Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

So that bar is functional. That's expected, not amazing. The "chrome" bar is actually painted black in the center; probably to prevent the flaking that happens on the sleeves. The sleeves are ridged, though it's impossible to tell from the pictures. I've never seen this on a bar. It makes it more difficult to get weights on the bar, but doesn't actually provide enough resistance to make an impact on plates sliding off while lifting, so you still need collars. It also makes an annoying zip sort of sound. Not sure why they did it this way. But the core problem is that this is some extremely soft metal. Is it really steel? I've never seen steel flake like this in my entire life. Every time you put a plate on or take it off, it generates tons of metal flakes / splinters. These can easily damage your eyes, lungs, or hands (or stomach, these can get everywhere). Attached picture is after wiping it off, and there are still metal flakes! Bad situation for something you have to touch every time you use it, while generating a sweat.