Dicks and sports authority sell functional weights, but not “decent” plates. Rogue, better Troy, Ivanko etc. Nicer Chinese stuff is sold by Rep Fitness, nicer than dicks etc.
Hey everyone. Im looking to invest in some decent plates that wont break the bank but are of good quality for my home gym. I have some weights now from sports authority and dicks sporting goods. I am almost to the point that I need to get more weight and I thought it might be time to invest in a decent set and leave what I have now as extra\ spare weight. Any suggestions on what is a good set for the money?
Dicks and sports authority sell functional weights, but not “decent” plates. Rogue, better Troy, Ivanko etc. Nicer Chinese stuff is sold by Rep Fitness, nicer than dicks etc.
When comparing multiple of the same tolerance, make sure to include cost if shipping to determine best value. What state you live in will affect which brand costs less to ship
If iron:
Rep fitness basic are +/-3%
Rogue basic black or Rep Equalizer are +/-2% accuracy
Rogue Machined are +2/-0%
Rogue 6 shooter are +/-1%
Rogue calibrated or Vulcan calibrated are +/-10g
If bumpers:
Any competition or training comp plates from Rep, Vulcan, or Rogue. Training have the same thinness and weight tolerance as comp, but are black with colored accents instead of fully colored to save on cost
I went with Rogue's calibrated plates. They were the only vendor (that I could find) that offered calibrated plates in lbs. They are ~$2/lb for the larger plates. For 10# & under I went with their change plates & fractional plates. They are all accurate +/-10 grams. The paint on the calibrated plates is easy to scuff/scratch so bear that in mind if you want them to stay pretty. No issues with that on the change/fractional plates as they have a rubber coating. Just my $0.02, I'm sure you'll get a few more responses from people much more knowledgable than me (the bar is set low, pun intended).
PS- I recall someone on the forum picking up some old deep dish Hamptons for cheap on Craigslist. He de-rusted them and painted them to look like new. They are slick.
As other said, look at shipping, too. I live in AZ and got some cheaper bumpers (rogue echo style). I went with Rep because they were over $100 cheaper in shipping. Plate price was the same otherwise.
I did better buying direct from York than I would have from Rogue INCLUDING shipping.
Hamptons and Troy premiums are calibrated. I have some of each, and I reconditioned the Hamptons. (before and after in the link below)
Workout Area - Google Photos
Workout Area - Google Photos