pays its respect to the 2017 Crossfit champion Tia Clair Toomey. Its basis also comes from the Bella bar and the Cerakote finish is applied to get an arrow design on the shaft. The blue used for this bar is slightly darker than the one for the Davidsdottir bar.

This bar weighs 15kg and has a diameter of 25mm. The sleeves have bushing to make them spin. It has a good whip and is built to IWF specifications for women. It withstands 190K PSI tensile strength and has a loadable sleeve length of 13.00. The knurling is standard. All of these specs make this bar an all-around bar with a nice design,

This bar is good for anyone who wants to add a special bar to their commercial line up or weekend warriors who want to have something special in their home gym. Tia Clair Toomey is from Australia, so if you want to show some flag, this is the bar to get.

Pros of the Toomey Bar

With the darker blue, the Toomey bar might be a better fit for certain colored power racks of Rogue than the Davidsdottir bar. Some also might prefer an arrow on their bar compared to a dog. The design is pretty and well executed. As with all of the branded bars Rogue makes good use of the Cerakote finish and is willing to experiment for best results.

Cons of the Toomey Bar

If you do not like the design this bar is not for you. As with other high gloss bars, it might not be the right choice when you want to buy in bulk for commercial or educational purposes. For this use case the Bella bar, Ohio bar or training bar might be better suited. If you are really hard pressed for the budget when buying in bulk have a look at the Castro and C-70 bar.

Conclusion

The Toomey bar is a great addition to your barbells to make the ladies in your gym feel more welcome. If you are planning a home gym this is a good choice of a barbell either for yourself or for your wife depending on who is buying.

Learn more about the specs of the Rogue Toomey barbell and purchase on the Rogue website