diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 187b7af7..00e9cd81 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -351,10 +351,9 @@ Parameters
     Specify the line offset to print this bar (starting from 0)
     Automatic if unspecified.
     Useful to manage multiple bars at once (eg, from threads).
-* postfix  : dict, optional  
+* postfix  : dict or ``*``, optional  
     Specify additional stats to display at the end of the bar.
-    Note: postfix is a dict ({'key': value} pairs) for this method,
-    not a string.
+    Calls ``set_postfix(**postfix)`` if possible (dict).
 * unit_divisor  : float, optional  
     [default: 1000], ignored unless `unit_scale` is True.
 
@@ -495,14 +494,22 @@ with the ``desc`` and ``postfix`` arguments:
     from random import random, randint
     from time import sleep
 
-    t = trange(100)
-    for i in t:
-        # Description will be displayed on the left
-        t.set_description('GEN %i' % i)
-        # Postfix will be displayed on the right, and will format automatically
-        # based on argument's datatype
-        t.set_postfix(loss=random(), gen=randint(1,999), str='h', lst=[1, 2])
-        sleep(0.1)
+    with trange(100) as t:
+        for i in t:
+            # Description will be displayed on the left
+            t.set_description('GEN %i' % i)
+            # Postfix will be displayed on the right,
+            # formatted automatically based on argument's datatype
+            t.set_postfix(loss=random(), gen=randint(1,999), str='h',
+                          lst=[1, 2])
+            sleep(0.1)
+
+    with tqdm(total=10, bar_format="{postfix[0]} {postfix[1][value]:>8.2g}",
+              postfix=["Batch", dict(value=0)]) as t:
+        for i in range(10):
+            sleep(0.1)
+            t.postfix[1]["value"] = i / 2
+            t.update()
 
 Nested progress bars
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/tqdm.1 b/tqdm.1
index b8fc7eeb..79beadac 100644
--- a/tqdm.1
+++ b/tqdm.1
@@ -159,11 +159,12 @@ Ranges from 0 (average speed) to 1 (current/instantaneous speed)
 str, optional.
 Specify a custom bar string formatting.
 May impact performance.
-If unspecified, will use \[aq]{l_bar}{bar}{r_bar}\[aq], where l_bar is
-\[aq]{desc}: {percentage:3.0f}%|\[aq] and r_bar is \[aq]|
-{n_fmt}/{total_fmt} [{elapsed}<{remaining}, {rate_fmt}]\[aq] Possible
-vars: bar, n, n_fmt, total, total_fmt, percentage, rate, rate_fmt,
-elapsed, remaining, l_bar, r_bar, desc.
+[default: \[aq]{l_bar}{bar}{r_bar}\[aq]], where l_bar=\[aq]{desc}:
+{percentage:3.0f}%|\[aq] and r_bar=\[aq]| {n_fmt}/{total_fmt}
+[{elapsed}<{remaining}, \[aq] \[aq]{rate_fmt}{postfix}]\[aq] Possible
+vars: l_bar, bar, r_bar, n, n_fmt, total, total_fmt, percentage, rate,
+rate_fmt, rate_noinv, rate_noinv_fmt, rate_inv, rate_inv_fmt, elapsed,
+remaining, desc, postfix.
 Note that a trailing ": " is automatically removed after {desc} if the
 latter is empty.
 .RS
@@ -185,10 +186,9 @@ Useful to manage multiple bars at once (eg, from threads).
 .RE
 .TP
 .B \-\-postfix=\f[I]postfix\f[]
-dict, optional.
+dict or *, optional.
 Specify additional stats to display at the end of the bar.
-Note: postfix is a dict ({\[aq]key\[aq]: value} pairs) for this method,
-not a string.
+Calls \f[C]set_postfix(**postfix)\f[] if possible (dict).
 .RS
 .RE
 .TP
diff --git a/tqdm/_tqdm.py b/tqdm/_tqdm.py
index 0eafbf0a..04b2961b 100755
--- a/tqdm/_tqdm.py
+++ b/tqdm/_tqdm.py
@@ -240,10 +240,12 @@ class tqdm(object):
               rate_inv, rate_inv_fmt, elapsed, remaining, desc, postfix.
             Note that a trailing ": " is automatically removed after {desc}
             if the latter is empty.
-        postfix  : str, optional
+        postfix  : *, optional
             Similar to `prefix`, but placed at the end
             (e.g. for additional stats).
-            Note: postfix is a string for this method. Not a dict.
+            Note: postfix is usually a string (not a dict) for this method,
+            and will if possible be set to postfix = ', ' + postfix.
+            However other types are supported (#382).
         unit_divisor  : float, optional
             [default: 1000], ignored unless `unit_scale` is True.
 
@@ -287,6 +289,11 @@ class tqdm(object):
             n_fmt = str(n)
             total_fmt = str(total)
 
+        try:
+            postfix = ', ' + postfix if postfix else ''
+        except TypeError:
+            pass
+
         # total is known: we can predict some stats
         if total:
             # fractional and percentage progress
@@ -305,8 +312,7 @@ class tqdm(object):
                 l_bar = ''
             l_bar += '{0:3.0f}%|'.format(percentage)
             r_bar = '| {0}/{1} [{2}<{3}, {4}{5}]'.format(
-                n_fmt, total_fmt, elapsed_str, remaining_str, rate_fmt,
-                ', ' + postfix if postfix else '')
+                n_fmt, total_fmt, elapsed_str, remaining_str, rate_fmt, postfix)
 
             if ncols == 0:
                 return l_bar[:-1] + r_bar[1:]
@@ -331,7 +337,7 @@ class tqdm(object):
                             'l_bar': l_bar,
                             'r_bar': r_bar,
                             'desc': prefix or '',
-                            'postfix': ', ' + postfix if postfix else '',
+                            'postfix': postfix,
                             # 'bar': full_bar  # replaced by procedure below
                             }
 
@@ -386,8 +392,7 @@ class tqdm(object):
         else:
             return ((prefix + ": ") if prefix else '') + \
                 '{0}{1} [{2}, {3}{4}]'.format(
-                    n_fmt, unit, elapsed_str, rate_fmt,
-                    ', ' + postfix if postfix else '')
+                    n_fmt, unit, elapsed_str, rate_fmt, postfix)
 
     def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
         # Create a new instance
@@ -691,11 +696,13 @@ class tqdm(object):
             (current/instantaneous speed) [default: 0.3].
         bar_format  : str, optional
             Specify a custom bar string formatting. May impact performance.
-            If unspecified, will use '{l_bar}{bar}{r_bar}', where l_bar is
-            '{desc}: {percentage:3.0f}%|' and r_bar is
-            '| {n_fmt}/{total_fmt} [{elapsed}<{remaining}, {rate_fmt}]'
-            Possible vars: bar, n, n_fmt, total, total_fmt, percentage,
-            rate, rate_fmt, elapsed, remaining, l_bar, r_bar, desc.
+            [default: '{l_bar}{bar}{r_bar}'], where
+            l_bar='{desc}: {percentage:3.0f}%|' and
+            r_bar='| {n_fmt}/{total_fmt} [{elapsed}<{remaining}, '
+              '{rate_fmt}{postfix}]'
+            Possible vars: l_bar, bar, r_bar, n, n_fmt, total, total_fmt,
+              percentage, rate, rate_fmt, rate_noinv, rate_noinv_fmt,
+              rate_inv, rate_inv_fmt, elapsed, remaining, desc, postfix.
             Note that a trailing ": " is automatically removed after {desc}
             if the latter is empty.
         initial  : int, optional
@@ -705,10 +712,9 @@ class tqdm(object):
             Specify the line offset to print this bar (starting from 0)
             Automatic if unspecified.
             Useful to manage multiple bars at once (eg, from threads).
-        postfix  : dict, optional
+        postfix  : dict or *, optional
             Specify additional stats to display at the end of the bar.
-            Note: postfix is a dict ({'key': value} pairs) for this method,
-            not a string.
+            Calls `set_postfix(**postfix)` if possible (dict).
         unit_divisor  : float, optional
             [default: 1000], ignored unless `unit_scale` is True.
         gui  : bool, optional
@@ -812,7 +818,10 @@ class tqdm(object):
         self.bar_format = bar_format
         self.postfix = None
         if postfix:
-            self.set_postfix(refresh=False, **postfix)
+            try:
+                self.set_postfix(refresh=False, **postfix)
+            except TypeError:
+                self.postfix = postfix
 
         # Init the iterations counters
         self.last_print_n = initial
diff --git a/tqdm/_version.py b/tqdm/_version.py
index 45bef8d7..6866bc5b 100644
--- a/tqdm/_version.py
+++ b/tqdm/_version.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from io import open as io_open
 __all__ = ["__version__"]
 
 # major, minor, patch, -extra
-version_info = 4, 21, 0
+version_info = 4, 22, 0
 
 # Nice string for the version
 __version__ = '.'.join(map(str, version_info))
diff --git a/tqdm/tests/tests_tqdm.py b/tqdm/tests/tests_tqdm.py
index 89640d7f..f81d2391 100644
--- a/tqdm/tests/tests_tqdm.py
+++ b/tqdm/tests/tests_tqdm.py
@@ -1463,6 +1463,25 @@ def test_postfix():
     assert out5 == ["World"]
 
 
+def test_postfix_direct():
+    """Test directly assigning non-str objects to postfix"""
+    with closing(StringIO()) as our_file:
+        with tqdm(total=10, file=our_file, miniters=1, mininterval=0,
+                  bar_format="{postfix[0][name]} {postfix[1]:>5.2f}",
+                  postfix=[dict(name="foo"), 42]) as t:
+            for i in range(10):
+                if i % 2:
+                    t.postfix[0]["name"] = "abcdefghij"[i]
+                else:
+                    t.postfix[1] = i
+                t.update()
+        res = our_file.getvalue()
+        assert "f  6.00" in res
+        assert "h  6.00" in res
+        assert "h  8.00" in res
+        assert "j  8.00" in res
+
+
 class DummyTqdmFile(object):
     """Dummy file-like that will write to tqdm"""
     file = None