When looking for the right weight plates to add to a home gym, many turn to bumper plates as they can be used for pretty much every barbell workout. Two great options for home gym owners to consider are the Rogue Echo Bumper Plates and the REP Fitness Black Bumper Plates. Bumper plates are great for those who lift at home because the rubber coating can help protect your barbell and surrounding equipment from damage while also limiting the noise from your power cleans.
While these bumper plates look nearly identical at first glance and offer similar utility, they still have a few differences. Both of these bumper plates feature steel inserts with a virgin rubber coating, which builds a durable product that could last you for ten years (or longer). Though their materials are the same, the price, thickness of the plates, and sets offered are different. Follow along as we compare these bumper plates from Rogue and REP Fitness, and help you decide which ones could be right for you.
Rogue Echo Bumper Plates Highlights
When building out your home gym, one of the most important factors in your gear selection should be convenience — which is why bumper plates are such a hot commodity. Rogue designed their black Echo Bumper Plates with stainless steel inserts, a virgin rubber coating, and a durometer rating of 88. If you aren’t familiar with this type of rating, it tells you how hard a bumper plate is, and how much bounce you can expect from it. Bumper plates range from 65 to 100, so these plates are on the higher end of the scale.
The Rogue Echo Bumper Plates are made out of quality virgin rubber and have steel inserts to limit bouncing when dropped during various exercises.
One of our favorite things about these plates is how thin they are. Those of elite strength will love this factor as it allows you to fit more plates on your loading sleeves. The Echo Bumper Plates feature weight options ranging from 10 to 45 pounds, and you have three different buying options for full sets — 160, 230, and 260 pounds. These plates do meet the IWF diameter standards of 17.7 inches, but they’re still thicker than competition bumpers, so they likely aren’t the ideal fit for serious competitors to practice with. Another cool thing about these plates is that they are approved for the deadlift portion of the Army Combat Fitness Test — a six-event assessment that determines soldiers’ physical fitness.
Main Takeaways
- The Echo Bumper Plates are thinner than most non-competition bumper plates, which creates more space on your loading sleeves for a heavier lift.
- The durometer rating of 88 here leads to a dead bounce that will protect your barbell from harm.
- These plates are approved for the Army Combat Fitness Test, which determines the overall fitness of a soldier.
REP Fitness Black Bumper Plates Highlights
Like the Rogue Echo bumpers, REP fitness also uses steel inserts with a virgin rubber coating on their black bumper plates. While the 45’s here are also thinner than some competition, they’re significantly thicker than the Echo’s 45-pound plates. One thing we think is really cool though is that the 10’s are actually thicker than the majority of 10-pound bumper plates. These 10-pound plates are a full inch thick, while most companies (including Rogue) make theirs 0.8 inches thick. This thicker build could prevent them from bending with repeated use.
These durable black bumper plates have steel inserts and low-bounce virgin rubber that may help reduce noise when dropped. They're ideal for traditional lifts, cross-training, and even Olympic Lifts. Weekly discounts through the month of November will bring you 10% off different REP products.
While the durometer rating is not listed on the REP Fitness website, we still found the bounce in both plates to be comparable when we tested them ourselves. REP includes a five-pound plate option for beginners to learn the proper technique for their Olympic lifts, and they also feature more full sets for you to purchase. Similar to Rogue, REP offers a 160, 230, and 260-pound set — but they offer sets between those options (at 190, 210, and 250), and a 370-pound set.
Main Takeaways
- These bumper plates range from five to 45 pounds, and are available in seven different full sets that range from 160 to 370 pounds.
- The steel inserts and low-bounce virgin rubber make these plates ideal for Olympic and CrossFit lifts, as they will absorb the shock and protect your barbell.
- The 10-pound plates are thicker than normal, which offers added durability.
Rogue vs. REP Bumper Plates Video Review
Our reviews writer, Jake, spent time with both of these bumper plates during his detailed video review. Tag along as he compares these bumpers to one another, and helps you decide which one is a better fit for your home gym.
What Are the Big Differences Between the Rogue Echo Bumpers and the REP Fitness Black Bumpers?
Though these two brands offer similar bumpers, we still noticed some differences. The main ones were the number of sets available, the pricing, and the thickness of the plates.
There’s a Price Difference
If you’re on a budget, pay attention. Whether you buy the individuals or a full set, Rogue charges more for their plates. So, if you want to save, REP may be your answer.
Rogue Echo Bumper Plates
Rogue offers the Echo Bumper Plates in both pairs and full sets. A pair of 10-pound plates is about $65, the 15’s are around $80, the 25’s are roughly $115, the 35’s are about $150, and the 45’s are around $190. You will have to pay around $40 or so for shipping on top of these prices though, but there’s no shipping cost with the full sets.
You have three different options when it comes to the full sets. The 160-pound set is about $400 and may be the optimal choice for beginners to grab. The 230-pound set is priced at around $560, and the 360-pound set is nearly $640. These prices are really competitive with the rest of the market, and it’s nice that you don’t have to pay for shipping with the full sets. However, Rogue doesn’t offer anything heavier than 260 pounds, which means elite lifters may have to opt for the more expensive REP plates or tack on additional pairs to their full set of Rogue Echos for an extra charge.
REP Fitness Black Bumper Plates
REP also offers the ability to purchase these bumper plates in pairs or as a full set. You can purchase the 10’s for around $70, the 15’s for around $90, the 25’s for around $130, the 35’s for about $160, and the 45’s for roughly $210. While these are priced slightly higher than Rogue’s pairs, you don’t have to pay for shipping, so you may spend less overall with REP than you would with Rogue.
Since REP offers additional sets for purchase, let’s focus on the similar sets that are available with both of these companies first. The 160-pound set is about $355, the 230-pound set is roughly $510, and the 260-pound set is about $590. Even though Rogue doesn’t charge for shipping on their sets, you’re still going to be saving money with REP. Even the 370-pound set that’s around $820 will be cheaper than purchasing the 260-pound set from Rogue and buying additional individual pairs of plates. Regarding the in-between sets, the 190-pound set will run you around $445, and the 250-pound set is roughly $560.
Thickness
In addition to the pricing, the thickness of these plates may be another deciding factor between the two. If you’re someone who is not maxing out the space on the sleeves of your barbell, the REP bumpers may be your best option. However, if you’re tossing around some super heavy weight, you might want to lean toward the Rogue Echo bumpers. These plates are significantly thinner than most of their competition and will create more space for more plates on your barbell.
Unlike the majority of metal plates, bumper plates are going to vary in their thickness. Rogue made their 10-pound plates the “standard” 0.8 inches thick, the 15’s are 1.04 inches thick, the 25’s are 1.55 inches thick, the 35’s are 1.9 inches thick, and the 45’s are 2.4 inches thick. On the flip side, REP made their 10-pound plates a full inch thick, the 15’s are 1.24 inches thick, the 25’s are 1.75 inches thick, the 35’s are 2.4 inches thick, and the 45’s are 2.83 inches thick.
Even though the 45’s from REP are thinner than most other bumper plates out there (45’s are often three inches thick), they’re still noticeably thicker than Rogue’s. This is a good thing for beginner to intermediate lifters since the plates have a larger surface area to prevent bending. But for those who are power cleaning much heavier weights, you may need some thinner plates to fit all your bumpers comfortably on your barbell. So be sure to consider your strength level, and how much space you need on your barbell’s loading sleeves before choosing between these two companies.
Sets
When it comes to making the most cost-efficient purchase, a full set of bumper plates is going to absolutely be the way to go. While both Rogue and REP offer similar weight options in their full sets, REP has seven full sets compared to Rogue’s three full sets.
If you need a heavy set of plates, you’ll want to go for the 370-pound set from REP since it will be cheaper than getting the 260-pound set from Rogue and adding on individual pairs. On top of the 160, 230, 260, and 370-pound sets, REP also offers 190 and 250-pound sets. Your decision here may just depend on the weights you personally are looking for, so be sure to consider all of your options.
Which Bumper Plates Are The Better Option?
The answer to this question really is in the eye of the beholder since there are a couple of individualized factors to consider. The first factor is your budget, and Rogue charges more for their bumper plates individually and as a full set. If you’re on a tight budget then REP is definitely going to be your best fit. REP’s sets are around $50 cheaper, and the individual pairs are over $40 cheaper since you don’t have to pay for shipping.
You should also consider the amount of weight you need, which will impact how much you spend. REP offers more sets, and a heavier set. If you were to go with Rogue, but you need more than 260 pounds (their max weight in sets), you’ll have to either purchase another full set or add on some individual pairs — both of which would cost you more money.
The last consideration is thickness. If you’re someone who isn’t putting multiple plates on your loading sleeves, you’ll likely want to opt for the REP plates since they have a wider surface area and a decreased chance of bending when dropped. However, they do take up more space, so elite lifters may want the Echo’s from Rogue as they are significantly thinner and allow you to load on more weight.
At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with either brand as they are likely going to last you around 10 years or so. Just be sure you’re thinking about your personal budget and fitness needs before choosing between these two different bumpers.
Is The Thickness Of The Plates That Important?
The answer to this question will ultimately depend on your strength level. The bumpers from REP will be the best fit for anyone who is only tossing one plate on their loading sleeves for their power cleans. The extra thickness should allow for more durability and limit the bending when dropped. However, this extra thickness could also negatively impact the amount of whip on your barbell and change the overall feeling of your lifts.
If you’re someone who is strong enough to max out their loading sleeves for their lifts, you’ll probably want to go for the Rogue Echo Bumpers. Each bumper plate from Rogue is a lot thinner than what REP is offering, so you can fit heavier weights on your bar. Plus, a thinner plate will likely have your cleans feeling more natural. So, yes, the thickness of the plates does matter — we recommend a thicker plate for beginners, and thinner ones for experts who are lifting with multiple plates.
Final Word
When searching for the right bumper plates, you’ll want to look for durability, steel inserts to reduce the bend when dropped, and a virgin rubber coating for a high durometer rating. Both of these bumper plates from Rogue and REP offer these features. They can be used for powerlifts, and can also properly handle your Olympic and CrossFit lifts.
While we don’t think you can go wrong with either of these choices, we still think you need to weigh the pros and cons of each. The Rogue plates are a little more expensive, but they’re thinner, which means they allow you to load more weight onto your barbell. The REP bumpers are cheaper, but the added thickness may negatively affect the whip on your bar while lifting. It really boils down to your personal preference, though. As long as you think about your needs, we think either of these bumpers will keep you lifting comfortably for at least the next decade.
FAQs
Why would I want bumper plates like the Rogue Echo’s or the REP Black Bumpers over traditional plates?
In short, bumper plates are more versatile than metal plates. This is because of the rubber coating that allows them to absorb shock and keep your barbell from harm during Olympic lifts, like a power clean or hang clean.
How much do the Rogue Echo Bumper Plates and REP Fitness Black Bumper Plates cost?
The prices for these bumper plates depend on how much weight you need. With Rogue, a pair of 10-pound plates is about $65, the 15s are around $80, the 25s are roughly $115, the 35s are about $150, and the 45s are around $190 — and we can’t forget the $40 or so for shipping.
With REP, the 10s are priced at around $70, the 15s are about $90, the 25s are around $130, the 35s are roughly $160, and the 45s are $210. While some of these pairs are a little more expensive, it’s nice that shipping is free. Despite Rogue offering free shipping on their full sets, REP is still offering theirs at a discounted price in comparison.
What workouts can I do with the Rogue Echo Bumpers and REP Black Bumpers?
The beauty of bumper plates is that they can truly do it all. You can focus on the big three of powerlifting (squat, bench, deadlift), or you can switch it up and work in some Olympic lifts, such as a clean & jerk.
