RealTruck Ionic 5-Inch Curved Nerf Bars Review: An Affordable Step in the Right Direction

Not all nerf bars are the same. These are affordable and better than what we've been working with.
Ionic 5-Inch Nerf Curved Nerf Bars Review

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Nerf bars are a staple upgrade for truck owners. The immediately obvious benefit of helping people get into the cabin more easily is very appealing to many. This is not just because someone isn’t tall enough to climb into their truck easily. That extra step can save your front seats from a lot of wear and tear created as you slide into the cockpit time and time again. Not all are the same, though. 

My sister recently bought a used 2018 Toyota Tacoma. It came with a set of nerf bars that are almost useless as steps. Despite being a wide oval, they sit very close to the truck, limiting their function as a step. While they may provide some protection to the rockers, they really don’t do the job they’re intended to. 

When RealTruck offered to send out some Ionic 5-inch curved nerf bars for review, I knew my sister’s truck was the prime candidate. After installing them, I can say for sure they’re the upgrade we were hoping they’d be. If you’re in the market for an affordable, effective, and good-looking nerf bar, these are definitely worth considering. 

Ionic 5-Inch Curved Nerf Bars Review
Hank O’Hop

The Bottom Line

Ionic 5-Inch Curved Nerf Bars
Ease of Installation9/10
Quality7/10
Grip8/10
Value8/10
Overall8/10

The Rundown on the Ionic 5-Inch Curved Nerf Bars

The Ionic 5-inch curved nerf bars are a pretty standard setup. The bars themselves are 5-inch wide oval cab-length steps with curved ends that turn toward the cabin of the truck. They have wide, high-texture steps for added grip, and a gloss black powder coat finish helps fight corrosion. 

These bars normally retail for $399.00, which includes the bars and the hardware. Speaking of which, they boast a simple, no-drill installation for most applications. Obviously, that’s based on the model of truck you’re working with and what mounting provisions, if any, are provided. In the case of the 2018 Tacoma I’m working with, dedicated mounting points are present. That makes installation incredibly simple.  Getting back to the basic specs, these steps are backed by a 3-year warranty, which is on par with most nerf bars in this price range.

Installing and Testing the Ionic 5-Inch Curved Nerf Bars

Installing the Ionic 5-inch curved nerf bars on the truck couldn’t be easier. The process starts with removing the old nerf bars that are held in place with six bolts per side. Next, you need to orient the brackets, which is foolproof thanks to the stamping on the sides of each. Once they’re in place, you can set the bars on the brackets, then snug all the hardware down. The whole thing will take you maybe half an hour, and you only need one 13mm socket to get it done. 

The Ionic bars, thankfully, distance themselves much further from the cab than the old ones. The old bars do offer a really tidy look, but sitting as close as the do makes them pretty much useless as steps. Even my sister, who’s around 5’4, says trying to use them is more trouble than it’s worth because their position is so awkward. Because these sit away from the cab, they function more naturally as a step, which she really appreciates. The wide, high-texture step pad obviously helps with this. 

I should also note that the old bars also have a 5-inch diameter, showing that placement is truly that important. Now, this may do less in terms of protection from small rocks and other debris that’ll chip up the paint, but it does make the bars more effective as actual steps. 

The next immediate contrast is the design of the brackets used. The old bars have a boxed bracket design that I really prefer over the Ionic’s simple stamped brackets. The new ones seem very flimsy by comparison and even move a bit as I step up onto them. I weigh around 210 pounds. That’s not exactly featherweight, but I’d still expect them to be a little more solid.

I do appreciate the sealed ends on these bars over the old ones, which use caps. This looks a lot better, especially with a symmetrical curve at the front and rear of the bar. The gloss black finish also goes very well with the truck’s paint. The old bars have a matte finish, which did make them stand out a bit, even though they were tucked into the cab.

The Verdict 

The Ionic 5-inch curved nerf bars, in this case, are a solid upgrade over the old bars that were on the truck. They protrude further, allowing them to actually function like a step, unlike the bars that hug the cabin, functioning more as a protective shield than anything. That’s not to say that it’s not beneficial to the truck, but a step up is a lot more desirable for many owners, and their seats will thank them.

Overall quality is pretty good, too. The bars seem to be made very well, and the finish gives me me no reason to believe it won’t be around for a long time. About the only thing I don’t like is how flimsy the brackets feel, but they too should hold up. The regular retail price of $399.00 is a pretty solid deal given they’re cheaper than what I’d consider direct competition. That said, they do go on sale quite a bit. At the time of writing this, they’re marked down to $259.99, which is worth jumping on if you need nerf bars. 

2018 Toyota Tacoma With Ionic 5-Inch Curved Nerf Bars
Hank O’Hop

 

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