Bumper Plate Buying Guide: Virgin Rubber and Crumb

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Again Faster Bumper Plate Guide

Bumper plates are one of the most critical pieces of equipment in any home gym or commercial fitness facility. Whether you are buying your first set of bumper plates or looking to upgrade, this article will present the options for you to make the right choice. With there being many tiers of pricing and quality in the market, it can be difficult in deciding what is the most suitable plates to purchase. As always we recommend researching before committing to any brand, it's far more worthwhile investing in quality and not having to replace equipment in a short space of time. With there being so many offerings in the market today, it's easy to fall for a low price from an unreliable supplier, which leads to disappointment.

Bumper plates, by definition, are constructed from thick resilient rubber and allow for the loading and dropping* of barbells during Olympic lifts and compound exercises. They are chosen over steel plates as they allow loaded barbells to be safely dropped onto the correct flooring, without causing damage to the gym or facility. Bumpers are almost always more expensive, however, they are necessary for any overhead CrossFit or Olympic lifting, whereas steel plates are sufficient for very basic barbell training. Another major factor in the popularity of rubber Bumpers is the noise, steel plates are extremely loud in use but rubber Bumpers greatly reduce this problem.

Key things to look out for when buying bumper weight plates:

  • Training requirements: Are you training for functional fitness, powerlifting or Olympic weightlifting?
  • Durability: Are the plates for a home gym or heavy use commercial facility?
  • Budget: Plates can vary hugely in quality and price, from basic rubber plates to competition standard.
  • Materials: Virgin rubber will offer a denser slimmer plate with less bounce, whereas recyled rubber plates are cheaper but softer and bounce higher.
  • Brand: Do your homework on the best brands for bumper plates, there are plenty of budget options but you want to make a statement and get longlasting performance.

*Again Faster Europe strongly advocate the safe use of weightlifting equipment, including dropping plates safely on appropriate flooring to protect yourself and the equipment.




Again Faster Bumper Plates

Since 2006, we have been supplying Olympic bumper plates to fitness facilities, CrossFit boxes and home gyms internationally. In this time our bumper plates have become known for their quality and durability, providing long lasting value in a range of facilities and gym environments and are consistenly highy reviewed by our customers. Read below for an introduction to our range of bumper plates in more depth, to help you find the right type of plate for your training.

Again Faster Virgin Plates
Virgin Rubber Bumper Plates

The entry-level weightlifting plate in the Again Faster range, the virgin rubber plates are very hard-wearing and designed to survive the rigours of any gym environment. The virgin plate is dense, providing a lower bounce, which will prevent excess bouncing when dropped on the floor. They are a great everyday plate that will be sure to last, with a well constructed co-moulded collar to prevent cracking that you see with many other plates. The rubber in the virgin plate is also vulcanised, helping to strengthen the plate and make them very durable.

The smoother thinner profile of the virgin plate allows for better mobility when moving the plates around the gym, also utilising the weight space available on the barbell for those heavy lifts. We find the virgin plates to be popular with people buying for their home gym, studio or in bulk for their new facility, being at the most competitive price point.



Technical Details
Weight Tolerance +/- 2%
Diameter 450mm (17.72")
Collar Opening 50.5MM (1.99")
Moulded High Density Virgin Rubber
Again Faster Crumb Rubber Plates
Crumb Rubber Bumper Plates

The key difference between the virgin and crumb rubber plates is that the crumbs are made using recycled rubber, which historically weren't the most durable plates around. In designing the Again Faster crumb plates, the rubber mix has been reformulated to create a different style of crumb plate. Coloured flecks have been added for the rubber to Olympic colour code the plates, allowing you to identify the plates you are lifting more easily, helpful in a busy gym setting. The greatly improved durability of the rubber, along with the strong co-moulder collars make for a seriously durable bumper plate. The crumb plates undergo some of the most rigourous testing in the industry, with sample plates dropped thousands of times before passing quality standards. The bounce is even softer on the crumb plates, making it an ideal plate for those with noise concerns near their home or facility as the plate will absorb the impact very well.

A slightly higher price point to the virgin plates, these plates are perfect for home gyms, commercial gyms and facilities looking for a durable plate with a quieter softer bounce.

Technical Details
Weight Tolerance +/- 1%
Diameter 450mm (17.72")
Collar Opening 50.5MM (1.99")
Moulded High Density Crumb Rubber
Again Faster Training Plates
Training Bumper Plates

If you are looking for a competition style plate at a lower price, the training plates will be the ideal choice. Manufactured using sister moulds to our competition plates range, these plates come with a premium rubber and matte black finish. The rubber is extremely dense and gives a very dead bounce, which is what you should be hoping for when lifting especially heavy weights. Using a three piece co-moulded collar the steel is supported on either side of the plate, meaning the plate will not crack or split. Securing the steel plates with bolts into one piece has added additional reinforcement to the centre of the plate, and the bolts won't loosen over time. The coloured raised lettering follows the Olympic colouring and stays consistent with our whole plate range.

In terms of buying plates for competition, these plates are up there with the best quality available, both in terms of design and construction.

Technical Details
Durometer Scale 90
Diameter 450mm (17.72")
Collar Opening 50.5MM (1.99")
Moulded High Density Virgin Rubber
Again Faster Competition Plates
Competition Bumper Plates

The competition bumpers are the most premium plates in the Again Faster range, meeting all IWF specifications and dimensions. These plates are designed with elite level weightlifting and high-performance workouts in mind, the competition plates will perform on any platform. The design and quality of the competition plates are towards the top of the industry, they are ideal for serious weightlifters and those looking for that top level of equipment. If you are wanting to make your facility or gym really stand out from the crowd, these plates will bring a professional feel to your equipment as well as elite performance. The colour coded design with the clean matte finish, really gives you that quality feel when in place on the barbell.

Additionally, these bumper plates were developed with one of the greatest weightlifters in the world.

Technical Details
Durometer Scale 90
Diameter 450mm (17.72")
Collar Opening 50.5MM (1.99")
Moulded High Density Virgin Rubber
Again Faster Weightlifting Packages

Weightlifting Packages

Again Faster Plate Packages

Bumper Plate Packages

Competition Tested Equipment

Strength In Depth
Strength In Depth

Inferno Racing
Inferno Racing

Athlete Games
Athlete Games

Looking to place a bulk order?

Contact our sales team for any large orders with bulk discounts available visit our custom quote page.

Bought 2 x 20kg crumb rubber plates then 4 x 5kg crumb rubber plates. It's a very high quality product. I was looking at an alternative to purchasing from Rogue Europe which is about 30% higher price but I'm not disappointed at all. I train in my car park basement and am hang cleaning these weights on concrete and these plates are strong. Will purchase from them again.

Again Faster Europe Customer, Trustpilot.