Being into fitness and strength training, I’ve heard of Lock-Jaw collars for years. I’ve seen reviews telling us that their collars are well-made and very tight with great hold, but I hadn’t owned the brand. When I recently got a chance to pick up their latest offering, the Lock-Jaw Metal Barbell Collars/Clips, I immediately ordered them.
And let me tell you, they’ve lived up to their claims. I’ve been using them for a few weeks now, and I find that these are very tight with firm hold and no slipping. They hold more firmly than my other collars, and they have a premium feel, are well-made, and very nicely finished.
These hold the weights in place very, very well. And if you have strong hands, these can be opened and closed with one hand, although I can’t do that. Their biggest plus can be a minus if you don’t have mighty hands and forearms. I don’t, and I could barely close them once on a bar or dumbbell, and once on, I had problems opening them again. Luckily my husband has strong hands, and he could open them single-handed.
If you don’t have hands of steel, I’ll have a couple great options for you that hold well but can be opened by us mere mortals.
Do these live up to the manufacturer’s claims?
Lock-Jaw says they have “unrivaled clamping force”, which is definitely true. They say the collars have built in magnets that stick to your rack, and they did stick to my rack, cable tower and any other iron I had around my home gym. But be aware that they stick by the tabs, not the body of the collars.
Who are these for?
Those who want collars with a very strong grip
Those who don’t want their plates slipping
Users with very strong hands/finger
Those looking for a good quality collar for under $40
Who are these not for?
People with weaker hands or fingers
People who don’t need the strongest hold
Folks with odd sized Oly bars
I’d say the Lock-Jaw Metal Barbell Collars are very good barbell collars with major clamping force, and are good value for higher end barbell clamps. They’re magnetic (on the tab), so they’ll stick to your rack. That being said, the magnetic hold isn’t very strong. It’s also worth mentioning that when I had a question, customer service got back to me in less than a day with answers.
So would I recommend them? If you have strong hands and want your plates to be held in place well, these are probably for you! You can check them out here. For those of us with weaker hands, I’d suggest an option (some reviews coming soon!).
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