Making an Eleiko Bar

Designing and producing the world’s finest barbells — the choice of champions for more than 60 years.

Bars are the heart of Eleiko. It’s the product that sparked our journey from waffle irons to a leader in strength. More than 1,000 world records have been set on Eleiko bars since their competition debut in 1963.

Over the decades, we’ve expanded beyond the competition platform crafting high-quality bars for all kinds of lifting environments, from professionals in world-class weight rooms to passionate lifters training in their home gyms and beginners touching a barbell for the first time. However, one thing has remained the same since 1957, our commitment to designing and producing the best bars and delivering the ultimate lifting experience.

Precision crafted bars since 1957

Our bars are precision crafted to deliver the ultimate lifting experience and built to last a lifetime. Every bar is made in our Halmstad, Sweden, headquarters from clean steel and designed for the distinct needs of each type of lifting — weightlifting, powerlifting and hybrid training — in competition and training environments.

Professional lifters frequently refer to the “Eleiko Feeling” as what sets Eleiko bars apart. It is a term used to describe how our bars’ flexibility, grip, and sleeve rotation work together, helping lifters feel connected to the lift.

Clean Swedish steel

Eleiko steel is known for its unique characteristics, offering an exceptional balance of strength and flexibility optimised for lifting. Our clean Swedish steel has been perfected over decades. With our treatment and hardening procedure, we can customise each bar for the flexibility it needs. When performing a lift at one’s maximum capacity, the steel in the bar should work in unison with the lifter’s rhythm and provide a connected feeling to the bar throughout the lift and at all loads.

“The maximum authorised radial deviation over them entire length of the bar is 0.1mm. If those specifications aren’t met, we discard the bar and the steel is recycled.” — Mattias Andersson, Production Foreman

The grip

The grip is a critical factor in a bar – and barbell knurling plays a significant role. Eleiko knurling is refined to meet the differing needs of our diverse user groups, enhancing the feel and performance for all lifters. Read our knurling guide to learn more about barbell knurling, why it’s important, and how we chose the optimal knurling for powerlifting, weightlifting and hybrid training.

Optimized rotation at all loads

Particularly essential to the lifting experience in weightlifting is the rotation of the sleeves, or the “spin”. This is an area that we have spent considerable time perfecting. Our re-engineered sleeve construction delivers a more stable and controlled rotation, optimised for smooth performance, giving lifters a more connected and precise experience. Precision needle bearings, an inner race and a dust-proof seal ensure weight moves smoothly under load and at high speeds. This minimises the wear on crucial parts, a critical factor for lifter safety, while also ensuring the sleeves remain cleaner for longer and that greased components continue to be well lubricated for years with minimal maintenance.

Crafted for performance

To provide the ultimate lifting experience, bars are designed and crafted specifically for different types of lifting and to meet the varied needs of different competition and training settings.