2″ Spring Collars – Chrome

Name: 2″ Spring Collars – Chrome
Brand: York Barbell
Rating: 2.5 (4 reviews)

York’s 2” Spring Collars are a classic squeeze-handle spring clip for Olympic barbells — chrome-plated 3mm steel with rubber-covered handles that lock onto the sleeve with a single squeeze, no threading or tightening required. They’re among the cheapest way to keep plates from sliding, sold as a pair for around $6.50–$10 direct from York.

Independent commentary is consistent: the mechanism holds plates on the bar for ordinary use and is fast to put on and take off, but this collar style is widely flagged as prone to wearing out with repeated use and offering less real grip than a lever or clamp-style collar. Reviewers who’ve tested spring collars head-to-head against other styles generally steer buyers toward them only as a cheap backup or for light work — not as a primary collar for heavy lifting.

Size	2" (Olympic)
Gauge	3mm steel
Sold as	pair
Material	chrome-plated steel with rubber handles
Warranty	1-year standard warranty
Mechanism	spring-clip, squeeze-handle closure
Shipping weight	2.5 lbs (pair)

What is a Collar?

What barbell collars are

Collars (clips) lock the plates onto a barbell’s sleeves so they can’t slide or rattle off — a safety essential, especially for pressing and Olympic lifts. The common types: cheap spring clips, quick lock-jaw / quick-release collars (the everyday favorite — fast and secure), and competition collars (precision-weighted, 2.5 kg each, for calibrated meets).

What to look for

A secure clamp that won’t creep under drops or high reps, quick on-and-off operation, and a fit for your bar’s sleeve diameter (standard Olympic is 50 mm). For most home gyms, a pair of lock-jaw-style collars is the right balance of speed, grip, and price.

How it compares

	2″ Spring Collars – Chrome	Spring Clip Collars 2 Inch Olympic Barbell Clamps	1″ Spring Collars w/ Rubber Grips	MIDAS SPRING CLIPS
GymRadar rating	2.5/5	2.66/5	2.13/5	3.0/5
Price	$6.50		$3.90
Size	2" (Olympic)
Gauge	3mm steel
Sold as	pair
Material	chrome-plated steel with rubber handles
Warranty	1-year standard warranty
Mechanism	spring-clip, squeeze-handle closure
Shipping weight	2.5 lbs (pair)

2.5/5 · 4 GymRadar reviews

Reviews by source

Expert	2.5/5	4 reviews
Youtube	2.0/5	2 reviews

York’s 2” Spring Collars are the classic squeeze-handle spring clip — chrome-plated steel that clamps onto an Olympic sleeve in a second. Value is the standout dimension: at roughly $6.50–$10/pair direct from York, they’re about as cheap as barbell collars get, and independent testers confirm the mechanism does hold plates on the bar. Durability and functionality are the weakest dimensions — reviewers who’ve handled this style of spring collar consistently call it out as prone to wearing out quickly and offering little real grip, with one comparison video going as far as calling the category “mostly trash” for anything beyond an easy-curl bar or light work. Fine as a cheap backup pair; not a serious choice for a primary collar on heavy lifts.

+Value: among the cheapest Olympic collars available, roughly $6.50-$10/pair direct from York (York Barbell product page)
+Functionality: the spring-clip mechanism reliably holds plates on the bar for normal use (YouTube: Garage Gym Reviews comparison test)
+Functionality: quick to put on and take off with just a squeeze of the rubber handles (York Barbell product page)
+Build quality: chrome-plated steel construction backed by a 1-year warranty (York Barbell product page)

−Durability: this style of spring collar "often wear[s] out quick" with repeated use, per an independent collar buying guide (Gray Matter Lifting)
−Functionality: "typically provide[s] next to no grip" compared to lever or clamp-style collars, per the same guide (Gray Matter Lifting)
−Functionality: an independent multi-collar comparison test explicitly "don't really recommend" spring collars as a category (YouTube: Garage Gym Reviews comparison test)
−Versatility: not recommended for heavy/big lifts — reviewers suggest reserving this collar style for light work or an easy-curl bar (YouTube: Massenomics)
−Build quality: one buyer found the squeeze grip fairly hard to operate with smaller hands (Strength Warehouse USA customer review)

$6.50

Buy Now