The average price for weight plates is $1.83/pound. Bumper plates are completely made out of rubber and cost $1.95/pound. Cast iron plates are the most affordable option as it only costs $1.42/pound on average. However, you’ll need good gym flooring to dampen the noise but also from banging.

There are generally three types of weight plates in the gym – standard plates, bumper plates, and iron plates. Bells of Steel offer two of these types which are the Olympic (bumper) plates and Iron (metal) plates. The reason for the variation stems from their roots in various sports. To learn more about our weight plate variations, check out our page specifically for Weight Plates.

A plate weighs between 1.25kg (2.75lbs) and 25kg (55lbs), with the most commonly referenced weight plate at the gym being 20kg (45lbs). On rare occasions, you may find plates as light as 500g (1.1lbs) used for micro loading.

Weight plates are expensive for a few reasons. They don’t really wear out. They might not look as good as they were new but as long as they’re not broken and are heavy, they’re good. Also, weight plates are heavy and require a lot of raw material production and because of their weight and size, the shipping, handling, and storage costs are high.

If you are a beginner a cast iron plate is good. It is versatile and can be used for pretty much anything – however, they are not as durable as the bumper plates and may break easily. You can perform any exercise or move with cast-iron plates. Check out our Bells Of Steel Mighty Grip Cast Iron Weight Plates and Machined Iron Weight Plates to learn more about these products.

The most obvious difference between Olympic weights and standard plates is hole size. Olympic plates have a 2-inch (50.6mm) center hole, while standard plates have a 1-inch (25.4mm) hole for the barbell to pass through. Olympic plates are slightly larger than standard plates of the same weight. They come in all kinds of thicknesses too.

You don’t need all sorts of expensive equipment to get started on weight training. You can start your strength or weight training journey using your own body weight and once you’re ready to invest in pieces of equipment – there are a variety of tools that can be used typically in the form of barbells, dumbbells, weight plates, kettlebells, medicine balls, sandbags, and even water-filled PVC pipes.

You don’t need all sorts of expensive equipment to get started on strength training. You can start your weight training journey using your own body weight and once you’re ready to invest in pieces of equipment – there are a variety of tools that can be used typically in the form of barbells, dumbbells, weight plates, kettlebells, medicine balls, sandbags, and even water-filled PVC pipes.

Bumper plates are only available in round shapes because these are often dropped. Another difference is that all weight sizes of bumper plates will have the same diameter, unlike iron weight plates, once again due to the dropping factor. Traditional plates sometimes come with built-in handles but bumper plates are always solid. Another very visible difference is colour. Bells of Steel bumper plates implement colour schemes based on the standards set by the IPF (International Powerlifting Federation).

Bumper plates are weight plates comprised of a steel core with a thick rubber protective coating. They are a standard diameter across all weights and are used in lifts (Olympic and CrossFit usually) where lifters are allowed to drop the weights from overhead without damaging the floor, plates, and bar. They are also quieter when dropped.