I can understand why people don’t like this bar. Yes, the knurling is too passive. Yes, the curve is a little weird, and the bar can flip on you if you are not careful when loading the weights initially. Yes, there are far better options out there if you have the money to spend. But I was able to get this bar for about $250 new. This was at a time when I was having trouble squatting with a regular barbell because of shoulder issues and I was concerned I would not be able to continue squatting. I have been squatting with this bar for the past few years and have been able to squat over 400 lbs without issue. I do find it a little awkward for pressing movements, but I think it works well for squats. For loading, I have a couple of 15 lb bumper plates that I put on first before loading the 45s. So long as I do that, I have not had issues with the bar flipping. Down the line, I may try to get a better curved squat bar. But if you can get this for a good price and are aware of the shortcomings, I think it would still be worth considering.
Performance
Value
Build Quality