10 Best Bumper and Weight Plate Sets

The center hole has a steel insert to give it a better hold once you put it on the bar. Recessed grips give the weights the look of old school film reels while making it easier for you to hold onto and handle the plates. The plates are a great value, too, especially since XMark makes such consistent quality products.

XMark typically offers a bundle deal so you can get these plates with their 7-foot Olympic bar, called the Lumberjack. The company's reputation is such that many gyms, schools, and other facilities use their products. These plates have a durable finish, with a solid black color that won't fade or grow dull over time. Rubber is all-natural, which means you get an odor when you open the box. It fades quickly, though, the more you use the plates.

XMark stands by its products, having total confidence in them so that you can, too. The Texas Star plates come with a full one year warranty when you buy them for home use. You can depend on these weights, and the bar, to reward you with strength gains if you use them consistently.

X Training offers one of the best values, moneywise, that we found. The plates are dense and have a solid feel. They are durable and long-lasting, with a center steel insert for Olympic bars.

These are low bounce plates, meaning they will not bounce a long way if you drop them, This cuts down on furniture/gym floor damage as well as keeping you safe. The plates are not color-coded, which is a bit inconvenient, but the numbers are large and easy to read and will become second nature in a short amount of time.

X Training gives you a six-month warranty on these plates. They are well suited to CrossFit WOD lifts but are versatile enough for anything. X Training plates come in pink or black, and they all have the same simple rounded design.

The complete set does not come cheap, of course, but we think they are worth it for their durability. These weights will last forever and will cause minimal damage or injury if you happen to drop them. This is one of the qualities that makes Wright's products so common in gyms, schools, and CrossFit facilities.

Wright's weights are even rated on something called a durometer. The durometer is a lab instrument that measures how hard plastic and rubber products are. Wright's durometer rating of about 80 means the plates are quiet during use, easy to handle, and forgiving in case you drop them during a lift.

To use the weights, you will have to purchase an Olympic bar and collar set. You can get these from Wright directly, or save a few bucks and go with something from CAP or another trusted manufacturer.

When dropped, reviewers agree these plates will not bounce. They are heavy duty enough, though, to cause some problems on a wood floor. Best to keep these in the garage or a carpeted area, or just install some shock-absorbent flooring in your home gym.

Because of its single focus and reliability, CAP products typically get good reviews and high rankings. These particular plates, at the time of this writing, are in the top 200 for Amazon's weight plates category. The plates are about two inches thick, stouter than some of the others on this list but still easy to handle. You don't get any indents or grips, and the weights are not color-coded which could slow you down if you have a whole stack of CAP plates.

Reviewers also said the plates vary in thickness by weight, which makes sense and may help you organize everything. The plates will fit your two-inch Olympic bar right out of the carton.

The plates fit your two-inch Olympic bars by default. They are ideal for small spaces, with lots of equipment or furnishings crammed together. That's because they will not bounce, even dropped from a position above your head. In fact, One Fit prides itself on drop testing every single plate 30,000 times--twice as many as the industry standard.

These plates are built for Olympic lifts, squats, deadlifts, and of course CrossFit WODs. Fringe Sport, the parent company of One Fit, offers a one-year money-back guarantee, and returns are free should you be less than completely satisfied.

Finally, because the rubber is so dense, these bumpers are thin, which lets you pile the weights onto your dumbbell or barbell. The beveled edges, too, make for an easy grip when you go to load up.

Rep says their thick rubber plates are ideal for HIIT training, where you are going back and forth between a preset barbell and some sort of rest or low-intensity activity. We tend to agree since the low bounce weights will not cause damage or injury. You can also do cross fit with these and, of course, plain old strength workouts including your squats and deadlifts.

The plates get thinner the higher the weight goes, so the 45 pound plates are exceptionally easy to handle. You can max out to your desire, and these plates will not smell when you unbox them.

Rep is a smaller company, but they offer outstanding warranties and guarantees. However, voiding the warranty is quite easy so you should avoid mixing these plates with other brands on the same bar. You can use these in conjunction with metal plates, but only if those metal plates are five pounds or less. The plates are commercial gym quality and will not let you down.

The idea is that you can own a variety of plates, including ones like these that weigh about a pound, so you can make progress and get a tiny bit stronger every single time you lift. It is a great mental motivator to keep pushing and doing your workouts, like a small reward that doesn't add much to your post-workout soreness. Fractional or very light weights can also help when rehabbing a muscle or recovering from a persistent injury.

There really aren't any special features with this weight plate. It doesn't quite look like a heavier traditional plate. These ones are blue, with no steel centerpiece because there is not a need for one. The Ader is made of solid steel with a powder coating. They are stamped with the weight.

Typically fractional weights are sold in sets, with the following weights (they come in pairs to go on each end of a bar):

• .25 pounds
• .50 pounds
• .75 pounds
• 1 pound

You may buy into the idea of fractional weights, or you may not. If you do, we think they will make a fun addition to your home gym, one that will not take up much space and can bridge the gap between your more weight intense lifting sessions.

The additional price is due to the plates being Olympic competition quality. Rage makes them to those exacting fabrication and lab testing standards. The center, of course, holds you two-inch Olympic barbell with a strong steel inner collar.

The plates are rubber, with no odor and close to a dead bounce. The rubber is made from recycled material. The plates will not scrape or irritate your hands and will spare your floors if you should drop them. The inner center, where the name and weight information are stamped, is indented for an enhanced grip; a more separated grip would have been a nice touch, but you aren't likely to drop or fumble these during barbell transitions.

All the available plates, except for the five-pounder, are 17.5 inches around. The five-pound plate is 14.5 inches. They are sold individually so you do not need to invest in a whole set if you do not need one.

You can find these at many online retailers either in plate pairs or as a complete set with a bar and collars. That complete set goes for around $800 in new condition, but with it, you'd be able to lift up to 300 pounds with a seven-foot Olympic barbell.

York, as many longtime lifters will know, has been in business since 1932. The company sponsored the York Barbell Club (take a look at our York Barbell 45071 Bench review), and Olympic weight team, for many years as the team members won competitions and set new records.

York's founder, Bob Hoffman, was a lifelong weightlifter who worked at educating and mentoring aspiring competitors. With all that history, it almost seems better to put this iron set up on display instead of using it for your gym.

But, of course, Bob Hoffman would have wanted you to lift and get stronger. Heat-treated steel is tough and will last for decades without corrosion or rust. The plates, while tougher to handle than today's rubberized versions, have circular indentions and divisions to help you get a grip.

One word of caution--these weight plates are solid pieces of iron that can injure you or damage the floor if you drop them. Exercise caution, loading up your bar and doing your reps with the respect this product commands, and you will be rewarded with a lifetime of progressive strength and fitness growth.

The thick, retro-looking plates have a design similar to a steering wheel. They will fit a two-inch Olympic bar. The Day One is a solid piece of iron, with no center collar. The iron will hold up to your toughest workouts, rewarding your efforts while requiring little to no maintenance due to the attractive protective coating.

The steering wheel pattern creates plenty of natural indentations, so you can grip the weights easily as you load them on your bar. The shape and design also make storage easy. Weight sizes are relief stamped, along with the Day One logo, in a silver color that stands out against the iron.

You can get these plates individually or in matching pairs. While Day One is not a huge company, they do have a professional web presence, easy to find customer service info and a decent reputation with positive reviews.