Even if they weren’t branded with the famous Nike swoosh, Grind Bumper Plates—made of recycled Nike Grind rubber—are some of the most unique bumper plates we’ve seen in recent years, with each batch sporting its own one-of-a-kind look and pattern. 

They’re flashy, but are they worth the price tag? Our experts have put these plates to the test, and in this Nike Grind Bumper Plates review, I’ll share everything you need to know before determining whether these plates are worthy of a spot in your gym. 

How We Test Bumper Plates

Durability

Bounce

Weight Tolerance

Our Testing Process

About Us

Since bumper plates are designed to withstand repeated drops during Olympic lifting movements, we test the durability by dropping the plates from a variety of heights. Bumper plates typically have a center hub that helps prevent wear and tear between the rubber plate and the barbell, which is often the first area that sustains damage. To earn 3 out of 5 stars for this category, the plates show no signs of structural damage, but may have some scratches and exterior damage after testing.

This category is unique to bumper plates, and measures how much bounce the plates have when dropped. This depends on the density of the rubber, which is measured by its durometer rating. Denser rubbers typically have low bounce and better sound absorption, while those with lower durometer scores tend to bounce higher and make more noise. For a 3 out of 5, a plate exhibits a moderate but controlled bounce, with a durometer rating in the 60s.

Weight tolerance refers to how accurate the weight is. For example, a 20kg plate should be as close to 20kg as possible, but they’re often 1-3% heavier or lighter than claimed. To get 3 out of 5 stars for this category, the plates claim to be within 2-3% of the claimed weight, and our testing validates this. Higher scores are given to plates that are within 1%.

Each of our equipment reviews is based on extensive testing from our team of experts, and to date, we’ve tested over 25 different bumper plates. We perform a variety of exercises with the plates, drop them from different heights, and finally, rate each set of plates using our equipment testing methodology. This helps us calculate an unbiased final review score by rating each set of plates for a variety of categories, including construction, design, ergonomics, value, and more.

The Garage Gym Reviews team is made up of certified personal trainers, strength coaches, gym owners, CrossFit enthusiasts, and even an Olympian. Our testers have years of experience using a variety of equipment, including bumper plates, and we regularly consult with medical professionals and registered dietitians.

Nike Grind Bumper Plates

GGR Score

We test and review fitness products based on an independent, multi-point methodology.

4.3

Nike Grind Bumper Plates

±1% weight tolerance

Recycled rubber

Premium construction

Free shipping available

3-year limited warranty

10- to 45-pound plates available

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Watch Video Review

Read Full Review

Sleek Aesthetic

These bumpers use recycled Nike Grind rubber, giving each weight plate its own unique look and colorway.

Moderate Bounce

According to the brand, Nike Grind Bumper Plates measure at a moderate 65 Durometer rating.

Sold Individually

Unlike other bumper plates, Nike Grind bumpers are sold individually—be sure to add two per desired weight.

Multi-Year Warranty

Nike covers its 25-, 35-, and 45-pound bumpers for three years—10- and 15-pound plates are warrantied for six months.

Athletes

These bumper plates are ideal for CrossFit, HIIT, functional training, and other high-intensity workouts.

Design Fans

The plates are ideal for lifters who want equipment that stands out visually but still performs well.

Home Gyms

The recycled rubber can be great for protecting your flooring during workouts in comparison to cast iron plates.

Pros

Made from recycled Nike rubber

Stylish and unique design

Weight tolerance of ±1%

Premium build quality

Cons

10- and 15-lb plates shouldn’t be dropped

Limited availability in some sizes

Heavier plates are wider than competitors

Not IWF-certified

Material

Recycled Nike Grind rubber

Weight Range

10, 15, 25, 35, and 45 lbs

Durometer Rating

65 ±3

Thickness

1.6″ to 3.2″ depending on weight

Nike Grind Bumper Plates have an exterior made with their Grind rubber, a recycled material made from Nike manufacturing scrap. Sold in pairs, these bumper plates are available from 10-pound plates to 45-pound bumper plates. With a durometer rating of 65, these bumper plates will have a moderate bounce when dropped.

What to Know Before You Buy

• The 45-pound plates are thicker than most, which may be an issue for stronger individuals who are worried about running out of sleeve space on the barbell. 
• These plates have a moderate bounce, so those looking for a dead bounce may need to choose something else, like the Bells of Steel Dead Bounce Bumper Plates. 
• We found the plates to have excellent weight precision, but the durability isn’t great.

Nike Grind Bumper Plates Video Review

Are the Nike Grind Bumper Plates Worth It?

The Nike Strength bumper plates are aesthetically pleasing and versatile, but that doesn’t mean they’re the best fit for all gym owners. Here’s who we think should consider adding these plates to their home gym.

Think these plates may be a good fit for you? Here are some of the key features and specs of these recycled rubber bumper plates.

Nike Grind Bumper Plates: Key Features & Specs

Experience Using the Nike Grind Bumper Plates

To get the full experience, GGR founder Cooper “Coop” Mitchell took the Nike Grind Bumper Plates through a variety of exercises. To make sure we received the full Nike strength equipment experience, he tested the plates using a Nike barbell, dropped it to test the bounce, and even cut a plate open to see what was inside. 

Overall, Coop liked most aspects of these plates, including the strict ±1% weight tolerance and general aesthetics of the crumb rubber exterior, along with the internal metal ring offering additional support. It’s the same grind rubber used on the Nike Grind dumbbells, and because the material is made of recycled rubber, each batch may develop a slightly different appearance during the manufacturing process.

However, he had a few concerns about durability, especially with the 10- and 15-pound plates. Additionally, he noticed a somewhat heightened bounce during our drop tests, which may cause safety issues for those who are used to traditional plates.

Nike Grind Bumper Plates Rating

Construction and Durability

When it comes to rubber plates, density is often measured using a durometer, which indicates the rubber’s hardness on a scale of 0 to 100. Coop explained that most high-end bumper plates score between an 80 and 90 durometer rating, while other crumb rubber plates often rate at an 80 durometer. Unfortunately, the Nike plates are only 65 durometer, which is very soft and raises some durability concerns. 

RELATED: Bumper Plates Vs Iron Plates

Coop noted that while the 45-pound plates seemed durable enough during our testing, the lighter plates didn’t impress him. We know Nike’s slogan is “Just Do It,” but when it comes to dropping the lighter plates, we suggest you don’t—and Nike agrees, warning that using the 10- and 15-pound plates alone on a bar voids the warranty. 

“Because the rubber is so soft, I strongly suggest avoiding the 10s and 15s if you plan to use them alone on a barbell,” Coop warns. “They flop around like a pizza when dropped and will likely break over time. They’re fine if paired with larger plates, but not suitable for solo use.”

He also cut open a Grind plate to see the inside. He found that the recycled Grind rubber is only found on the outside of the plate, so the looks are a little bit deceiving.

“Overall, seeing the internals doesn’t change my opinion much,” Coop adds. “If anything, it confirms the outer layer is primarily for looks. If the whole plate were made of the soft Nike Grind material, durability would be a huge issue.”

Weight Tolerance

For weight tolerance, which measures how accurate the stated weight is, the Grind Bumper Plates earn a strong 5 out of 5 stars. We found the weight to be very precise, within ±1% of the listed weight total, which is excellent accuracy for bumper plates.

This is partially due to the construction, which includes a metal reinforcement ring. 

“There’s a full metal ring embedded inside the plate,” Coop explains. “It’s not a wire like some companies use—it’s a complete circular metal band. I think this is added to increase weight without increasing thickness, and to help calibrate the plates to that ±1% spec.”

Bounce

The Grind plates have a moderate bounce, which earned 3.5 out of 5 stars. 

They’ll bounce right back off the ground at you, so if you plan on dropping this from overhead while performing weightlifting movements, you’ll want to make sure you’re ready to catch the bar in case it bounces erratically. Compared to other bumpers that have a dead bounce, an Olympic barbell with Nike Grind plates might bounce higher than you’re expecting. 

If you focus on powerlifting, you probably don’t want plates that bounce during a deadlift, so these are best suited for general strength training rather than the “big three” of bench press, back squat, and deadlift. They offer a lot of versatility for most fitness enthusiasts, but if you regularly deadlift, you’ll want to keep other choices on hand. 

Design and Ergonomics

The look of these plates is their strongest point, and we give them 5 out of 5 stars for design and aesthetics. The speckled Grind rubber will look slightly different in each batch, so your order may not look exactly like ours. We also like the sleek Nike Swoosh and numbers on each plate. 

If you plan to use these outdoors, Nike warns that prolonged UV exposure may cause discoloration. Now, we know many of our readers will likely be using these in a garage or basement gym, but we wanted to point this out in case you train outside on the regular. 

As for ergonomics, while bumper plates can feel a little different during barbell lifts, a 2024 study¹ compared them to standard metal plates and found no biomechanical differences on the bench press. If you’re using them for Olympic weightlifting movements, they’ll bounce more than other options, but that shouldn’t impact the lift itself.

Weight Options

The Nike bumper plates earn a strong 5 out of 5 for the weight options. Even though you have to buy them in pairs and can’t add on individual plates, the plates are sold in 10, 15, 25, 35, and 45 pounds, which is a pretty typical weight range for bumper plates. 

This matches what we’d expect to see for bumper plates, and should fit the needs of most home gym owners. Keep in mind, if these are your first bumper plates, we recommend at least one pair that’s more than 25 pounds, as lighter plates used alone may have durability issues. 

If you need something lighter than 10 pounds, you’ll need to use your own separate change plates.

Value

We give the Nike Grind Bumper Plates 3 out of 5 stars for value. You can only buy them in pairs, and the complete set costs more than other high-end bumper plate options. This cost would be justified if the plates had exceptional durability, but this wasn’t the case, not to mention they’re a little thicker than most other plates, which may cause issues. 

“These plates are sold as pairs only—$220 for a pair of 45s, and you can’t buy singles,” Coop explains. “By comparison, Rogue Mil-Spec 45 lb pairs are about $160. That’s a $60 difference per pair. A full set of Nike Grind plates (pairs of each size) costs $835, including shipping. A comparable Rogue set costs about $635 with free shipping.”

Customer Experience

The Nike customer experience earns 4 out of 5 stars. You can return your plates within 30 days, as long as they’re unopened and unused, and Nike will even cover the return shipping—a rarity when purchasing home gym equipment.

The warranty is good, but not great. The 10- and 15-pound plates are covered by a six-month warranty, while heavier plates have a three-year warranty for home use. However, Nike warns that the warranty is void if the plates aren’t used on proper home gym flooring, and even warns lifters not to use the 10- and 15-pound plates alone for durability concerns. 

However, we still like the overall customer experience, as the support team can be reached via phone or live chat, and Nike offers a 10% discount for military and first responders. 

Customer Reviews

The Nike Grind Bumper plates have 122 reviews at the time of writing, with an average score of 4.9 out of 5 stars on the brand’s website. 

Most users are happy with their plates, though some mention that the color can change over time. Nike does make note of this color change, though, with the statement that reads, “The Nike Grind Bumper Plates may yellow over time as they are exposed to ultraviolet rays such as sunlight or heat. This natural process will not affect the integrity or function of the plate.”

Nike Grind Bumper Plates Vs

With so many bumper plates on the market to choose from, finding the right set for your garage gym can be difficult. If you’re on the fence about Nike’s fitness equipment, here are a few other options we like and recommend. 

For a durable, affordable set, you may want to consider the Fringe Sport Bumper Plates, one of the better options we’ve tested. They’re affordably priced, high-quality, made of a dense virgin rubber, and come with a lifetime warranty. Nike certainly has a flashier appearance, but if you don’t mind a simpler design, the Fringe Sport plates are a good alternative.

To learn more, be sure to read our Fringe Sport Bumper Plates full review. 

If price is your biggest concern, we recommend the Titan Fitness Economy Bumper Plates. They cost about $2.09 per pound, while the Nike plates range from $2.77 to $4.60 per pound. The warranty is only one year, but we still gave them 4 out of 5 for durability, and think they’re a solid choice for home gym owners.

	Nike Grind Bumper Plates	Fringe Sport Black Bumper Plates	Titan Fitness Economy Black Bumper Plates
Rating	4.3	4.6	4
Weights	10, 15, 25, 35, and 45 lbs	10, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 lbs	10, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55, 100
Material	Nike Grind rubber made from recycled manufacturing scrap	Virgin rubber, stainless steel insert	Steel core in rubber coating, stainless steel insert
Durometer Rating	65 (moderate bounce)	90 (10 and 15 lbs), 85 (25, 35, 45, and 55 lbs)	Not disclosed
Weight Tolerance	±1%	±1%	±3%
Plate Thickness	1.10” (10 lbs) to 3.15” (45 lbs)	2.3” (45 lbs)	74 mm or 2.91” (45 lbs)
Warranty	6 months (10 and 15 lbs); 3 years (all other weights)	Lifetime	1 year
	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price

Final Verdict of Our Nike Grind Bumper Plates Review

Overall, we really like the style of these plates and think they’re very aesthetically pleasing. If you’re a Nike fan, these are worth considering for your home gym, especially if you don’t mind plates that bounce a little more than usual. 

We have some durability concerns about the lighter plates, but as long as you don’t use them by themselves (which Nike warns against), you shouldn’t have any issues with proper care. 

They’re expensive, but you’re paying for the Grind rubber and Nike brand, so that’s to be expected. For those with a generous budget, these plates may be well worth a place in your home gym. 

• Nike Grind Bumper Plates are very aesthetically pleasing, but they’re not the most durable free weights we’ve tested. 
• Compared to other bumper plates, they’re very soft and have a moderate bounce. 
• The 45-pound plates are thicker than many other bumper plates, which may cause issues as you get stronger and start to add additional plates to your barbell sleeves.

Nike Grind Bumper Plates: FAQs

References

1. Fiedler, M. J., Triplett, N. T., Hamilton, K. C., Needle, A. R., & van Werkhoven, H. (2024). The Effect of Different Weight Plate Widths (Bumper vs. Standard) on the Biomechanics of the Bench Press. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 38(4), e143–e149. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000004679

I’ve been impressed with the Fringe Sport Bumper Plates in the past so I was eager to deliver a Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates review. There are a lot of particulars I look for when reviewing a bumper plate—it’s about more than just bounce or aesthetics. I also look at the warranty, price, material, and scale on the Shore Durometer.

Why You Should Trust Us

I’ve tested over 70 different bumper plates and have even written an article about thebest bumper plates. (I also wrote one on thebest weight plates overall if you’re more of an iron-slinging dude.) You can trust that I dropped these suckers from various heights, did a bunch of lifts, and maybe even licked one or two of ‘em. Just kidding, I only sniffed them. They smell like rubber in case you were wondering. Clearly I was.

Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates

GGR Score: 4.4

Check Price

Product Highlights

• Designed to tolerances and durability requirements of the U.S. Army
• Free shipping
• Made with virgin rubber
• Stainless steel center hub
• 1-year warranty

Pros & Cons

Pros

• One-three year warranty (depending on the weight) with a stellar 365 day return policy
• Made with virgin rubber
• Excellent durometer rating
• High-quality stainless steel center hub
• Military-grade and meets the requirements of the US Army

Cons

• Have to pay return shipping if you send the plates back
• Slightly slick
• May have a rubber smell

Bottom Line

The Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates are a good option for most home gym owners thanks to their durability and low bounce.

A Quick Look at the Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates

Fringe Sport has been around since 2010 and was started by Peter Keller in his garage (what a magical location). Since then, he’s released Black Training Competition Bumper Plates,the Hybrid Barbell, and the Lone Star Power Bar that I’m a big fan of. The MilSpec Bumper Plates have only been out about a year, so they’re a fairly new addition to the Fringe Sport repertoire.

Coop’s Tips:

• Don’t worry if the bumper plates come out of the box slightly greasy; they’re easy to wipe off with some cleaner and a rag.
• Consider purchasing a variety of bumper plate weights to easily progress your favorite lifts.
• Don’t be afraid to drop even the 10’s; they don’t bounce back to the degree other 10-15 pound bumper plates might.

My Favorite Things:

• One-three year warranty (depending on the weight) with a stellar 365 day return policy
• Excellent durometer rating
• High-quality stainless steel center hub
• Military-grade and meets the requirements of the US Army

My Callouts:

• Expensive compared to competitors
• Have to pay return shipping if you send the plates back
• Slightly slick

Are the Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates Worth It?

Great for:

• Athletes who want durable bumper plates
• People who do CrossFit or certain Olympic lifts
• People who want a quieter alternative to iron plates

Not recommended for:

• People looking for a budget option
• Lifters who don’t do a lot of overhead movements
• People who want traditional iron weight plates

Using the Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates

I tested out all the different weight MilSpec rubber bumper plates – 10s, 15s, 25s, 35s, 45s, and 55s. These plates are made from virgin rubber, which drastically reduces the bounce you’ll get when you drop a loaded barbell.

There are no additional color bumpers, but the matte black finish looks sleek. I also like the raised lettering because I feel it doesn’t wear out as quickly.

When choosing rubber plates, make sure to check out the durometer rating (which is out of 100). The lower the durometer rating, the softer the plate is. With a low durometer rating, bumper plates are more likely to bounce wildly or split when dropped.

I really like that the Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates have a high durometer rating. The 10s and 15s have a score of 90, which means they are made of harder rubber and have a low bounce. This is important because 10’s and 15s are the most vulnerable to excessive bounce or breakage when dropped. The 25s, 35s, 45s, and 55s have a score of 85/100 since they do not need to be quite as hard when dropped, thanks to the larger surface area.

The Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates are much quieter than iron weight plates when dropped. This is ideal for people who might have their home gym indoors or just don’t want to be slamming iron down on the concrete in their garage gym. The dead bounce of the bumper plates also makes these an ideal choice for tight spaces.

I felt very comfortable throwing the weight down after completing overhead presses and overhead squats. I particularly like that the center hub is made of stainless steel and won’t as easily rust your bar or pop out.

These bumper plates are called MilSpec for a reason – they were designed specifically to meet the standards for the ACFT or the Army Combat Fitness Test. That alone should go to show how durable and high-quality they are.

Ordering the Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates

I ordered my bumper plates directly from the Fringe Sport website. There are a variety of options to choose from ranging between 10-55 pounds. Each purchase will give you a set of plates in the weight you have chosen unless you get a package with various weights. I like that Fringe Sport offers this option to customers. On their traditional standard bumper plates, you only have the option to purchase 10-55 pounds with no varied packages.

Prices range between $100-$1,400 for the pairs of weights and the packages. This is more expensive than the majority of bumper plates I know of. However, I do like that Fringe Sport offers free shipping within the USA. In my opinion, this makes the price tag more understandable since they’re shipping heavy items, which usually costs a pretty penny on top of the product price.

My bumper plates arrived in about a week and were tightly packed. I did not have any issues with damaged boxes or plates. Everything was nicely packaged with the typical Fringe Sport branding. They were easy to unbox and set up on my best olympic barbell.

Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates vs. Fringe Sport Black Bumper Plates

There are a few minor differences between the Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates and the Fringe Sport Standard Bumper Plates. The first is the slight uptick in price with the MilSpec bumpers. The difference is generally only a few dollars between the two, but it is still worth noting.

The MilSpec has a few different options of weight stacks you can buy in addition to the 10-55 pound sets. I like that you have the option to purchase a variety of plate weights in a bundle up to 550 pounds with the MilSpec plates.

Another main difference between the two is general aesthetics. I think this just comes down to personal preference, but I do slightly prefer the matte look of the MilSpec Bumper Plates over the glossy finish of the Standard Plates.

Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates Specs

Customer Experience

Not only do customers have positive things to say about their overall experience, but I noticed there were a variety of easy ways to connect with Fringe Sport. You can call them at 512-201-4404 or email them at team@fringesport.com. In the bottom right hand corner of the website, there is an option to do a live chat if you have questions that you need answered immediately.

Fringe Sport is located in Austin, Texas and they’ll even give you a 10% discount on your gear if you pick it up from their warehouse, which I think is a cool touch. They are open Monday – Friday: 9 am – 6 pm, Saturday: 10 am – 4 pm, and Sunday: 12 pm – 6 pm.

Customer Reviews

On the Fringe Sport website, there are over 50 reviews of the MilSpec Bumper plates with an average score of 5. Customers really seem to be impressed by the durability, customer service, and limited bounce plus noise of the bumper plates.

There were hardly any people complaining in the reviews but I did notice that there were a few comments about the plates arriving slightly greasy. The same commenters then mentioned that the issue was resolved after spraying and wiping the plates down.

Final Verdict

The Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates are a good option for most home gym owners. Here are my overall thoughts:

• Durable bumper plates with a great durometer rating
• Expensive compared to competitors
• Made of virgin rubber with a solid warranty

Full Rating

Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates FAQs

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about the Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates and bumper plates in general:

What lifts should I do with Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plates?

You can do pretty much anything strength training wise with these bumper plates. Some of the lifts I would suggest are cleans, push-presses, and snatches.

Do you need bumper plates for deadlifts?

You don’t need bumper plates for deadlifting because you aren’t dropping the bar from overhead. However, you definitely can use bumper plates for deadlifting, but there isn’t much of an issue if you don’t.

What’s the difference between bumper plates and weight plates?

Bumper plates are a type of weight plates specifically designed to be used for competition or Olympic weightlifting. They are useful because they can withstand being dropped from the overhead position and are safer for the user if a lift cannot be completed (they don’t bounce back up to a dangerous degree). Generally speaking, bumper plates have the same diameter no matter what the weight is, whereas some weight plates (like the Rogue Deep Dish Plates) have different diameters depending on the weight. Bumper plates are usually better for Olympic lifts and CrossFit.

What are the different Fringe Sport MilSpec bumper plate widths?

The Fringe Sport MilSpec Bumper Plate widths are as follows:

• 55’s – 3.2″
• 45’s – 2.9″
• 35’s – 2.35″
• 25’s – 1.87″
• 15’s – 1.2″,
• 10’s – 1.05″

What is the diameter of these bumpers?

These bumper plates are the IWF standard 450mm (~17.7″) width in diameter, with a +/-1.5mm variance. The 10 lb plates are 445mm (17.5″) in diameter.

Probably the most notable crumb rubber bumper plate in existence is the Hi-Temp Bumper Plate. We’ve used and reviewed these many times over the years and really only love one thing about them–their durability. The US MIL Spec Crumb Bumper Plates from Rogue Fitness is essentially an upgraded version of those Hi-Temps.

In this Rogue US MIL Spec Bumper Plates review, I’ll let you know why these are among the best available if you’re looking for a versatile, durable addition to your home gym.

Why You Should Trust Us

I’ve used every single one of the best bumper plates on the market. My team and I have researched more than 70 bumper plates and we personally used more than half of those. When it comes to the Rogue US MIL Spec plates, I ran them through the full Garage Gym Reviews testing methodology, spending months putting them through full workouts that included dropping them from overhead and cycling lifts with them.

Rogue US MIL Spec Bumper Plates

Rogue US MIL Spec Crumb Bumper Plates

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Product Highlights

The Rogue Fitness US MIL Spec Bumpers are Made in America from recycled crumb rubber, giving them superior durability for all-condition indoor/outdoor training with little to no change in the plates’ texture and appearance over time. All weight increments measure the same 450mm (17.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Wonderful for outdoor lifting
• Priced affordably
• Quieter than other bumper plates
• Durable

Cons

• Have a lot of bounce
• Might give off a rubber odor
• These plates are thicccc, aka not ideal for lifters who go really heavy

Bottom Line

A Quick Look at the Rogue US MIL Spec Bumper Plates

The Rogue US MIL Spec Bumper Plates were designed initially for the Army Combat Fitness Test and have since been offered to the public. I’ve been using a set in my garage gym for the past year both inside and outside for squats, clean and jerks, snatches, deadlifts, and more, and they still look like new. Although crumb rubber bumpers have their quirks, these are among the best available.

Coop’s Tips

• If you do any sort of lifting outside, the Rogue MIL Spec Crumb Bumpers are currently one of the best options.
• Don’t be surprised if these plates give off an odor; while I didn’t experience it, many people do. It will lessen over time but can really hit your nose when you unbox these.

Are the Rogue MIL Spec Bumper Plates Worth It?

Rogue Fitness alone sells more than 20 varieties of bumper plates. Compound that with the hundreds of other companies selling bumpers, and it’s easy to see how you can get stuck deciding which to choose. Here’s a quick look at whom I think would benefit from the MIL Specs, and who might want a different kind of weight plate. 

Rogue US MIL-Spec Crumb Rubber Bumper Plates Specs

Lifting With the Rogue US MIL Spec Bumper Plates

Each time I head out to my garage gym to punish my mind and body, I’m faced with the very real first-world problem of deciding what weight plates to use. If I’m benching, I typically grab the Rogue Deep Dish Plates. If I’m squatting heavy, I’ll typically use the Rogue Calibrated Powerlifting Plates.

However, If I’m doing anything outside, I use the Rogue US MIL Spec Bumpers. 

I’ve used Hi-Temp Bumpers in various settings for over a decade. In fact, my first workout at a CrossFit Affiliate in 2012 was done using Hi-Temps, and the reason the gym used them is that they took an absolute beating and they were rather affordable.

Although I like Hi-Temps, there’s no question that the US MIL Spec Crumb Bumper Plates are better. There aren’t many differences and the price is the exact same, but what has been changed are improvements over the originals.

Outdoor Lifting

My favorite feature of the MIL Spec Bumpers is being able to take them out to my driveway and lift without the worry of damaging my bar, plates, or concrete. Crumb bumpers obviously work inside, but they truly shine in the dirt, grass, concrete, and other elements. I’ve heard of people leaving their plates outside in the rain and sun for years without any issues as they’re literally just old tires.

There are other bumpers warrantied to be used outside, like the Vulcan Strength Alpha Plates. These have color coordination and have proved to be extremely durable. Another are the REP Sport Bumper Plates that I’ve liked training with so far, but I still need more time to judge the durability.

Loading the Barbell

Thanks to a stainless steel insert, these plates slide easily on and off a barbell. I can’t stress enough how much better a training session is when plates go on and off smoothly. 

One thing you need to know about crumb bumper plates in general is that they are wide, especially compared to competition-style plates. For example, the 45-pound Rogue MIL Spec Bumper plate is more than 3.5 inches thick. That’s not a problem for 135-pound cleans or 225-pound deadlifts because the plates easily fit.

However, if you’re maxing out a heavy lift, consider that a typical Olympic barbell sleeve is around 16 inches. You’ll be able to get four 45-pound plates on each side with just a little room to spare for more. That’s 405 pounds with maybe room for one more plate.

Sure, it’s not too often that most of us will load up that much weight, but it’s still something to keep in mind when you’re considering how you’ll use these plates.

The other place where the size of these plates matters is bar whip. Due to their width, the plates might introduce additional whip to the bar. That can be a negative on movements like heavy squats and bench press reps (though it could be a positive for those who do Olympic weightlifting). 

Noise Level

One distinct advantage of crumb bumper plates like these is that they tend to be quieter than other plates. It goes without saying that the MIL Specs won’t make as much noise as clanky iron plates. That’s true of any bumpers. But crumb rubber plates in particular make less noise than other bumper plates do.

Bounce

Bounce matters, and the Rogue MIL Spec Bumpers are pretty bouncy. That’s just the nature of crumb rubber plates. Whether you are dropping them from overhead or cycling deadlifts, you’re going to see and feel that bounce. Some people really like that feeling, especially in a metcon where you’re trying to move fast. 

On the durometer (which measures how hard rubber is), the MIL Specs register an 80. That’s not the softest score, but it’s definitely not the most rigid. (For comparison, the Rogue Echo Bumper Plates, which are our favorite rubber plates, have a durometer reading of 88, which gives more of a dead bounce.) 

The bounce isn’t a dealbreaker for most of us, but something to keep in mind when you drop the bar.

Durability

From an aesthetics standpoint, the Rogue MIL Specs are hard to scuff or ding. However, you might find over time that small pieces of rubber fleck off the edges. I’m talking tiny pieces, not enough to significantly change the weight of the plate. 

I use mine indoors and out, and I don’t have any issues with them. 

However, we need to talk about 10-pound bumper plates. Pretty much any rubber 10-pound plate has potential to “taco,” or essentially fold in half, especially if you abuse it enough. You should never drop a barbell (20- or 15-kilo bar) that is loaded with just 10-pound rubber plates. That’s just asking for destruction. 

The same goes for the Rogue MIL Spec Crumb Bumper Plates. Some customers online complain that the 10-pound plates aren’t durable. Of course they aren’t. My advice is that if you want a 10-pound plate that can take a beating, you need a urethane one. I really like the Titan Urethane Bumper Plates. 

What Are The Rogue MIL Spec Crumb Bumper Plates Made Of?

The US MIL Spec Crumb Bumper Plates from Rogue Fitness are made of recycled tire rubber. Yes, the same tires that are on your car are what make up these and practically all other crumb rubber bumper plates.

The process to create crumb bumper plates requires used tires to be ground up to a rather fine material, combined with epoxy, and then poured into a heated pressure mold. After some time, out pops a beautiful crumb rubber bumper plate with some extra material that is then trimmed down and packaged to your home gym to take years of abuse.

Now, the MIL Spec Crumb Bumpers from Rogue are a bit different from other popular recycled rubber plates. The main difference is that they’re made to the requested specifications of the US Army, which implemented new fitness tests including a trap bar deadlift that uses crumb bumper plates. In order to win the contract, Rogue Fitness redesigned the Crumb Bumper Plates with the help of Hi-Temp (I would assume as they’re both made in Alabama) to be within the proper guidelines.

The only other material that makes up the MIL Spec Crumb Bumper is the stainless steel insert that is recessed to prevent metal-to-metal contact when multiple plates are on the barbell (a very small, yet smart detail). Stainless steel is used because it resists corrosion the best as we’ve seen with barbells over the years.

Another aspect of the MIL Spec Bumper Plates I like is that they are 450 millimeters in diameter. This is the standard from the International Weightlifting Federation, but you won’t see this measurement on all bumpers (including the Hi-Temps). I know that 5 millimeters sounds small and negligible, but even that slight difference can cause issues with the bar bending.

Rogue US MIL Spec Crumb Bumper Plates vs. Rogue Hi-Temp Crumb Bumper Plates

The most often asked comparison to the Rogue US MIL Spec Crumb Plates are the Hi-Temps. First off, the MIL Spec Crumb Bumpers have different dimensions than Hi-Temps. Let’s take the 45-pound plate as an example. The outside width of the Hi-Temps is 3.75 inches, while the MIL Spec Crumb 45-pound plate is 3.56 inches.

In terms of the diameter of the plates: Hi-Temps are 445 millimeters, and the MIL Spec Crumb Bumpers are 450 millimeters (IWF standard).

Another notable difference between the two is their Shore A durometer rating, which tells us how hard the rubber is and therefore how bouncy it will be. The durometer rating for the MIL Spec Crumb Bumper is 80, and the Hi-Temps have a 75. In my opinion, 80 is a better score, as plates with this rating will be less unwieldy when dropping a bar from overhead.

Lastly, the new MIL Spec Crumb Bumpers have an inset hub that should prove to stay in longer than the Hi-Temps as it’s protected from having metal-to-metal contact with other bumpers.

Unboxing the Rogue US MIL Specs

The first thing I noticed when unboxing the MIL Spec Crumb Bumpers was the lack of smell and oil. This may be a one-off, but whenever I’ve gotten Hi-Temps in the past, they often have a used tire smell similar to horse stall mats that we recommend for home gym flooring.

The MIL Spec Crumb Bumpers had no such smell and no oily residue. This smell often goes away after a few weeks, but it was still nice to not see. That’s not to say that if you buy these you won’t notice a smell. I can’t promise that. But I didn’t have that experience.

Returns and Warranties

Rogue’s return policy is straightforward: You can only return unused items that are still in the original packaging. 

The brand publishes warranties for some of its bumper plates, but we can’t find a written warranty anywhere for the MIL Specs specifically. 

I will say that these are incredibly durable, and I nor anyone on my team has ever had an issue with Rogue if something is damaged for reasons we couldn’t control. Now, if you drop a 45-pound bar loaded with just 10-pound crumb rubber plates from overhead, you’re probably going to end up ruining your plates. So don’t do that.

Customer Reviews

As of this writing, on the Rogue website, the MIL Spec bumper plates have a 4.7/5 stars from more than 250 reviews.

Some common complaints we found included that the plates were oily and smelly (which wasn’t our experience, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen). And several people had concerns over how flimsy the 10-pound plates are.

One user on Rogue, named “Brocky,” echoed our sentiment about the 10-pound plates. (Again, if you’re going to drop a 10-pound plate, you need to get urethane plates.) 

Final Verdict of Our Rogue US MIL Spec Bumper Plates Review

Are these the best bumper plates on the market? No. But crumb rubber bumper plates do have a place in the lifting world. And if you’re going to go for a crumb rubber plate, then the Rogue MIL Spec is the way to go. 

Rogue MIL Spec Bumper Plates Rating

Rogue MIL Spec Bumper Plates FAQs

REP Fitness

REP Sport Bumper Plates

GGR Score: 4.3

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Product Highlights

Looking for premium bumper plates with the rugged reliability of your favorite pair of hiking boots? You’ve found ‘em.

REP Sport Plates are among the most durable bumper plates on the market.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Durable and versatile
• Have a low(ish) bounce
• Noise level is minimal
• Easy to pick up and carry

Cons

• 3-year warranty
• Expensive compared to similar plates
• No collar reinforcement

Bottom Line

The REP Sport Bumper Plates are designed to be durable and can be used both outdoors and indoors. They come in the standard range of weight increments from 10lb to 55lb and the color coordination makes life easy when it comes to identifying the weight you want to throw on the barbell.

This is an in-depth REP Fitness Sport Bumper Plates review. A popular choice for home gym owners and those who like to train at home both indoors and out. Investing in bumper plates affords the option to work out indoors or enjoy the sun on a clear, bright day (or in the blistering cold) out on your driveway. If you like the sound of lifting on the driveway or creating your own home gym, let’s discuss the pros and cons of the REP Sport Bumper Plates and see how they stack up against the competition. You can find out where these rank amongst the best bumper plates here.

What’s Special About the REP Sport Plates?

Before we get into the details of the REP Sport Bumper Plates review, it’s a good idea to ascertain exactly what the REP Sport Bumper Plates are and talk about who would buy them and what they offer.

REP Sport Bumper Plates are designed around the idea of a bumper plate with increased durability. Whether you’re kitting out a home gym, you switch between the indoors and the great outdoors, or you lead a hectic lifestyle and you lift on the go, these bumper plates can work for your situation. From a garage to the side of a mountain, you can pick up these plates and flex to your heart’s content.

REP Sport Bumper Plates are marketed as premium plates with a rugged edge. Targeted at the home gym community, like most REP Fitness equipment, the Sport Plates deliver on style and substance. They are built to last, and you don’t need to worry about chucking them around, but they also look the part and they have a high-quality finish.

REP Sport Bumper Plates come in the standard range of weight increments from 10lb to 55lb and the color coordination makes life easy when it comes to identifying the weight you want to throw on the barbell.

Bumper plates may appear straightforward on the surface. They are essentially rubber circles with a hollow metal core. It’s only when you start lifting, or you analyze different products in detail or compare brands that you come to realize that not all bumper plates are created equal. In this review, we’ll highlight both the good and the not so good to help you make the right decision for your garage gym or home gym.

What We Like About the REP Sport Bumper Plates

To write a review about bumper plates, it’s crucial to get to grips with the product and analyze manufacturer claims and selling points. REP Sport Bumper Plates are marketed as premium bumper plates, which are, and I quote, “tough as old hiking boots and among the most durable products on the market.”

REP is based in Colorado, so they often use the mountain imagery to depict products and separate some of their designs. I think it’s unique, although I’m not sure old hiking boots is the best comparison.

Regardless, the Sport Plates are a standard black bumper plate, albeit with some unique features.

The handling is designed to facilitate easy, safe use, the plates boast low bounce, and noise levels are reduced by 10% when dropped from overhead in comparison to their other products. Now that we can see what the manufacturer says, let’s look at the pros and cons in detail based on our own experiences.

There is a lot to like about the REP Sport Bumper Plates and if you’re setting up a home gym, or even looking for bumper plates to take on the road with you (we’ve seen this more and more,) these are a good option.

It must be said, these haven’t been on the market or in my hands long enough to truly comment on how durable they will be long-term, so we’ll be sure to update the review over time as the plates get more abuse.

In talking to a REP-resentative (see what I did there?), they told me they’ve had a set in a CrossFit gym for over a year where they’ve been abused and they still perform like they did on day one.

I don’t know the Shore A Durometer rating of the rubber as REP has neither advertised it or wanted to share it as they’ve stated it’s proprietary information and they don’t want their competition copying them.

I would have liked to know it, however, just based on the feel of the rubber, it does seem softer than most other bumpers we’ve reviewed. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it can lead to a higher bounce, although maybe a bit quieter.

REP is warrantying the Sport Plates with a 3-year home-use warranty, the same as their other plates and less than some competitor’s plates like the Vulcan Alpha Bumpers we’ve reviewed. That said, the warranty works for both indoor and outdoor use which is a plus as many companies will void your warranty if you use their plates on the concrete.

The REP Sport Bumper Plates make it pretty nice for a garage gym owner as you can use them on the platform/stall mats in your garage or take them out on the driveway without having to worry too much about damage.

We dropped them from overhead on the barbell onto the concrete of my driveway and aside from expected scuffs, they performed as expected.

This said, I’ve used many bumper plates over the years out on the driveway including Rogue HG 2.0 Bumpers and Hi-Temps. Neither of these have ever had issues, although I can’t find much wording on if lifting outdoors breaks the warranty they offer.

It is nice to know a plate is made to be used outside, however, I think most bumpers would do well despite being on matting or concrete.

This leads to a slightly higher bounce than many bumpers, but not nearly as high as crumb rubber bumpers like Hi-Temps.

Using a decibel meter app on my phone, I wasn’t able to tell a difference between the Sport Plates and other plates we have on hand and I especially couldn’t with my naked ear.

Are they quieter? Possibly. But, 10% isn’t a big difference and I don’t think it’s a big enough difference to buy them based upon this point. However, for someone lifting in their garage and trying to be as quiet as possible, even 10% can be beneficial.

45 LB and 55 LB plates can get annoying to get off the ground when they’re laying flat. The Sport Plates tackle this issue by allowing you to place a finger under the plates to lift them up.

In addition, the slits are nippled, or better yet, use a faux knurling pattern similar to what can be seen on barbells to allow your fingers to grip the plate better, both when picking them up and carrying them.

Things We Don’t Like

Nothing in life is perfect. Although there are multiple positives and plenty to shout home about, there are a few downsides too. Here are a few things to consider before you decide which bumper plates to buy:

Warranty: The bumper plates claim to be among the most durable on the market, but they only come with a max of a 3-year home-use warranty. This is the same as many other manufacturers, but it’s also shorter than some of the main rivals.

The big issue I see on this though is that despite the claim of increased durability over their other plates, they still have the same length of time on their warranty. This is confusing to me– if the durability is truly greater than their other plates, why not increase the warranty?

Color: This is a very minor point, but based upon photos online, the green on the 25lb pair is more of an aqua shade, which makes it different from the standard green that is found on most other bumper plates. There isn’t an exact science to the color required and these aren’t designed to IWF standards, but if you plan to pair them with other bumpers, just know there may be a contrast.

Width: The width on the Sport Plates is wider than many other bumpers. They’re not as wide as Hi-Temps, but they’re not as thin as other REP bumpers or the Rogue Echo Plates. The extra width can force fewer plates to be loaded on the bar and increase the whip of the bar during squats and bench as the weight is further from the center of the bar. See my suggestions on the best squats racks and best weight benches here.

The 45’s measure 2.85” while the standard Black Bumper Plates from Rep are slightly thinner at 2.83”. This is a minor difference, but it can be helpful when trying to fit a collar on the bar at heavier weights.

We don’t think this is a reason not to buy them because if you lift enough to have to worry about the width of a bumper plate, you should probably be using iron or competition bumpers.

Price: The price on the Sport Plates is quite high for this style of bumper plate. The price is higher than any bumper plates of this style from Rogue Fitness, Vulcan Strength, and Fringe Sport. This means they’re more than the Vulcan Alpha Plates, Rogue Fleck Plates and the Rogue HG 2.0 plates.

I think the Sport Plates are good, but I don’t think they’re worth that much more than the aforementioned plates, unless their durability surprises me over the long run.

They’re also slightly more expensive than Hi-Temp Bumper Plates. The original ultra-durable bumper plate. Now, I don’t love Hi-Temps as they’re extremely wide, but other than the center collar popping out, it’s hard to argue against the durability of Hi-Temps.

No Collar Reinforcement: Many modern bumper plates use extra tie-wire that is welded to the collar to allow greater adhesion to the rubber. This prevents the collars from coming out prematurely like is often seen on Hi-Temp Bumper Plates. I don’t see this spec mentioned anywhere on the product page so I have to assume it’s not included as it is a benefit touted by many competitors.

REP Sport Plates vs. The Competition

Home gym owners are spoiled for choice when it comes to buying bumper plates. It’s great to have a choice, but how do you go about narrowing down the options? To help you, we’ve compared the REP Sport Bumper Plates with some of the leading sellers on the market, including the Vulcan Alpha Bumper Plates and the Rogue HG 2.0 Plates.

Vulcan Alphas

Vulcan Alpha Bumper Plates

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Product Highlights

• 1-year warranty on the 10- and 15-lb plates; 48 months on all others

• Free shipping

• 10-55 lbs

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Extremely durable
• Outdoor-friendly design
• Long warranty on the heavier plates
• Very quiet during drops

Cons

• Slightly wider than competition plates
• Premium pricing
• Center steel insert hub is not stainless steel
• Slick when new

Bottom Line

The Vulcan Strength Alpha Bumper Plates are an extremely popular weight plate that claim to be more durable and quieter than pretty much every other bumper plate on the market. They also include a unique color fleck pattern that most find to be very aesthetically pleasing. Although we can’t comment on the efficacy of the claims made, we can say that reviewers of the plates love them, as do most in the home gym community. We do recommend them, although they are a bit more expensive than many competitors on the market, including the Rogue Fleck Plates that have a similar appearance.

Durability and warranties: All three of these products perform well in the durability stakes. You can use them over and over again without worrying about scratches or dents. The key difference lies in warranties. Vulcan offers a better warranty (from 1-4 years depending on the weight increment) than REP, although Rogues is pretty similar depending on the plate. If you’re looking for a long-term investment, it’s worth considering this when choosing which items to add to your gym.

Appearance: These bumper plates may be pretty similar in terms of performance, but they look very different. While the REP Sport Bumper Plates are brightly colored according to the weight increment, the black Rogue bumpers are much more understated. Vulcan’s Alpha plates nestle somewhere in the middle, with a flecked blue pattern on a black background. This is more of a personal preference, however, I would say that the color contrast on the Sport Plates make them one of the best looking plates, in my opinion.

Rogue HG

Rogue HG 2.0 Bumper Plates

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Product Highlights

Same quality plates, revamped design. Rogue HG 2.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• We’ve been using a large set of Rogue HG 2.0 Bumper Plates for close to 4 years and although they’ve gotten scratched, faded, and used a tremendous amount, they still function like new.
• Black rubber bumper plates are the best value for the garage gym owner, and these are the best one’s Rogue offers.
• With an average Shore A Durometer score of 88, the HG 2.0 Plates have a low bounce, but are unlikely to chip like many cheaper bumper plates.
• These plates have been used at all levels of competition from Regionals to the CrossFit Games.
• The plates are very accurate with a weight tolerance of +/- 1% of the claimed weight. For black bumpers, that’s extremely good.
• The 25-45 LB plates are warrantied for 3 years.
• The inner steel ring is stainless steel and is locked to the rubber using a secure method that keeps them from coming loose as quickly as what often happens with cheaper bumpers.

Cons

• Due to the thickness of the plates, the max amount of weight you can fit on the bar is less than 500 pounds.
• A few reviews stated that the plates had a black grease that came off after use, but also smelled. This is typical of imported rubber.
• Despite being a good value plate from Rogue, there are better priced bumper plate options on the market.

Bottom Line

We’ve tested and reviewed the Rogue HG 2.0 Bumper Plates and found them to be a great bumper plate for most garage gym owners. They can stand up whatever abuse you inflict, are accurate, have a low bounce, and are priced pretty good. Although we prefer competition bumper plates, these are a great price, although we would suggest comparing to the Fringe Sport Black Bumper Plates.

Value: If you’re looking for a set of bumper plates, it’s always beneficial to consider value for money, rather than automatically opting for the lowest price. You might want to choose the cheapest product, but if you’re keen to get more for your money, it’s worth investing in high-quality products that will stand the test of time. All these bumpers have advantages, and they’re all excellent in their own way, but out of these comparable bumpers, REP’s are the most expensive.

Bounce: All three manufacturers claim to offer low-bounce bumper plates. In reality, when you compare these three contenders to others, the bounce is pretty similar between all of these rival products.

Full Rating

REP Fitness Sport Bumper Plates

The REP Sport Bumper Platesare designed to be a durable black bumper plate that can be used both outdoors and indoors. After using them in my home gym for the past month and comparing them to the many others on the market, we feel they are a solid, but not the best value available option. The design has some unique details and they’re marketed as being ‘ultra-durable,’ however, they’re warrantied the same as REP’s other plates and they’re a bit more expensive than the competition. If you like the design and colors, we recommend them. However, time will tell on their durability.

Product Brand: REP Fitness

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 89.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.3

REP Fitness Sport Bumper Plates: FAQs

Kabuki Weight Plates

Kabuki Strength Iron Plates

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Product Highlights

• 45s affordably priced at $1.89/pound
• American Made and Cast Locally in the Pacific Northwest
• Carbon-Neutral Foundry – 100% Hydro/Wind Powered
• Cast with 90% + Post-Consumer, Post-Military Recycled Steel

Kabuki Iron Plates are the latest release from Kabuki Strength.

Pros & Cons

Bottom Line

The Kabuki Strength Iron Plates are the first plate release from Chris Duffin and his team at Kabuki Strength (sans a small run of bumpers.) Although bearing the Kabuki Strength name, these are one product that Kabuki doesn’t make in house and are more of an economy plate. If you expect these to be at the level of other Kabuki products like their New Gen Power Bar or Kabuki Trap Bar, you will be disappointed. However, when you look at the price, these are a good value option (especially if you pick them up instead of having them shipped.) We’d like to see a high-quality plate from Kabuki, but regardless, these are a good option for those looking for a more budget-friendly iron plate made with recycled materials and an environmentally-friendly coating. Be sure to check out my best bumper plates guide here.

Video Review

What Are The Kabuki Strength Iron Plates?

Kabuki Strength Iron Plates, are, as their name suggests cast iron weight plates designed to be lifted, break down muscle, and build superheroes (or just people that want to look good naked.)They are baked in a corrosion-resistant slightly gray (they call it gunmetal black) powder coat and harken back to the old-school iron legends like Arnold used to train with.In addition to the materials, Kabuki opted for a deeper lip on the plates which allows for both easy loading and unloading.

Related: Check out the Kabuki Kratos Flywheel Review

Although not made by Kabuki directly, their Iron Plates are cast in the Pacific Northwest not far from their facilities and are created by a small foundry.

One of their biggest marketing points is that the plates are made with 90% recycled steel and they also contained munitions that have been broken down and recycled from various military bases.

There aren’t many plates that can make this claim and although I don’t think most care about the recycled part, there will be a certain segment that really value that feature as it is pretty unique.

What We Like About The Kabuki Iron Plates

Although I don’t think the Kabuki Iron Plates are the best on the market, there are quite a few standout features to remark.

First off, the Kabuki Iron Plates are very accurate in terms of stated weight. Something not many know is that most iron plates are way off their stated weight. I’ve weighed plates that were off as much as 7 LB from their stated weight. This makes the bar uneven when training and makes your PR’s, not always PR’s.

When put on the scale, the Kabuki Iron Plates came back within 2% of their stated weight and Kabuki will actually replace them if they’re above or below 3%. I do wish they wouldn’t allow the weight to be below the stated weight, but that’s hard to quality control on their end.

Another feature we like about the Kabuki Plates is that they’re using recycled materials.

I don’t see the need or have the desire to share my opinions on global warming or the environment in general in this format, but I will say, few would argue they’re against materials that are better than worse for the environment.

When talking to Chris Duffin about the plates, he made it pretty clear how important the recycled aspect of the plates was to him and what a differentiator it was from what else was on the market. Not only is the iron cast from over 90% post-consumer iron, but the foundry is carbon neutral as well.

The look of the plates, although not important to their function, is also pleasing. Although they’re not my personal favorite plates from an appearance standpoint, there are many who absolutely love the look. I suppose one reason I don’t like the look is that they didn’t include the squat face. Personally, I would have liked to see that on the plate instead of the recycled logo and I’m sure others would as well. Still, that’s minor.

The powder coating on the plates is a nice dark gray, almost black color. The three-spoke design is proven and offers a good look that will last for decades.

Although no machining is done on the plates, the casting is pretty well done with only minor imperfections on the plates we received (a pair of each.)

The plates are made entirely in the USA, which is something I always get behind.

In addition to all of these things, Kabuki is offering a full lineup of plates from 2.5 LB to 45 LB, sans the 35 LB plate, which I don’t mind. This is something that much of the competition has even overlooked to focus on the larger plates like theRogue Deep Dish Plates (which we’ve reviewed in-depth.)

Lastly, the price matches up with the value offered. Rounding out at $1.89/LB, these are a pretty budget-friendly plate, although we’ll discuss how that changes a bit when you have them shipped later in this review.

Overall, the Kabuki Iron Plates are a good value with a good design and decent quality. They’re not outstanding, but they’re also not awful. If you need a set of plates and don’t focus on the details, these will get you just as strong as calibrated power plates. However, if you care about the details and are willing to pay for it, we’d suggest looking elsewhere.

Flaws and Potential Dealbreakers

Of course, there’s no such thing as a perfect product. Even if you go out and buy Eleiko Calibrated Powerlifting Plates, there will be flaws.

I will say, some of these things I’m going to say need to be balanced with the value proposition. Kabuki has claimed these are not their best offering, but a good plate at a good price. An economy plate was their goal, so there will be more issues.

A few points to know about these plates is that even though they are fantastic for the environment, at the end of the day, they may be compromising in quality to make this happen.

After using them just for only a couple workouts, I found that the plates started rusting on various parts, especially around the collar. You do expect the plates to show a little wear and tear as you put them on the bar and lock them into place, but these plates are already showing some corrosion in areas that I don’t think they should yet.

Doing good for the environment is always a bonus, and I support that as much as the next person but if it is detrimental to the product then this isn’t necessarily the best way to go. I don’t want to fully say the coating isn’t amazing due to their goal of producing environmentally-friendly equipment, but it may have to do with it.

Now you may be thinking, Kabuki are a top of the range product when you look at those who have home gyms or those who powerlift. Chris Duffin is an engineer known for making world-class products and designs. This is all certainly true, but these plates are not as good as their other products.

A few things to take note of is that the general quality is lower, there’s no machining, and we’ve heard from multiple people that the weight tolerance has been off on the plates they received.

Next, there’s no machining on the plates. This isn’t a necessary step, but it provides a better feeling plate, a better-looking plate, and can often create a more accurate plate. Plates like the Rogue Deep Dish and Strength Co Iron Plates have machining on various parts and I would have liked to see that from Kabuki.

Lastly, the price is good until you have them shipped. This isn’t really Kabuki’s fault. They don’t do the volume that some of their competitors like Rogue Fitness do due to them being more of a boutique shop, but the shipping adds a lot to the total price making them similar to their competitors that offer overall better plates.

All this said, these are nit-pickey things that I notice as someone who reviews gym equipment for a living. Most won’t really notice these outside of the price and despite them, I still recommend them as they’re iron plates that are currently very hard to find and from a very reputable company.

Should You Add Them To Your Home Gym?

A big question here, should you add the Kabuki Iron Plates to your own home gym?

Well, yes and no.

For some, if your expectation is that these are a made in the USA plate that are environmentally friendly, but more of an economical option than the absolute best available, then you’ll really like them.

However, if you’re expecting typical Kabuki Strength quality and ingenuity, then I wouldn’t suggest adding them to your home gym.

Kabuki Strength Iron Plates vs. The Competition

The competitors’ plates to the Kabuki’s are many. There are some that I would avoid and others that I believe are better than what Kabuki is offering.

Kabuki Strength Iron Plates vs. Rogue Deep Dish Plates

Rogue vs. Kabuki Iron Plates

Rogue Deep Dish Plates

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Product Highlights

• Directly adapted from vintage-style machined plates
• Sold in pairs
• Available in four weight increments (25 lbs, 35 lbs, 45 lbs, 100 lbs)

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Very tight weight tolerance (2%)
• Ductile iron construction and e-coat for durability
• Attractive gunmetal color finish
• Best value cast iron plate on the market for consumers

Cons

• Super thick plates—not great for loading a lot of weight on the bar
• Not available in 2.5 pound change plates
• My shipment came with several dings and scratches to the iron

Bottom Line

These are highly functional, have a great look, and an exceptional weight tolerance.

The Rogue Deep Dish Platesare cheaper when you take into account things such as shipping. That being said, they are relatively the same price if you look at the plates themselves. The Kabuki plates do look good, the coating is average but the Rogues are quite a bit nicer overall.

Rogue has tighter tolerances, a better finish, and are machining the plates so the lips and back are smooth as glass. From what’s currently available, these are the Rogue Deep Dish Plates are the best iron plates currently made in the US.

This said, Rogue isn’t offering change plates yet and that’s something Kabuki does have, so if you want a full set, Kabuki may be a better option for the time being.

Kabuki Strength Iron Plates vs. Strength Co Iron Plates

The Kabuki Strength Iron Plates can also be compared to theStrength Co Iron Barbell Plates. This is a great comparison because both of the plates are at a similar price point and rather new.

Overall, the Strength Co Iron Plates are a better plate. Overall when shipping is factored in they will cost more, but they also are just a better plate. The edges are machined, the coating is more even, and I personally prefer the look (although that’s not a significant factor to why I rank them higher.)

Full Rating

Kabuki Strength Iron Plates

The Kabuki Strength Iron Plates are the latest USA-Made weight plate to be released. After training with them for a couple of months and comparing them to the other options available, we feel these are a good, economical plate, but not Kabuki's finest. There are certainly flaws, but the price (when shipping isn't factored) makes them understandable for the value offered. We do recommend them if you're excepting something budget-friendly and understand the downsides.

Product Brand: Kabuki Strength

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 169.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.2

Kabuki Strength Iron Plates FAQs

USA Made Plates

Rogue Deep Dish Plates

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Product Highlights

• Directly adapted from vintage-style machined plates
• Sold in pairs
• Available in four weight increments (25 lbs, 35 lbs, 45 lbs, 100 lbs)

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Very tight weight tolerance (2%)
• Ductile iron construction and e-coat for durability
• Attractive gunmetal color finish
• Best value cast iron plate on the market for consumers

Cons

• Super thick plates—not great for loading a lot of weight on the bar
• Not available in 2.5 pound change plates
• My shipment came with several dings and scratches to the iron

Bottom Line

These are highly functional, have a great look, and an exceptional weight tolerance.

Rogue Fitness has been teasing us with their Deep Dish Plates for some time. As soon as they released them, I ordered a set of each size to give me a good idea for a review. After using them for quite a few training sessions including deadlifts, squats, bench press, and many other movements, it’s pretty clear that these are a premiere plate. They weigh accurate on the scale, are smooth as glass on the back and edges (so smooth in fact that I was able to make a sunny side up egg on the back, not joking,) and look as good as they perform. There are some downsides to deep dish plates, but there’s little question that these last for generations. Be sure to also check out the best bumper plates guide here.

What are the Rogue Deep Dish Plates?

As one of the most anticipated Rogue Releases for 2020, I was super excited to finally get my hands on these. The Rogue Deep Dish Plates are one of the first products to be produced at Rogue’s newly employed foundry in Cadillac Michigan alongside their new E-Coat Kettlebells that we’ve reviewed.

Loosely based on the Arnold Classic Plates, these E-Coat deep-dish style plates finally give every home gym owner the chance to own high quality, yet classic deep dish plates for a very pretty competitive price.

The Cadillac foundry casts the Deep Dish Plates from ductile iron, which has higher tensile strength and yield strength than standard gray iron, along with superior corrosion resistance. In fact, in our testing of the plates, we tried dropping them on their edge many times and they still didn’t crack or break. Something that is done rather easily with Standard Barbell Plates. This, combined with the classic E-coat ensures that your Rogue Deep Dish plates will stay solid for generations to come.

Rogue promises these plates will be within 2% of stated weight; new level of accuracy for cast iron plates which have been known to range from 39 to 49 pounds.

Video Review

Unboxing & Shipping

The Deep Dish Plates showed up in double-ply cardboard with the familiar Rogue branding and a Michigan stamp on the back showing where they’re made.

Due to the amount we ordered, ours came on a wooden pallet, although we expect most to come without that.

We didn’t notice much damage on the boxes during shipment, although this was mitigated by the fact that it was on a pallet.

What We Like About the Rogue Deep Dish Plates

There is a long list of things that we like about the Rogue Deep Dish Plates. First and foremost, we have been waiting for Rogue to release a consumer version of the deep-dish plate for years now.

It’s hard to beat the classic look of this style of plate. Some of the most collectible and desired weight plates are constructed in this signature shape; Rogue Arnold Deep Dishes, the Zuver Plates and the classic Ivanko OM are some that come to mind. Arguably long overdue, these Rogue Deep Dish plates live up to the hype. With smooth machine finishes along the back edge and both inner/out lip, these plates feel good in your hand and fit smoothly on the bar. The 50mm machined collar opening makes for smooth weight changes and will reduce the damage to Olympic bars, most notably the barbells with Cerakote sleeves that get scratched up quickly from exposure to rough iron. For a competitively priced iron plate, I believe that these are the single best option for someone looking to upgrade their home setup.

Not only do these plates look great, but they also have a long-lasting E-Coat finish. This finish will protect against corrosion and will overall reduce the amount of damage your plates take from banging into the floor, and into each other. This E-coat is not something that will take away from the classic look of the plates as Rogue factories apply it in thin even layers to keep the cast feel of their metal products. Combined with the mean-looking E-Coat finish, the extra-deep silhouette of these plates gives them a true vintage look and feel.

One significant advantage of these new Deep Dish Plates is the weight accuracy compared to most traditional cast iron plates. The plate weighing madness, fueled by our friend Alan Thrall’s Youtube video in which he measured the accuracy of his 45lb plates, revealed that most cast iron 45’s, are not in fact 45. It seems that most 45’s are actually anywhere from 39-55lbs; a fact that could lead to massive discrepancies on each end of the barbell. Rogue’s new Deep Dish Plates, However, promise a +2%/-0 rating. This highly accurate measure is new for cast iron plates, and we certainly are on board with it.

Although these plates share qualities with more expensive competitors, Rogue managed to keep the cost of these around $2/lb shipped. However, Rogue also included their well-loved Hundo Pricing which rewards you for buying higher quantities. As you buy more of these plates, the price gets closer to $1.5/lb, a solid price for iron, not to mention during the current pandemic. With regular cast iron plates seeing $2-3/lb during gym shut-downs, getting these Rogue Deep dish plates is a must.

One reason Rogue is able to do this is because they are controlling as much of the supply chain as possible. They’re also selling a higher volume of plates than most of their competitors which affords them cheaper shipping rates.

Last but not least, these Deep Dish Plates are as “Made in America” as you can get. The Rogue Deep Dish Plates and the E-Coat kettlebells are Rogues first two products from this new Foundry in Michigan. This is referenced on the packaging of these plates as you will see the familiar mitten shape of the northern state on the back of the box.

Overall, Rogue hit it out of the park on these plates. I would recommend these for literally any type of facility. Commercial, Private, semi-private, home gym you name it, these plates are a great bang for your buck, but most importantly, highly functional and great looking.

What We Don’t Like

Regardless of how many likes we have, there are always flaws with products. The flaws with this product aren’t life-changing but they certainly are worth noting. If you are after practicality first and foremost, these may not be the best plates for you. These plates are extremely thick, nearly half an inch wider than the other Rogue machined plates. If you are an extremely strong lifter or like to save space on weight trees and on your squat racks, these plates take up quite a bit of room. For lifters, this can cause extra whip on the bar which will completely shift feel during a heavy squat or bench. For benchers, be sure to check out the best weight benches here. For any legit powerlifters, this is not ideal to say the least. For reference, the 100lb plates are 3inches thick, nearly an inch bigger than most competitors. Besides being very hard to handle, 3 inches is a lot of space on a bar.

If you’re a competitive powerlifter, we’d suggest Rogue’s Calibrated Powerlifting Plates which we’ve reviewed here.

Another impractical part of these plates is that the smallest current weight increment available is 25LB. This means you cannot buy a set of these and will have to get unmatched change plates. It would be nice to see change plates in a similar style but I do not think they could offer as good a price on the smaller sized deep dish due to the cost of machining a plate. Although not currently available, I assume they’ll have them available sometime in the near future.

We would suggest buying change plates from The Strength Co if you don’t want to wait as they are very similar in looks and are also made in the USA.

The only other issues I have with these plates are in relation to complications that are likely due to COVID-19 gym shutdowns. First, quality control. These plates are overall aesthetically perfect, however, there are quite a few dings and scratches on most plates. I got quite a few pairs so based off of my sample size, I doubt that all of the plates were flawless. This is an issue that many buyers of Rogue Equipment expect to not have to deal with. “If you pay for a new piece of equipment, you should get a new one” is a recurring comment in our Home Gym Community Facebook Group.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Rogue needs to make sure that their equipment is coming out as it looks in pictures. People don’t pay expecting to get just an okay level of equipment. I have to say, this is most likely due to the overwhelming demand for home gyms. I think it is very clear that gym equipment demand per person has gone up and I understand that it is probably a massive struggle meeting this demand for Rogue. This can be shown in a quick peruse of Rogue’s website, everything from plates to bars to power racks is currently “Notify Me” and not “Add to cart”.

This gym equipment demand phenomenon is also responsible in part for the last gripe I have with these plates. Rogue is preselling these to try and meet demand. However, these plates still sell out in minutes and then Rogue takes weeks/months to ship out after they make all of the orders. This isn’t ideal, but it is somewhat expected I suppose for the time period.

Rogue Deep Dish Plates vs The Competition

Deep Dish vs. 6-Shooters

Rogue 6-Shooter Olympic Grip Plates

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Pros & Cons

Pros

• The Rogue 6-Shooter Olympic Grip Plates are the best value iron plates Rogue Fitness currently makes.
• These feature an aesthetic design (to most) that harkens back to the the Ivanko Revolvers, but with six holes, instead of seven.
• The holes, although allow for a unique look, also allow the plates to be handled easier.
• The 6-Shooters are highly accurate for a cast iron plate at a guaranteed weight of +/-
• 1% of the stated weight.
• Despite having a more unique design, these plates are actually cheaper than the Rogue Machined Olympic Plates.
• Utilizing a gray hammertone paint will allow the plates to look good for decades despite getting chipped.

Cons

• Only available in LB, not KG as of this writing.
• One reviewer noted that their only negative was that the coating on the inside of the holes on the plates rub off on the ribbing of the barbell.

Bottom Line

The Rogue 6-Shooter Olympic Grip Plates are the best value cast iron plates that Rogue Fitness makes or sells on their site. We’ve tested and reviewed them and like that they feature an aesthetic design with accurate weight tolerances for a price that’s better than many other offerings. If you need plates, want something that will hold up for decades and look good while doing it, we recommend the 6-Shooters.

Rogue Deep Dish vs. Rogue 6-Shooters

As Rogue is the only company to have really kept up with demand for metal plates at all during the length of the covid pandemic, the main competitor for these deep-dish plates would be other Rogue plates. I would consider the Rogue 6-Shooter plate to be a primary competitor to the Rogue Deep Dish line. Both are around the same price and both are very hard to get. However, for the practicality and overall use, I would recommend the 6-shooters over the Deep Dish Plates.

Rogue Deep Dish vs. The Strength Co Olympic Iron Barbell PlatesThe Strength Co is making excellent equipment in the USA. They haven’t been around long, but our experience with their equipment, including their squat stands has been pretty positive. Their Iron Barbell Plates are more expensive than Rogue, but they are thinner and a similar level of quality, albeit with a back that isn’t machined. Most people should go with Rogue’s Deep Dish Plates as they’re a better value. But Strength Co’s offering is still excellent.

Rogue Deep Dish vs. Kabuki Strength Cast Iron PlatesRogue is again offering a better price per LB on their plates than the Kabuki Strength Cast Iron Plates. However, Kabuki is casting their plates in the Pacific Northwest (they’re located in Oregon) and are making them in a carbon-neutral foundry, using an environmentally friendly coating, and pricing them still pretty affordably.We like the aesthetics of the Deep Dish Plates from Rogue, but Kabuki’s are arguably a more practical plate due to how much thinner they are. However, Kabuki isn’t machining the back like Rogue is, which is certainly an aesthetic difference. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either.

Full Rating

Rogue Deep Dish Plates

The Rogue Deep Dish Plates are the first made in America cast iron weight plate that Rogue Fitness has released. Harkening back to York Milled Plates, the Rogue Deep Dish Plates are accurate, priced extremely well, and look as good as they perform on a barbell for squats, deadlift, bench, and any other movement you’d like to perform. If you like the aesthetics, they’re one of the best value iron plates available.

Product Brand: Rogue Fitness

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 110

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.5

Rogue Deep Dish Plates FAQs

Fractional Plates

Micro Gainz Fractional Weight Plates

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Product Highlights

• Made from sintered metal

• Made in Pennsylvania, USA!

• Plates accurate to specified weight by +/- 5 grams

• Plates meet International Power Lifting Federation Guidelines for weight accuracy

• Will fit 2″ Olympic weight lifting bars, tested on Rogue Bar 2.0 Olympic Weight Lifting Bar

• High quality black E-Coated finish

• All plates are 3.

Pros & Cons

Bottom Line

What are Micro Gainz Fractional Plates

Micro Gainz is a company making high-quality, made in the good ol’ USA fractional plates.

The idea is rather simple, in order to get stronger, you need to lift progressively higher weights. However, sometimes a five-pound or even a two-and-a-half pound jump is too large. I’ve been there, running a Linear Progression, ala Starting Strength, the program calls for you to progress and even a tiny jump feels mentally like you’re adding another plate.

Recognizing this issue, Micro Gainz created fractional plates in 2016. The Micro Gainz fractional plates are available in weights ranging from 0.25 LB all the way up to 1 LB and are extremely accurate.

What We Like About Micro Gainz

Micro Gainz Fractional Plates are likely one of the simplest products we’ve ever reviewed, and as such, this review will be a bit shorter than others, although just as in-depth (there’s only so much to say about what is essentially a thick washer–however, I’ve sold a few yellow pencils in my day.)

There are a few basic characteristics you want out of a fractional plate, and they are as follows:

• A High Weight Tolerance Accuracy
• Accurate Inner Diameter
• Easily Identifiable Weight Identification
• Corrosion Resistant Coating
• Wide Variety of Weight Increments
• A Thin as Possible

And that’s about it. Fractional Plates like Micro Gainz and the competition are extremely simple. They’ll never touch the ground (unless you store them there,) won’t be used every workout, and are honestly something that you don’t want to even have to think about. You throw them on the bar when needed and forget about them when not being used.

Micro Gainz meets all of these desired specs. All of their plates are guaranteed to be accurate within +/- 5 grams of the stated weight; if they’re not they’ll refund you.

The inner diameter fits standard Olympic Bars with little play between the plates and sleeves which is exactly what you want with any plates. This same inner diameter is done throughout all of the plates and works just as well on specialty bars.

The Micro Gainz logo and weight identifiers are permanently molded into the plates, so there are no worries about them rubbing off like paint or peeling off like stickers.

All of the plates are coated in an E-Coat Finish that is similar to what’s used on Rogue’s Curl Bar. It wears very slowly and provides good protection against corrosion. This is great for home gym owners as we experience the most amount of temperature and humidity fluctuation due to the doors often being open.

Micro Gainz also come in quite a few weight increments, a few that I will likely never use, but at least they’re available. For instance, although I’m sure there’s someone out there that would throw a .25 LB plate on the bar, that’s not something I will likely do. However, I have used the 1 LB and 0.5 LB plates quite a bit. Due to how compact they are for their weight (thanks to the sintered metal) every plate feels substantial and premium The combination of the e-coat with the rounded edges and the sound of the plates sliding on barbell sleeves is just all around a great experience.

Lastly, you want your fractional plates to be as thin as possible so they’re not taking up a lot of space on the bar or in storage. Micro Gainz exceed in this category due to the aforementioned sintered metal that’s used and the fact that they’re so lightweight.

All in all, Micro Gainz are a product we’d recommend. They’re made in the USA and high-quality. There are some things we’d like to see improved, which we’ll cover in the next section, but anyone on a Linear Progression could benefit from fractional plates.

Micro Gainz Versus the Competition

If you haven’t noticed, Micro Gainz isn’t the only company making fractional plates. Do a quick search on Amazon and you’ll find hundreds of different fractional plate options, many of which are a similar price or cheaper than Micro Gainz.

Despite this, Micro Gainz has something over the rest of these and that is this, Micro Gainz are made in the USA. To some, this doesn’t matter, and to those people, it will be very easy to find cheaper, imported fractional plates. However, to those who do want Made in America fractional plates, these are your best option.

Iron Bull is a company making fractional plates that are quite popular and have a unique shape, however, they don’t come in the variety of weight increments that Micro Gainz do.

Trademark Innovations makes a set of plates that are similar to Micro Gainz, but they’re painted. This is one thing I would like to see Micro Gainz offer for a slightly higher price, powder-coated fractional plates. The Friendly Swede has a similar set to Trademark Innovations (I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re made by the same factory.

Full Rating

Micro Gainz Fractional Plates

Micro Gainz are highly accurate fractional weight plates that are made in the USA. They're high-quality, slim, attractive, and well priced. If you're following some sort of linear progression like Starting Strength and want to add weight to bar slowly, these are a great option.

Product Brand: Micro Gainz

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 39.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.6

Micro Gainz Fractional Plates FAQs

American Barbell

American Barbell Urethane Pro Series Plates

GGR Score: 4.2

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Product Highlights

• First company to manufacture urethane bumper plates
• Kilogram plates in 10-kg, 15-kg, 20-kg, and 25-kg sets
• Very durable with a hard chrome hub
• Low bounce
• Color coded to Olympic weightlifting specs

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Very durable
• Thinner width
• Hard chrome hub
• Very low bounce

Cons

• Pricier plates
• Slippery feel at first

Bottom Line

If you're looking for a pair of bumper plates that'll stand out in your gym, look no further than American Barbell's urethane bumper plates. Made to last, these durable plates have a hard chrome center hub made of a solid construction, and the plates also have a low bounce. The bright, vibrant colors are also sure to make any home gym stand out.

Unboxing

The American Barbell Urethane Bumper Plates showed up on my doorstep rather quickly. I’d been anticipating receiving these plates for sometime as I’d been doing research for a bumper plate guide and stumbled upon urethane and its many uses.

Pictures seriously do not do these justice. Not only are they incredibly durable, which I’ll get into more on that later, their colors are the most vibrant I’ve seen. Nothing I’ve used compares to the look of these plates.

Video Review

American Barbell Urethane Bumper Plates Review

American Barbell is producing some outstanding equipment. We’ve reviewed a couple of their barbells in the past, and although they don’t get as much recognition as some other offerings on the market, they’re every bit as good.

In addition to barbells, American Barbell has just about every piece of equipment you’d want, including Bumper Plates.

I’ve had the opportunity to use many different bumper plates, but this is the first set of urethane plates I’ve ever come across. As illustrated above, urethane is much different from the rubber that is traditionally used by nearly every other bumper plate available.

But, before I get into the performance of the units, let me first discuss the superficial details.

First off, these are the brightest bumper plates I’ve ever seen. In pictures, it’s obvious that the color is more vibrant, but they’re nothing like what you see in person. The first time I opened the box of the 25 kg plates I was blown away.

For most people, the brighter colors are a cool feature. They’re something that stands out in the gym, while still being within the standard colors for each stated weight. However, if you’re someone who wants every plate in your gym to match, and you already have quite a few bumper plates, understand that these won’t easily blend in. But, for me, I like things that stand out.

All of the colors, despite being bright, resist scuffing pretty well… except for the 15 kg yellow plates. For some reason, I’m guessing due to their shade, the yellow get’s scuffed very easily, however, due to the hardness of the rubber, they clean up very easily.

As you get closer to the plate, you notice they have a pebble finish. One of the big knocks on urethane plates in the past was how slippery they were. Due to a low coefficient of friction, urethane plates were known to slip out of people’s hands, breaking toes, feet, and all sorts of other things. Although the American Barbell Urethane Plates aren’t the easiest plates to grip, the pebbled coating is a welcomed feature. There’s no doubt that these urethane plates are harder to pick up and hold than standard rubber plates, but it isn’t a big enough issue to avoid them because of that.

Knowing that urethane is notoriously slippery and at heavier weights may be difficult for people to hold, American Barbell also added a lip to the outside of the plate. Although the lip is definitely needed and helpful when transferring plates from the ground or rack to the bar, it does make it somewhat difficult to pick the plates off the ground when lying flat. This again isn’t a big problem, but something to be aware of.

One reason for the difficulty in removing the plates from the ground when lying flat is due to the plates squared off profile. The squared edge helps to keep the plates from flying all over the gym after being dropped and likely has something to do with the way plates have to be manufactured to prevent the urethane from cracking. The square profile has a great look, and is another feature that helps to make the plates stand-out.

The identifying numbers on the face of the plates have a contrasting color that stands out, but not overly so, while the American Barbell logo is the same color as the plate.

Overall, the American Barbell Urethane Plates are some of the best looking plates on the market. There are a few others that give them a run for their money, such as the unique Klokov Plates, but not many.

When it comes to performance, there isn’t a more durable bumper plate available than these. Most bumper plates are tested to 5,000 drops, including the most well-respectedbumper plates in the world, Eleiko’s. American Barbell tests these Urethane plates to 55,000 drops from 8.5 ft and the only change to the plate that was done was some dirt that had to be wiped off after.

American Barbell’s urethane actually comes from Germany and in talking with a representative is said to be the most durable material that is currently being used in bumper plates.

It must be said that a few other companies are selling urethane bumper plates, but American Barbell is the company who holds the patent in China, so, I would assume that many of the bumper plates you see on the market currently are simply rebranded versions of American Barbell’s.

Urethane also has a much lower bounce than the rubber used in traditional bumper plates. Rather than bouncing high and flying all over the platform, these plates bounce slightly low and stay low. The only downside of this is that they do make a bit more noise when dropped than traditional bumper plates.

Regarding the accuracy of the plates, they were very close to the stated weight. Using a calibrated postage scale that was tested first on a weight I know is exact, all of the plates were within the stated allotment of weight.

Although plates that are a couple of pounds off isn’t a huge deal, when you’re spending money on plates that cost this much, they should be pretty close to the stated weight. Thankfully these are.

They’re also slightly thinner than most competition training plates. I measured them compared to other plates we have on hand including Pendlay Elites and Rogue Competiton Bumpers and I was pleasantly suprised to see the comparison. A thinner plate simply means you can fit more of them on the bar, which matters for those that use bumper plates for deadlifts and squats.

One unique feature on these plates is the fact that the center hub is one piece. This prevents it from separating from the urethane and provides a clean and uniform look.

After using the American Barbell Urethane Bumper Plates in various workouts, including the clean and jerk and the snatch, I can confidently recommend them to anyone looking for a competition bumper plate that is made to stand the test of time and look good while doing it.

Suggested Improvements

One of our goals at Garage Gym Reviews is to be unbiased and honest in our reviews. For this reason, we like to provide ways that a product can be improved. Although the American Barbell Urethane Bumper Plates are fantastic, there is one improvement we’d like to see.

As discussed in the review, one minor dislike we had with the plates was the difficulty in picking them off the ground. Due the plates having such an extremely squared-off profile, getting a finger under the plates to get a grip is very difficult. In order to make it easier for them to be lifted off the ground, we suggest making the corner slightly more round.

Although this is a minor change, we believe it would make the plates easier to move from the ground to the bar.

Full Rating

American Barbell Urethane Bumper Plates

American Barbell is by and large making some of the best training equipment available, and the Urethane Pro Series Bumper Plates are no exception. Utilizing urethane instead of the traditional rubber creates an ultra-durable, low bounce plate, with vibrant colors. These are the best competition bumper plates we've had the opportunity to review to date.

Product Brand: American Barbell

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 330

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.6

American Barbell Urethane Bumper Plates FAQs

Where to Purchase

American Barbell

American Barbell Urethane Pro Series Plates

GGR Score: 4.2

Check Price

Product Highlights

• First company to manufacture urethane bumper plates
• Kilogram plates in 10-kg, 15-kg, 20-kg, and 25-kg sets
• Very durable with a hard chrome hub
• Low bounce
• Color coded to Olympic weightlifting specs

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Very durable
• Thinner width
• Hard chrome hub
• Very low bounce

Cons

• Pricier plates
• Slippery feel at first

Bottom Line

If you're looking for a pair of bumper plates that'll stand out in your gym, look no further than American Barbell's urethane bumper plates. Made to last, these durable plates have a hard chrome center hub made of a solid construction, and the plates also have a low bounce. The bright, vibrant colors are also sure to make any home gym stand out.

Rep Fitness

REP Equalizer Iron Plates

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Product Highlights

• Easy-grip design with six handles
• Very reasonable pricing
• Machine drilled center hole (not cast) for tight fit on bar
• Powder coated
• Weight tolerance guaranteed within 2%

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Easy-grip design with six handles
• Very reasonable pricing
• Three-year warranty
• Machine drilled center hole (not cast) for tight fit on bar.
• Sand blasted and machined for smooth surface.
• All surfaces rounded, no sharp edges.
• Sandblast before painting to ensure no surface rust is painted over.
• Powdercoated and baked for 1 hour for superior toughness and resistance to chipping.
• Symmetrical grip holes for easy lifting off the ground, and for using individual plates in exercises.
• Weight tolerance guaranteed within 2%
• "X" centered in between grip holes on 45, 35, and 25, as pictured on main image.

Cons

• Rubber-coated version is not bumper plates: Don’t use them as such
• Available only in pairs, not sets
• Not a good pick for CrossFitters or Olympic weightlifters

Bottom Line

The six-hole design in these REP Fitness Equalizer Plates also makes them much easier to grip and move around than other types of plates, which means members are theoretically—emphasis on theoretically—less likely to drop weights on their toes.

Rep Fitness Equalizer Iron Plates Review

Rep Fitness is becoming the king of value in the garage gym market.

With the release of their new line of racks, benches, dumbbells, and many other accessories, Rep Fitness has pretty much situated themselves as one of the leaders in high-quality imported equipment at a great value.

The Rep Fitness Equalizer Iron Plates are pretty much the epitome of this previous statement. They’re well-made, uniquely designed, budget-priced, and one of the best options on the market on a dollar for dollar basis.

Iron plates are found in pretty much every Garage Gym and Home Gym in the world. The main reason for this is because of their price and their versatility. You can do the most obvious things with them like sliding them on a barbell sleeve, but you can also throw them on all sorts of accessory pieces like lat pulldowns and reverse hypers or use them as a stand-alone piece of equipment for various presses, raises, and pulls.

Let’s start by taking a look at some of the specs:

• Machine drilled center hole (not cast) for tight fit on bar.
• Sandblasted and machined for smooth surface.
• All surfaces rounded, no sharp edges.
• Sandblast before painting to ensure no surface rust is painted over.
• Powdercoated and baked for 1 hour for superior toughness and resistance to chipping.
• Symmetrical grip holes for easy lifting off the ground, and for using individual plates in exercises.
• Weight tolerance guaranteed within 2%

The Equalizer Plates come in the familiar black or dark gray hammertone colors. Due to the amount of time I use iron plates (little outside of testing thanks to the wide array of bumper plates I have access to) I decided to grab a pair of 45 lb plates to examine and so I could throw them on the Torque Fitness Tank to live. From pictures, the black looked the best to me, although the gray is equally subtle and will likely match the color of other gray hammertone plates.

There are a few major issues that are common across the cheaper priced iron plates that are on the market.

• They’re created entirely on a cast.
• Thecenter hole leaves too much space between it and the barbell sleeve.
• There are many sharp edges.
• The actual weight differs greatly from the stated weight.
• The outside diameter is too small.

All of these issues make for a less than enjoyable training experience and can lead to damage on your foundation, equipment, and yourself. Although buying cheap iron plates feels good on the wallet, you’ll eventually upgrade and wish you had bought the upgraded choice the first time. Just trust me on this one, I’ve helped thousands of people start garage gyms, and almost every time someone buys cheap, they end up paying more in the long run.

Rep Fitness has addressed pretty much all of these shortcomings of competitor plates in a similar price range.

The Rep Equalizer Iron Plates feature a machined center hole. The way these plates are made is hot iron is poured into a cast that is then pressed and allowed to cool. Once cooled, the plates are removed and have the center hole machined out to create a smooth and consistent sized hole. This is an extra step that some cheaper Olympic Plates avoid and it’s why they fit sloppy on the barbell.

This may seem minor to some, but if you’ve ever used cheap plates with different sized holes that scratch barbell sleeves, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

The next issue Rep addressed is sanding down the plates to assure there are no sharp edges. Cast iron plates are known for having various sharp edges, especially ones with a design like the Rep Fitness Plates that have a lot of cutouts. In addition, Rep sandblasts the plates prior to painting to prevent rust from popping up under the powdercoat. This is pretty much standard practice, unless the plates are the bottom of the barrel, but it’s still nice to know.

In addition to sharp edges, many cheaper iron plates have a smaller diameter than was is expected by organizations like the IPF which uses 450MM as it’s standard. The Rep Plates are slightly less than 450MM at 17.7″, but most won’t notice such a small difference.

Finally, the weight of the plates is guaranteed to be within 2% of the stated weight or they’ll replace them. For iron plates at this price, this is an awesome reassurance as many budget-priced iron plates are often pounds over or under the stated weight.

The plates feature subtle branding and the listed weight both painted in contrasting white paint. The paint doesn’t cover the complete logo or numbers and do think it could rub off easily, but it would be an easy fix. This is a minor detail, but I love Rep’s new logo. Simple and to the point that keeps the plates from looking too gaudy.

Now, one feature of the plates that I really like although others may disagree, is the six-shooter style cutouts. Instead of round cutouts (I’m guessing to differentiate themselves) Rep went with hexagon shaped holes that are easy to hold, look good, and allow the plates to be used easily for things like farmers carries, shoulder raises, Russian twists and to make it easy to attach things like dip belts easily.

The overall design and function of the plates are great. This also includes the powdercoat that is tough and hasn’t chipped yet despite quite a bit of mishandling.

In regards to the price, they are slightly more expensive than some of the cheaper Standard Barbell plates, but not by much, especially when you buy in bulk. However, they are cheaper than Rogue’s Machined and 6-Shooter Olympic Plates that are also imported.In the end, we highly recommend the Rep Fitness Equalizer Iron Plates for anyone wanting new steel plates at a budget price. These are designed to last and perform well during their life.

Suggested Improvements

Although we typically have quite a few suggested improvements for our reviews, we don’t have much we’d recommend for these plates that wouldn’t cause them to increase in price.

Full Rating

Rep Fitness Equalizer Iron Plates

The Rep Fitness Equalizer Iron Plates are some of the best value weight plates currently available. Featuring a machined center hole, sandblasted and then machined surface, and symmetrical grip holes, these plates are a great value. If you're in the market for a good steel plate at a low price, these are one of the best options currently available.

Product Brand: REP Fitness

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 130

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.5

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Where to Purchase

Rep Fitness

REP Equalizer Iron Plates

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Product Highlights

• Easy-grip design with six handles
• Very reasonable pricing
• Machine drilled center hole (not cast) for tight fit on bar
• Powder coated
• Weight tolerance guaranteed within 2%

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Easy-grip design with six handles
• Very reasonable pricing
• Three-year warranty
• Machine drilled center hole (not cast) for tight fit on bar.
• Sand blasted and machined for smooth surface.
• All surfaces rounded, no sharp edges.
• Sandblast before painting to ensure no surface rust is painted over.
• Powdercoated and baked for 1 hour for superior toughness and resistance to chipping.
• Symmetrical grip holes for easy lifting off the ground, and for using individual plates in exercises.
• Weight tolerance guaranteed within 2%
• "X" centered in between grip holes on 45, 35, and 25, as pictured on main image.

Cons

• Rubber-coated version is not bumper plates: Don’t use them as such
• Available only in pairs, not sets
• Not a good pick for CrossFitters or Olympic weightlifters

Bottom Line

The six-hole design in these REP Fitness Equalizer Plates also makes them much easier to grip and move around than other types of plates, which means members are theoretically—emphasis on theoretically—less likely to drop weights on their toes.

Rogue Fitness

Rogue Calibrated KG Steel Plates

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Product Highlights

• Machine calibrated precision (+/- 0.35oz)
• Thin-cut design
• Color-coded weights
• Quality cast-iron
• Good value

Pros & Cons

Pros

• After using Rogues KG Calibrated Powerlifting Plates over the past year, we can confidently recommend them for their durability and accuracy.
• Price-wise, these are some of the best value calibrated plates on the market.
• Due to being IPF-approved, these plates are extremely accurate and if they're not as stated, Rogue will send you a replacement.
• The lips on the plates are large enough to make carrying and loading them easy.
• Due to how thin the plates are, you can fit more weight than you'll ever lift on the bar.
• They've been known to go on sale during Rogues Matte Black Friday Event.
• Available in Kilograms or Pounds.
• The lettering is raised and painted in a contrasting color to make identification easy.

Cons

• The paint on these plates is known to chip rather easily. Ours look much more used than they really have been. One reviewer wrote, "These weights are what you would expect for the price, except for the paint. The paint comes off very easy. They would be better if they used Cerakote like some of the Rogue bars."
• Due to how thin they are, they can be difficult to lift off the ground if laying flat.

Bottom Line

The Rogue KG Calibrated Powerlifting Plates are the best value calibrated plates that we've tested and reviewed. If you want consistent size and weight on your plates and plan to compete in powerlifting, these are by far your best option. They also look good, although expect the paint to chip over time.

Rogue Calibrated Steel Powerlifting Plates Review

The Rogue Calibrated Steel Powerlifting Plates are some of the best competition steel plates available today. With their precise weight, thin, uniform width, and snug diameter to fit around most barbell sleeves, these Steel Plates should be at the top of any competition steel plate list.

The Rogue Calibrated Steel Powerlifting Plates are designed with three movements in the mind. The squat, bench, and deadlift, also known as the big three of powerlifting.

Does that mean you can only use them for three movements? Of course not, you could throw them on the reverse hyper, use them during various accessory work, or even curl in the squat rack with them (an advantage of having a gym in your home.)

These plates are designed for competition. No question about it, everything from the colors to the accurate weighting screams overkill for the home gym owner. However, who am I to tell you that they’re overkill, I have over a 1,000 lbs worth of the plates and absolutely love them.

If you’re into doing things like cleans, snatches, and other dynamic movements, we would suggest sticking to bumper plates. But, if you stick to the “slow” movements, then these are the ideal plate.

One thing that’s often misunderstood about competition powerlifting plates is that although much prettier than traditional steel plates, they’re still cast iron.

However, although cast iron, there are quite a few differences between competition plates and your standard steel plates.

First, the most obvious difference is that rather than being either gray or black, competition plates are color coded using the same template that’s used for Olympic Weightlifting Competition Bumper Plates.

The colors make it easy to identify how much weight is on the bar as well as simply look better than black iron (in my opinion, many would likely disagree.) In addition to color, competition plates are thinner to allow more weight to be loaded on the bar. Although this isn’t a problem for most, if you’re an elite, super heavy-weight powerlifter, you’ll appreciate the extra space the plates afford you on the bar.

The center hole of the plates is also traditionally much more snug on a barbell sleeve than cheaper cast iron plates. 50mm is the diameter of the center hole on the Rogue Calibrated Steel Powerlifting Plates and is also what’s used on Eleiko and Ivanko’s.

Finally, the most significant difference between competition power plates and standard steel plates is the accuracy of the listed weight.

Go to any gym and grab a plate off the rack, throw it on the scale, and you’ll see how far off it is from the weight that’s listed on the plate. I’ve seen plates that are as much +/- 5 lbs of the listed weight. It’s incredible, but a reality.

One reason that the Rogue Calibrated Steel Powerlifting Plates are so accurate (+/- 10 grams) is because they’re machine calibrated to ensure accuracy in weight and durability.

Rogue has taken the necessary steps to alleviate a common issue of inaccurate cast iron plate weight. One step that Rogue has taken is producing all of their plates through machine calibration.

By and large, most cast iron plates are produced in China, even Rogue’s Steel Plates, but by making them machine calibrated, these cast iron plates will be higher in accuracy than other competitors.

What Rogue does that is similar to many of the other competition plates is cut an equal amount of iron out of each plate. They then place them on a machine that calibrates how much brass is needed to be inserted into each plate to get within the listed weight rating.

The process to accomplish this is not short by any means. This is one of the reasons the plates cost so much more than standard cast iron plates. The extra man-hours required to produce a competition plate is substantially more than a standard cast iron plate.

Rogue will do this for all of their plates and will calibrate each brass plug individually to round out each plate. What I mean is, not all brass plugs are calibrated the same. Rogue assesses each plate individually and plugs in the proper brass plug to ensure the accuracy of the stated plate weight.

One thing Rogue has added to the back of each plate IPF Approved and Rogue stickers. I’ve heard some people like the stickers, but personally, I’m not a fan. They end up peeling and stripping some of the paint off anyway, so I don’t feel like they should be added.

One thing that can happen with calibrated plates is the brass plugs can end up falling out getting loose from their holes and either rattling or completely falling out. I have yet to experience this with the Rogue plates, however, if it happens I will update the review.

The center hole for every plate is a consistent 50mm in diameter. Actually, I’d say it’s even smaller as there is paint that ends up getting rubbed off when the plates are put on the bar initially. This is to be expected, although I would like to see Rogue remove the paint from the center hole to keep bars from getting marred up as it’s inevitable.

If you’ve used cheap cast iron plates before (and I’m sure you have as most plates in this world are cheap and made of cast iron) you know how annoying a center hole that is way too large for a bar can be. The plates will move around, don’t stand up straight, and cause excessive damage to the bar sleeve.

You will not experience this with the Rogue Calibrated Steel Powerlifting Plates. In fact, if you have a cheaper bar, the plates may not fit on the sleeve at all. This said, I would highly suggest you buy a high-end barbell before buying expensive plates.

Not only do the plates have a snug diameter, the Rogue Calibrated Steel Plates are also much thinner than standard plates. According to Rogue, you can fit up to 700kg of weight on the bar, which is more than enough for any current or future record.

The width of the plates are as follows:

• 25kg-27mm
• 20kg-22.5mm
• 15kg-21mm
• 10kg-21mm.

Rogue’s attention to detail for making the plates so close in width is outstanding.

Each of the KG plates matches the IPF standard of correct colors matching correct plates. 25kg is red, 20kg is blue, 15 kg is yellow, and 10 kg is green. All of the different colored plates have raised white lettering. The lettering and numbering are bold and have Rogue exclusive branding so there is no issue reading the plates.

The diameter of the Rogue Calibrated Steel Powerlifting Plates are all pretty much exact to what’s stated as well.

The 25kg plate has a diameter of 450mm, 20kg is 450mm, 15kg is 400mm, 10kg is 325mm. All of these diameters fit inside IPF standards as well.

Compared to other top companies like Eleiko and Ivanko, there really aren’t many differences. In fact, I’d assume nearly all of these plates are made in the same factories in China.

Just like Rogue, Eleiko competition plates are cast iron plates and feature the same brass plugs.

Finally, Rogue offers sets in both pounds and kilograms, depending on what metric you use. I prefer kilograms, but most in the US will want pound listings.

Overall, the Rogue Calibrated Steel Powerlifting Plates are some of the best available plates today and among the top calibrated powerlifting plates are withouot a doubt the best value.

Rogue has taken every step to make sure their steel plates are the best plates money can buy for powerlifting. With a calibrated brass plug for accurate weight, 50mm diameter center hole for a snug fit on most barbells, and color coding, we highly recommend these plates for those that want the absolute best.

Suggested Improvements

The Rogue Calibrated Steel Plates are a great competition set to own. With that being said, there are a couple of things these plates can improve on.

The first is that the paint on the plates chips way too easily. Rogue either needs to come up with a different plate formula, use powder-coating (although I don’t know if that would be better,) or best idea of all would be to use Cerakote.

Another improvement would be to remove the paint from the center hole. It’s going to come off anyway, so I don’t see a reason to even put it on.

The last thing I would like to for these plates and all competition powerlifting plates is to add some sort of indention on the outside of the plate to allow your fingers to pull the plates off the ground. When these plates fit so tight together on a barbell, it can be difficult to unload the barbell and pull off the plates. By having some sort of indention will allow a lifter to change out plates easier and would be a big design separator among competitors.

Update 2020

It’s been close to two years that we’ve had the Calibrated Powerlifting Plates from Rogue in circulation in the gym and since we originally wrote this review. There are a couple things that I think are worth noting for those interested in a set.

First, although these are a Rogue product, they are imported. This means they’re made overseas and my biggest issue with the plates is that the paint chips. And, the paint doesn’t just start chipping after a year, it chips rather quickly.

Unfortunately, the paint chips don’t show up really well on camera, but here’s a somewhat recent picture of the plates at the gym:

Despite some chipping, which, is to be expected with any of these type of plates (although I would like to see them Cerakoted someday) they still weight pretty much the same as before.

The other issue with the plates, and this has only happened with a couple, is the brass plugs on the back have popped out. Not a big deal as they’re easy to re-install and can be super-glued if needed.

Originally, the plates lived in my garage gym, here they are fresh out of the box:

For the past year or so, though, they’ve lived in my personal training studio because nobody needs 459 KG worth of calibrated plates for just themselves in their garage (unless you’re Ray Williams and squat over 1,000 LB.)

Despite the amount of use and abuse they get from people of all walks of life, the cast iron plates still look and perform as well as day one, sans the paint chips previously discussed.

Rogue Powerlifting Plates vs. Ivanko Powerlifting Plates

Full Rating

Rogue Calibrated Steel Powerlifting Plates

The Rogue Calibrated Steel Powerlifting Plates are not only some of the best competition powerlifting plates currently available, but they're also the best value. With their precise plate weight, IPF approval, and exact diameter and thickness, the Rogue Calibrated Steel Powerlifting Plates are the best option available.

Product Brand: Rogue Fitness

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 130.50

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.6

Rogue Calibrated Steel Powerlifting Plates FAQs