How much do barbell collars weigh?

Updated October 25, 2026

Short answer: a competition collar weighs 2.5 kg (5.51 lb), so a pair adds 5 kg (11.02 lb) to the bar. That is the collar used in weightlifting and powerlifting meets, where it counts toward the weight on the bar. The spring clips and lock-jaw collars in most gyms are much lighter, and their exact weight depends on the model.

Example: one plate on each side with competition collars

Take a 20 kg bar, one 20 kg plate on each side and a 2.5 kg competition collar on each end. Count the bar, both collars and both plates:

• 20 + 2 × 2.5 + 2 × 20 = 65 kg
• Without the collars it is 20 + 2 × 20 = 60 kg.

The same works backwards. To load 100 kg with competition collars, take the bar and both collars off first: 100 − 20 − 2 × 2.5 = 75 kg of plates, or 37.5 kg on each side. That is 25 + 10 + 2.5 kg per side. Without collars, 100 kg is 40 kg per side: 25 + 15 kg.

Collar weights by type

Competition collars are used on competition bars at weightlifting and powerlifting meets. Spring clips are the ones in most commercial gyms, lock-jaw and clamp collars turn up in gyms and home gyms, and screw-on collars come with home sets built on standard 1-inch bars.

If you need an exact total with clips or clamps, weigh a pair on a kitchen or luggage scale, or check the maker’s listing.

Do collars count toward the weight on the bar?

In competition they do. At IWF weightlifting and IPF powerlifting meets the bar is 20 kg and each collar is 2.5 kg, so an empty bar with collars is already 25 kg. Every attempt includes them:

In training it is your choice. Light spring clips change the total so little that most lifters leave them out. What matters is doing the same thing every time, so that a number in your log means the same load next month.

Collars in a pound gym

Competition collars are made in kilos, so in a pound gym they add 11.02 lb for the pair. A 45 lb bar with two 45 lb plates on each side is 225 lb; with competition collars it is 236.02 lb. If you train in pounds but compete in kilos, count the collars when you work out your openers. The kg to lb converter handles the rest of the conversion, and how much a plate weighs lists every plate in both units.

How to enter collars in the plate calculator

The plate calculator has a field called Collars (per side). Enter the weight of one collar, in the unit the calculator is set to: 2.5 for competition collars in kilos, or 0 to leave them out. The calculator counts a collar on each end, takes both off the target and then splits the rest into plates. With a 20 kg bar, 100 kg and 2.5 in the field, it shows 25 + 10 + 2.5 kg per side, as in the example above.

The same field is on what’s on the bar, which adds up a loaded bar, and on the home gym plate calculator. Switching between kg and lb resets the field to 0, so enter it again in the new unit.

Why use collars at all?

Collars stop the plates from sliding along the sleeve. A plate that creeps outward on one side makes the bar uneven, and on a fast lift or a missed rep plates can slide off. That is why meets require them, and why many gyms ask you to use them on squats, presses and Olympic lifts. The bar’s own weight is covered in how much a barbell weighs.

Common mistakes

• Counting one collar. There is a collar on each end, so a pair of 2.5 kg collars adds 5 kg, not 2.5 kg.
• Entering the pair in a per-side field. The calculator field takes one collar. Typing 5 for competition collars counts 10 kg.
• Assuming every collar weighs 2.5 kg. Only competition collars do. Gym clips weigh far less, and clamps depend on the model.
• Mixing units. A 2.5 kg collar is 5.51 lb, not 5 lb. Enter it in the unit your calculator uses.
• Changing how you count. If you counted collars last month and leave them out today, your numbers stop being comparable.