Bumper plates are manufactured to withstand drops onto the floor, which is desirable for Olympic weightlifting (snatch, clean and jerk, hang cleans), where you often drop the plates onto the ground. Iron plates are better for lifts that do not involve the weights hitting the ground (such as bench press, squats, and curls), because they can cause damage to the floor, the barbell, and to the plates themselves.

All our bumper plates have a 2” Olympic-standard inner diameter and will fit 2” Olympic-sleeved barbells.

The insert is zinc-plated steel.

Our Pinnacle™ bumper plates utilize standard steel inserts for excellent durability.

When bumper plates arrive, unpack and let them air out for a few days to allow any odor, however faint, to air out.

To extend their life span, try to drop plates as close to straight down as possible. If your bar collars get loose during a workout, try to retighten them so your plates always land straight up and down. This will lessen the sideways force on the bumper plate insert. Also, flooring with some type of give (like heavy-duty rubber mats or a weightlifting platform) will help absorb some of the impact from dropping the plates.

We do not recommend this, because iron and bumper plates can have slightly different diameters, meaning all the force from dropping the weights goes into the larger plate, causing those plates and your barbell to wear more quickly. It is best to keep all plates on your bar the same type.

Yes, the 10 and 15lb plates come with a six-month warranty for both home and commercial use. The 25, 35, 45, and 55lb plates come with a three-year warranty for home use and a one-year warranty for commercial use.