TITAN Elite black bumper plates vs Rogue Urethane plates
This is a comparison between the TITAN elite black bumper plates and the Rogue Urethane plates including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which titan plates to get. Follow the links for more details.
Rogue fitness vs TITAN fitness
Rogue Fitness is the current market leader when it comes to a functional home gym and commercial gym equipment. They have one of the widest portfolios including racks, barbells, benches, dumbbells, and apparel for the weekend warrior and dedicated athlete. The biggest downside of Rogue Fitness is their comparatively high prices to the competition.
TITAN Fitness is the clear cost leader when you want to build a home gym on a budget that is still similar to what Rogue offers in function, look, and feel. While you will save about half on the sticker price you will run a higher risk of inconsistencies in quality compared to a purchase from Rogue. The equipment will be safe but is more likely to have blemishes, quality issues with welds or that pieces will not easily fit into place. That makes TITAN a good option for a DIY enthusiast who does not mind tinkering with their equipment, but not the first choice to get the best equipment and treat yourself.
Overview and review of the Rogue Urethane plates
The Rogue Urethane plates will set you back about $1150 dollars or $7.46 dollars per kg. These plates are especially good to use for gyms who want long lasting plates. This overview has originally been published in the article "Which rogue plates to buy" which you can find on this blog.
What else to consider from Rogue
Overview of the Urethane plates
The
Rogue Urethane plates are the second most expensive ones in the Rogue portfolio per kg. What you get in return are the longest lasting, all weather plates you can obtain from Rogue. These plates are 450mm in diameter and made to IWF specs. They have a chrome insert and dead bounce on the drop. The chrome piece provides easy loading on the
bar and reduced friction on the sleeves. This is the plate to buy if your last
competition plates fell apart at the chrome insert.
Weight / Color / Diameter / Thickness / Price per pair
55LB / Red / 450mm / 58mm / $310
45LB / Blue / 450mm / 53mm / $260
35LB / Yellow / 450mm / 48mm / $220
25LB / Green / 450mm / 40mm / $160
10LB / Black / 450mm / 20mm / $70
Available sets
210lb, 2x 25-35-45LB $750
300LB, 2x 25-35-4x45LB $1050
320LB, 2x 25-35-45-55LB $1100
340LB, 2x 10-25-35-45-55 $1150
Pros of the Urethane plates
This is an all-purpose plate which will last a long time and is hard. It will take the abuse of many users of different experience levels and still look good. This is a great plate for high demands and someone who does not want to replace the plates as often compared to other plates with a chrome insert.
Cons of the Urethane plates
The biggest con is the high price. If you go for
Olympic or
bumper plates you will get a lot more kilograms per $$$. You might be buying twice in this scenario and you will also know that you took the cheap road to success. I personally stopped doing this and it yields great results.
Alternatives to the Urethane plates
C
ompetition plates will not last as long as they have a tendency to pull apart between the rubber and the chrome insert. They also bounce more. Still, if you want to get as close as possible to the real world championships, then these are the plates to go for instead with the slight risk that they might fall apart after years of heavy use.
The
black training plates are a great design from rogue which combines the
bumper plate effectiveness with the excellence of Rogue's
competition grade plates. You will find color coding and extra touches to make the plates more user-friendly and robust. This is the elegant choice of the professional.
Calibrated steel plates are the plates for anyone who wants to put the maximum amount of weight possible on the
bar while still having color-coded plates. These plates are also approved by the IPF and are used in competition. If you want to get serious about
powerlifting, this should be your choice.
Overview and review of the Elite black bumper plates
This is an overview of the TITAN Elite black bumper plates including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which titan plates to get. Follow the links for more details.
Related articles
Overview of the TITAN Elite bumper plate
Price $99.99 - $899.99
The
TITAN elite bumper plate comes in black with
different color variations on the branding depending on the weight of the plate. They all have the same diameter except the 10lb plate. Their main feature is a metal core which makes them a good choice to be repeatedly dropped from overhead without breaking. They will fit standard Olympic barbells and make a good addition to any ambitious home gym or college facility. The full specifications for these plates are:
Low Bounce Rate
Steel collar reinforces the plates for high rep use
Raised plate lip makes picking up the plates easier
Gloss black finish with color-coded lettering for easy identification
Diameter: 450 mm / 17.75-in.
Width: 2.5-in.
Collar Opening: 50.6 mm
Insert Type: Chrome Plate Steel Disc
Material: Rubber
10-POUNDS:
Plate Diameter: 360 mm
Plate Width: 1-in.
Color: Black with White Lettering
25-POUNDS:
Plate Width: 1.375-in.
Color: Black with Green Lettering
35-POUNDS
Plate Width: 1.875-in.
Color: Black with Yellow Lettering
45-POUNDS:
Plate Width: 2.15-in.
Color: Black with Blue Lettering
55-POUNDS:
Plate Width: 2.5-in.
Color: Black with Red Lettering
These are great all-around plates for the semi-professional or professional
Olympic weightlifter at an affordable price. If you take your home gym seriously or want to buy in bulk commercially without breaking the bank, these are a good option.
Pros of the Elite TITAN Bumper plate
- Low price
- Robust build
- Low bounce
Compared to similar plates from other brands like Rogue and Eleiko you will save about half of the price. Especially for plates, which will ever touch your body directly or keep you safe, this is something to consider. One of the main expenses of a home gym is the weights themselves. If you can cut these in half, you will laugh all the way to the bank.
Compared to the
economy bumper plates these plates are a considerable step up in quality and price. This has mainly to do with the fact that these plates are made of two components rather than just rubber with a ring inserted in the middle. This brings material and production cost which makes them about double the price compared to
Economy rubber plates. In return, these can be smashed continuously in the ground from overhead without a bother.
These plates are very low bounce which is great for overhead lifting. With this, you do not have to worry that the barbell will be all over the place after a heavy attempt like with rubber bumper plates without the core.
Cons of the Elite TITAN bumper plate
Pirce for these plates comes into play from two angles. One is cutting corners on behalf of TITAN. To offer a product at half the price of your competition in the market you have to cut some corners. Transport, quality of staff or production just has to cheaper than with the competition. This means that it is more likely that you might get treated a little rude, get a faulty product or that TITAN is out of stock compared to the competition. That does not mean the product is bad, it is just a game of likelihood. From another perspective, these plates are already a bit pricey for a home gym, if you are not very serious about your training. If you do not do Oly lifts, you might want to consider cheaper
cast iron or bumper plates.
Another point might be that these plates are black. If you want to add some color TITAN also has an
elite bumper option for that at a slightly higher price.
As these are bumper plates they are thicker than
cast iron plates of the same weight. If your goal is to maximize the weight you can put on the bar, these plates are not the right choice. If you regularly move more than 400lbs on your bar, opt for
cast iron plates instead.
Alternatives to the Elite TITAN bumper plate
The
economy bumper plates are a better and cheaper option for you if you only occasionally drop weights from overhead and want to start your gym on a budget. You will save considerably and still get a lot of weight for your money's worth.
The elite color bumper plates have the same specifications as the elite bumper plates. The only difference is that they cost slightly more and come in the international weight color code for each plate. If I was in the market for the black elite plates I would get the colored ones instead. Unless, of course, you prefer everything to be black.
Cast iron plates are a great option when you regularly move more than 400lb on the bar and want to save space on your barbell and in your gym. They are also fairly cheap and therefore a good option. The only thing to consider with them is that you need to put some protection on your floor or work with a platform as they will otherwise damage the flooring of your house or gym. Also,
cast iron plates can definitely not be dropped from overhead.
Conclusion for the Elite TITAN bumper plate
The
Elite TITAN bumper plates are a solid option for the ambitious home gym owner or a good budget option for a commercial gym that takes
Olympic lifting seriously. You can get twice the plates for the same amount of money compared to other brands like Rogue or Eleiko if you a prepared to take the risks that come with a vendor that needs to cut a corner here and there to save you money.