Bells of Steel Safety Squat Bar Review

In this Bells of Steel safety squat bar review, I’ll give you a full breakdown of everything you need to know about the SS4.

You’ll get the specs, how it feels for different exercises, what I think about the new handles, and my pros and cons.

I’m leaving no stone unturned so you can decide if this is the best safety squat bar for your home gym.

Let’s check it out!

Unboxing

As far as packaging goes, you can’t get any better than this.

When I opened the box, every part of the bar was protected and there was no way this was going to shift around so they did a really good job.

Especially on the ends where the sleeves are.

Any shift in this area can cause the bar to slam against the sides of the box and rip it easily.

Bells of Steel padded everything: Around the sleeve, the end cap, and top and bottom.

Specs

• Diameter: 32mm

• Length: 86.61″

• Weight: 45.6 lbs (without handles), the straight handles it comes with add 4.2 lbs. Other handles are heavier and sold separately.

• Weight capacity: 1500 lbs

• Tensile strength: 100k PSI

• Shaft finish: Black titanized

• Sleeve finish: Black titanized

• Knurl: Moderate

• Loadable sleeve length: 11.81″

• Sleeves: Rotating

What Is The Bells Of Steel Safety Squat Bar (SS4)?

The Bells of Steel SS4 is a specialty barbell designed with handles in front to accommodate people with upper body injuries.

They make it easier to control of the bar without having to reach back which can be painful with squatting for people with shoulder injuries.

It has barbell sleeves that sit lower than my upper back and are angled forward.

This forward weight distribution forces me to keep more of an upright posture.

Because of this posture, it engages more of my upper back, core, quads, and glutes.

Top Benefits Of The Safety Squat Bar

Hand Position

With handles being out in front of my body, I can stabilize the SS4 without having to reach back.

If you have any shoulder injuries like I do, this bar allows you to continue barbell squatting without your upper body injury hindering leg days.

Balance

Because of the camber drop and forward facing handles, the SS4 is well balanced.

I can go hands-free and the bar stays on my shoulders even during exercises.

Although I don’t do Hatfield squats much, I do like to go hands off when doing reverse lunges.

I feel it’s safe and haven’t had any issues with it throwing me off balance to keep it on my shoulders.

Weight

Unlike other safety squat bars, Bells of Steel’s SS4 weight is around the same as Olympic barbells.

Other safety squat bars are heavier: Titan’s weighs 58 lbs and Rep’s weighs 68 lbs.

This makes it much easier to maneuver its odd shape and to keep track of the weight I’m lifting.

I like the guide they added to the end cap so I know the exact weight I’m lifting.

RELATED: Takeover Strength Squat Saddle & Strap Bar

Best Features Of The SS4 Bells Of Steel Safety Squat Bar

Thick Padding

At 5″ thick, I feel the pad has plenty of cushion for even the biggest lifters.

It’s comfortable, provides plenty of support, and doesn’t hurt.

And in case you’re wondering what it looks like inside…

I took off one end of the vinyl to give you a closer look at the dense foam.

As far as the vinyl goes, it’s similar to other SSB’s.

Quality feels good and it’s tightly stitched around the foam so as of right now, I haven’t had any issues with it.

Handles

I really dig the knurled handles.

These feel and look much better than previous plastic handles used in the SS3 and other safety squat bars.

What’s unique about this Bells of Steel safety squat bar, is that the handles are interchangeable.

It comes standard with the straight handles but I have the option to purchase 3 other options.

Changing handles is as simple as screwing them on and off at the bottom of the pads.

Once I screw them on tightly, they don’t come loose.

Although I’ve never used the seal row handles, I’m curious to see if these allow me to have full range of motion at the top of a seal row.

Since the shoulder pads are narrow, I feel these might hit the bottom of a seal row bench unless I’m using something like a bulldog pad.

I’m gonna have to get these and test them out.

The chain handles are not something I’d use but I can see it being useful as a safety feature for those who like the hands-off feel.

This is more of a “just in case it falls back” add-on and will also force you to engage more of your core since there’s less arm stability.

I personally haven’t had any issues with the SS4’s balance as long as I’m doing the reps in a controlled manner.

And the last pair of handles available are the spider handles.

These are much longer than the standard handles and set your elbows at 90 degrees which may be more comfortable if you have range of motion issues.

Rotating Sleeves

The rotating sleeves are a nice feature that I haven’t seen in other safety squat bars.

This is normally seen in barbells to reduce strain on wrists and elbows so I think it was added to help maintain balance.

One thing I have noticed about the sleeves, is that they are slick when I use bumper plates so if I lose my balance they can fall off (don’t ask me how I know).

So I have to use barbell collars just to be on the safe side.

The rotation is possible because of needle bearings.

Although this is innovating in the safety squat bar category, the sleeve length is shorter than most SSB’s.

For me this is not a huge deal since I’m not gonna load up the whole sleeve but it can be a deal breaker for big guys.

Bells of Steel Safety Squat Bar Pros & Cons

Pros

• Padding: 5″ thick padding feels very comfortable

• Handles: Knurled metal handles feel secure and don’t feel slippery. This is an upgrade from the SS3 plastic handles.

• Removable handles: Having the option to use 4 different types of removable handles gives users more options.

• Balance: I can use the SSB hands-free for Hatfield squats and reverse lunges

• Weight: Weighs the same as an Olympic barbell (45 lbs) so it’s easier to move around than heavier SSB’s and easier to track weight

• Price: At under $300, this is one of the more affordable safety squat bars around

Cons

• Sleeve length: At 11″ long, the sleeve will not hold as much weight as other safety squat bars especially if you use bumper plates

Bells Of Steel Safety Squat Bar Price

Compared to other safety squat bars, the Bells of Steel SS4 is less expensive than others (see alternatives below).

The SS4 is less than $300 and includes free shipping so it is one the best deals around when it comes to safety squat bars.

Bells Of Steel Safety Squat Bar Alternatives

Titan Fitness Safety Squat Bar

The Titan safety squat bar (V2) has a 5″ camber drop which is more than double the length of Bells of Steel’s.

This makes it a bit more challenging on the core forcing me to stay upright to fight the shift in forward weight.

Even though this one comes with fixed rubber handles, it’s still a solid SSB for just above $300.

Rep Fitness Safety Squat Bar

Rep’s safety squat bar weighs 68 lbs (22 lbs heavier than Bells of Steel’s) and has a loadable sleeve length of 15.6″ (just shy of 4″ longer).

It comes with knurled handles and chrome sleeves which I prefer to prevent scratches from plates.

As with most Rep products, it’s a solid specialty bar but it does come with a higher price point at $350.

My Experience Using The BoS SS4 Safety Squat Bar

Since I’ve been dealing with tendinitis in my left shoulder, Bells of Steel’s SS4 has come in handy.

I mainly use it for squats and reverse lunges with and without my hands on the handles so I can continue working out legs despite my shoulder pain.

The padding feels comfortable and balance-wise, I feel safe taking my hands off the bar.

Overall, I’ve had a good experience with it so I can continue working out my lower body while my shoulder heals.

Is The Bells of Steel SS4 Worth It?

The Bells of Steel SS4 is an improvement over its previous version and comes with new features like the swappable handles and rotating sleeves.

While it’s lighter than other SSB’s, it’s easier to maneuver and I don’t have to think hard to keep track of the weight I use.

It’s comfortable, well balanced, and priced competitively in the safety squat bar market.

So yes, in my opinion it is well worth it.