REP fitness color bumper plates vs TITAN Urethane plates
This is a comparison between the REP fitness black bumper plates and the TITAN Urethane plates. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the TITAN Urethane plates
This is an overview of the TITAN Urethane 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 Urethane Bumper plate
Price: $66.99 - $1152.99
The
TITAN Urethane bumper plates come in sizes ranging from 10lb to 55lb. These are plates with a chrome core and
urethane outer ring.
Urethane is a lot more durable than ordinary rubber and therefore these types of plates are considered the best in the industry for longevity. In return, the price per plate is a little higher as
urethane costs more than rubber as a material. The
TITAN Urethane plates come color-coded. The full specifications are:
Color-coded in 5 vibrant colors for easy identification
Raised plate lip making picking up the plates easier
Durometer rating of 90 for a minimal bounce on a drop and a durable design
Hard Chrome Insert
Collar Opening: 50.6 mm
Plate Diameter: 415 - 450 mm
Plate Width: 24 - 56 mm
Durometer Rating: 90
Weight Tolerance: +/- 1%
10 LB
Plate Diameter: 415 mm
Plate Width: 24 mm
Color: Black
25 LB
Plate Diameter: 415 mm
Plate Width: 38 mm
Color: Green
35 LB
Plate Diameter: 415 mm
Plate Width: 44 mm
Color: Yellow
45 LB
Plate Diameter: 415 mm
Plate Width: 51 mm
Color: Blue
55 LB
Plate Diameter: 415 mm
Plate Width: 56 mm
Color: Red
These are good plates when you train a lot with
Olympic lifts and abuse the hell out of your equipment. These would be the right plates for
Olympic training facilities or professional gyms that want to save on plates, but not constantly replace them.
Pros of the TITAN Urethane Bumper plate
- Low price
- Stability
- Low bounce
The biggest pro of most TITAN equipment is its low price compared to the same products from the market leaders Rogue and Eleiko. You usually can get the same amount of material for half the price or twice the plates for the same price if you go with TITAN. Depending on whether you buy for your home gym or a commercial facility that leaves you with more options. Especially as plates are a big item on the bill, but commodity as they are not touching off the athlete's body directly and do not need to be of a very high-quality finish.
The
Urethane plates themselves have advantages in the durability and a low bounce compared to regular rubber plates. The metal insert in the middle of the plate makes them more resistant for drops from overhead.
Urethane is more durable than standard rubber.
Cons of the Urethane Bumper plate
- High price
- Finish
- Sleeve space
AsTITAN always offers a very low price on items compared to market leaders like Rogue and Eleiko they do need to cut some corners to save cost. This is usually reflected in the finish of their products. The welding might not be top quality on some of the specialty bars, the
colors might not be as vibrant, or where rings are inserted they are not completely flush. There are also some reports along these lines for the
Urethane plates. If you want everything in your gym to be absolutely perfect, TITAN might not be the best brand for you. But that mindset comes at a considerably higher price tag with little to no impact on your actual training, except maybe mentally.
The last thing about
Urethane plates is that they take up more space than
cast Iron plates on the bar. If you regularly move more than 400lb on the deadlift, bench and squat, you might want to consider getting
cast iron plates instead. These are more cost- and space-efficient than
Urethane plates, but can not be dropped from overhead.
Cast Iron plates are also less forgiving on fingers, toes, and shins when you bang into them.
Alternatives to the Urethane Bumper plate
The classic
cast iron plates are an iconic staple of lifting allover the world. Especially when you start using three plates and more on each side they start to make that iconic clang and bang noise. They are cost and space-efficient and can be a good alternative to start your gym. Some disadvantages of
cast iron plates are that they can not be dropped from overhead, that you need to prepare your floor for training, and that they are less forgiving on flesh and bone when you bump into them.
Economy bumper plates are a good option for starters of a home gym or commercial gyms who want to keep the cost very low. These plates can be used indoors or outdoors and you will also not feel too sorry if they break or get dirty. They also take up quite a bit of space on the sleeve just like the
Urethane plates. Compared to the
Urethane plates they are more likely to break when being dropped from overhead and have more bounce.
Economy bumper plates are a good option for an all-around home gym that wants to keep the cost low. They are also good for big Crossfit classes where the athletes are mainly beginners.
The
elite bumper plates from TITAN are a compromise between the Urethan plates and the
economy bumper plates. They are priced in the middle between the two and or not as durable as the Urethanplates, but still have a metal core for overhead drops. These are the right plates for ambitious home gym owners who regularly lift overhead, but also do not take their plates through massive abuse. If you are not training for the Olympics or the Crossfit games, but still like to treat yourself, these are the right plates for you.
Conclusion for the TITAN Urethane Bumper plate
The
TITAN Urethane plates are well positioned in the market as a good budget option if you need
Urethane plates. In most cases, people will not need
Urethane plates and would be better off to save some money by getting the
Elite or
economy bumper plates from TITAN. Only if you want to simulate
Olympic weightlifting competition scenarios as close as possible at home without shelling out the money for an entire Eleiko set than I think you have a good case for
Urethane plates. Another one would be a commercial gym in which these plates will be dropped from overhead all day long. If you just ran a class once or twice a week, the
elite bumpers will more than suffice.
This is an overview of the REP fitness color 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.
The last bonus of these plates as that they can be used outdoors. They won't deform and if they get dirty they are easy to clean.
The main con for
bumper plates is that they take up more sleeve space than i
ron plates. They are usually also a little more expensive than
Iron plates per kilogram. With
bumper plates, you usually max out the barbell somewhere around 180kg - 220kg depending on the barbell you use and how you stack the plates. If you are a serious powerlifter that regularly works with 200kg or more you need
iron plates. But if you are shopping for plates as a powerlifter, you probably are already well aware of that as you did not step into the gym yesterday.
As these plates do not have a metal core they tend to spin a little more in an unpredictable way for oly lifts or not at all. That can mess with the dynamic of an oly lift and lead to lower lifts. However, this is minor and only relevant to top athletes.
Rogue fitness also offers a line of colored bumper plates if you are leaning more towards equipping your gym Rogue themed. These plates are also imported so the patriotism card does not apply as much as with some other products from Rogue. If you want to go for American-made plates you can order the Rogue deep-dish plates.
These are a good option to get color in our home or commercial gym at a reasonable price if you want to.