Premier Protein Bar vs Barebells Protein Bar
Premier Protein's 50% bar vs Barebells — the quiet supermarket brand against the Swedish cult favourite. The label result surprised us.
Premier Protein
Premier Protein 50% Bar
50g protein / 100g
Barebells
Barebells Protein Bar
37g protein / 100g
Representative products shown — the top efficiency scorer in each line. Tap a card for the full product page.
Our verdict
Premier Protein wins — the upset of the wave
Same protein per bar — 20g vs 20.4g — but Premier Protein delivers it for 136 kcal against Barebells' 198. Less than half the sugar (0.7g vs 1.4g), less than half the fat (3g vs 7.2g). That's a 100/A efficiency score against 82/A: the biggest grade gap in any bar rivalry we've run.
Barebells' defence is the eating experience: a 55g bar with 15+ flavours and a texture people genuinely love, against Premier's smaller 40g format. Nobody ever called a Premier Protein bar a treat.
But verdicts here are settled on the label, not the hype. If you want the most protein per calorie in a UK bar aisle, the answer isn't the Instagram brand — it's the quiet one.
Head to head
Per serving, from UK label data.
| Premier Protein 50% Bar | Barebells Protein Bar | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20.0g | 20.4g ✓ |
| Calories | 136 ✓ | 198 |
| Sugar / 100g | 1.8g ✓ | 2.6g |
| Fat / 100g | 7.4g ✓ | 13.0g |
| Clean Score | 95 ✓ | 94 |
Who should buy which
Buy Premier Protein if…
You want maximum protein per calorie — 20g for 136 kcal with almost no sugar. The numbers pick, even if the branding doesn't excite you.
Buy Barebells if…
The bar has to feel like a treat — bigger bar, better texture, far more flavours. You'll pay 62 kcal for the pleasure, which is a fair trade if it keeps you consistent.
Frequently asked
Which has more protein, Premier Protein or Barebells?
Effectively the same per bar: 20g (40g bar) vs 20.4g (55g bar). The difference is what comes with it — 136 vs 198 calories.
Is Premier Protein better than Barebells?
On the label, clearly: 100/A vs 82/A, half the sugar, less than half the fat, for the same protein. Barebells wins on taste, texture and flavour range.
Why is Premier Protein 100/A?
50g protein per 100g at just 339 kcal with 1.8g sugar — one of the leanest macro profiles of any bar in the catalog.
Compare them yourself, live
Run Premier Protein 50% Bar against Barebells Protein Bar in our interactive compare tool — with your own product picks.
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