A set of bumper plates (and a good bar to go with it) are some of the best first pieces of equipment for any gym. A bar and plates (often sold as a set) allow for the widest range of exercises of any other set of equipment. While metal plates, which come in varying sizes, can be found for much lower prices, bumper plates provide too many benefits to not to use these if at all possible.

We’ve tried a variety of bumpers over the years – Hi Temp, VTX, Cap Barbell, and more. Our favorite starter bumpers are from One Fit Wonder.

Bumpers are rubber weight plates that are all the same size. Usually there is some sort of metal collar on the interior of the plate. This size consistency allows movements such as olympic weightlifting or deadlifts to always be performed from the proper height, regardless of the weight used. As olympic lifts allow for dropping of the bar, bumpers also spread out the impact – more surface area means less force applied to any particular plate, or to any single point on the bar.

What makes this a beginner set?

Now what do we mean by beginner or ‘starter’ bumpers? Unlike more expensive plates like the Rogue plates we suggest in our Best Advanced Bumper Set post, a beginner plate is less expensive but will also have fewer features.

A beginner set is great for someone who has just started lifting, lifts infrequently but still wants quality equipment at home, or is not planning to push the weight too high on the olympic lifts. This is great if you do a lot of powerlifts but not as many olympic lifts, or again if you are just looking for a good balance of quality with price.

It’s a beginner set in that the tolerances are not quite as high, meaning things like the diameter of the inner ring may vary a bit more, and the weight may not be exact down to the ounce. However, other than that, this is a fantastic, durable set that will last a long time.

The FringeSport bumper plates are almost too good to be called a starter set.

What makes this a quality set?

  • Sturdy insert – We have other plates where the insert has fallen out; the FringeSport (“One Fit Wonder”) plates have been treated worse and held up better. Inserts are all still solid.
  • Sturdy rubber – These things have been treated rough; they were the first bumper set we ever owned and they been through a lot of learning experiences with us – working out in wet, muddy grass, on sidewalks, on our concrete parking pad, and (accidentally) left out in the rain. They’ve picked up a little discoloration from this but the rubber feels as good as new. We’ve used other brands where the rubber has started falling apart after less than half the treatment.
  • Low-odor – Sure, they smelled a bit when we first unwrapped them, but the odor quickly faded and we haven’t smelled them since.
  • Low bounce – You wouldn’t expect these to be as solid as they are, but when you drop them they stay put. There is definitely some bounce to them, but it is more than manageable.

Below are a few ways you can purchase these. I love the feel of using plates with color, but if you want colored labels or plain black the options are all there. The top links are links to sets and you can choose a variety of combinations. The bottom links will take you to individual plate sets (so 2 25lb plates, for instance). Give these a try – we know you’ll love them for years.

The options below are the plain black. If you like these go for it, but given the prices, I’d definitely go for one of the selections above.

Need a bar to go with those plates?

We’ll always suggest the Rogue Bar (now 2.0).

The Rogue Bar 2.0
The Rogue Bar 2.0 – a bar you’ll have for life.

Latest posts by Matt (see all)