TITAN Urethane plates vs Rogue Calibrated Steel plates

This is a comparison between the TITAN Urethane plates and the Rogue Calibrated steel plates including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which titan plates to get. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Rogue Calibrated steel plates

The Rogue calibrated steel plates will set you back about $885 dollars or $5.56 dollars per kg. These plates are especially good to use for powerlifters 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.

What else to consider from Rogue

Overview of the calibrated steel plates

The Rogue calibrated steel plates come in KG and LBS nominations. They are popular for powerlifting purposes as they can fit a lot of weight onto a bar. They are also approved by the IPF and therefore be used for official powerlifting competitions based on their high level of precision.

In the manufacturing process, each plate will vary in weight when it is finished. The cheaper the plate, the more variance you will have. Calibrated plates are made with better quality machines and add one production process at the end which is the calibration. What happens here is that the plates are weighed and then there will be a disc placed into little holes at the back of them to adjust to within 10grams of the desired weight.

Further specifications for the Rogue Calibrated steel plates:

Weight / Color / Diameter / Thickness / Price per pair

50kg / black / 450mm / 50mm / $386.50

25kg / red / 450mm / 27mm / $225

20kg / blue / 450mm / 22.5mm / $182

15kg / yellow / 400mm / 21mm / $140

10kg / green / 325mm / 21mm / $99.50

5kg / white / 228mm / 21.5mm / $82.00

2.5kg / Black / 190mm / 16mm / $55

1.25kg / Chrome / 160mm / 12mm / $42.50

0.5 kg / Chrome / 134MM / 8mm / $35

0.25kg / Chrome / 112mm / 112mm / $25.75

Available sets

159kg, pair of each plate except 50kg $885

459kg, pair of each plate 0.25kg to 20kg & 7 pairs of 25kg $2060

Calibrated steel plates are very good when you want to fit as much weight in as little space as possible. As long as you do not want to drop your weights this is great.

Pros of the calibrated steel plates

Calibrated steel plates are the ones you will use in competition in a powerlifting meet. They will also take up less space in your gym than bumper plates for the same amount of weight. The color coding looks cool and gives any gym a little extra feel of being professional when it comes to getting results. With these, you can train like a real champion.

Cons of the calibrated steel plates

Steel plates are not ideal for overhead lifts. They spin differently than competition bumper plates and behave differently when you switch direction during the lift. They also suffer from dropping or heavy use a lot more. Especially the calibration discs can come loose and start to rattle or fall out over time altogether.

Alternatives to the calibrated steel plates

Alternatives to the calibrated kg plates are:

Calibrated steel plates with LBS nominations are the same plate style but take out the thinking for you when you prefer to lift in pounds. If you do not want to compete this might be an option, as the international standard for the IPF is to measure the weight lifted in kilograms.

Competition bumper plates can be a good alternative if you focus more on weightlifting than powerlifting in your local gym. These plates are specially designed to be used in Olympic lifts. Dor this purpose they have a metal core and bumper surroundings. The only downside with these plates is that you can not fir as much on the bar as with steel. But you were not planning on overhead pressing 400kg soon, weren't you.

The most durable and high-quality plates you can get from Rogue are the Urethane plates. Therefore, they are also the most expensive. You can basically think of these as the steroid version of the competition bumper plates which last longer. If you will drop your plates often and use them outside for overhead lifts, this might be the way to go.

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.

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

The pros of the TITAN Urethane bumper plates are:

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

The cons of the TITAN Urethane Bumper plates are:

High price
Finish
Sleeve space

Urethane bumper plates have a higher price tag than regular training plates with a metal core or rubber plates. If you compare the TITAN Urethane plates to the Elite or Economy bumpers from TITAN you pay quite a bit more for the same amount of weight. Especially when you are not doing a lot of overhead lifting and do not care that much about the color coding, you might lean more towards cheaper options from TITAN.

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

Alternatives to the Urethane bumper plates are:

Cast Iron plates
Economy Bumper Plates
Elite bumper plates

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.