REP fitness black bumper plates vs TITAN cast iron plates
This is a comparison between the REP fitness black bumper plates and the TITAN cast iron plates. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the TITAN Cast iron plates
This is an overview of the TITAN Cast iron plates including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which titan plates to get. Follow the links for more details.
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Overview of the TITAN Cast iron plates
Price $24.99 - $419.99
Cast Iron plates are some of the cheapest and most durable plates you can buy if you tread them well. TITAN has a full range of plates from 2.5lb up to 45lb. Take care that the biggest plates are sold as singles and not in pairs when you fill your cart. There is nothing really fancy about
Cast Iron plates. They are reliable, do not take up a lot of space, and make a nice clanging and banging sound. The full specifications of these plates are:
Simple, classic design built tough for daily use
Fits standard Olympic barbell sleeves
Durable silver hammered finish
Collar Opening: 50.5 mm
Material: Cast Iron
Weight Tolerance: +/- 2%
2.5 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 162 mm
Plate Thickness: 15 mm
5 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 178 mm
Plate Thickness: 21 mm
10 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 228 mm
Plate Thickness: 29 mm
25 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 300 mm
Plate Thickness: 38 mm
35 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 360 mm
Plate Thickness: 38 mm
45 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 448 mm
Plate Thickness: 38 mm
These are great plates to start a budget gym if you do not intend to do any Olympic weightlifting. They can also be a good addition to your plate collection if you start training with more than 400lb on a regular basis and want to save sleeve space.
Pros of the TITAN Cast Iron plates
- Price
- Sound
- Space efficient
- Long-lasting
As with all TITAN fitness products, one of the main reasons to consider is their price. On almost all items they undercut the direct competition from Eleiko and Rogue by about half. That is their strategy is a company and if you do not mind minor and occasional major quality issues with your purchase, TITAN is a good bet. You definitely will get a lot more stuff from TITAN for the same budget, that is guaranteed.
Cast Iron plates are also nice compared to rubber plates as they make that clanging and banging noise when you train. Some people just love the dungeon feel and sound about these plates. If you get a particular pump and motivation out of training with iron plates, do not hesitate. They are not expensive and will at forever if treated well.
Cast iron plates also have an advantage in being space efficient. As they are made from iron they can be cut thinner than rubber to achieve the same amount of weight. The result is that they will take up less space on a plate tree and instead of maxing out most barbell sleeves at about 400 to 500 pounds you can now easily go up to 700 - 800lbs. That is not relevant for many athletes, but if you are a beast, this becomes very important.
The last thing about
cast iron plates is that they will last forever if you treat them well. Competition and rubber plates will come apart at some stage between the different materials.
Cast iron steel plates are just one big lump. If you do not drop them on the floor constantly or leave them in the rain over the weekend, this is a purchase for life.
Cons of the TITAN Cast Iron plates
- Finish
- Not all weather compatible
- Harsh on your body
- Design
If you push your product out at half the price of the competition you will need to cut some corners to still make a profit. Therefore you will find a higher rate of negative reports about TITAN fitness equipment than about Eleiko and Rogue. TITAN fitness equipment is more likely to have sharp edges, inconsistent finishes, or loose ends where the material is put together. There are also more reports about incomplete deliveries or rude customer services. This being said, you have to expect some shortfalls if you want to save half of your money. All of these aspects do not mean that you can not train, you will only have to either live with minor quality issues or apply some elbow grease to your equipment to oil, sand or adjust it.
All
cast iron plates do not very well in damp environments. If you keep them outside or in a basement with moisture they will start to rust and turn weird
colors. They are also not great for use outside as they either get damp or too hot to touch, depending on where you use them. Of course, hardcore training enthusiasts will say just get on with it, but it depends on who you are and what you want to use the plates for.
Cast iron plates are very unforgiving on feet, toes, fingers and other body parts they get in touch with. While rubber plates give in a little and therefore do not hurt as much when you land them on your toes or get your fingers between the in plate tree,
cast iron plates surely will. If you have little ones at home who have access to your home gym or if you run a commercial establishment where it is sure that some idiots will handle the equipment, rubber is usually the safer bet to make injuries less likely.
The last point about
cast iron plates is their design. It is basically non-existent unless you like the Brutalist approach. If you like raw metal that makes clanging noises you will feel like in heaven. Everyone else will get that kind of dungeon Rocky Balboa torture chamber vibe of them, which is not for everyone.
Alternatives to the TITAN Cast iron plates
If you do not want to spend more than $500 on a good set of plates your options are the
Cast Iron plates and the two
economy rubber plates from TITAN. If you do not work with more than 400lbs on a regular basis the rubber plates will probably be the better purchase. These are more forgiving on the users and also do not rust. Between the black and colored ones, it is mainly a matter of taste as the price does not defer a lot.
Conclusion for the TITAN Cast Iron plates
The cast-iron plates from TITAN are a great budget option for anyone who starts their home gym and already moves a lot of weight. If you are a complete beginner the
economy rubber plates might be a better choice, as you will not max out your bar sleeve anyway and might want to use the plates outside and not always start to curse when you get your fingers between them.
Overview and review of the REP fitness black bumper plates
This is an overview of the REP fitness black bumper plates including pros, cons, and alternatives. The original was published under which plates to buy from rep fitness. Follow the links for more details.
REP Black Bumper plates $49
The
REP black bumper plates are the standard option you can find from most vendors around. These plates have a good price per plate, can be used outdoors, and fit on most barbells. This is the workhorse plate for the home or in a commercial gym. If you are not sure what to buy, you can not go wrong with these. The full specifications are:
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160 lb - (2)Each 45-25-10
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190 lb - (2)Each 45-25-15-10
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210 lb - (2)Each 45-35-25
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230 lb - (2)Each 45-35-25-10
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250 lb - (4) 45 (2) Each 25-10
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260 lb - (2)Each 45-35-25-15-10
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370 lb - (6) 45 lb & (2)Each 25-15-10
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Superior craftsmanship and design. Steel inserts with hooks molded into the bumper plates increase durability versus older designs with brass inserts.
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Extra thick 10 lb plates are the best on the market, and highly resistant to bending
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Low bounce. Some recycled rubber bumper plates will bounce very high and make you chase the bar around. Not ours.
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Thin profile. With a good Olympic bar, you can fit 515lbs of our bumper plates on the bar.
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Factory tested to withstand over 12,000 drops from a height of 8 ft.
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Used in both commercial and home gyms all over the world
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3% Tolerance
Solid plates for any use scenario. Not too expensive and not too cheap to get you where you want to go with your fitness.
Pros of the REP Black Bumper plates
Pros of the REP Black bumper plates are:
Black bumper plates are always a safe bet. Especially for someone who is not incredibly strong or wants to break world records. They are reliable. If
Black bumper plates get dirty it is not that bad, as the dirt will not show up as much on the
black. A decent
black color also goes with most other equipment in any given gym as it is often
black or grey.
Bumper plates are also good as they can be dropped from overhead without damaging the plates, the lifter, floor, or equipment.
Bumper plates are very forgiving and ideal for any beginner or intermediate lifter. They can also be used outdoors as they take better to rain and sand than other, pricier plates.
Cons of the REP Black Bumper plates
The biggest con of
bumper plates is that they take up more space than
iron and
competition plates on the barbell. If you lift very heavy regular
bumper plates usually max out the sleeves of the barbell somewhere around 180kg to 220kg depending on how you stack the plates. If you are a serious powerlifter or want to save storage space in your commercial gym you are better off getting
iron plates.
If you use these plates mainly for Olympic lifting you have to keep in mind that they are louder and bounce more than
competition plates. If you want to get through a proper snatch workout in the least amount of time that can actually be quite annoying. A minor thing, but still worth considering.
These plates are also balanced differently compared to
competition plates. As they have no metal core ring they spin differently during Olympic lifts than
bumper plates. A good lifter will still lift heavy weight with these, but if you are entering micro differences you might want to for the
competition plates instead.
As they are black rubber they might not be the ideal plates to be used outdoors in a very hot climate. Again, something minor, but if you burn your hand on a very hot
bumper once you know what I am talking about. Higher quality plates take a little better to heat and do not absorb it as fast. Different color also helps.
These
bumper plates have a higher fault tolerance than the
competition and precision plates. This means it is more likely that the plate you are getting does not exactly weigh what it says on the plate. Calibrated plates are the best way to remedy this. Here the plates are weighed at the end of the production process and then adjusted with a little metal insert to be as precise as possible. This production step also makes them more expensive than
bumpers or regular
iron plates.
Alternatives to the REP Black Bumper plates
Alternatives to the REP BUmper plates are:
If you want something a bit more precise and with a color you can also get the
REP competition plates. These plates are made to
competition specifications and are therefore produced with a lower tolerance rate. They also have a little lip which makes them easier to pick up from the ground.
The
Rogue fleck plates are a nice hybrid between
black rubber plates and colored plates. The
black plates are being infused with color during the production process to make them look like checkered animals. If you want your gym to be hip and different, this is the plate to make that statement without reaching into the Avengers or food-themed weight plates.
Rogue's machined iron plates are a good option for someone who wants precise
iron plates for their ambitious home gym. These are a particularly good choice for any powerlifters that need to stack a lot of
iron on the plate to still make gains.
The
TITAN bumper plates are the cheap version between Rogue, REP, and
TITAN if you want to get the most weight for your buck from a decent vendor, then
TITAN is the way to go.
Conclusion for the REP Black Bumper plates
The
rep black bumper plates are a solid choice when you are confused and just want to get going. They are also a good choice for a commercial gym that wants to play things safe.