7 Best Barbell Pads For Hip Thrusts – 2023 Review

Barbell pads for hip thrusts provide protection to your hip bones when doing hip thrusts to avoid painful bruises, and help you achieve more reps, in way more comfort. 

While many people use the a squat pad, a barbell pad for hip thrust needs more security and protection than these other products, otherwise it can be a pretty sore experience! And, when they don’t offer enough support, so many of us are reverting to creative, makeshift solutions, like rolled up mats.

While these solutions may work in the short term, they’re ungainly and often time consuming. To avoid this, we’ve searched the market to find pads that have been specifically made to withstand the weight and movement of the hip thrust.

From there, we’ve tried and tested the best options on the market and performed a review of the 7 best barbell pads for hip thrusts, so you can make an informed decision on which one might be best for you! 

Best Barbell pads for hip thrusts:

1. AbMat Hip Thrust Pad
2. W1N Hip Thrust Pad
3. PowerGuidance Square Hip Thrust Pad 
4. Pacearth Hip Thrust Pad
5. Iron Bull Squat Pad
6. ProFitness Barbell Hip Thrust Pad
7. Power Guidance Hip Thrust Pad

If you want to find out more about why we rated then in the above order, keep reading.

Disclaimer: We’ve used our own judging criteria to pick the best barbell pads for hip thrusts and, while we’ve tried to be as comprehensive and honest as we can in our review, these products may not be right for you. Please keep this in mind as you’re reading. 

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1. AbMat Hip Thrust Pad

Pros:

• Specifically designed for hip thrusts
• Hard top to spread the weight of the bar safely
• Extremely durable material
• Well designed to keep the bar in place
• Soft on the bottom for very comfortable use
• Good size to add throw in the gym bag

The AbMat barbell pad for hip thrusts is pretty much what we dream of when we think of the perfect hip thrust pad and we loved using it. This product has been specifically designed with hip thrusts in mind, rather than as an after through of the squat barbell pad. 

With a bar ‘well’ that runs from one side to the other, the top of the AbMat barbell pad for hip thrusts is hard and keeps the bar in place throughout the movement. We found this, along with the wider fit compared to other hip thrust pads, made for a really secure and comfortable experience throughout the movement.

The outside of the pad is coated in Cordura material, which we found to be very sturdy and strong, and protected the interior from splitting under the weight of the barbell. We found it looked good and held it’s shape through many workouts.

The bottom of the pad is also super soft, which also makes it a really comfortable, and the wider base means the weight is spread more evenly across the pelvis and upper legs, so it really protects the hips under those heavier weights.

In terms of dimensions, it comes in at 1.75 inches in depth, which is bigger than most other barbell pads for hip thrusts too.

One thing you should bear in mind is that, as this is one of the only barbell pads for hip thrusts that’s been specifically designed with hip thrusts in mind, it does come with a slightly bigger price tag. But, after trialling it ourselves, we have to say it’s worth the investment.

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2. W1N Hip Thrust Pad

The W1N Hip Thrust Pad from W1N Athletics is made of extremely durable material, is extra thick and is designed with hip thrusts in mind. We say this, as this pad for hip thrusts offers a velcro strap which tightens the sleeve around the bar, and reduces the risk of it moving as you’re working out and falling off or shifting so the padding is not between you and the bar.

We also think the extra thickness makes this more suited to hip thrusts than standard barbell pads. Other pads are slightly thinner in order to make for a more comfortable squatting experience.

That’s not to say it can’t be used for back squats, it’s just the extra thickness helps to keep those more exposed hip bones more protective as you go. 

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3. PowerGuidance Square Hip Thrust Pad 

Although officially considered a bench press pad, this square pad provides extra cushioning, which is also applicable to hip thrusts. It should provide additional padding, making it a good option if you’re looking for an extra thick option. 

It’s a little larger than a squat designed bench press which means it will take up a little more room in your gym bag, but comes with the extra padding. It also has a velcro strap for extra security. 

You wouldn’t be able to use this for your back squats, but can be handy if you’re not as confident with bench press. 

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4. Pacearth Hip Thrust Pad

The Pacearth pad for hip thrusts is another good quality product made from durable rubber. It also offers the handy indent that means it’s appropriate for both squats and hip thrusts. 

What’s more, at 17.3 inches long and weighing in at just 340g, it’s a convenient size and weight to take with you to the gym. 

This hip thrust pad provides straps rather than velcro to offer a tighter grip on the bar so you don’t have to worry about movement. While this is great for a very stable workout where the bar doesn’t move or slip, it could potentially be quite time consuming. 

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5. Iron Bull Squat Pad

Iron Bull is a well known fitness brand that has a good reputation for quality products, and this is a good option for a hip thrust pad. 

Made from a high-density rubber foam, this is a durable product that should offer lasting protection throughout multiple workouts. The rubber also provides an element of anti-slip in place of the velcro strap, however, we usually opt for a velcro strap for additional security. 

It’s also light, a good size to throw in your gym bag and offers the squat indent so you can use it for both squats and hip thrusts. What’s more, Iron Bull provide a range of colors to choose from.

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6. ProFitness Barbell Hip Thrust Pad

The ProFitness hip thrust pad is also a high density rubber pad, which should provide some good cushioning. It isn’t the thickest option available, but should be lightweight for transport and storing in your gym bag. 

This option doesn’t have a velcro strap, but does come with two straps to ensure a tight fit on the bar. However, this isn’t the most convenient option for a number of reasons. The whole product comes in three sections, so thats a few extra things to carry about with you. And it can be time consuming to completely undo the straps when taking it off the bar. 

Despite this, it’s a quality product that’s also available in three colors. 

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7. Power Guidance Hip Thrust Pad

This hip thrust pad is another great rubber pad that should provide a durable product that will last through many workouts. 

It offers an anti-slip product, however without the velcro strap it’s not as reliable as other products may be. 

It’s lightweight and a mid-range size, so you can trust it would be a good addition to your gym bag. 

See the latest price on Amazon

How we picked the best barbell pads for hip thrusts

We knew there was a call for better, thicker and more suitable barbell pads for hip thrusts and we knew that your average squat pad just wasn’t cutting it.

So, with that in mind, we set out to do a full and comprehensive review of the best barbell pads for hip thrusts.

To start with, we began searching the market for pads that offer a thicker setting, which takes the pressure off of the hips and reduces discomfort under the bar.

This is important, as the key role of the hip thrust pad is to ensure the hips are protected and comfortable throughout the movement.

After that, we looked at the material used to make the pads. We were happy to see many more pads are featuring more durable material that will last in the long haul, and keep their shape through many workouts.

What’s more, we took a look at construction too. The AbMat Hip Thrust Pad is pretty unique in that it offers a pretty much un-rivalled design, that we think is pretty revolutionary!

However, most of the others on the list offer up a circular design. With these, we liked to see a good, thick pad which will offer protection to the hips. Then, we like to see a velcro strap too. This helps keep the pad securely on the bar and reduces the risk of the bar slipping between the gaps in the circle.

Then, we looked at price. Sure enough our top pick was more expensive, but we think the protection it offered was second to none, so we thought the price reflected the cost. With that in mind, we wouldn’t rate a barbell pad for hip thrusts that cost any more than the AbMat Hip Thrust Pad.

What to look for when buying barbell pads for hip thrusts

If you’re looking for a top quality barbell pad for hip thrusts, theres a couple of things you should keep in mind to ensure you get the best possible option for you budget.

Take a look at the criteria below.

Design

As we’ve said above, a squat pad just doesn’t cut it any more. The hip joint is completely different to the upper back and a squat pad won’t offer the right kind of protection or the adaptability to support you safely through the full movement.

As such, the design of a barbell pad for hip thrusts is definitely something to keep in mind. Look for something with a thick pad that will provide protection against the weight of the bar.

What’s more, if you can, aim to find something like the AbMat Hip Thrust Pad that will spread the weight over a bigger area than just the hips. This will help to take the pressure off of the hips and will allow for a more stable bar overall.

This is a whole lot safer than having the weight of the bar in just one area.

And, if it is a circular bar, look for something with some kind of strap to secure the bar in place. It will make a big difference to comfort and safety.

Material

The material of a barbell pad for hip thrusts will tell you a lot about the durability and the quality of a pad. Something that is sturdy, yet soft would be ideal, as it will be comfortable, yet tough enough to make it through a number of workouts.

Something with a purely foam exterior should be avoided, as they break easily within the area the bar is held and they won’t last long in a busy gym under heavy weights.

Price

When it comes to these hip thrust pads, we definitely found that the higher the price, the higher the quality of the product. However, we do know that this has a limit.

If you want a decent, reasonably priced barbell pad for hip thrusts, then we’d probably say pay no less than $20. Otherwise, the quality, material and design starts to suffer pretty dramatically.

Conversely, we think the top bracket for a truly excellent barbell pad for hip thrusts that will last you and give you excellent comfort comes in at $50. When it comes to longevity of the product and the comfort it provides, we really think it’s worth the additional spend.