Hex Lock Olympic Collars

The Hex Lock Olympic Collars are Northern Lights’ entry-level pair of 2” barbell collars, sold through Canadian retailers like Fitness Depot and FitWorks Moncton. Each collar is a solid nylon-resin hex shell that closes around the sleeve with a one-hand snap-in latch — no threads to spin, no allen key to carry. At 0.80 lb for the pair and 3.5” in diameter, they’re light and compact enough to toss in a gym bag, and the mechanism is the same basic latch-and-hex design found across the budget end of the category, including Lock-Jaw Olympic Collars.

Owner feedback on GymRadar (4.33/5 across 6 reviews) is consistent: these collars work, but they feel like a budget product rather than a premium one. The most-cited weak point is the small locking prong that holds the latch shut — it’s the part most likely to wear over time — and a couple of owners note mild slip during dynamic lifts like cleans and deadlifts, plus some pair-to-pair inconsistency in how snugly they grip. None of the six reviewers reported an outright failure.

At roughly $15-$22 CAD for the pair, these sit firmly in budget territory rather than competing with magnetic or steel-latch options like Rogue OSO Magnetic Barbell Collars 2.0 or webbing designs like SuperStrap Barbell Collars. They’re a reasonable pick for a home gym on a tight budget or as a backup pair, not for a lifter chasing zero-slip security on heavy pulls.