REP fitness Hi-Temp bumper plates vs TITAN Cast iron plates

This is a comparison between the REP fitness Hi-temp 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.

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

Pros of the TITAN Cast Iron plates are:

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

Cons of the TITAN cast iron plates are:

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

Alternatives to the TITAN cast Iron plates are:

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 Hi-Temp bumper plates

This is an overview of the REP fitness Hi-temp 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

Hi-Temp Bumper plates $25

If you are feeling eco-friendly the Hi Temp bumper plates are the way to go for you. HI-temp bumpers are made from recycled material under very high temperature and are there also very durable. They are available from REP fitness in the following sizes:

5lb
10lb
15lb
25lb
35lb
45lb

Good, budget-friendly option.

Pros of the REP Hi-Temp Bumper plates

The pros os the Hi-Temp bumper plates are:

Price
Durability
Can be used outdoors
Don't stain easily

These are the ideal plates for someone who decides to do a lot of work with their plates outdoors. If you need to outfit a gym that is in a base camp or at a movie set in the middle of nowhere, then these are great. They also do not get stained as easily as colored plates which is a bonus in a dirty environment.

Cons of the REP Hi-Temp Bumper plates

Cons of the REP HI-Temp plates are:

High bounce
Sleeve space
Hard to pick up
Inconsistencies in color

The lifting mechanics of these plates are more or less identical to regular bumper plates. This means that they are not great when you lift a lot of weight in the range of 200kg plus on a regular basis and they also don't do great for oly lifts. Lacking a metal core they spin more than competition plates on an oly lift and take up more sleeve space for the same weight.

These plates also lack an extra lip to be easier to be picked up from the ground. A MInor inconvenience, but still...

I think the biggest con of HI Temp bumper plates is that you are dealing with reheated and melted tires. While this is great for saving money and I guess the environment, even though I question whether reheating old rubber to form it into weight plates is really that eco-friendly, it is a nightmare for quality control. While these plates are black in general, they are way more likely to have different shades of black compared to newly produced black bumper plates. But I guess that is not really high on your priority list if you are already considering the cheapest plates in town, which is cool.

Alternatives to the REP Hi-Temp Bumper plates

Alternatives to the REP HI-Temp bumper plates are:

The REP black bumper plates are basically the same thing, except they are not recycled and therefore easier to quality control. This means that you are more likely to get a consistent black color without any shading. The downside is that they are more expensive and also do not give you the warm feeling of buying something that has been recycled.

The REP competition bumper plates are the right choice if you have a generous budget and you are serious about your Olympic lifting. This is the best that REP has to offer in terms of precision and stability during an oly lift for plates. The downside is the price which starts at $129 for the cheapest plates instead of $25 for the HI Temp bumpers.

The Rogue HI temp plates are Rogue's cheap line of plates for the budget-conscious buyer. Of course, budget-conscious and Rogue Fitness do not really go well together in the same sentence, but if you were to get a good rack and barbell from Rogue, but want to save a little on bumpers, then these are a good option to throw in your cart. They are the closest match on the Rogue plate lineup compared to the REP Hi-Temp bumper plates.

TITAN is the cost leader in this business, so if you want to get together a whole gym with the lowest possible cost you can also get their bumpers into your cart and build an entire gym from that. The downside is that they seem to have more issues with quality control than REP fitness and Rogue fitness.

Conclusion for the REP Hi-Temp Bumper plates

The Hi Temp bumpers from REP are a good option to save some cost and make you feel better about yourself as long as you don't mind that they won't be in one continuous shape of black.