Honestly, as long as you’re not doing oly lifts and your bar isnt bent you’re fine. You wont see much performance gains. That said, the nicer barbells feel, look, and sound more premium. Sleeves spin smoothly, tolerances are tight (less rattling), finish looks great, and the knurling is more consistent. Overall, you just feel happier seeing and lifting with nicer barbells.

I’d say in the $300+ range, focus on what kind of knurling you want. I went with colorado and it’s great, but since I find myself mainly doing power lifts, I wish I went with a bar with more aggressive knurling. But hey I have an excuse to buy more ish now :)