If you’re looking to incorporate Olympic and CrossFit style lifts into your at-home workouts, you’ll want to snag some bumper plates, like these Again Faster Evolution Bumper Plates. Bumper plates are more versatile than your traditional weight plates because they can be dropped from various heights, they’ll help protect the barbell, and they’ll decrease the chances of damaging your home gym. In addition, this protective rubber coating can also lessen the noise that typically occurs when you drop weight plates.
The Again Faster Evolution Bumper Plates in particular offer both versatility and durability, and can help keep you from ruining your floors. Their plates are coated in virgin rubber, and range from 10 to 45 pounds, but you can also purchase them in various sets at a lower price tag than some competitors. If you are a power cleaning enthusiast or if you simply want to start incorporating that style lift — among others — into your workout routine, these bumpers are a solid option for you to consider.
Main Takeaways
- These bumper plates come in pairs (ranging from 10 to 45 pounds), as well as bundles. Bundles range from 160 to 1,000 pounds in total, with the number of weight plates varying with each bundle.
- The rubber coating offers more durability than traditional weight plates, making these ideal for any exercise where you’re dropping the barbell. The rubber absorbs the shock, and can also protect the floor and the plate itself from damage.
- With a high durometer rating of 90, you don’t have to worry about these breaking. A durometer rating is a way to determine how hard a material is (ranging from zero to 100). A rating of 90 also leads to a dead bounce.
These plates are made from stainless steel and coated in high quality virgin rubber. They also have a durometer rating of 90, which means they aren't going to break in half when you drop them, but they also have minimal bounce.
Again Faster Evo Bumper Plates Video Review
Our reviews writer, Jake, tested the Again Faster Bumper Plates out for himself. In this detailed video review, he will walk you through the pros and cons, price, and build of these high-quality bumpers.
Again Faster Evo Bumper Plates Highlights
Being able to work out in your home gym is the definition of convenience — however, dropping heavy weights that may potentially damage your space, and cause unwanted noise for your neighbors is not ideal. Again Faster designed their bumper plates with 304 stainless steel, and a durometer rating of 90, allowing you to incorporate movements like the clean and jerk, and power cleans among other cross-training and Olympic workouts. 304 stainless steel is one of the most common forms of stainless steel, due to its high resistance to rust — and a durometer rating is essentially a way to measure how hard a material is (the scale ranges from zero to 100, so 90 is a very high rating). The virgin rubber coating is also going to add to the durability of these bumper plates, as it can help absorb the shock when dropped, protecting the barbell, your floors, and the actual plate itself.
Since you can purchase these plates in individual pairs, as well as in a full bundle, there are buying options for nearly everyone. The pairs range from 10 to 45 pounds while the bundles range from 160 pounds up to 1,000 pounds, each consisting of a different variety of plates — as you move up in bundle size, you will receive more of each individual weight plate. Another thing worth mentioning is that these are not Olympic plates, so they do not meet the thickness requirements set by the International Weightlifting Federation. While you can absolutely still perform all of the same exercises, if you are an Olympic lifting competitor, these may not be the ideal way for you to prepare for your next competition.
Who Should Buy Again Faster Evo Bumper Plates
- Any athlete who wants to incorporate Olympic and CrossFit style lifts will enjoy the durability and versatility of these plates due in part to their rubber coating.
- Customers looking for bumper plates that are available in both bundles, and individual pairs will enjoy the various buying options here.
- Folks who want a long-lasting plate that won’t bend if dropped will like the high durometer rating of 90 these bumper plates have.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Again Faster Evo Bumper Plates
- While these bumper plates are available at a lower price tag than some competitors, they still might fall out of some people’s price range, and in that case, you may want to look elsewhere. But those cheaper plates may also be less durable, and force you to purchase new plates sooner than you’d like.
- Bumper plates typically don’t feature handles, but if that is something you strongly desire, you may want to consider some traditional plates. However, traditional plates do not offer the same versatility. You could also consider some urethane plates with handles, but those may crack when repeatedly dropped.
- Since these are not Olympic plates, anyone who is looking for IWF standard plates to prepare for their next competition may want to look elsewhere.
Price
You can purchase these Again Faster bumper plates in both pairs, and as a bundle. A 10-pound pair of these plates will cost you about $80, the 25’s are about $140, and a pair of 45-pound plates will run you right around $240. You also have the luxury of purchasing these bumper plates in seven different bundles, which is the more cost-efficient way to go in the long run. For beginners, you may want to go for the 160-pound bundle — which will cost you about $420. More advanced-level athletes may want to opt for the 450-pound bundle, which is right around $1,100, and elite lifters will probably want to snag the 1,000-pound bundle for about $2,200.
In general, bumper plates are more expensive than a pair of traditional weight plates, due to the extra steps taken to ensure their durability, such as the rubber coating. Compared to some of the top competitors out there, these bumper plates offer good value, since they are going to cost less as you go up in weight. Since these are durable enough to last you over 10 years, we think they are well worth the price tag.
Overall Build and Quality
These Again Faster bumper plates are built with 304 steel, coated in rubber, and feature a co-molded collar, which should add to their durability. “Co-molded” means that the collar and the rubber were fused together to form one solid piece. The rubber coating is going to minimize the chances of causing damage to your barbell and your floors, while also decreasing the noise produced when they’re dropped. You can often find bumper plates with iron inserts for a cheaper price, but they most likely won’t last you as long as these will. If you care for them properly, these could last you over 10 years.
Features
Bumper plates don’t typically have very many features, but there are a few that stood out to us. The 10-pound plates are one inch thick — typically 10-pound bumper plates are 0.8 inches thick — so that extra thickness may prevent them from bending when dropped. The diameter of these bumper plates is universal — they measure 17.7 inches, which does meet the IWF standards. These Again Faster bumper plates are also color coded depending on the weight of the plate. This doesn’t add to their utility, but it does offer you the ability to easily pick and choose which weight you want.
Weight Options
Pairs of these bumper plates range from 10 to 45 pounds, plus there are various bundles for you to purchase. When deciding which bundle is the optimal choice for you, you can choose from seven different options that range from 160 pounds to 1,000 pounds. Each bundle does in fact consist of various plates.
The 160-pound bundle includes two 10-pound, 25-pound, and 45-pound plates. The 350-pound bundle will come with two 10-, 15-, 25-, 35-, and 45-pound plates, respectively. When it comes to getting the biggest bang for your buck, the 1,000-pound bundle may be the best choice — it comes with eight 10’s, ten 15’s, eight 25’s, six 35’s, and eight 45-pound plates. If you don’t want to spend a bunch of money upfront, you can always purchase additional plates in individual pairs to add to your existing stash, but that may cost you more money in the long run.
Weight Plate Design
Again Faster crafted these bumper plates with 304 stainless steel, and wrapped them in virgin rubber. They also feature a co-molded collar to add to their durability (“co-molded” means that the collar and the rubber were fused together). The 10-pound plate is one inch thick instead of the 0.8 thickness you tend to find with 10-pound bumper plates. They are in fact color-coded, allowing you to easily remember what each plate weighs — but there is also large white lettering that serves the same purpose.
While they are rounded, the profile of these plates is actually squared off, which may make it a little more difficult to pick them up off the ground when lying flat. They also do not feature handles, which may be problematic for some who want to use them for standalone exercises like front shoulder raises, and a squat to overhead press.
Color
These bumper plates are specifically colored for each individual weight option. The 10’s are gray, the 15’s are black, the 25’s are green, the 35’s are yellow, and the 45’s are blue. Outside of labeling purposes, the color does not offer anything more than a pair of uniform-colored bumper plates would.
Labeling
Aside from the color of the plates, there is also large white lettering on the face of the plates for you to easily identify which plate you want to load onto your barbell. In our opinion, the font used also adds a nice aesthetic to the plates.
Handles
Since these plates do not feature any handles, it may be a little more difficult to load and unload a barbell for some athletes. This is standard with bumper plates though, and shouldn’t turn you away from these specific plates.
Handles can be a large help with loading and unloading a bar. They can also help with any exercise that requires you to hold the plate — such as Russian twists.
Product Specs
These bumper plates are wrapped in a high-quality virgin rubber, which should decrease the chances of causing major damage to your floors and any surrounding equipment. They also offer a quieter experience than traditional weight plates. The diameter of these plates meets the IWF standards of 17.7 inches, with the thickness varying by the weight of the plate.
Weight Plate Type
These are bumper plates. Because of the rubber coating on these bumper plates, they are designed to be quieter, while also protecting your surroundings. Bumper plates allow you to properly perform lifts, such as a hang clean, or the snatch where the bar is often dropped — a traditional weight plate is not the optimal choice for those lifts because they don’t absorb shock the same way, or offer any protection for your equipment.
Size and Dimensions
These bumper plates from Again Faster have a uniform diameter of 17.7 inches, which is the International Weightlifting Federation standard. However, the thickness of the plate will depend on the weight. The 10-pound plates are thicker than normal — they’re one inch thick, which may increase the durability and prevent them from bending. The 15-pound plates are 1.1 inches thick, the 25-pound plates are 1.9 inches thick, the 35-pound plates are 2.6 inches thick, and the 45-pound plates are 2.9 inches thick.
It is worth mentioning that these are not Olympic plates. For instance, a 45-pound Olympic plate is 2.1 inches thick, which is significantly thinner than these 45-pound plates. You can still perform Olympic-style lifts — this is just something that those competitors who want to practice from home need to note.
Warranties
While the actual warranty for these specific bumper plates is not listed on the Again Faster website, they do mention that their product will be free from material defects in workmanship.
Their other bumper plates do in fact have a specific warranty — the Crumb Rubber Bumpers feature a six-month warranty on the 10 and 15-pound plates, the 10-pound competition bumper plates have a one-year warranty, and the 25, 35, and 45-pound plates for both of those versions have a three-year warranty. The Pro Competition Bumper Plates feature a three-year warranty regardless of the weight. To file a warranty claim, or to find out more information, you can email their support team at service@againfaster.com.
Places to Buy
You can buy these Again Faster Bumper Plates through the Again Faster website.
Company Information
Based out of Jacksonville, Florida — Again Faster has a focus on producing high-quality products without breaking the bank of their customers. They offer a full refund within the first 30 days of purchase, as long as the product is still in usable condition. To find out more about their policies, you can email service@againfaster.com, or call them at 877-763-8775.
Final Word
These bumper plates from Again Faster offer high durability and versatility for athletes, making them ideal for cross-training and Olympic lifting. While they may not be the cheapest option in terms of individual pairs, the bundles are actually cheaper than some of their competitors. The price tag may be worth it anyway as these plates could last you for over 10 years thanks to solid craftsmanship.
If you are someone who is looking to add a full bundle, or maybe even just a few pairs of reliable bumper plates to your home gym, these are a great option for you to consider. While they do not meet the exact specifications in terms of thickness set by the IWF, they offer the same functionality as Olympic plates, and that extra thickness will likely keep them around longer. No matter if you are a beginner or an expert, The Again Faster Evo Weight Plates can amplify your workouts and help protect your home space in the process.
FAQs
Why would I want Again Faster Evo Weight Plates over traditional plates?
Because these bumper plates are wrapped in a virgin rubber, they are the optimal choice for certain lifts, such as power cleans. They’re more durable and the rubber will protect your barbell by absorbing shock, and will increase the odds of protecting your home gym from damage, as well.
What workouts can I do with the Again Faster Evo Weight Plates?
While you can definitely focus on your traditional lifts such as a bench press, bumper plates are designed for exercises that involve dropping your barbell — specifically Olympic and CrossFit lifts.
How much do the Again Faster Evo Weight Plates cost?
The price you’ll pay for these bumper plates varies. If you’re just looking to add a couple of pairs, the 10-pound pair is the cheapest with a price tag of about $80, the 25’s are about $140, and the 45’s are around $240. Since buying many pairs can be quite pricey, it might be best to go for one of the full sets. The 160-pound set is about $420, the 450-pound set is around $1,100, and the 1,000-pound set will run you around $2,200.
