REP fitness competition plates vs Rogue color kg plates

This is a comparison between the Rep Fitness competition plates and the Rogue color kg plates. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Rogue Color KG training plates

The Rogue color KG training plates will set you back about $960 dollars or $6.85 dollars per kg. These plates are especially good to use for weightlifters who are serious about competing. This overview has originally been published in the article "Which rogue plates to buy" which you can find on this blog.

Most popular Rogue plates

This is an overview of the most popular Rogue plates on Marathon-Crossfit.com in 2020 based on views and click thoughs for purchase on Rogue Fitness. If you want more detail on how the data was collected and what the strengths and shortcomings of the data set are you can dig deeper on what were the most popular rogue products in 2020.

These were the most popular rogue plates on Marathon-Crossfit.com. On the plates, I would caution between overall popularity and the popularity of my site. The plates listed below are more niche than the Rogue bumpers, the calibrated steel plates, and competition bumpers. If you want a safe bet for your use case these three might be better, as more people buy them.

The Fleck plates are a variation on the Rogue bumper plates which have been infused with red, blue, yellow, and green to indicate the weight of the plates. The splash of color also makes them more fun compared to the regular bumpers. If you find the rogue bumpers too bland but also do not want to shell out more than $1000 on calibrated steel plates or competition bumpers to get color coding then the Fleck plates are for you. You can read the full review of the Fleck plates via this link.

The Rogue Urethane plates are color-coded and also claim the best durability in the Rogue plate portfolio. Whether that warrants the high price tag compared to regular bumpers is a question you have to answer for yourself, but I personally don’t think so. If you want to spend more money on plates, spend it on precision rather than durability in my personal opinion within the Rogue portfolio. Rogue equipment is known to be more durable than the competition so I would not put too much focus on this unless you run an Olympic training center where the plates will go through hundreds of heavy drops per day. You can read the full review of the Rogue Urethane plates here.

The Rogue black training plates have the best dead drop in the Rogue portfolio which means they bounce the least when dropped from overhead. These are the plates which I use most often as I like the design because black does not show marks as easily as other plates. You can read my full review of the Rogue black training plates via this link.

The 6 shooter plates from Rogue are often overlooked as a good option for commercial gyms. They are relatively cheap compared to other Rogue plates and easier to handle in a gym setting where you have a lot of them flying about. The downside is that you can not use them for overhead drops as this will wreck the plates, floor, and barbell in the process. You can read the full review of the rogue 6 shooter plates via this link.

Overview 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.

Weight / Color / Diameter / Thickness / Price per pair

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

Available sets

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.

Pros of the Rogue color training 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.

Cons of the Rogue color training plates

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 Rogue color training plates

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.

Overview and review of the REP fitness competition plates

This is an overview of the REP fitness competition 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 competition bumper plates $125

The competition bumper plates are the crown jewel of any vendor's plate lineup. They combine color coding with high-quality rubber to be bounced from overhead and an inner metal disc for stability during the clean and jerk and snatch. The REP fitness competition plates are no exception to this design and are a solid option for someone who has high standards but does not want to lose a leg and an arm on a budget to obtain the standard. The full specifications for these bumpers are:

Low Bounce
Zinc Coated Steel Disc Insert
Collar Opening: 50.5mm
+/- 10 grams of claimed weight
450mm Diameter (IWF Standard)
Shore Durometer Ratings: 92 ShA
Follow international color standards (Red/25kg, Blue/20kg, Yellow/15kg, Green/10kg)
5-year warranty on all plates.
Factory tested to 30,000+ drops.

Plate Thicknesses:

Green - 1 3/8"
Yellow - 1.6"
Blue - 2 1/8"
Red - 2.6"

Plate Sets:

90 kg set (2)Each 20-15-10 Plates
110 kg set (2)Each 25-20-10 Plates
120 kg set (2)Each 25-20-15 Plates
140 kg set (2)Each 25-20-15-10 Plates

The good thing about these bumpers is their price. If you don't mind imported plates then this is a good option to save on one of your major items on your shopping list for your home gym or commercial gym.

Pros of the Rep competition bumper plates

The pros of the REP fitness competition bumper plates are:

Price compared to other vendors
Low bounce
High durability
Color coding

When you are considering buying these plates you are most likely very dedicated to your hobby or sport. The direct comparable competition of these plates is the Rogue Competition bumpers and the Eleiko competition bumpers. Both of these are certified by the International weightlifting federation to be used in their competitions to count towards qualifying for the Olympic games or other events regulated by the IWF. Based on this I think these plates are a good option for a dedicated hobby lifter. If you are a professional and want to do everything you possibly can to simulate competition as close as possible in your training I would save a little more and get the Eleiko or Rogue plates depending on how you fit out the entire gym. The cost difference will be substantial, but can also be very motivating for you to do well with the hard-earned equipment.

These plates also have a very low bounce which is a feature of the high-end bumper plates. When you get cheaper ones without a metal insert disc they will bounce higher. If you are training in a confined space or with a very heavy-weight (100kg or more overhead) I would consider upgrading to competition plates for safety and convenience. Not a must, but definitely a great nice to have.

These plates have higher durability than regular bumper plates as they are less likely to come apart at the hole where the sleeve of the barbell inserts. The only downside is that they are not really fit to be sued outdoors as the metal discs will start to corrode. If you want outdoor plates, get the cheapest bumpers possible and just replace them as they will suffer a lot anyway.

The color coding is cool and fun when you are training. I was happy when I got my Rogue color-coded training plates even though I did not want to buy them at first but needed to because of availabilities. Gives your training a different level of seriousness.

Cons of the Rep competition bumper plates

The cons of the Rep competition bumper plates are:

Price compared to other plate options
Metal disc
Busy design
Not IWF approved

The main argument against competition bumper plates is their price per kilogram. Most people will do more than fine with getting bumper plates or iron plates. If you mainly do powerlifting movements, don't bother with bumpers and get iron plates. They are cheap and you can load up your barbell to the brim. If you are planning to train Crossfitting style, then bumper plates are a good option. For commercial uses, it really depends on what you want to convey to your clients. Gyms which a huge floor place will be best advised to get the cheapest per kilogram they can possibly get their hands on unless they are a collegiate gym flush with cash. Boutique gyms and CrossFit boxes should take into consideration that your dedicated clients will definitely know whether you bought the cheap stuff or the good equipment for your members. I would not be too pleased to exercise on York barbells when I am forking more than$200 a month over to you for my membership.

The metal disc is a plus for stability and balance on heavy lifts. It is not great when you work with axle bars or want to use the plates outdoors. In this case, simple bumper plates are better. Don't use iron plates outdoors. They will chip, rust, and rack anything you have mounted them on.

This is a personal style question, but I personally think these competition bumpers are very busy. They would look cooler if REP fitness just put "REP" on them like with their racks. Here Eleiko and Rogue win in my book with a less busy design. But that is just me when I would fork out extra money for something nice I would also like it to be as pleasing on the eye as possible.

If you are preparing for international competitions, you will use different plates. If simulation of big events is what you are after, bite the bullet and save a little more to get ELeiko or Rogue.

Alternatives to the Rep competition bumper plates

Alternatives to the REP competition bumper plates are:

REP bumper plates
REP Iron plates
Rogue competition plates
Eleiko competition plates

The clue is in the name. If you do not compete in Crossfit or Olympic weightlifting the REP bumper plates or Iron plates will do more than fine depending on whether you drop them from overhead or not.

The Rogue competition plates and Eleiko competition plates are very similar in design and function but come at a higher price rate. In return, you are using equipment that got the blessing from the IWF to be used in their competitions.

Conclusion for the Rep competition bumper plates

These are great plates for a dedicated enthusiast in Crossfit or Olympic weightlifting for their home gym or a boutique gym that wants to show their clients that they take them seriously while not shelling out the money for a full Eleiko or Rogue setup. Athletes and collegiate gyms are probably better off opting for the Eleiko and Rogue plates, as long as the budget allows. Gyms with big floor space and a lot of plate trees to fill should immediately look at the other end of the price scale.