The Best Bumper Plates For Crossfit & Weightlifting
Last Updated On: February 3rd, 2021
Written by: Denver Matheson
Best Overall Choice
#1. Rogue KG Black Training Bumper Plates
Best For Competition
#2. Rogue KG Competition Bumper Plates (IWF)
Best Budget-Friendly Option
#3. Rogue Echo Bumper Plates
How To Choose The Right Bumper Plates
Choosing the best bumper plates can be tricky, but ultimately it comes down to:
You probably want cheap bumper plates, but not so cheap they fall apart after just a year, and not so expensive you have to choose between your bumper plates or covering your rent.
If you need a little help finding the perfect sweet spot, you're in the right place. I saved you the suspense with the chart above laying my top bumper plate choices, but keep reading to dive a little deeper! 
Our Top Bumper Plates
#1. Rogue KG Black Training Bumper Plates (Editor's Choice)
The first thing you'll probably notice is all my top choices are bumper plates made by the company Rogue. The reason is simple.
Rogue has the biggest selection of bumper plates, period... not to mention the company makes great products all around, so anything you buy from them will be highly reliable.
The Rogue KG black training bumper plates are, in my opinion, the best competition bumper plates that exist.
What I Love The Most About These Bumper Plates:
1. Available in KG or LB
2. Minimal Bounce
3. Raised Flanges (Reduces Scuffing)
Chances are, if you're even reading this post, you've trained with Olympic bumper plates or Competition bumper plates either at a Crossfit gym, or a traditional gym (it's become mainstream to have an 'Olympic Lifting' section in most gyms these days), and it's also likely that you're training for STRENGTH or EXPLOSIVE POWER....
In either case, having a minimal bounce off the floor is key. And this is difficult to accomplish with bumper plates from a manufacturer's perspective if you think about it...
On the one hand, you WANT your bumper plates to be encased in rubber (which is naturally bouncy) for the protection it offers, but not at the cost of you getting everything you can out of your physical training. The Rogue KG black training bumper plates will fill these shoes VERY VERY NICELY.
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These bad boys score a 94 on the Durometer Scale, a metric used to measure a plates "bounciness". With a perfect score of 100 being equal to "NO BOUNCE", you can see why I regard these plates so highly for my fellow "serious lifters".
Now you might just be starting to make a list of home gym equipment you want, or adding more gear to your already existing garage gym... in either case, knowing the physical dimensions of these bumper plates is important.
The Rogue KG black training bumper plates are also BLACK... remember that... although they are not COMPLETELY black; they still have colored lettering as well as the edge of the plates colored according to IWF color standards.
When it comes down to it, these plates are excellent for any serious lifter who wants a home gym or garage gym and plans to do strength training with Olympic lifts.
The price, thought it be high, is beyond fair for the quality you're getting. And like I tell ANYONE who's considering training equipment to purchase, it's not spending, it's investing. You ultimately get a HUGE return from training the right way with the RIGHT EQUIPMENT.
#2. Rogue KG Competition Bumper Plates (Runner-Up)
Just received a promotion? Your rich Uncle asking what you want for your birthday? Or maybe you're just ready to make a huge investment in an awesome bumper plate set that will make your home gym look wayyy cooler than everyone else's on the block. 
Whatever the case, look no further. These are the same Crossfit bumper plates used in the "Crossfit Games" for a reason.
Essentially an upgrade from the Rogue KG black Training bumper weights, these bad boys are made with a gloss-matte-gloss finish AND the letters are raised as well, giving it a super professional look.
Pros
Cons
What I Love The Most About These Bumper Plates
1. High Quality Look & Feel
2. Extremely High Weight Accuracy
3. Lip Designed Into Edge Of Plates*
* Personally having used these rubber bumper plates I can attest to how great this little feature is. That lip makes it so much easier to lift the bumper plate off of the gym floor, especially when your hands/fingers are sweaty.
What it really comes down to with these bumper plates is asking yourself one question: Can I afford them?
If the answer for you is YES, then it's really a no-brainer. These are simply the best bumper plates if price isn't an issue.
It's a safe assumption that these are a probably a favorite among serious Crossfitters too, considering it's THESE Competition Bumper plates that are used in the Crossfit Games, and any athlete considering competing in ANY Crossfit competition will want to train with the same weights that he/she will be using when ACTUALLY competing of course.
With the Rogue KG Competition Bumper Plates, you're getting the best of both worlds. Meaning that you're getting a bumper plate set that is not only weighted with exceptional accuracy, and designed with durability in mind, but you're also getting equipment for your home gym that LOOKS AMAZING!
#3. Rogue Echo Bumper Plates (Best Budget Option)
If you're looking for cheap bumper plates to start your home gym with your search is OVER.
The Rogue Echo Bumper Plates are our "budget pick" because they really are quite inexpensive AND... because they're made by Rogue, you're still getting EXCELLENT QUALITY WORKOUT EQUIPMENT!
Pros
Cons
What We Love The Most About These Bumper Plates
1. Very Affordable
2. Very High Durability
3. Tons of Positive Customer Reviews
Now before pulling out your wallet and asking for an entire bumper plate set of these bad boys, HEAR YE HEAR YE! As they'd say in the olden days, because there ARE some serious issues with these oh so cheap bumper plates that you should consider before pulling the trigger.
For one, I wouldn't recommend these bumper plates for a home gym that DOES'N'T have pretty good ventilation. For example a garage gym wouldn't be a problem at all.
The reason I say this is that the Rogue Echo Bumper Plates come with a funky "out of the warehouse" smell that for whatever reason simply doesn't go away...
As you can see these bumper weights are THICK. So they take up more space storage-wise as well as on the bar.
This also means that the max amount of weight you can actually put on the barbell with these weight plates is 500 pounds.
In Conclusion, these plates are amazing. And for the price you pay you really are NOT getting much less in the way of quality than its fancier cousins mentioned above.
My only ONLY last piece of advice I'll leave you with if you're considering getting the Rogue Echo bumper plate set is THIS:
DO NOT get this bumper plate set if you intend on training for actual weightlifting competitions... why you ask?
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Here's why: These bumper plates have a durometer reading of 88, so they have a very strong bounce off the floor. This will give you a little "cheat" on your lifts, and if you get used to that, come competition time, you will NOT be ready to handle the same weight with plates that have a durometer reading of 94 or higher.
Well there you have it my friends, those are our top choices for the best bumper plates! I hope you found this post informative and that it somehow assisted you on your journey to making the home gym of your dreams.
FAQs
Ultimately it really depends on you and your preferences, but if I had to answer with one word, the word would be: ABSOLUTELY.
The reason is simple. Bumper plates are far more versatile than standard weight plates, and if you’re buying for a home or garage gym, you get the added benefit that the rubber coating provides, which is PROTECTION for everything in the area where you keep your bumper plates. Even just dropping a standard 45 LB plate from an inch off the ground could leave you with a dent in your garage floor.
This is a great question and one that I hear asked a LOT. It’s not so much that 35lb plates are “useless” necessarily. It’s simply that it can be a redundant purchase if you’re a serious lifter. Most serious lifters would rather work with 25lb plates supplementing their 45 lb plates, and simply increase in “reps” in any given lift until they’re strong enough to jump to a higher “working weight” in that lift or exercise.
Bumper weight plates are metal weighted plates that have been coated in rubber. These increased in popularity with the rise of mixed training styles such as Crossfit, and have ALSO gained even more popularity as more females have jumped onto the powerlifting scene. Essentially a bumper weight plate is more “protected” from damage when a lifter is performing complex lifts wherein the lifter may slam the weight down after the lift. This is also why bumper weight plates are so popular for home gym and garage gym creators, as they don’t have to worry as much about creating unwanted “craters” in their homes
This is a tricky one to answer since “one size doesn’t fit all” when it comes to budgeting. However to make this simple I’d simply say this.
If you are okay with bumper plates that have a low durometer score (metric used to assess a bumper plate’s ‘bounce’) and maybe a little scuffing, then you should be able to add two 45LB bumper plates to your gym for under $200…. any cheaper than that is simply not worth it because you’ll be getting cheap bumper plates that will need replacing inside of a year.
The Rogue Echos (see above) would be an EXCELLENT choice if this sounds like you. However… If you’re EITHER a seasoned lifter or KNOW that you plan and becoming one, and are just starting out, YES...even if you’re just starting out…. then you’re going to want bumper plates with a high durometer score (minimal bounce off floor), as well as a design that takes into account accumulated forceful contact over time.
In other words, you’re not playing patty cake with your cousin Susie when you’re lifting with bumper plates. You WILL be smashing these bad boys on the floor, and banging them against each other too. So you NEED to really invest smartly here. Which Means your spending will be around $130- $160 per 25KG or 45LB Plate. Yes, if you’re on a budget, this may mean buying your equipment SLOWLY, and building your gym one plate at a time… however, it will be worth it. Rome wasn’t built in a day after all, and neither is the ultimate body or athlete
My #1 Recommended Bumper Plates
Rogue KG Black Training Bumper Plates
The Best Overall (Especially For Home Gyms)
