Rogue machined Olympic plates vs Fleck plate

This is a comparison between the Rogue machined plates and the fleck plate including pros, cons and alternatives. Follow the links for more details

Overview and review of the Rogue fleck plate

The Rogue fleck plates are Rogue's compromise between competition bumper and regular bumper plates. Here are the pros and cons.

The Rogue Feck plates are the newest edition to the line up of Rogue plates and range from $50 for a pair of 10LB plates to $625 for a 350LB set. This puts the price to $0.56 per pound. The distinguishing factors of the fleck plate are its claimed precision in weight and the fleck design. With this, these bumper plates add some color to your gym without breaking the bank as competition bumper plates would do. The specs of these plates are:

Plate Breakdown: Weight, Color & Width

10LB - Black & Grey, 0.85”
15LB - Black & White, 1.2”
25LB - Black & Green, 1.6”
35LB - Black & Yellow, 2.08”
45LB - Black & Blue, 2.76”
55LB - Black & Red, 3.02”

Specifications:

Diameter: 450mm (+/- 3mm) / 17.72 inches
Collar Opening: 50.40mm / 1.98 inches
304 Stainless Steel Inserts
Weight Tolerance: +/- 1% claimed weight
Durometer: 90
Minimal Bounce
Black + Color Fleck Finish
Imported from Chin

This is a good option if you want some color, but not spend too much money on your bumper plates.

Pros of the fleck plate

The pros of the fleck plate are:

Unique design
Value for money
Bumper

The design of the fleck plates is very unique. As long as you like you will be hard-pressed to find something comparable. I personally like them as a compromise between black bumper plates and colored competition plates.

For the color and precision, you are getting these plates are relatively cheap compared to other rogue plates available. If you insist to see easily from a distance which plates you have, this is the way to go.

As these plates are bumper plates they come with the benefit of being outdoor-friendly. You can also drop them regularly without wrecking your barbell, platform or floor.

Cons of the Fleck bumper plates

The cons of the fleck bumper plates are:

Sleeve space
Precision
Made in China

The challenge that all bumper plates have is that they take up more real estate on a bar sleeve than steel plates. If you want to maximize the amount of weight you can put on your barbell, this is not the right set of plates to get.

While these bumper plates claim high precision, I would be inclined to test that first. The reason being is that they are not manufactured by Rogue themselves and do not have inlets for high precision adjustments like calibrated plates. A blanket statement on shipped bumper plates from china with 1% is a tall order with no inlets for micro-adjustments. It won't matter if you buy them for your Crossfit gym or commercial gym, but if you are training for weightlifting or powerlifting competitions stay with the calibrated plates.

While the design and price are very tempting some might not want to support products that are made in China based on principle or legal requirements as a government agency. In this case, you might refer to other Rogue plates.

Alternatives to the Rogue fleck plates

Alternatives to the Rogue fleck plates are:

Rogue bumper plates are the same idea as the fleck plates minus the color. They are cheap, can be used everywhere and forgiving to abuse and toes.

The precision machined steel plates from Rogue are the best choice for powerlifters who want precision but do not want to break the bank with calibrated plates. These Olympic plates are slightly more costly than the fleck plates.

The Rogue Fleck plates are the newest edition to the line up of Rogue plates and range from $50 for a pair of 10LB plates to $625 for a 350LB set. This puts the price to $0.56 per pound. The distinguishing factors of the fleck plate are its claimed precision in weight and the fleck design. With this, these bumper plates add some color to your gym without breaking the bank as competition bumper plates would do. The specs of these plates are:

Summary of the fleck plates

Fleck plates are the right choice if you want colored plates from Rogue at a reasonable price.

Overview and review of the Rogue Machined Olympic plates

The Rogue machined olympic plates will set you back about $582 dollars or $5.24 dollars per kg. These plates are especially good to use for home gyms who want some extra precision. This overview has originally been published in the article "Which rogue plates to buy" which you can find on this blog.

Overview of the Rogue Machined Olympic plates

These plates are Rogue take on the standard metal plate. They have come up with a great design which combines grey hammertone with black writing. Many lifters love the sound of multiple metal plates clanging together when they post a new pr. These plates are made to precision with a 2 to 3% tolerance which sets them apart from the rest of the industry. These are the type of plates which a no-nonsense dungeon gym will hold. You get quite a lot of weight for your dollar with these ones.

Weight / Diameter / Thickness / Price per pair

45LB / 448mm / 1.50'' / $160

35LB/ 360mm / 1.50'' / $128

25LB / 300mm / 1.50'' / $ 105

10LB / 228mm / 1.22'' / $48.50

5LB / 195mm / 0.83'' / $32

2.5LB / 162mm / 0.63'' / $23

Available sets

245LB one pair each size $582

Pros of the Rogue Machined Olympic plates

The biggest pros are the price and machine precision. Compared to the calibrated steel plates and high-end bumpers you get the same amount of weight for roughly half the price. Metal also feels different when you move it around. It makes more noise and just feels rawer. You will also be able to fit more weight onto your barbell.

Cons of the Rogue Machined Olympic plates

These plates have no color coding and you can not always be sure what you put on the bar. This makes it more likely to misload a lift. If you do not have a platform these plates are also a lot more likely to eat into your floor on deadlifts than bumpers. They will also not sustain constant dropping of the weight from overhead. Especially your barbell will suffer and deform quickly if you use them for Olympic lifts. In addition, they will also not age well in damp places as they will oxidate.

Alternatives to the Rogue Machined Olympic plates

Alternatives to the Rogue Machined plates are:

If you still want that metal feel, can tolerate a bit more variance on the finish and prefer black, the Rogue Olympic plates might be for you. They will also come in at an even lower price point.

Bumper plates are the alternative for the home gym warrior who wants to protect their floor and lift overhead. You will fit less weight on the barbell, but you can train without a platform without wrecking the floor.

The calibrated steel plates come with color coding and are IPF approved. If you want to prepare for your next powerlifting meet and train like the pros, this is the option for you.