What Are Urethane Bumper Plates?

There are several brands and options available when it comes to purchasing home gym equipment. It often causes decision fatigue, especially if you’re looking into setting up your home gym. 

One of the key pieces of equipment every home gym must have are weights. Buying weight plates can be intimidating, but come to think of it, there are a lot of great choices out there, and urethane-coated plates are right there near the top.

What are urethane bumper plates?

In this article, we’ll discuss why urethane, and specifically the new Bells of Steel Urethane Bumper Plates, deserve to be the right choice.

Urethane is a synthetic compound that combines the best qualities of both plastic and rubber. Urethane is highly resistant to abrasion, cutting, and tearing while being flexible enough to withstand impact damage and deformation.

Generally, urethane is harder than rubber. The engraving capabilities and higher resistance to degradation make urethane superior. It can endure a lot of pressure, making it an excellent material for bumper plates.

Urethane is simply superior to rubber when it comes to durability. It resists cuts and tears better than conventional rubber plates and has better compression qualities.

Urethane is also resistant to sunlight, weather, and other elements – this means these are great for garage gym owners who like to lift on a driveway during the summer months. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that urethane does not give or bounce as much as rubber because of its material hardness. They will not leave marks on your floor, walls, or other equipment. They also have the advantage of being odorless, unlike other rubber materials, which can have an unpleasant scent.

The Bells of Steel Urethane Bumper Plates are your best choice for longevity and durability. It’s the go-to weight plate for your strength training needs. 

While these are not IWF certified yet, the 450mm plate diameter and color-coding meet all the requirements. These are made with quality materials built with IWF standards in mind. They are built to near competition specifications with a weight tolerance of +/- 1%. 

The urethane bumper plates feature a raised rubber edge that can be seen around the metal center hub. This prevents direct metal-on-metal contact between the plates, preventing scuffs, protecting the finish, and allowing for easier plate gripping.

Thickness is an important factor to consider when selecting plates, particularly bumper plates. Depending on the weight of the plate, urethane bumper plates are thinner than competition rubber bumpers. This means you can load more plates onto your barbell.

The comparison below shows the difference in thickness based on the weight of the bumper plates.

As mentioned earlier, urethane outlasts rubber in terms of durability. The Bells of Steel Urethane Bumper Plates are designed to last a long time. Nonetheless, they are also covered under our limited lifetime warranty. 

These bumpers plates are tested at our facility for an exponentially longer period under stress, guaranteeing they will withstand the test of time.

The colors on the Bells of Steel Urethane Bumper Plates are stunningly vibrant. The plates are available in 10lbs (black), 25lbs (green), 35lbs (yellow), 45lbs (blue), 55lbs (red).

Due to the properties of urethane, colors have more of a pop to them. This makes the lettering and numbering appear crisper, adding a noticeable quality. ​​Because urethane appears to defy the aging process that other plates speed through, you’ll know that this investment will look great for years to come.

Urethane-coated plates are a great alternative to rubber bumper plates. Commercial gyms frequently use them because they are more visually appealing than raw iron, safer, simpler to move around, and quieter. 

Let’s face it!

It looks great, it works great, and they perform exceptionally well.

If you are looking for a bumper plate that looks good, durable, and smell-free, The Bells of Steel Urethane Bumper Plates are definitely your best bet.