Elite black bumper plates vs Rogue Color KG training plates

This is a comparison between the TITAN elite black bumper plates and the Rogue Color KG training plates including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which titan plates to get. Follow the links for more details.

Rogue fitness vs TITAN fitness

Rogue Fitness is the current market leader when it comes to a functional home gym and commercial gym equipment. They have one of the widest portfolios including racks, barbells, benches, dumbbells, and apparel for the weekend warrior and dedicated athlete. The biggest downside of Rogue Fitness is their comparatively high prices to the competition.

 

TITAN Fitness is the clear cost leader when you want to build a home gym on a budget that is still similar to what Rogue offers in function, look, and feel. While you will save about half on the sticker price you will run a higher risk of inconsistencies in quality compared to a purchase from Rogue. The equipment will be safe but is more likely to have blemishes, quality issues with welds or that pieces will not easily fit into place. That makes TITAN a good option for a DIY enthusiast who does not mind tinkering with their equipment, but not the first choice to get the best equipment and treat yourself.

Overview and review of the Rogue Color KG training plates

 

The Rogue color KG training plates come in full color just like the competition plates and are specialized in Olympic weightlifting. These plates can be used in training and still life up to the IWF standards, You can choose from 10kg, 15kg, 20kg, and 25kg plates. These plates come with a 450mm diameter and collar opening of 50.4mm. They score 86 on the durometer which means they a little more bounce than the top range plates from Rogue. They also have been designed to be thinner and fit more weight onto the bar. The weight tolerance on each of these is around 15 grams per plate. 

 

 

25kg / Red / 450mm / 2.50'' / $345

20kg / Blue / 450mm / 2.125'' / $285

15kg / Yellow / 450mm / 1.75'' / $220

10kg / Green / 450mm /  1.25'' / $152.50

 

 

90kg, 2x 10-15-20kg $615

110kg, 2x  10-20-25kg $755

120kg, 2x 15-20-25kg $825

140kg, 2x 10-15-20-25kg $960

 

These are the right plates when you want to get the real competition feel going for your Olympic lifters in your gym while still saving some money compared to competition plates. 

 

 

These plates are great for training purposes and cost less than actual competition plates. You will fit more of these onto a regular bar compared to normal bumper plates. The color coding will set your gym apart and make it easy for athletes and coaches to identify the weight on the bar.

 

 

The color coding is not ideal in gyms where the plates will be used on and off a platform. They will quickly take on lose color and dirt will be easily visible. The higher bounce rate compared to higher end Rogue products makes it more likely for them to break. This also means that they are a bit more dangerous to train with for beginners as they are usually not used to bouncing weights.

 

 

Alternatives to the KG color plates are:

 

 

If your clients or yourself prefer to train in lbs rather than KG but like the color coding and a bit more bounce, than the LBS version of the Color training plates are an option for you.

 

If you want top-notch training plates which match the rest of your gym and are more durable, you can opt for the Black training plates from Rogue. These have less bounce and a couple of extra features on the plate which make them more beginner friendly. 

 

If you want to save money and do not need to max out the weight that can be put on the bar, the bumper plates are a time tested solution for any gym. Not fancy, but they do the job and you save some $$$ per kilo.

 

 

Price $99.99 - $899.99

 

The TITAN elite bumper plate comes in black with different color variations on the branding depending on the weight of the plate. They all have the same diameter except the 10lb plate. Their main feature is a metal core which makes them a good choice to be repeatedly dropped from overhead without breaking. They will fit standard Olympic barbells and make a good addition to any ambitious home gym or college facility. The full specifications for these plates are:

 

 

Pro of the Elite TITAN Bumper plate are:

 

Compared to similar plates from other brands like Rogue and Eleiko you will save about half of the price. Especially for plates, which will ever touch your body directly or keep you safe, this is something to consider. One of the main expenses of a home gym is the weights themselves. If you can cut these in half, you will laugh all the way to the bank.

 

Compared to the economy bumper plates these plates are a considerable step up in quality and price. This has mainly to do with the fact that these plates are made of two components rather than just rubber with a ring inserted in the middle. This brings material and production cost which makes them about double the price compared to Economy rubber plates. In return, these can be smashed continuously in the ground from overhead without a bother. 

 

These plates are very low bounce which is great for overhead lifting. With this, you do not have to worry that the barbell will be all over the place after a heavy attempt like with rubber bumper plates without the core. 

 

 

Cons of the Elite TITAN bumper plates are:

 

 

Pirce for these plates comes into play from two angles. One is cutting corners on behalf of TITAN. To offer a product at half the price of your competition in the market you have to cut some corners. Transport, quality of staff or production just has to cheaper than with the competition. This means that it is more likely that you might get treated a little rude, get a faulty product or that TITAN is out of stock compared to the competition. That does not mean the product is bad, it is just a game of likelihood. From another perspective, these plates are already a bit pricey for a home gym, if you are not very serious about your training. If you do not do Oly lifts, you might want to consider cheaper cast iron or bumper plates.

 

Another point might be that these plates are black. If you want to add some color TITAN also has an elite bumper option for that at a slightly higher price. 

 

As these are bumper plates they are thicker than cast iron plates of the same weight. If your goal is to maximize the weight you can put on the bar, these plates are not the right choice. If you regularly move more than 400lbs on your bar, opt for cast iron plates instead. 

 

 

Alternatives to the ELITE TITAN bumper plate are:

 

The economy bumper plates are a better and cheaper option for you if you only occasionally drop weights from overhead and want to start your gym on a budget. You will save considerably and still get a lot of weight for your money's worth.

 

The elite color bumper plates have the same specifications as the elite bumper plates. The only difference is that they cost slightly more and come in the international weight color code for each plate. If I was in the market for the black elite plates I would get the colored ones instead. Unless, of course, you prefer everything to be black. 

 

Cast iron plates are a great option when you regularly move more than 400lb on the bar and want to save space on your barbell and in your gym. They are also fairly cheap and therefore a good option. The only thing to consider with them is that you need to put some protection on your floor or work with a platform as they will otherwise damage the flooring of your house or gym. Also, cast iron plates can definitely not be dropped from overhead. 

 

 

The Elite TITAN bumper plates are a solid option for the ambitious home gym owner or a good budget option for a commercial gym that takes Olympic lifting seriously. You can get twice the plates for the same amount of money compared to other brands like Rogue or Eleiko if you a prepared to take the risks that come with a vendor that needs to cut a corner here and there to save you money.