Rogue Echo Bar 2.0 Barbell Review

For anyone out there in search of a new barbell that won’t break the bank and can handle a wide variety of workouts, the Rogue Echo 2.0 may be the one you’ve been looking for. Its ability to handle powerlifting exercises, such as back squats, as well as Olympic lifts, like power cleans, make it a viable option for nearly every level weightlifter. 

The medium grade knurling makes it possible to perform high rep exercises, while still providing the firm grip you need for your heavy bench presses. The bronze bushings that allow the sleeves to spin, and the lack of a center knurl make it ideal for Olympic and CrossFit style lifts — but it may not be great for suitcase lifts, or squatting. With a high tensile strength and versatile, medium grade knurl, this barbell can be a great, cost effective addition to your home gym.

Main Takeaways

• The Echo 2.0 has a tensile strength rating of 190,000 PSI, meaning it can handle the heavy weight and punishment that will come its way.
• The bronze bushings combined with the lack of a center knurl make this an ideal choice for Olympic and CrossFit lifters.
• A medium grade, Volcano style knurling provides a great overall grip without being too abrasive.

Rogue Echo 2.0

Rogue Echo 2.0

The Echo 2.0 is one of Rogue$0027s most affordable barbells. This multi-purpose bar offers high functionality and versatility, the utilization of bronze bushings create a controlled spin, and the lack of a center knurl makes it ideal for Olympic and CrossFit lifts. 

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Rogue Echo Barbell Highlights

The Rogue Echo 2.0 can accommodate nearly every exercise you decide to throw at it. Because it is so versatile, and has a high tensile strength rating, it’s a good choice for beginner weightlifters to grow with, and can even serve the needs of more seasoned weightlifters. If you don’t already know, tensile strength is how much weight and force a barbell can withstand before it begins to bend or fracture — the 190,000 PSI rating of this bar puts it in competition with some of the most elite barbells out there — but for a very reasonable price. 

It’s worth noting that the Echo 2.0 only comes with a regular zinc finish. This will provide some protection against corrosion, but not as much as a stainless steel bar can. One thing a lot of CrossFitters and Olympic lifters are going to love about this bar is that it does not include a center knurling. This makes it ideal for any exercise where a barbell rubs against your skin — without the center knurling, your chances of irritation from that friction is drastically reduced. But that also means you won’t have as much grip for your back squats.

The overall knurling on this bar is on the moderate side, which adds to its versatility. Since it isn’t too abrasive, your hands won’t get torn up during your lifts. However, if you’re someone whose hands are as rough as a farmer’s, you may find that this bar doesn’t provide enough grip for you. The bronze bushings in the sleeves allow them to spin, and feature a grooved pattern.

The grooves on the sleeves serve a very important purpose — keeping your weight plates, or bumper plates locked into place. While you could always use a weight collar with a bar that has smooth sleeves, without that extra help, a pair of smooth sleeves will never be as effective at keeping your plates locked in place.

Who Should Buy the Rogue Echo Barbell

• Anyone looking for a high quality barbell at a budget price may want to consider the Echo 2.0. 
• Athletes looking for a versatile barbell will appreciate that this bar can handle both powerlifting, and Olympic style lifts.
• Because the tensile strength of the Echo 2.0 is rated at 190,000 PSI, this bar is ideal for beginners and can even accommodate more experienced lifters. 

Who Shouldn’t Buy the Rogue Echo Barbell Barbell

• Powerlifters who are looking for a bar with a deeper cut knurling will want to look for a different option.
• If you want a barbell that has a center knurl, you’ll want to look elsewhere. 
• Customers who are looking for a lifetime warranty for their barbell may be disappointed that the Echo 2.0 only features a one-year warranty. 

Price

Priced around $270 on the Rogue Fitness website, this is a great deal for the quality you are getting. A lot of barbells that are around this price range tend to be of lesser quality because they typically have a much lower tensile strength rating, and may be made of a lower quality material. Plus, when you compare it to the rest of the bars that Rogue has to offer, it’s one of the cheapest they have available. When you factor in standard shipping and taxes, your purchase will be around $315 in total — which is still a low price tag for a bar of this durability and versatility.

We do understand that $300 is still not necessarily cheap, especially since you’ll likely still need to purchase your weight plates, and either a squat rack or power rack. If you need an even cheaper option, they’re out there, but it’s unlikely that you’ll find the same quality. Fortunately, Rogue does allow you to split your purchase up into four interest-free payments through PayLater from PayPal, or through Affirm for about $80 per payment. 

Overall Build and Quality

The Rogue Echo 2.0 is a multi-purpose barbell that was crafted with the high quality steel found in the other (more expensive) barbells Rogue has to offer. The zinc finish can help preserve your barbell by fighting off corrosion, and it has a respectable tensile strength rating of 190,000 pounds.

This 20 kilogram bar is 86.5 inches long with a diameter of 28.5 inches, and 16.4 inch loading sleeves. The sleeves also feature bronze bushings that allow them to spin, which makes this bar quite versatile. The grooved sleeves can also prevent your weight plates from sliding around as much as they would on a bar with smooth sleeves. 

Features

The zinc finish found on this bar may increase the lifespan by fighting off corrosion, but not as well as it would if it was stainless steel. The knurling here is fairly moderate, and it has a volcano pattern, which can provide a better overall grip — since your hands will get four points of contact for each knurl marking. The grooved sleeves really are ideal for a barbell like this since they will prevent your weight plates from excessively sliding while performing dynamic lifts (such as power cleans) where the bar tends to slam into the ground. 

Knurling

We were a bit surprised that the Echo 2.0 does not feature double knurl markings. Typically, with a versatile bar like this, you’ll find double knurl marks to give you the widest grip possible for both powerlifting and Olympic lifting movements. This may be an issue for some since you have to try a little harder to be as precise as possible with your grip.

The volcano grip knurling is pretty moderate, making it ideal for CrossFitters and Olympic lifters. A volcano grip may be the best pattern on the market — since every marking on the barbell dips in like a volcano does, you are going to get four points of contact. This is an improvement compared to a mountain style grip in which you only get one point of contact from each marking. 

Since the Echo 2.0 does not feature a center knurl, if you’re performing a lot of back squats in your home gym, this bar may not be for you. However, if power cleans are your thing, you may like that there isn’t a center knurl to irritate your skin as you lift. 

Sleeve Design

Just as the overall construction of a barbell varies, so does the construction of the loading sleeves. The Echo 2.0 does in fact have a grooved pattern that is meant to keep your plates in place over time. While you may not think it plays a huge role in performance, it most definitely does. 

The bronze bushings found in the sleeves are also going to allow them to spin. This spin reduces torque during explosive movements, and makes it safer for your wrists and elbows — plus they degrade slower than bearings do. It was a little odd to find that one of our sleeves on our barbell spun significantly faster, and longer than the other, but that may only be the case with our specific bar.

Finish

Unlike some other options from Rogue, the Echo 2.0 only comes in a regular zinc finish, which gives it a really nice shine. Zinc is an effective option when it comes to fighting off rust and corrosion, but it won’t protect the bar as well as a stainless steel bar is able to do. 

Product Specs

The Echo 2.0 barbell is a great option to consider thanks to its high tensile strength. The 190,000 pound tensile strength rating is going to allow beginner lifters to grow with this bar, but can still be strong enough to handle the weights from a more experienced lifter. Since 230,000 is the highest rating, this bar is in pretty good company. You’ll find the dimensions of this bar are comparable to that of an Olympic bar, at 86.5 inches in length with a 28.5 millimeter diameter.

Tensile Strength 

One of our biggest determining factors on the overall caliber of a barbell is the tensile strength rating. Tensile strength determines how strong the bar is, and how much weight you can load on it. Barbells can have a tensile strength as low as 120,000 pounds, and as high as 230,000 pounds. Since the Echo 2.0 is rated at 190,000 pounds, it’s on the higher end of the spectrum, and is in pretty good company with barbells that are generally much more expensive.

Materials

The materials used to craft a barbell not only play into the price of the bar, but also the overall quality. This barbell comes with a regular zinc finish and should help resist corrosion, but not as well as a fully stainless steel bar can. This means you may need to invest in a kit to provide your Echo 2.0 with the proper care to keep it in your hands for years to come. The bronze bushings in the sleeves allow them to spin — plus, they’re a cost effective option, and will degrade at a slower rate than a bar that features bearings.

Weight Capacity

Because of the high tensile strength rating of 190,000 pounds, you can easily load 1,000 pounds on this barbell. The actual weight capacity is not listed on the Rogue website, but barbells with a tensile strength like the Echo 2.0 can typically handle that much weight without a problem. This is plenty of weight for the majority of lifters out there, though more elite athletes can find barbells that hold up to 1,200 pounds.

Dimensions and Weight

The dimensions of the Echo 2.0 are pretty standard in terms of the length, weight, and diameter. It weighs 20 kilograms (around 45 pounds), is 86.5 inches long, and has a diameter of 28.5 millimeters, similar to an Olympic barbell.

Warranties

The warranty for the Echo 2.0 is only for one year, which was a bit surprising considering Rogue offers a lifetime warranty on some of their other barbells. This isn’t a make or break factor, but definitely something to consider if you’re looking for a barbell Rogue ensures will last for many decades.

Places to Buy

You can purchase this barbell directly through the Rogue website.

Company Information

Since 2006, Rogue has offered some of the best home gym equipment on the market. To this day they remain dedicated to producing that high quality equipment for all athletes. If you want to find out more about Rogue, you can reach out to their support team by calling them at 614-358-6190, or you can provide them with your email address, and they will contact you.

Final Word

The Rogue Echo Barbell is a high quality, multi-purpose barbell that is available at a budget-friendly price. The volcano grip knurling is on the moderate side, but still gives you a firm grip for your lifts. If you are a beginner looking for a barbell to grow with, or even an experienced lifter looking for a change, this is a great option for you to consider adding to your home gym. 

Because there is no center knurl on this barbell, it’s ideal for those who are wanting to incorporate movements like the power clean, clean and jerk, or the snatch into their workouts. But, if you’re looking for a bar that does have that center knurl, or maybe one that has a deeper cut knurling, there are better options for you. 

No matter what workout you want to hit, the Echo 2.0 is built for the test, and can handle the intensity and weight requirements required for most weightlifters. While this bar is not stainless steel, Rogue still makes some of the best equipment that you could add to your home gym, and this barbell is no exception. Because it’s available at a low cost, has a high tensile strength, and can be used for a variety of exercises, we think this bar is well worth its price tag.

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