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Written by Tim HillLast updated on December 15th, 2023 Dumbbell Stand
Weight plates may not be as flashy as some of the best cable machines or smart gyms. But paired with a good Olympic barbell, they’re all you need to get an excellent total-body workout, no matter your fitness level. The exercise possibilities are endless and weight plates can help you progress over time, unlike aweight-limited machine.
There is something out there for everyone, from the best bumper plates to calibrated steel varieties. But with technology constantly evolving and more competition entering the market, there’s a seemingly endless list of products you can buy. Our team of Barbend experts has done the heavy lifting (pun intended) for you by researching and testing more than a dozen of the best weight plates from brands like REP Fitness, Titan, Nike, and Rogue. Browse our top picks and find the best set for your home gym.
These durable black bumper plates have steel inserts and low-bounce virgin rubber that may help reduce noise when dropped. They're ideal for traditional lifts, cross-training, and even Olympic Lifts.
Weight plates aren’t the most high-tech piece of gym equipment. But that doesn’t mean you should pick just any old pair off the internet. If you want to invest in a high-quality piece of equipment that can withstand years of use and plenty of drops, we’ve found the ideal plate: REP Fitness’ Black Bumper Plates.
“They’re super durable and can withstand all the punishment you could ask for in a pair of bumper plates,” says our lead product tester Jake Herod, who gave them a 5/5 for durability. REP’s plates have been factory tested to withstand more than 12,000 drops from eight feet high with zero damage to the plates. And we also love that they don’t bounce much, either. Considering you’re probably adding to your home gym equipment, this is a must-have feature to protect your floors.
As we took these plates through a variety of exercises, including deadlifts, back/front squats, bench presses, and cleans, we noticed a few things straight off the bat. Ranging from $69.99 to $209.99 per pair, REP’s bumpers are pretty meticulously built. For one, the 10-pound plates are an inch thick (most others less than an inch) to reduce the likelihood of bending with use. Also, the 45-pound plates are thinner than most (about 2.8 inches thick) to accommodate more loading on your barbell.
REP prioritizes precision, guaranteeing a one percent weight tolerance, meaning the plates are within one percent of the written weight. They also have a steel hook in the center, which Herod emphasized while testing, as it can help increase the plate durability and protect your barbell from damage. But if for some reason, REP’s products don’t hold up, the company offers a six-month warranty on 10- and 15-pound plates and a three-year warranty on all others.
On the downside, these bumper plates don’t feature a handle, according to Herod. “A lot of the time, you’ll find bumper plates have a handle, and that’s really helpful for loading and unloading, as well as specific exercises, like a front shoulder raise,” he says.
We also love the sleek look of these bumpers. “It’s a really common phrase in the sports world that if you look good, you’ll feel good and then you’ll play good,” Herod says. “That’s no exception here — these weights look awesome.”
Read our full review of REP Fitness Black Bumper Plates.
These high-quality bumper plates feature alloy steel inserts with a low-bounce rubber coating. With full sets ranging from 160 to 370-pounds, there is a solid chance most athletes can purchase a set that meets their needs.
For many, price is the deciding factor when choosing which weight plates to buy. If you’re shopping on a budget, we recommend these Living.Fit bumper plates. These are only $4.99 per pound (others can be $5.50 and up) and are built to withstand years of use — in fact, they’ve been tested to withstand more than 150,000 drops damage-free.
“They’re less expensive than most bumper plates you may find from brands like REP, Rogue, or Fringe,” our tester says, rating these a 4.5/5 when it comes to value. “These plates do have a thin wax coat that needs to be wiped off before you put them to use, so don’t forget that post-unboxing step.”
These tick the safety box, too. Each plate has a steel insert with hooks molded to the plate, so it fits snug around a barbell, preventing your weight from slipping while you lift. Why is this so important? Well, most of us have muscle imbalances. So, if you’re right dominant, for instance, and lean slightly right as you squat, you don’t have to worry about the left plate sliding down the bar.
Living.Fit guarantees plus or minus one percent accuracy, so you can rest assured the weight is fairly accurate. And for athletes who are super meticulous — hey, we get it — the company guarantees a replacement if the weight is off.
Clearly, this company prioritizes customer satisfaction because you also get a four-year home warranty on these plates (one year commercial). And you can even buy the weights in sets if you’re looking to really deck out your home gym.
But no product is perfect, right? We do wish the 10-pound weights were a little thicker. These are about 0.86 inches, whereas other companies make theirs a solid inch. This matters because weights can bend with use. “Our main question is how these may hold up over time,” our tester says. “Considering all the website info, they seem to be a good product, especially for the price.” Unfortunately, there’s no real way to tell unless they undergo some long term use.
These bumper plates are made with extremely durably urethane, which won't bend or crack with use. The color-coding also makes it quicker to select your desired weight as you switch from one exercise to the next.
Although most bumper plates may look the same, if you actually feel the coating, they’re not all identical. Ranging from $59.97 to $159.97 per single plate, these are built with urethane rubber, an ultra-durable material. To the touch, they’ll feel harder than a rubber plate (like REP’s pick above) but not fully stiff like plastic.
“I originally needed some really durable plates because I own a weightlifting gym, and our plates get dropped a lot from overhead during snatches and clean-and-jerks,” says our tester Kate Meier, BarBend editorial staff member and competitive weightlifter. “The Titan urethane plates have been a fantastic solution because urethane is so much more durable than your typical rubber or crumb rubber bumper.” When it comes to material and durability, she gave these a 5/5 rating.
Urethane isn’t necessarily better or worse than any other plate materials — it’s just different. And it may be ideal for your purposes! Urethane is denser than rubber, so it won’t bounce nearly as much as a rubber plate. Athletes training at home may love this because it’s safer for your floors and minimizes noise. “I have owned these plates for more than a year,” Meier says. “They get used almost every day by weightlifters for squats, deadlifts, Olympic lifts — you name it — and we haven’t had one issue with floor damage or noise.”
Despite the advantages of the material, one of our testers didn’t totally love the design details. The edges of the plates have a lipped, flat design, making them hard to pick up when lying flat. On the other hand, Meier found them much grippier than the rubber Eleiko or Rogue plates she has. So, the grip factor is definitely a personal preference.
The five kilogram plates are a little weird for two reasons, according to Meier. They’re smaller in diameter than standard plate size but not quite as small as a change plate either. “I believe it’s because if they stretched the lighter plate bigger, the urethane would be too thin and lose durability,” she says. The five-kilo weights are also black, whereas typically in weightlifting, these plates are white (and smaller).
On the other hand, these are color-coded, making them especially convenient, according to Meier. “As a competitive weightlifter, I love using plates that are color-coded to IWF standards,” she says. “It keeps things seamless. We don’t actually own any all-black plates because it’s good to get athletes used to seeing the color.” It’s also easier for coaches to tell athletes to grab a specific color, rather than hunting for a written weight.
These Nike plates are made with recycled rubber from Nike's manufacturing scrap, so they're environmentally-friendly. They also have a thick design with plenty of durability — just don't leave them out in the sun, as they may yellow.
Nike has finally entered the strength equipment arena and their Grind Rubber Bumper Plates are definitely worth considering, especially if you’re a CrossFit athlete. From their durable construction to the thicker design, they make a good fit for just about any WOD. We know this because our product tester used them multiple times across various exercises, including deadlifts, hang cleans, thrusters, and squats, giving them a 5/5 for overall durability.
These plates are thicker than most others, which is suitable for CrossFit, considering how many times a barbell gets dropped in a single workout. The 10-pound plates are thicker than most others at about 1.10 inches thick (typically, they’re under an inch). So, even the thinnest plate should withstand plenty of impact without bending.
These plates also load “really smoothly,” our tester said. “They slid on the bar easily but didn’t budge when I dropped them from over my head.” When it comes to loading, we gave these a 5/5, which is helpful as you’re switching quickly from one exercise to the next.
Nike’s plates are crumb bumper plates, which means they’re made with recycled rubber. Generally, recycled rubber plates may bounce a little higher than virgin rubber, according to Herod. However, our other product tester gave these specific plates a 4.5/5 for bounce, saying “they have very little overall bounce. I’d recommend these plates for Olympic lifting and the big three lifts.”
The company makes its Grind plates with 99 percent recycled rubber from Nike’s manufacturing scrap, which we see as a big bonus, as we love a win for the environment. And when it comes to aesthetics, our tester said they “love the look of the multicolored recycled bits.” Unfortunately, though, the color can yellow over time, especially if you leave your plates in the sun.
We do wish Nike offered the Grind bumper plates in sets, though, or offered a warranty. Right now, they’re only sold as single plates, which isn’t always convenient if you’re looking to deck out your whole gym. However, they’re pretty competitively priced at $38 to $110 per single plate, according to Herod.
Iron Bull's virgin rubber bumper plates are durable and can withstand plenty of drops with zero cracks or scratches. These are available as single plates or in multiple sets if you're looking to set up a new home gym.
If you like the satisfying feeling and sound of dropping your bar after a heavy set of deadlifts, Iron Bull’s BP Plates may be your best bet. These have been tested to endure tens of thousands of drops with no damage and after some personal testing, we think they’re up to snuff.
While we hunted for a pair of durable plates, personal experience was key. Our tester took these plates through two separate workouts, which included full cleans, hang cleans, squats, and deadlifts. In other words, plenty of drops from different heights. “The plates landed with no scratches, dents or cracks,” our tester says.
We also noticed very minimal bounce when dropped, which we prefer, as we love to keep our testing garage in tip-top shape. However, we know that a few (albeit diligent) test runs can only tell so much about long-term durability. But Iron Bull put these through more than 10,000 drops from an eight-foot height and still saw no damage.
“These aren’t extremely loud, either” according to our tester. “Of course they’re not going to hit the ground quietly but nothing out of the ordinary. My dog didn’t even raise his head from the ground when I dropped my barbell time after time.”
When comparing the rubber coating and stainless steel inserts to a few other plates, like the PRx Specked Bumper Plates, our tester thought Iron Bull’s quality was hard to match. We also liked the $65 to $210 per pair price range, especially considering the durability. However, unlike most competitors, Iron Bull doesn’t seem to offer a warranty on its bumper plates, which isn’t ideal.
The small lip on the outer edge of the plate was a plus, though. “That design makes the plate much easier to pick up off the ground,” our tester noted. Overall, we gave these a ⅘ — they’re durable and easy to use — our testers had zero complaints.
Competitive weightlifters will appreciate the details of these plates. They're dialed in to be within 15 grams of the stated weight, are ultra durable, and have minimal bounce so you don't have to worry about where the weight goes after you hit that big lift in training.
When you play any sport, you want to mimic your competition setting as much as possible. And Olympic weightlifting is no exception. So, when you’re practicing your lifts at home, competition weight plates are a must-have. Enter, Rogue’s Color KG Training Plates.
Rogue’s plates are IWF-approved but as they’re only training plates, you get all the benefits of competition standards without paying the high price usually associated with competition plates. Whereas most other plates have a weight tolerance of plus or minus one percent, these are even more specific, guaranteeing plus or minus 15 grams of the plate’s written weight.
As you’ll notice, the weights are written on the plates in kilograms, which is also in line with what you can expect at a competition. But to make your life easier, Rogue does make these plates in pounds as well. Regardless of the writing, the color-coding makes finding your desired plate super simple. However, a few customer reviews did mention the green and yellow plates not perfectly matching in color.
Rogue tested these with a durometer (a device that measures the hardness of a material) to make sure you get as little bounce as possible. Durometers measure on a scale of 70 to 90, 70 being super soft, while 90 is very hard. Considering these plates are an 86, you don’t have to worry about them bouncing back up when dropped.
These do have a pretty high price tag, which can be a turnoff for some customers. The 25-pound plate pair costs $205, whereas others price this weight at around $100 to $150. Kate Meier, a personal trainer and competitive weightlifter, points out that there are great options at lower prices for those who don’t need color-coded, competition-standard plates.
“I’ve trained with black bumpers and I’ve trained with Eleiko plates, and the weight on the bar is the same no matter what you pick,” she says. “I believe in training the way you would compete, but if you don’t have plans for the platform and don’t want to shell out the money, you don’t need competition plates.”
Rogue also doesn’t offer any warranty information on weight plates one either the product page or warranty page. But based off customer feedback, it seems to be a case-by-case basis.
These bumper plates from PRx are made from 100-percent recycled rubber and designed to stand up to repeated drops, session after session. Each is finished with a stainless steel insert and has an embossed PRx logo and weight on each side. Pick them up in pairs or 160-pound and 260-pound bundles.
Most consumer industries can be pretty wasteful, fitness included. So, opting for a recycled rubber plate, like PRx’s Crumb Rubber Plates can be an environmentally-friendly choice. These are built with
The recycled rubber isn’t only positive for the environment, it held up well after undergoing several different testing exercises and drops. “The material is durable and absorbs impact well,” our tester says, giving these plates a ⅘ for durability. “However, you don’t want to drop the 10- or 15-pound plates because it can damage the insert and the warranty won’t work anymore.”
PRx offers a 90-day warranty on the 10- and 15-pound plates and a two-year warranty on the others. Our tester said their plates were delivered “in a well-packed cardboard box with foam, which stayed intact during shipping. All the products were in pristine condition.” However, the return policy isn’t too lenient, which may be good to know before you buy. If 30 days go by after your purchase is delivered, you can’t return the plates — no exceptions.
Crumb rubber plates are probably best for CrossFitters, as they have a pretty high bounce compared to stiffer plates. So, if you’re a powerlifter training for a competition, you may want to browse some of our other options.
Our tester just loved the flakey, speckled look of the plates themselves, giving them a 5/5 for aesthetics. “These can be a fun addition to any home gym, thanks to the appearance,” they say.
As they’re made with recycled materials, these plates are also cheaper than most competitors. The 10-pound plates are only $59.99 per pair, whereas others sit at $65 and up. Several customer reviews also point out the speedy delivery time, noting it takes only a few days until they arrive. Unfortunately, PRx does not have warranties for its weight plates, so you may have to contact customer service if you have any issues.
A staple in powerlifting gyms and competitions, the Rogue Calibrated KG Steel plates are IPF approved and calibrated to be insanely dialed-in to their stated weight. These plates are extremely high quality and their weight is measured in kilograms.
For competitive powerlifters, you need a set of plates that meet competition standards. These IPF-approved Rogue plates certainly fit the bill.
Rogue’s plates are designed with the powerlifting athlete in mind. They’re machine-calibrated for accuracy within plus or minus 10 grams of the written weight, making these the most accurate plates on this list. “They’re [also] very thin,” our tester says. “So, you can stack plenty of plates onto the bar at once.”
Whereas most other picks on this list are rubber, these are steel, so you actually shouldn’t be dropping these after a lift. Steel plates aren’t as versatile as other weight plates on the market but work well, so long as they’re not dropped. After taking these through squats, deadlifts, and bench press, our tester gave these a ⅘ for durability, as they’re “cast iron, not ductile iron, which is a less durable material,” he says. He also noticed some issues with the paint, which took away from a perfect rating (more on that below).
These steel plates come in a wide variety of weight options, giving you more flexibility in your loads than standard bumper plates. There are also two set options, however it’s quite a big jump from a 150-kg set and a 459-kg set. So, if your needs land somewhere in the middle, you have to buy individual pairs, which isn’t too convenient.
While the actual weight is high-quality and extremely accurate, our tester wasn’t a fan of the paint. “There were some chips right out of the box,” he says. “They chip very quickly, but I think chipped plates are a patina and less of an issue, so over time, they chip and fade but personally, I like that look,” he says. So, if pristine plates are a priority, these may not be the best bet.
Unfortunately, if you have any issues with the plates, aside from use-related wear, Rogue doesn’t seem to extend warranties on this product. It’s best to contact customer service, as the company seems to handle these issues on a case-by-case basis.
Fringe Sport's Black Bumper Plates come in small-increment sets, so you can find your ideal combination of plates. Plus, all of the plates have a warranty, should you have any non-user-related damage.
When you’re outfitting your entire home gym, buying individual weight plate pairs isn’t the most efficient or cost-friendly way to go. But when you buy an entire set of plates, you can get all your necessities at once, plus save a little cash, too.
While many other plate brands offer set options, none are quite as versatile as Fringe Sport. Their sets include:
As you can see, there’s seemingly endless combinations of weights in Fringe Sport’s sets. Plus, each individual weight comes in a pair, not a single plate. However, several customer reviews recommend you make your choice wisely. For instance, if you own or plan to buy small change plates, you may not need some of the in-between weights, like 15-pound plates. So, think critically about your purposes before you buy.
Another little known fact: Rubber plates stink — literally. The material can actually create a pretty strong odor when first unboxed. But Fringe Sport’s virgin rubber is brand-new, meaning it has less impurities and foreign substances, which tend to create the unwanted odor you find with most plates. And while we didn’t notice much odor on our own, we scanned the customer reviews: “The main reason I went with these was due to reviews saying no smell,” one five-star reviewer writes. “They lived up to that promise.”
Fringe Sport also offers free shipping to most states, and you get a projected delivery date when you input your zip code right on the page (for most areas, it’s only about a week). The company offers a one-year warranty on 10-pound and 15-pound plates and a three-year warranty on the other sizes.
Fringe Sport tested these plates with a durometer, too, finding they’re actually pretty stiff with a low bounce. The 10-pound and 15-pound weights were a 90 sHA reading, while the other sizes were 85 sHA. While this is ideal for at-home gyms where protecting your floors is crucial, it may not be the best for athletes who prefer a little bounce with their plates.
These cast-iron weight plates are plenty durable and considering they're available on Amazon Prime, you can get them delivered in just a matter of days. However, you shouldn't be dropping these on the floor, as they can cause damage.
If you prioritize convenience and a speedy delivery, CAP Barbell plates have you covered. These cast iron weight plates are available on Amazon Prime, so you’ll have them in just a few days. The solid cast iron material here is built to last for years and won’t chip or dent, as you may see with some bumper plates. You also don’t have to worry about the thinner plates bending, either, as may happen with thinner, lighter bumpers, too.
With that said, cast-iron plates aren’t suitable for all athletes. These have absolutely zero bounce and shouldn’t be dropped at all, as they can damage your floors. Cast iron plates don’t have any rubbery protection, so the damage to your home (or foot, if dropped) can be instant. They’re also not as perfectly calibrated as other products. One customer review noted that a few of their 10-pound plates actually measured 10.5 pounds. While this isn’t a huge discrepancy, it may be important to some athletes.
Personally, I recommend buying these as change plates to go along with some bumpers. At my own home gym, I mainly use bumper plates and tack on a few five-pound CAP plates here and there. That way, I can still drop my barbell after a lift without damaging my garage floor because the cast iron plates never actually touch the ground. I’d give them a ⅗ for versatility but 4.5/5 for quality, especially for a budget-friendly Amazon find.
CAP Barbell’s plates have handles along the sides, so you can maneuver the weights easily as you load more onto your barbel. And these are thinner than most bumper plates, too, so you can load plenty of weight without taking up too much space.
If you’re not satisfied with your plates, the company does order a 30-day warranty but the weights need to be in the original packaging, so don’t throw the box out right away!
If you’re ready to progress from dumbbell squats to a barbell or just want to tack more weight onto your favorite exercise, you’re going to need some weight plates. Not only do they help you progress, but plates are extremely versatile and can save a ton of space, compared to weight machines.
Weight plates can be used for nearly any exercise you can think of — and they don’t need to be loaded onto a barbell exclusively. Weight plates can even be used by themselves or attached to other pieces of equipment as resistance, such as ab-rollers and plate-loaded cable machines.
Weight plates like bumper plates are also designed to be dropped safely, which is essential for those who practice olympic weightlifting. This is also a feature that you won’t get with other weights. Like the best adjustable dumbbells, which would likely break and damage your floor.
You can also use the lighter plates as dumbbells for exercises like lateral raises or goblet squats, so you don’t even necessarily need a barbell to use your plates.
Varying resistance using weight plates is extremely easy, even easier than using dumbbells or kettlebells. All you have to do is add or remove plates of different weights. If you want to progress slowly through strength training, there are change plates down to as small as a quarter of a pound that you can purchase.
Unlike with single-weight dumbbells, you can practice progressive overload and advance in whatever weight jumps you feel are appropriate.
Weight plates do need some space, especially if you have a full set and a weight rack. You can save plenty of space by laying your plates flat or leaning them up against the wall, though. And even a full weight rack generally takes up way less space than a full dumbbell set or weight machine.
There’s certainly no shortage of Olympic weight plates on the market. Thankfully, we’ve taken a lot of that burden off your plate and compiled this list that has options for a range of needs. When making this list and testing plates, we took the following factors into account.
The price of weight plates can range from around $30 for a light and cost-effective plate to thousands of dollars for a competition set of calibrated discs approved by a governing body or federation. We considered the price against the actual value the plates provide. For the more expensive plates, we made sure they had stand-out factors, like IPF-approval, impressive weight tolerance, and good durometer measurements (more on this below).
On the other hand, cheaper plates that provide a solid entry point with high resistance to wear and tear would rank well also. You won’t find plates on here that are prone to falling apart within a few uses or those that are expensive without reason.
Weight plates are meant to last a long, long time. A main part of their function involves being dropped onto the ground in a home gym, after all. That’s why we put these plates through countless drop tests and workouts to see how they actually perform in action. We selected products that held up with no cracks, dents, or scratches.
There are several different common materials for quality plates, including crumb rubber, virgin rubber, cast iron, and steel. No one material is necessarily better than the other but they serve different purposes for different athletes. For instance, a CrossFit athlete probably prefers a rubber plate that can withstand plenty of drops, whereas a powerlifting competitor may need steel, calibrated plates that are extremely accurate but shouldn’t fall often.
We tested all of these different material styles to make sure we got the best possible version of each. We also wanted to provide a variety on our list so there’s something for everyone.
This is a weight plate-specific factor that’s worth considering before you buy. Although a weight plate may say it’s 45 pounds, that’s not necessarily the truth. In some cases, plates can be a little over or under the listed weight.
The most reputable brands and products, however, list a weight tolerance. That describes the deviation you can expect to see from the written weight of the plate. For instance, most commonly, you may see a weight tolerance of plus or minus one percent. So, for a 45-pound plate, the true weight of the product will be plus or minus one percent of 45 (about 0.45 pounds).
For most athletes, a plus or minus one percent tolerance is perfectly fine. However, competitive athletes need more precision. That’s where you see even more stringent tolerance numbers come in. Our Rogue pick above, for instance, guarantees accuracy up to plus or minus 10 grams of the listed weight. For reference, that’s about three to four pennies.
As we picked and chose different plates, we prioritized the products with as much accuracy as possible.
When you drop a loaded barbell in your garage gym, the bumper plates tend to bounce off the ground. You may not be aware that different plates bounce higher than others, while some don’t bounce at all. But, that’s not necessarily a good or bad thing — yep, there’s a trend here.
Different bounce heights are better suited to different athletes and fitness goals. Some may like a higher bounce as it can be easier to move through high-rep sets of exercises like deadlifts, for instance. Other athletes may be training on sensitive floors and prefer as little bounce as possible.
We put these plates through plenty of exercises and drops to get an accurate idea of how high or low they bounce. We also made sure to get an idea of the different plates’ durometer readings (when available). This device measures the hardness of materials like rubber and plastic — the higher the reading, the harder the material and therefore, the less bounce.
Taking all this information into account, we matched different categories with the softness/hardness and bounce height we thought would be most appropriate. Like we said, one’s not better or worse, just better suited for different athletes.
You can buy plates a bunch of different ways. You can buy them as singles, pairs, or in a set. Some readers may just need a single 10-pound plate, whereas others want to deck out their entire home gym with multiple sets. So, we tried to provide as much variety as possible.
We also know shipping can rack up quite a bit of money, so we emphasized products that offer free shipping, too.
Weight plates, like weight benches and barbells, vary in cost based on their material, whether they’re competition approved, how much the plates weigh, and many other factors. Weight plates range widely in cost compared to other types of gym equipment, starting around $30 for a light and non-specialized plate and increasing to nearly $3,000 for a full competition set of calibrated discs.
As this table makes apparent, the prices do indeed vary quite widely and we tried to include options for those who are shopping on a tighter budget, as well as those who are looking to purchase the best of the best and everywhere in between.
Bumper plates, cast iron plates, metal plates, handles or no handles? There are a lot of choices to make when purchasing something as simple as weights. Here are some things you’ll want to consider when browsing different types of weight plates:
If you’re an Olympic Weightlifter or a CrossFitter, you’ll need bumper plates. It’s that simple. For everyone else, you have many more options available. Powerlifters, bodybuilders, or casual lifters can all get away with using whatever plates they want so long as they aren’t slamming bars to the ground.
This means you can potentially save a lot of money, though there are also plenty of high end traditional plates if you’re looking to splurge or need a top-of-the-line product to train for competition.
Generally bumper plates are more expensive than traditional plates, although this isn’t always the case. Certain features like urethane coverings or certification by a sport federation will mean that cast iron plates can be just as costly, if not more expensive, than a similar bumper plate. Our advice is generally to aim for the mid-range and consider your needs. You get great quality here, but don’t end up paying through the nose for features that you don’t actually need.
None of the plates on this list should have any issues with durability unless you ignore any of the company’s recommendations. Dropping cast iron plates from an overhead press or leaving a set of metal plates outside to face the elements would be prime examples of neglect. That being said, there are a wide range of durable options available, so if you plan on (literally) throwing your weight around and don’t want to worry about your purchase surviving, we’d recommend spending more for an extra durable option.
Handles usually aren’t available on bumper plates, so if you’re partial to them, you’ll probably end up going with traditional weight plates. Handles can make loading and unloading your bar much more convenient and some consider them essential to save time and effort. This will restrict your choices, but if it’s a priority for you, the options with handles on this list are reliable and high-quality choices.
You want neon pink plates with a bright green logo? It can be done. There are now plates available in every color under the sun. You’ll pay extra for this, of course, so those with a more restrictive budget should stick to black and make the most of other features.
Aside from customization, Olympic bumper plates are often color-coded for competition; if you compete in powerlifting or weightlifting, you’ll see that the reds are always 25-kilo plates, the blues are always 20-kilo plates, and so on. Even the fractional plates are colored uniformly across the sports.
Despite the variety in shapes of plates, the materials used to manufacture them won’t change that much. Here’s an overview of the main options.
Pretty easy to understand here, many plates are simply made from iron cast into a solid block. These metal weights are usually then coated with either rubber or urethane, or sometimes plated with another rust-resistant metal. These plates are going to be the cheapest option generally.
Steel plates are inherently more durable than iron, and can be one of multiple different alloys. Resistant to rust, they can, however, be more brittle depending on the carbon content and will be more expensive than cast iron options.
Urethane is the most durable — and also the most expensive — option for covering the outside of weight plates. It’s very resistant to wear and tear and is also great if you want to customize your plates. Companies can add letters, numbers, and even logos if they wish.
Generally urethane is the go-to for commercial gyms where equipment will be heavily used, but isn’t as necessary for home gyms or recreational lifters looking to build out their bonus rooms.
Rubber is cheaper and less durable than urethane, but for the average lifter, you shouldn’t notice many major differences. If you want the cheapest of the cheap, then look for plates made with recycled rubber, although beware there are some reports of these plates smelling odd. Virgin rubber will be slightly more expensive, but should be odorless.
If you aren’t immersed in the lifting world, it isn’t immediately obvious why you should want to buy a set of bumper plates instead of a set of cast iron plates. Here’s a quick overview of the main differences.
Responsible for a large portion of your gains, a reliable set of lifting plates is a no-brainer for lifters trying to build muscle and increase strength. While it may seem at first glance that plates are just plates, and that you should buy whatever you can get cheapest, this simplistic analysis is a thought-trap we recommend avoiding.
It is well worth your time to do a little research, think about your training, and spend enough to get a set of plates that won’t fall apart after a year of rigorous training. The correct set of plates could well last you an entire lifetime, saving you money and hassle in the long run.
For our money, we really like the Again Faster EVO Color Plates. They’re well designed, affordable, and can withstand the occasional drop if the barbell slips out of your hands.
Weight plates range widely in price from around $30 for a basic, cheap, and light plate to thousands of dollars for a set of competition-ready plates. That said, you can equip your gym with a heavy set of high-quality plates with a range of weights for anywhere from around $500 to $1,000. That may sound like a lot, but plates are generally something you only need to purchase once.
They tend to fall into two main categories: Bumper plates are designed to be used in Olympic Weightlifting and are resistant to being dropped for that reason. Traditional plates are generally cheaper, made from metal, and usually popular in commercial gyms. The lines have blurred somewhat with the growth of all types of fitness, but broadly speaking this is still true.
That depends on how big the drop is. Dropping a bar from overhead will have a much different result compared to dropping it from say a deadlift. Metal plates should survive the odd drop if you’re deadlifting and the bar slips out your hands, but we would strongly recommend avoiding dropping metal plates as they could get damaged, or damage your flooring.
Tim is the Co-Founder of CrossFit Slash in Beijing, he has worked in the fitness industry for nearly a decade and has dipped his toe into just about every training modality there is. He enjoys playing with his 2 year old daughter and is currently working towards completing the Beast Tamer Challenge https://www.strongfirst.com/achieve/beast-tamer/
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