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Overview

Hip thrusts are an effective exercise and great way to build up your glutes, but they can be hard on your body if you don’t have the right equipment. Unfortunately, not all hip thrust pads are created equal – some are thick, some are flat, and some are just made with horrible material! When choosing a hip thrust pad, it’s important to some of these considerations in mind so that you can use your pad properly and get the most out of each rep of each set. Throughout this article, we will be going through the primary factors to look out for when purchasing the best hip thrust pad for you and also give you our 5 favorite hip thrust pads in the market.

The primary factors In The Best Hip Thrust Pad:

Before you go ahead and purchase this product, lets go through some things that will help you determine the best hip thrust pad.

Thickness

Probably the most important factor when considering buying a hip thrust pad is the thickness. The more thicker the foam of the pad is, the less contact it has on your hip bones. This will help in preventing bruises and provide a more comfortable feeling when performing exercises like hip thrusts or even squats.

Adequate Fitting On The Barbell

Your hip thrust pads should fit onto the barbell with ease! Any major or minor gaps will put unnecessary pressure on the thigh and may cause skin abrasions. Ideally, the pad should be designed clip onto the barbell easy. You don’t want to waste your time at the gym trying clip or slide the hip thrust pad on the barbell. Also, if you’re using a custom barbell with a non-standard diameter for whatever reason, make sure that your hip thrust pad will fit properly over it.

Slip Resistance

When purchasing a hip thrust pad, you need to make sure it is slip resistance because the last thing you want is a loaded barbell to slip or roll off which can cause severe injuries. For this, you need to look at what the external material is made out of. For example synthetic leather or polyester leather.

Closure Mechanisms

Finding a good hip thrust pad shouldn’t be too difficult. Unfortunately, finding a good one that won’t slide around can prove to be quite challenging. Fortunately, many of today’s best brands proper securing or closure mechanisms to ensure the barbell doesn’t just come off. Now there are different types of closure mechanisms in a hip thrust pad like velcro straps or simple quick slip ones. These depend on how much weight you want to lift. For lighter weight a quick slip one is probably ideal since it is the easiest to install in a barbell however for heavier weights, you should look at pads with straps.

Pricing

Of course, your wouldn’t want to buy a thousand dollar hip thrust pad would you? Pricing is obviously important and it might vary depending on the quality or your specific requirements. We have put together a list of the best hip thrust pads that are with great quality with a reasonable price.

Let’s Find The Best Hip Thrust Pad For You

With a simple design, you can get the best hip thrust pad on the market to protect your private parts and lift more weight safely.

In this article, we will cover the 5 best hip thrust pads to help you make an informed decision before purchasing this product. 

1. Iron Bull Strength Barbell Pad

If you have been scanning the internet for hours trying to find the best hip thrust pad that fits your requirements, look no further. The Iron Bull Strength Barbell Pad is the best. With the high quality and easy installation, this hip thrust pad becomes one of the best in the current market. Below are some of the key features to consider before buying this.

Key Features

1. It offers an “ERGONOMIC BARBELL PAD” which will help distribute the weight evenly across.
2. It also include an anti slip surface which will reduce the risk of the barbell to slip while also increasing the grip. To further protect the bar from slipping, ensure that you clamp on the bar while the opening is facing up. This will prevent it from sliding out when you do the thrusts.
3. This hip thrust pad will provide comfortability like no other and is easy to clamp the bar on or off. It has a “Quick-Slip” design for easy and fast installation on any barbell.
4. Getting this pad allows you to add around 60-70 extra pounds to your hip thrusts. The bar does not jab the thin pad nor does it roll around when you try to do an explosive movement. 
5. The pad comes with a 1.25-inch thick foam, removing the sensation of the bar altogether. The pad is also very durable. You can use it every week for one year and it will still look brand new.
6. The best part about this pad is the price. It costs less than $20 but comes with durable materials. It is simply one of the best hip thrust pads out there.

Overall Review

Overall this is one of the best hip thrust pads out there because of all of those features. It high quality, ease of installation and the price being just about right are great indications for it to be a useful purchase. There is one downfall for this product and that is the foam. With time, the foam might start to crack a little.

2. Gymletics Barbell Pad Kit

Building the lower back muscles is a very challenging task. Hit your local gym, and you will find a constant competition for cable machines because they are ALWAYS taken. Well, guess what? You can get the Gymletics barbell pad to do hip thrusts without having to wait at the cable machines. This hip thrust pad another one of our favorites because of the quality and additional features it provides with it. Lets explore the key features of this product.

Key Features

1. This hip thrust pad is 1.2-inch thick barbell pad for hip thrusts. It has a U-shape that allows the bar to sit comfortably on your hips or shoulders (the choice is up to you).
2. The unique thing about this product that made it on our list of the best hip thrust pads is what comes with it. You will get straps for the pad, as well as ankle straps for cable kickbacks. You will also get a fabric resistance band for glute exercises.
3. Like the previous product, this one also includes an anti-slip design which will help keep the bar stable and prevent it from slipping.
4. The hip thrust pad is easy to install in pretty much any barbell.
5. It is one of the highest-rated hip thrust pads on Amazon and is available in different colors.

Overall Review

From the soft, thick and protective foam to the ease of installation, this product makes booty training MUCH easier. However, the most attractive thing about this product is what is provided with the pad. The additional ankle straps, resistance band and the large carry bag are all included with a total cost of this product being only $30.

3. Power Guidance Square Hip Thrust Pad

The Power Guidance Square Hip Thrust Pad is one of our favorites on this list. Along with this product being affordable, this pad has specific material used to make your legs workout even more effective. The thing that differentiates this hip thrust pad to others is the square shape which prevents the barbell for rolling or slipping throughout your exercise. For those looking to do glute-blasting exercises, this product is one of the best hip thrust pads money can buy. Let’s see some of the key features.

Key Features

1. The shell of the pad is made of polyester leather. What makes this material special? It does not absorb sweat, meaning it won’t slip or slide when you work hard.
2. Additionally, the bottom is designed as a square with built-in rubber anti-slip points and two velcros preventing the barbell from rolling away.
3. You can also use this pad to do bench presses since the flat bottom fits perfectly. In fact, the pad can fit’s in most barbells!
4. The price of this pad is around $25 which is highly affordable considering all the features it provides. It may vary based on the color you choose.
5. What’s good about this product is that you can get a refund if you’re not satisfied. Their refund policy has a no-questions-asked rule.

Overall Review

With it’s unique shape, high quality, anti-slip mechanisms and ease of installation on almost every barbell, this product reaches our top 5. You can use this pad for bench press, squats, hip thrusts and even lunges because of its square shape. Mostly, this product got positive reviews however some users reported that it doesn’t hold the bar tightly enough.

4. Gladiator Strength Barbell Pad

Previously in this article we talked about the four things primary factors that you should look for when buying the hip thrust pad. The thickness, adequate fitting on the barbell, slip resistance and the pricing. This product ticks all of these requirements which is why we have picked it in our list.

Key Features

1. This hip thrust pad has two straps to secure the barbell. In other words, you don’t have to worry about the bar sliding out when you perform the hip thrusts.
2. Talk about comfort during your hip thrusts. This product allows for maximum comfort and protection for your bodybuilding, powerlifting or Crossfit workout
3. It is one of the best hip thrust pads and also one of the thickest. Coming in at 1.3 inches thick, it can be very useful for those lifting heavier weights.
4. The material used is durable and long lasting and comes with non-slip mechanisms . This product is also very good if you get neck and shoulder pain after performing squats.
5. The pad can be easily installed and removed from any 2” standard Olympic and Smith machine bars which is highly beneficial for when you are doing various barbell exercises in the gym like squats or hip thrusts.
6. Unfortunately, the straps are not attached to the pad. This means you need to store them carefully every time you train to avoid losing the straps.

Overall Review

I am sure this product has ticked off all your requirements. You can get the best legs workout with this product especially your hip thrusts and squats since it is able to hold a large amount of weight. The material used will prevent the barbell to be in direct contact with your hip bone or your shoulder and neck. Overall, this product is one of the best in the market and is highly affordable. Definitely worth the investment!

5. ProFitness Barbell Pad Squat Pad

This is the one I use and it does the job perfectly. No more pain in your hip bone from doing hip thrusts and no more pain in you shoulders and neck when doing squats. This hip thrust pad is one of the best out there and is known for its great quality, ease of installation and very affordable price.

Key Features

1. The pad itself it 3.5 inches thick manufactured from tough, rubberized foam providing a cushioned surface to protect your hip bone or shoulder and neck depending on you exercise.
2. Comes with a slide closure mechanism with two durable straps to ensure the barbell doesn’t come off.
3. Provides anti-slip mechanism which reduces the risk of the barbell to slip and cause injuries.
4. It has a universal fit meaning it can fit on almost any barbell.
5. Why use this for hip thrusts? It is multi-purpose! Use it for squats or even lunges.

Overall Review

This is my personal favorite out of the list because of all the features and ticks off my requirements. If your someone that is experiencing hip bone pain when doing your hip thrusts, this is probably the best one for you. The only negative of this product is that it might take some time to put on and off however it is very secure and effective. Definitely worth the money!

6. J Bryant Extra Thick Hip Thrust Pad

This is another thick pad that made it to our list. How thick, you ask? Well, it is the thickest one on the market. The thicker the foam, the more protective it is! Best part is that it can be used for various exercises like hip thrusts, bench press etc. Let’s consider it’s key features.

Key Features

1. It comes at a width of almost 6 inches and 2-inch padding made of foam. This will help reduce the pain that might be caused when doing your hip thrusts.
2. The outer side of the pad is made of leather that doesn’t allow the bar to slide when thrusting. Moreover, the pad is locked on the barbell with a velcro closure that fully locks when in use.
3. It has an anti-slip design which provides extra stability and balance and will ensure that the risk of the barbell rolling is minimized.
4. The leather around the external region further prevents from slipping and doesn’t absorb sweat or moisture.
5. This product is ideal for people who want to do the heavy lifting of the barbell without risking injury or bruising. 
6. If you want more cushioning when doing hip thrusts, consider spending $40 to get one.

Overall Review

The primary reason you buy a hip thrust pad in the first place is because you want one that will prevent the barbell from contacting your hips. Well this product does that better then most. It is one the thickest hip thrust pad out there which makes it the best because of all the extra protection it provides. The only downfall it has is that it is a little pricy.

Disclaimer:

Note that there are hundreds of hip thrust pads out there. Therefore, choosing the top 6 is not an easy task. We tried to be as objective as positive when making this list. The factors that we took into consideration are the ones listed above (e.g., thickness, ease of installation, slip resistance, closure mechanism, & price).

Benefits of Using a Hip Thrust Pad

It’s worth mentioning that hip thrusts in general are already one of the best glute exercises around. However, if you don’t have a solid pad to perform them, it can be difficult to perform them correctly and, more importantly, can lead to injuries. Below we have put together some of the key benefits of the hip thrust pad.

Prevents From Bruising

This is probably the reason why you are looking for a hip thrust pad in the first place. Despite the amazing benefits of this exercise, you still have to deal with a stainless steel barbell loaded near your pelvis. Because of this, not using a hip thrust pad can lead to bruises, discomfort, and an unstable barbell.

It is common that hospitals receive patients complaining of hip injuries after incidents of sliding or rolling of the barbell when doing hip thrusts.

Even while doing squats, you might need this pad to prevent shoulder and neck injuries when you lift heavy weights.

You Can Lift More Weight

The aim of adding a hip thrust pad to your routine is to give you support so that you can lift more weight without compromising your form. The main benefit of using a hip thrust pad is that it provides extra cushioning to help prevent the heavy barbell from causing injuries.

So, if you are looking for quick results when performing your standard hip thrusts, then investing in a good quality pad might just be what you need.

The Pad Provides Comfort When Doing Your Hip Thrusts Or Squats

Another great benefit of having a hip thrust pad is that provides comfort when performing your exercise. As you keep increasing the weight of your hip thrust or squats, you will notice that adding more weight provides a lot of discomfort to you hip hone or your neck and shoulder.

Hence, purchasing a hip thrust pad would be a good investment as the thick foam will cushion the barbell, providing a more comfortable feeling when performing your exercises. This will help in your form and technique throughout the exercise.

Increase Form and Technique To Maximize Your Results

A properly executed hip thrust will lead to two things: 1) An amazing butt; 2) Injury or no results if done incorrectly. While it’s true that some people may be able to build their glutes using other methods, no one will argue against the fact that hip thrusts is one of the best if done with proper form.

However, performing hip thrust with heavy weight and no padding can actually limit your gains! Let me explain.

When you lift your hips to the top of the movement, the weight of the barbell and plates will be putting a LOT of pressure on your hip bone. As a result many won’t complete a full range of motion. A hip thrust pad will allow you to protect your hip bones and perform the exercise with proper form and technique.

Avoids Barbell From Slipping or Rolling

Talk about reasons to buy a hip thrust pad. Here it is. The biggest risk of performing hip thrusts without a pad is that the barbell may slip or roll which can lead to serious injuries.

Most barbell pads have slip resistance which reduces this risk and keeps the barbell steady and balanced thought your exercise. This will help you focus on your form and technique rather then making sure that the barbell isn’t going to roll off.

Takeaway message

Purchasing the best hip thrust pad is not as easy as it sounds. You need to consider the thickness, materials, attached items, and pricing. 

We hope that this article will serve as a guideline to help you choose the best hip thrust pad on the market.