The Bars to PSI Converter converts between bar and pounds per square inch in either direction. One bar = exactly 14.5038 psi — the conversion essential for working across European and North American pressure specifications in pneumatics, hydraulics, tire pressure, and industrial process engineering.
14.5038
psi
100
kPa
0.1
MPa
100,000
Pa
14.5038
psi
100
kPa
0.1
MPa
100,000
Pa
A European pneumatic cylinder is rated at 10 bar. Your American colleague's specification says 145 psi. A car tire inflated to 2.5 bar. A hydraulic press running at 690 bar. Pressure values expressed in bar appear constantly alongside psi values in international engineering — and the calculator for bars to psi converts between them instantly, in both directions, eliminating the mental arithmetic that introduces errors under time pressure.
The bar is defined as exactly 100,000 pascals (100 kPa). One psi = 6,894.757 Pa exactly (pound-force per square inch, using the standard gravity of 9.80665 m/s²). Therefore:
1 bar = 100,000 / 6,894.757 = 14.5038 psi
1 psi = 6,894.757 / 100,000 = 0.068948 bar
The commonly used approximation 1 bar ≈ 14.5 psi introduces a 0.026% error — negligible for most practical applications but significant for precision pressure calibration. The standard atmosphere (atm) comparison: 1 atm = 1.01325 bar = 14.696 psi. Use this online calculator for precise conversions in either direction. The atmospheres to psi converter handles the atm pressure unit.
The geographic split in pressure unit usage follows the metric/imperial divide but with significant sector-specific exceptions:
The coexistence of both units in international engineering is a persistent source of specification errors, particularly when pressure ratings, safety limits, and test pressures are copied between documents in different unit systems.
Both bar and psi have gauge (barg/psig) and absolute (bara/psia) variants. Gauge pressure is measured relative to atmospheric pressure; absolute pressure is measured relative to perfect vacuum. Converting between them: P_absolute = P_gauge + P_atmosphere ≈ P_gauge + 1.01325 bar (≈ P_gauge + 14.696 psi). A car tire at 2.5 bar gauge = 3.51 bar absolute = 50.9 psia. Process engineers and equipment designers must be explicit about gauge vs. absolute in all specifications — specifying "10 bar" without clarification can mean 10 barg (145 psig) or 10 bara (130.4 psig), a 10% difference that matters significantly for pressure vessel design. The pressure converter and pressure converters category cover all pressure unit conversions.
Understanding bar and psi pressure ranges in hydraulic systems provides engineering context:
The formula: PSI = bars × 14.5038. This is derived from: 1 bar = 100,000 Pa and 1 PSI = 6,894.757 Pa, so 1 bar = 100,000 / 6,894.757 ≈ 14.5038 PSI.
For kilopascals: kPa = bars × 100 (exact, since 1 bar = 100,000 Pa = 100 kPa).
Common references: 1 bar = 14.504 PSI, 2.4 bar ≈ 34.8 PSI (typical car tire), 200 bar ≈ 2,901 PSI (scuba tank), 1 atm ≈ 1.013 bar. Espresso machines operate at 8–10 bar (116–145 PSI).
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1 atm ≈ 1.013 bar
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Full scuba tank at 200 bar
1 bar equals approximately 14.5038 PSI. This is slightly less than one standard atmosphere (14.696 PSI).
PSI = bar × 14.5038. For example, 3 bar = 3 × 14.5038 = 43.51 PSI.
No, bar is not officially part of the SI system, but it is accepted for use with SI. The SI unit of pressure is the Pascal (Pa). 1 bar = 100,000 Pa exactly.
2.5 bar = 36.26 PSI. This is a common tire pressure for European vehicles.
Meteorologists use millibars (mbar) or hectopascals (hPa) — they are identical (1 mbar = 1 hPa = 100 Pa). Standard atmospheric pressure is 1013.25 mbar.
1 bar = 100,000 Pa exactly, while 1 atm = 101,325 Pa. So 1 atm ≈ 1.01325 bar. They are close but not identical.
Typical passenger car tires use 2.0–2.5 bar (29–36 PSI). Check your vehicle's door jamb sticker for the recommended pressure.
10 bar = 145.038 PSI. Water-resistant watches rated to 10 bar can withstand pressures equivalent to about 100 meters of water depth.
Divide millibar by 68.9476 to get PSI. For example, 1013.25 mbar ÷ 68.9476 = 14.696 PSI.
Bar is standard in continental Europe, much of Asia, and in the international engineering community for hydraulic, pneumatic, and compressed gas applications.
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