The short version of the question is - if I am never going to ride off-road will I ever have a safety problem with cheaper handlebars?

More detail - I have been riding for many years. I have several bikes and recently have been trying all sorts of handlebars on them - trying to find various ideals. I am thinking about buying one more type but notice a large range in price for what is essentially the same design. I am leaving out any mention of the style of bar as I think that sidetracks the issue. So, other than flex (which I don't mind) and finish - can cheap bars actually fail or cause other problems during commuting type rides?

Your weight should be factored into this consideration of which bar to get. Will an extra $20 really be a burden, considering the extra measure of safety in a stronger bar?

Generally speaking, no.

It's possible that some cheap handlebar would pose a safety issue. I'm not aware of any examples other than corrosion on old bars. Or carbon spontaneously exploding Perhaps someone will speak up about some specific handlebars to avoid, although I suspect you'd need to be more specific about what kind of bars you're looking at.

As a rule, less expensive bars are not any less safe than expensive ones. In fact the opposite may be true.

Low end bars tend to be overbuilt, since weight isn't a primary consideration. They're also made with relatively ductile alloys, and tend to bend rather than break. OTOH a high end bar is engineered close to the wall because weight is at a premium, and they do so by using high strength materials, which unfortunately aren't ductile and tend to fracture rather than bend.

So if it's only about safety, cheap and heavy is the way to go.

However, beware of low quality high end pretenders which are light, but maybe not well engineered. (probably more of an issue with CF than with aluminum).

I agree and most likely will go with a more expensive (or just not the cheapest) in the end. But, I am still curious about the question. FBinNY, for the most part, has addressed the concern.

Thanks. I edited the quoted part of your reply into two parts.

Part A is definitely true for the Wald Porteur style bars I have tried. What has got me curious is the increasingly common phenom on eBay where the prices of an item neatly fits an a small range and then there is something half the price from China. That is likely to fall under part B.

I suspect that some of that no-brand stuff is junk but some could as well be intentional over-runs when they make something for a brand-name company. For the sake of argument let's say I am buying a straight flat bar (I'm not) -- I wonder if it could be poorly made enough to actually break or bend while commuting? I wouldn't doubt it, considering other import product short-cuts that have made the news in recent years.

One thing I see in older aluminum lower cost drop bars is sagging. the brake levers on them will visibly point inward rather than up & down

The upper portion was not curved before, it is then.. with the aluminum bending a little bit at a time .

Manufacturers post bending processes heat treatment is an added cost.