How To Buy The Best Bumper Plates Pair?
As all bumper plates are not created equal, so these three important points need to be considered while investing in Hi-temp bumper plates pair:
- Material
- Quality
- Purpose
All bumper plates look the same as displayed on most websites these days. But what we really want to know is how they will perform and how they will look after a few months’ use.
With easy access to the online market, we have been flooded with many different types of bumper plates due to which it is hard to compare them online.
Factors to Consider Before Buying Bumper Plates
To decide which bumper plates would be best for you, let’s understand the three major factors mentioned above in detail.
Bumper Plate Material
Virgin rubber bumper plates are what we look for in functional fitness training.
Virgin Rubber Bumper plates are made from fresh rubber i.e. the rubber that hasn’t been recycled or used before. So there is no mixture of polymers or bonding glues in the base material before manufacturing them.
Good quality plates, which we really go for, come from a clean source while lesser quality plates will be made from a mixture of industrial chemicals. So, if you are in the market for high-quality plates, you must go for virgin rubber plates.
Another type of high-quality plate is the Vulcanised rubber. Vulcanized rubber goes through a chemical bonding process where, usually sulphur, is added to create a stronger bond between the chemical chains in the rubber making it more durable. Some super durable rubber used in daily life products is the car tyres, soles of shoes, hoses, etc.
Even the Recycled Rubber Bumper Plates aren’t bad
There are a couple of benefits of recycled bumper plates. They are environmentally friendly and these recycled rubber plates can be for outdoor uses also.
Recycle Rubber plates like Crumb Rubber Bumper Plates are some of the most durable plates found. They are usually very dense which makes them bounce least due to the mixture of recycled rubber and polymer bonding agents. These materials are mixed and pressed under high heat for a long period to connect the polymer chains.
This mixture of materials usually creates the least sounding bumper plates. So, for the training area where the noise of dropping bumper plates is a concern, Crumb Rubber Bumper Plates might be the best choice.
Training and Competition Bumper Plates
Training Plates and Competition Bumper Plates have the best materials to get them with precision as per the International Weightlifting Federation. You can’t go wrong by buying training or competition plates from a reputable brand in this market. Although, there is one thing to look out for. The little screws in the large steel collars loosen up over time so be sure to check the screws every couple of weeks or when plates start to rattle. To eliminate this problem, you can look for plates that have in-built rubber grommets in the screws that prevent them from loosening.
Plates Quality
These days the best indicator of quality is social proof. If the brand has been backed by good coaches, gyms, and athletes over a long period, we can be sure that we are choosing a good set of bumper plates.
In the functional fitness space, if the company has been in this work for 10 years and is among the industry leaders, we can be sure that they are producing good gear. They have provided good equipment to the industry and community and have been rewarded with consistent return business to keep them floating.
Purpose of Training with your bumper plates
They can be used for two extreme purposes, either training for the Olympics or a group of friends doing some repetitions at their home. For the Olympics, the athlete will prefer Training or Competition Plates while the group of friends will go for Virgin Rubber Bumper Plates or Crumb Rubber Bumper Plates.
Competition and Training plates are manufactured as per strict international specifications. Suppose a weightlifter sets a new world record of lift but finds that it is actually half a kilogram less than the record because the plates and bar haven’t been manufactured as per strict standards. So that would be quite disappointing.
On the other hand, buying bumper plates for your gym you would just like to have the best gear possible, there is no reason to step up to elite-level plates. Although, elite plates will give your gym a professional edge and you are likely to attract more committed clients who will pay higher membership fees relative to the enhanced service and equipment you provide. And going with elite plates at home, you will have them forever with you which makes the cost given for it easily justified.
What Kind of Bumper Plates Warranty is important to you?
Warranty is also an important factor considered while buying the bumper plates.
You’ll get a 6-12 month warranty with entry-level plates and a lifetime guarantee with elite plates. For most people, it would be hard to justify the cost of elite-level plates but if you get a problem with them a year later, you would get a replacement without any questions asked and just a few bugs for their repair.