Finding the best bumper plates is not an easy task. There are endless options and working out what you do and don’t need is hard.
So we have researched over 100 bumper plates and tested many of them.
The Rogue Fleck plates are our top pick for most people due to the value for money and unique design. REP’s competition bumper plates score 10 out of 10 against our criteria and are what we recommend if you want accurate competition bumpers.
Budget Option
Titan Elite Plates
Best Overall
Rogue Fleck Plates
Competition Option
REP Competition
- 13 best bumper plates
- 1. Best bumper plates- our pick: Rogue Fleck Plates
- 2. Best competition bumper plates: REP Competition Bumper Plates
- 3. Best urethane bumper plates: Titan Urethane Bumper Plates
- 4. Bumper plates- runner up: Rogue Color Echo Bumper Plate
- 5. Best black bumper plates: Rogue Echo Bumper Plates
- 6. Best budget bumper plates: REP Black Bumper Plates
- 7. Best alternative bumper plates: Fringe Savage Bumper Plate
- 8. Competition runner-up: Aachen Competition Bumper Plates
- 9. Competition bumper plates upgrade pick: Rogue competition plates
- 10. Budget competition bumper plates: Titan Elite Bumper Plates
- 11. Best urethane bumper plates- upgrade pick: American Barbell Urethane Plates
- 12. Best cheap bumper plates- alternative pick: AMGYM LB Bumper Plates
- 13. Our “if money was no object” pick: Eleiko IWF Weightlifting Training Discs
- Bumper plates buyers guide
- Bumper plates benefits
- Other bumper plates we tested
- Bumper plates FAQs
- Bumper plates: The bottom line
13 best bumper plates
Here’s a quick summary of our selections. Click on any product name to find the current price and more information.
Name | Best for | Our Rating (out of 10) | Price | Tolerance | Durometer | Width of 45lb plate | Max Weight (lbs)* |
Rogue Fleck Plates | Overall | 9 | $$ | 1% | 90 | 2.76″ | 615 |
REP Competition Bumper Plates | Competition | 10 | $$$$ | within 10 grams | 92 | 2.13″ | 705 |
Titan Urethane Bumper Plates | Urethane | 9 | $$$ | 1% | 90 | 2.07″ | 815 |
Rogue Color Echo Bumper Plate | Runner-up | 9 | $$$ | 1% | 88 | 2.36″ | 665 |
Rogue Echo Bumper Plates | Black bumper | 8 | $$ | 1% | 88 | 2.4″ | 615 |
REP Black Bumper Plates | Budget | 4 | $ | 3% | ? | 2.83″ | 525 |
Fringe Savage Bumper Plate | Alternative | 8 | $$$ | 1% | 85-90 | 2.9″ | 575 |
Aachen Competition Bumper Plates | Competition runner-up | 10 | $$$$ | within 10 grams | 93-96 | 2″ | 725 |
Rogue Competition Plates | Competition upgrade | 9 | $$$$$ | within 15 grams | 94 | 2.15″ | 705 |
Titan Elite Bumper Plates | Competition budget | 7 | $ | 1% | 90 | 2.15″ | 705 |
American Barbell Urethane Plates | Urethane upgrade | 9 | $$$$$ | 1% | 88 | 2.05″ | 795 |
AMGYM LB Bumper Plates | Cheap option | 3 | $ | ? | ? | 2.9” | 555 |
Eleiko IWF Weightlifting Training Discs | Money no object | 9 | $$$$$ | within grams | ? | 2.13″ | 705 |
*Total max weight you can fit on an Olympic barbell with 16” sleeves using only these plates. The thinner the bumper plates, the more weight can go on the bar.
1. Best bumper plates- our pick: Rogue Fleck Plates
Summary
If you want the best bang for your buck and you’d like to have plates that look cool, then this one is a no-brainer.
Scoring 9 out of 10 against our criteria these plates tick all of the boxes apart from being on the slightly thick side. But unless you squat more than 600lbs it won’t matter.
When you compare these to Rogue’s flagship HG 2.0 bumper plates these win for a number of reasons:
- Colors make it easy to quickly tell how much weight you have on the bar
- They cost the same
- They are thinner (so you can fit more weight on the bar)
- Fleck’s have a higher durometer score (90 vs 88)
- The fleck pattern is unique
The price of these plates is cheaper or in line with typically “cheaper brands” equivalents. Such as REP’s color bumpers and Titan’s economy color bumper plates.
But you get the customer service, 3-year warranty and quality of Rogue.
Pros
- Overall value- hard to find color plates for this price let alone the quality.
- Low bounce- makes it safer as the bar won’t bounce very high when dropped.
- Accurate- 1% tolerance means you can rest assured the weight will be equal on both sides of the bar.
- Joint highest scoring “standard bumpers”- no other standard bumper scored more than 9 out of 10 against our criteria.
- Cool design- make your gym unique.
Cons
- Thicker than others- you won’t be able to fit as much weight on the bar compared to some other options here. But it’s still more than enough for most people (max 615 lbs).
2. Best competition bumper plates: REP Competition Bumper Plates
Summary
If you want the peace of mind that you have accurate plates that will last you for years, then look no further.
REP’s competition plates are more affordable than anything else we could find for the quality… and includes IWF colors. With a 92 sHA durometer rating, you can be sure that the bar won’t bounce up at you when you drop it from lifts overhead or deadlifts.
REP uses a patented design for the inner collar. This ensures it won’t rust or bend over time meaning these plates will last for years.
For the price, there is incredible attention to detail, such as the raised lettering. Titan’s budget competition plates print the lettering, which can fade over time from rubbing on other plates.
Plus, it comes with a 5-year warranty, which is rare to find for bumper plates.
Pros
- Most affordable high quality competition plates- we couldn’t find any color competition plates for a price as low as these.
- Very accurate- plates are within 10 grams of the stated weight.
- Thin plates- so you can fit more weight on the bar (705 lbs).
- 10 out of 10 against our criteria- only Aachen plates also scored a perfect 10. We have found REP’s customer service & warranty to beat them.
Cons
- Zinc finish on steel insert- not quite as good as stainless steel, but still more than good enough for most people.
3. Best urethane bumper plates: Titan Urethane Bumper Plates
Summary
Titan’s Urethane bumper plates are the most affordable high-quality urethane bumper plates on the market.
Urethane is denser than rubber and therefore bumper plates are usually thinner. This means you can fit more weight on a barbell, which is great if you lift heavy.
These Titan plates also have a high Shore durometer rating of 90. A lower rating means the plates bounce more and that can be dangerous if you have a lot of weight on the bar.
Urethane is more durable and less likely to tear than standard rubber bumper plates. The slight downside is they are more “shiny” and a bit slippery to feel. Titan gets around this by adding some grip to the plates.
If you are looking for a high-end plate for a good price you won’t go wrong with these.
Pros
- Very thin plates- you could go up to 815 lbs with the width of these.
- Durable- urethane is harder than rubber and more resistant so they last longer.
- Low bounce- makes these safer than soft high-temp bumper plates.
- Colors- urethane plates use a more vibrant color than rubber, which look better.
Cons
- Only 1 year warranty- not as long as some other brands.
4. Bumper plates- runner up: Rogue Color Echo Bumper Plate
Summary
It’s a pretty tough call between the Fleck plates and the Echo plates. The Fleck’s are our number one pick because the price is slightly better, the unique design and the slightly higher durometer rating.
However, Echo plates are thinner so you can fit 665 lbs on a bar compared to Fleck’s 615 lbs.
Echo’s have the same specs as Rogue’s HG 2.0’s but these come in color. The difference in price is very minimal and if you can choose bumper plates with color or black ones it’s nearly always better to go for color.
Color helps you to see how much each plate weighs quickly. This is ideal for changing weights easily between sets during a workout. It also just makes your gym look brighter.
Not everyone wants a unique fleck design. So if you want high-quality bumper plates with IWF colors, you’ll find it hard to find better options than this.
Pros
- Quality- within 1% tolerance and very durable bumper plates.
- 3 year warranty- shows the company will create quality plates.
- Thinner than the Fleck’s- if you will be lifting over 600 lbs these may be a better option for you.
- Stainless steel insert- won’t corrode or rust over time.
Cons
- Not as high durometer rating as the Fleck plates- very slightly softer so they bounce a bit higher, but hardly any difference (88 vs 90).
5. Best black bumper plates: Rogue Echo Bumper Plates
Summary
I just mentioned the Echo color plates are slightly more expensive than Rogue’s HG 2.0’s. Well, the black Echo’s are cheaper… and they have the same specs!
Apparently, the only difference between the HG 2.0’s is “proprietary” so Rogue won’t reveal it. But when you look on the website the specs are identical. For 99.9% of people, it simply makes sense to go with the cheaper option!
Plus the Echo plates are way thinner compared to the HG 2.0’s (2.4” vs 3.25” thick for 45lb plates).
The downside to these plates is that there is no 55lb plate option. For most people using 45 lbs is no issue and you can still fit over 600 lbs on a bar. And because they don’t have color it can be hard to quickly see which plate is which.
But if you want good-quality black bumper plates that are affordable, these may be perfect for you.
- Good price compared to the Rogue HG 2.0’s- no real difference in quality between the HG 2.0’s but they are cheaper!
- Stainless steel insert- the most durable and corrosion resistant insert.
- Accurate- 1% tolerance for plates at this price is very good.
- 3 year warranty- shows the company will create quality plates and has good customer service.
Cons
- No color- makes it harder to quickly see how much weight is on the bar and doesn’t look as good.
- No 55lb plate- slightly reduces how much weight you can put on the bar. But it’s still more than enough for most people (615lbs).
6. Best budget bumper plates: REP Black Bumper Plates
Summary
If you want the most affordable bumper plates then these are a great option.
Of course you can find some dirt cheap options on Amazon or other marketplaces. But they are not always reliable places to buy gym equipment from. Many come and go out of stock and the customer service is often terrible from a less reputable brand when something goes wrong.
I actually reached out to REP about some of the specs missing and they responded to me within a few hours. They couldn’t tell me all the info as some is proprietary, but they certainly have some great customer service…
Comparing over 100 bumper plates we couldn’t find any that were as affordable as these plates, whilst still having decent specs.
Sure they have some of the worst specs on this list, which is why they only score 4 out of 10 against our criteria.
But the 45 lbs are only 2.83” thick, which is much better than most hi-temp plates. So you’ll still be able to put more than 500 lbs on a bar.
Pros
- Cheap- hard to beat the price of a reputable brands plates.
- Reputable brand- has great customer service in case there are any issues in shipping etc.
- 3 year warranty- proves the company takes care of their plates.
Cons
- 3% weight tolerance- not as accurate as many other options on this list.
- Thicker plates- if you ever plan on lifting 500lbs these plates are not ideal.
- No color- makes it harder to tell what plate is what and how much you have on the bar.
7. Best alternative bumper plates: Fringe Savage Bumper Plate
Summary
Not that long ago Fringe was known for having the best quality affordable bumper plates on the market. However, the other big brands seem to have caught up in making affordable bumpers.
But if you are a bit alternative and are looking for some bumper plates that won’t look like other people’s, check out these Savage plates. The tiger streaks give them a rustic look that makes them different, even from Rogue’s Fleck plates.
However, you can pick up arguably better quality plates for cheaper than this.
The 45 lbs are 2.9 inches thick, which are the thickest option on this page. That means if you’re lifting over 500 lbs at any stage you’ll struggle to fit enough weight on the bar.
Fringe Savage bumper plates are also known as OneFitWonder plates on Amazon in case you “wondered”… excuse the pun!
Pros
- Cool design- similar to the Fleck design they are unique.
- Recognised brand- Fringe is well known for producing good quality bumper plates- but other companies have caught up.
- Virgin rubber- much better quality than recycled rubber and it won’t bounce as much.
Cons
- Thick plates- means you can’t place as much weight on the bar as some other options (but still fits 575 lbs on a bar).
8. Competition runner-up: Aachen Competition Bumper Plates
Summary
Aachen needed a mention seeing as only these and REP’s competition bumpers score 10 out of 10 against our criteria.
They actually have a slightly higher sHA score of 93-96 (depending on the plate weight) compared to REP’s 92. And these plates are slightly thinner, so you can fit more weight on the bar.
The reason REP’s competition bumpers get our top pick is because they are slightly cheaper and REP has a better rep… excuse the pun again!
But if you are looking for overall quality of a plate for a price that is not crazy expensive then you should definitely check out these bumpers.
Pros
- 10 out of 10 against our criteria- simply ticks all the boxes.
- Thin plates- great if you plan to lift over 700 lbs.
- Very accurate- within 10 grams of the stated weight.
- High durometer rating- less bounce means you are less likely to get injured or damage equipment from the bar bouncing around.
Cons
- Not as well known brand- customer service could be an issue.
9. Competition bumper plates upgrade pick: Rogue competition plates
Summary
If you want the best of the best, these are the plates for you.
Here are some of the spec highlights of Rogue’s competition plates:
- 50.4mm collar opening (IWF standards)
- Tolerance within 15 grams
- 94 sHA durometer rating
- Raised flanges to prevent direct metal on metal contact of the centre disks
- Raised lettering so it won’t rub off in time
- IWF standard vibrant colors
These are still cheaper than competition plates from Eleiko, Uesaka and DHS. Supposedly, these pricier brands use a slightly different manufacturing process. But there are rumors in the gym space that these plates are made at the same factory as Eleiko’s.
These brands can be much harder to order than Rogue and I’d be amazed if you can notice anything different in the quality.
Pros
- Very accurate- within 15 grams of the stated weight.
- High durometer rating- 94 sHA is one of the highest ratings out there before they become so hard that they can break.
- Look great- great finish to the plates that will last for years.
- Well known brand- Rogue has good customer service and has a 3 year warranty.
Cons
- Expensive- One of the more expensive bumper plates on this list.
10. Budget competition bumper plates: Titan Elite Bumper Plates
Summary
If you want high-quality specs for a crazy affordable price, then seriously look no further.
The Titan Elite bumpers focus on the practical high-quality side. And they leave out the “nice to have” stuff to bring in such an affordable set of competition plates.
Sure they don’t have color and the lettering is printed so it could fade over time.
But these things do not change the fact that these plates have really good practical features such as:
- 90 sHA rating
- Thin 2.15” wide 45 lbs
- Within 1% tolerance of the stated weight
These are the main features that most people would get annoyed about over time if they weren’t there. All the other cons mentioned below are superficial things that you won’t care about in 3 years time.
Having color bumper plates is a deal-breaker for some people. But if you want high-quality competition plates for a crazy low price these are for you.
Pros
- Amazing value- Cheaper than many “standard bumper plates”.
- Accurate- within 1% tolerance is very good.
- Lip- protect the printed lettering from wearing off and easier to handle.
Cons
- No colors- quite rare with competition plates and not ideal to quickly tell what plate is what.
- Only 1 year warranty- not ideal if you have any issues with the plates past this.
- Smell- there is a smell to the new plates, although it does fade over time.
11. Best urethane bumper plates- upgrade pick: American Barbell Urethane Plates
Summary
American Barbell Urethane plates are one of the best high-end plates you can buy.
The stand-out feature compared to many others is that it uses urethane, which is typically more robust and dense than standard rubber. It will last longer, won’t bounce as high, and is generally more scratch-resistant.
The Titan and Rogue urethane plates are almost identical. There’s a good chance they are manufactured in the same place, which is why we recommend the cheaper Titan.
However, American Barbell is different in a number of ways:
- It has a unique one piece centre hub construction
- Thinner plates (2.05” compared to Titan’s 2.07” for 45 lbs)
- There’s only one seam compared to Titans 2 seams (should be more resistant over time)
Urethane is typically more slippery and shiny than standard rubber. But American Barbell adds a pebble pattern on the rubber for more grip. It does make the plates a really vibrant color and they will stand out compared to standard rubber plates.
If you want the best of the best urethane bumper plates, these are for you.
Pros
- Urethane- more dense than rubber, which means…
- Very thin plates- as they are more dense you can fit more weight on a bar (almost 800 lbs!)
- Durable- these will last a long time.
- Low bounce- don’t injure yourself from a heavy bar bouncing up and landing on your toes.
- 5 year warranty- one of the best warranties you’ll find for bumper plates.
Cons
- Expensive- you can find cheaper options on this page, but not the same quality.
12. Best cheap bumper plates- alternative pick: AMGYM LB Bumper Plates
Summary
Some people would prefer to buy from Amazon. If that’s you this is your best option.
And there are a ton of “good enough” bumper plates on there. However, there are also some totally rubbish expensive bumper plates that exist on Amazon too.
Our tests included other bumper plate brands available on Amazon such as:
- X-Training
- XMark
- Synergee
- Papabee
- HulkFit
- Everyday Essentials
- And more
But these AMGYM plates stood out for a few of reasons:
- More variety of plate sizes (10-55 lbs)
- Most affordable bumpers (although prices change a lot of Amazon)
- Thinner than all others apart from Everyday Essentials
- Use virgin rubber- most of the others use recycled
If you are looking to lift more than 500 lbs you’ll start to struggle to fit enough weight on the bar due to how thick these are. Scoring only 3 out of 10 these are the lowest rated bumpers on this list.
But for ease of buying these are a great cheap option.
Pros
- Easy to buy- some people just prefer to shop on Amazon
- Cheap option- taking into account shipping costs these are a great deal.
- Virgin rubber- much better than recycled rubber, which you will find mainly on Amazon.
Cons
- Big weight difference (tolerance not stated)- possible to find plates 5% off the stated weight. It can be dangerous to have an uneven bar and potentially lifting a different weight to what you thought.
- Smell- there is a smell to these new plates, but it does fade over time unlike some other cheap options.
- Thick- you can’t fit as much weight on the bar as some other plates.
13. Our “if money was no object” pick: Eleiko IWF Weightlifting Training Discs
Summary
Eleiko uses a proprietary SBR “Swedish” rubber. I’m not entirely sure why Swedish rubber is better than others but these are all the rage in the gym space.
These plates tick all the boxes.
The attention to detail is like no other plate on this list.
They are IWF certified and are perfect if you need super-accurate plates to prepare for a competition.
If you are a CrossFit Affiliate that wants some classy bumpers or if you simply want the best of the best then these are the plates for you.
Pros
- Proprietary SBR rubber- the stand out feature of Eleiko bumper plates is the “Swedish rubber” they use.
- Super accurate- within grams of the stated weight.
- 5 year warranty- longer than most other bumper plates.
- Attention to detail- the steel insert is carefully designed and raised lettering means these plates will last for years.
Cons
- Expensive- the most expensive option on this page.
Bumper plates buyers guide
Before you purchase any bumper plates there are four things you need to consider…
- What will you use the plates for?
- Quality of the bumper plates
- Features to the plates
- Value of the plates
Some people only plan on using a bar for some gentle squats and bench presses. If that’s all you want to do then you should consider if you even need bumper plates.
Iron plates can do the job for these kinds of movements.
However, bumpers are a must if you will do any Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit moves such as snatches and thrusters. I’d argue that if you’re doing deadlifts over 250 lbs at home you should use bumpers to save your flooring and reduce the chances of cracking your plates.
Sure you may pay slightly more on plates. But you could save a ton of money from replacing damaged equipment in the long run.
So let’s dig into…
Types of bumper plates
There are two main types of bumper plates…
Standard bumper plates
This isn’t their official term. But these are the most common types of bumper plates that you’ll see in most CrossFit gyms and home gyms. The reason is that they are still typically cheaper than competition bumpers… although the gap is really closing!
Most black bumper plates you see will be standard bumpers. However, many companies make them using colors today. Some even use fancy graphics, such as our top pick- Rogue Fleck Plates.
For most people, these “standard bumpers” are what we recommend.
They tend to be cheaper and at the end of the day most people are not squatting 600lbs or more.
Competition bumper plates
Here are some of the different features you’ll find in competition plates:
- Steel hub in the middle
- Usually thinner than standard bumpers (allows more weight to be placed on the bar)
- Usually use IWF colors
- Tend to be more expensive
- More accurate weight tolerance to the stated weight
The way you can quickly tell if it’s a competition bumper is if it has a steel hub in the middle. It’s the main distinguishing feature.
After that, all of the other things listed are actually starting to become more of a level playing field. You can even buy some super cheap competition bumpers nowadays, such as the Titan Elite Bumpers.
Our criteria for picking the bumper plates
We assessed every bumper plate against 10 criteria…
Quality of bumper plates
High quality bumper plates can mean you’ll be able to use these plates for years to come. They can keep you and your equipment safe to provide you with a great workout.
Here are the criteria we assessed for quality…
- Tolerance/ weight difference
- If the weight difference to the stated weight is within 1% it scores a point.
- Cheaper bumper plates can be 5-10% off the stated weight. This is dangerous if you have an unbalanced bar and can affect your progress.
- Shore Durometer Rating
- If the sHA is 90 or more it scores a point.
- The higher the number (out of 100) the denser the rubber.
- A softer rubber has more bounce which can be dangerous when dropping the weight from Olympic movements. It can damage equipment or yourself because of the uncontrolled nature of the bounce.
- Type of rubber
- Virgin rubber, crumb rubber (or recycled) and urethane are the most common material in bumper plates.
- Virgin and urethane rubber scores a point.
- Hi Temp/ crumb rubber/ recycled rubber do not score a point: They smell worse, the steel insert often falls out and they are thicker (so you can’t put as much weight on the barbell).
- Steel insert
- 50.4-50.6mm hole and stainless steel, hard chrome or zinc finish scores a point.
- Brass inserts are more prone to rust and damage.
Features to the bumper plates
The quality of your plates are the most important aspect to look at. But you also want your bumper plates to be practical and look good.
These are some of the key features that we judged.
- Thickness & size
- If a 45lb plate is under 2.5 inches it scores a point.
- The IWF standard size of a plate is 450mm in diameter with a 50.4mm collar hole.
- Color coding
- If the bumper plates come in different colors they score a point.
- Standard colors: red = 55lb/25kg; blue = 45lb/20kg; yellow = 35lb/15kg; green = 25lb/10kg; 15lb/10lb = vary.
- Raised lip
- If there is a raised lip they score a point.
- It makes the plates easier to pick up off the floor and load on a bar.
- Smell
- If they do not smell bad they score a point.
- Some recycled rubber plates smell really bad. Often this smell fades but some plates can be very off putting and never really disappears.
Value of bumper plates
You probably want to find a set of bumper plates that are good value. Value doesn’t always mean cheap, even though we have provided a variety of bumper plates above to suit everyone’s budget.
After all, you’ve probably heard the saying…
Buy cheap, buy twice.
- Warranty
- If the warranty is over 1 year they score a point.
- A longer warranty provides peace of mind you can replace a faulty plate. But it’s also a sign the brand has better customer service and takes more care with their equipment.
- Price
- Standard bumpers under $2 per lb; competition plates under $2.5 per lb score a point.
- The average price is $2.31 per lb from comparing over 100 different types of bumper plates.
There are other things to be aware of such as if raised lettering is used. Some brands just print the numbers and letters on the plates.
It’s better to have raised lettering as the printed versions can wear off over time.
However, we personally don’t see this as a main factor in buying bumper plates. It doesn’t affect the quality or functionality so it’s just something to be aware of if that is a deal-breaker for you!
At the end of the day, 45 lbs is 45 lbs. So you’re probably wondering why bother with bumper plates at all?
Bumper plates benefits
These are the main benefits of using bumper plates instead of regular iron plates:
- Safer
- Quieter
- Less likely to crack
- Less likely to damage your floor or barbell
- Droppable- so you can do more movements
- They look cooler!
Simply put… if you have the choice, bumper plates always win unless you are a professional powerlifter stacking close to 1,000 lbs on your squats.
The major downside used to be that they are much more expensive than iron plates.
Today that is not the case anymore.
You can get very high-quality bumpers for the same price as some mid-priced iron plates. It’s the main reason the Fleck plates are our top pick. So let’s dig into why they beat regular iron plates…
1. Bumper plates won’t damage your equipment as much as iron
This is the biggest reason why bumper plates beat iron plates for me. If you own a gym the last thing you want is to replace your plates every few weeks due to some newbie dropping iron plates from a snatch.
If you have a home gym then buying good quality gear can save you a ton of money in the future.
Especially when you consider the damage iron plates can do to your expensive mahogany floor!
2. Bumper plates make less noise
This is probably not something you’d even care about until you’re on the other end of it! As a PE teacher, I’ve always enjoyed seeing other people lead an active lifestyle. But when the person in the apartment above me uses iron plates for deadlifts, I start to realize how much noise they really do make!
Iron plates thudding into the floor make a huge shrill sound. In a gym full of them it’s hard to hear people speak.
They certainly don’t let a baby sleep very well.
Let’s just say bumper plates have been ordered for my neighbor’s Christmas gift this year! Your other half will thank you if you treat yourself too!
3. Bumper plates are safer than iron plates
I’ve had multiple blood blisters from loading and unloading a bar with iron plates. It may not seem like a big deal but it can seriously affect your workout.
Also, when you drop the end of a 45 lb steel plate on your toe it can leave some real damage.
Bumpers just are more forgiving especially if your workouts involve changing the weight regularly.
4. You can perform more exercises with bumper plates
If you intend on ever doing any CrossFit or Olympic weightlifting movements then bumpers are a must. You simply can’t drop steel plates from above your head unless you want to break things.
Even dropping a heavy load of steel plates from hip height during deadlifts can cause serious damage to your flooring or equipment.
Bumper plates open up a whole new range of exercises for you to do.
Other bumper plates we tested
There are too many plates that we have researched and tested to list them all. But here are some honorable mentions as to why some other plates didn’t make the list above…
Vulcan Alpha Bumper Plates– very similar to our top pick Rogue Fleck, but these are thicker.
Rogue Hi Temp Bumper Plates– too soft and too thick (the reason no hi-temp plates are in the selection above).
Rogue Gorilla Bumper Plates– 4” 65 lb hi-temp plates means you can pack 565 lbs on a bar. These are very accurate plates (0.5% tolerance) and have less bounce than some other hi-temps. But for the price, color and adjustability we would recommend the Fleck ahead of these.
FringeSport Competition Bumper Plates– too expensive compared to alternatives above.
DHS Competition Bumper Plates- Super high price- they can be hard to find in stock.
Uesaka Pro Series Training Bumper Plates– same as the DHS.
Davi Olympic Bumper Plates– a contender with AMGYM’s bumpers but the weight options are limited.
XMark Hi-Impact Bumper Plates– an Amazon favorite but they are more expensive than the AMGYM pick above. You could buy Titan’s Competition plates for this price range.
Hulkfit Olympic Bumper Plates– reports of the inner steel plate chipping or even falling out.
CAP Olympic Rubber Plates– for value for money there are too many better alternatives listed above.
Bumper plates FAQs
What are the best bumper plates?
After comparing over 100 different types of bumper plates these are the top-scoring plates:
1. Best overall bumper plates: Rogue Fleck Plates
2. Best competition bumper plates: REP Competition Bumper Plates
3. Best urethane bumper plates: Titan Urethane Bumper Plates
4. Bumper plates- runner up: Rogue Color Echo Bumper Plate
5. Best black bumper plates: Rogue Echo Bumper Plates
6. Best budget bumper plates: REP Black Bumper Plates
7. Best alternative bumper plates: Fringe Savage Bumper Plate
8. Competition runner-up: Aachen Competition Bumper Plates
9. Competition bumper plates upgrade pick: Rogue competition plates
10. Budget competition bumper plates: Titan Elite Bumper Plates
11. Best urethane bumper plates: Rogue Urethane Plates
12. Best cheap bumper plates- alternative pick: CAP Barbell Black Bumper Plates
13. Our “if money was no object” pick: Eleiko IWF Weightlifting Training Discs
Are bumper plates worth it?
If you do Olympic-style lifts or CrossFit, then bumper plates are definitely worth it. Dropping the bar from shoulder height or above with iron plates will damage the floor, your bar or crack your plates. Even if you do deadlifts bumper plates are safer for yourself and your equipment.
How much should I pay for bumper plates?
You are looking at paying around $2 per pound for bumper plates. The average price for over 100 bumper plates we tested is $2.31 per pound. The price range is $1.40 to $3.50 per pound. “Standard bumper plates” averaged out at $2.15 per pound whereas competition bumper plates cost an average of $2.73 per pound. Realistically, a set of 250lbs of bumper plates will cost you around $650 with shipping.
Why are weight plates so expensive?
Weight plates are expensive because of the cost of materials and process to make them. A lot of machines and technical equipment is needed to make plates of a certain size & weight and fit the correct size steel hub in the middle. The cost to ship and transport the plates can also be high due to the heavy nature of them.
Check out the video below to see how bumper plates are made.
Bumper plates: The bottom line
Most people simply need bumper plates that can be dropped and offer good value for money.
For that reason, we would recommend Rogue’s Fleck plates for standard bumpers or Titan’s Competition plates.
But if you want a super accurate competition plate we recommend REP’s competition bumper plates. Scoring 10 out of 10 against our criteria it is the best value plate that ticks all boxes.
Check out the table at the top of this page to compare our top picks.
Bumper plates are ideal for a home gym.
They can last a lifetime and allow you to do additional lifts which require you to drop the bar.
Our team has compared over 100 types and the Rogue Fleck plates came out on top.
They are great value, use color allowing you to quickly see how much you’re lifting and the pattern will give your home gym a unique look.