Homegrown Lifting Bumper Plates Review (2024)

Practicing various lifting techniques by doing heavy deadlifting, high pulls, snatches, clean and jerks, but always hurt yourself while putting the loaded bar back on the ground? Bumper plates will save your home gym from damage and enable you to master weight lifting properly. Look at a detailed HomeGrown lifting bumper plates review to know what specs and perks make these plates worthy to use during strength workouts.

Homegrown Lifting Bumper Plates Review – Quick Summary

Benefit from the Kentucky-based prime-quality lifting equipment that will upgrade your training routine with one-of-a-kind bumper plates, loadable dumbbells, Olympic barbells, and other lifting gear.

With their own facilities and machines used, and by perfecting the manufacturing process, Homegrown engineers do their best to design durable and reliable equipment everyone can buy to improve their lifting skills and enjoy hassle-free usage.

Homegrown bumper plates are crafted by pro weightlifters who know best the real needs and requirements of weightlifting and all strength-related disciplines.

• Item dimensions: 1.1” W (10lb)/1.6” W (15lb)/ 2.5” W (25 lb)/ 3.6” W (45 lb)
• Plate diameter: 17.72” (450 mm)
• Insert hole diameter: 2”
• Material: Urethane binder, recycled crumb rubber
• Weight options: 10 lb/15 lb/ 25 lb/ 45 lb
• Color: Matte black, with 6 different colored flecks
• Good for: Weightlifting, bodybuilding, functional training

Being made in the USA, these prime-quality bumper plates are specifically designed for those who appreciate sports equipment unique features and functionality, by considering personal needs and training goals. They’re made for true devotees of weightlifting, bodybuilding, cross-taining, and overally those who’re keen on strength-oriented workouts.

The manufacturer claims you’ll be impressed with the exceptional quality of the plates: they’re crafted from a combination of urethane binder and recycled crumb rubber that ensures their durability and long-lasting serving. So, you can use them for indoor and outdoor training.

Also, you’ll benefit from the color coding of the bumper plates. You can distinguish the weight of the specific plate by the color flecks filled into it. So, it’ll be easy to pick up the needed weights instantly.

Who and What are Homegrown Lifting Bumper Plates For?

Homegrown bumper plates are manufactured by seasoned American weightlifters for avid power- and weightlifters who participate in competitive weightlifting, functional fitness athletes, and HIIT fans who like training with weights. These products are suitable for home gyms, garage gyms, and commercial professional sport clubs.

Why should you choose Homegrown plates over others?

• Homegrown possesses its own facilities to craft lifting equipment of exceptional quality.
• Undersized center holes to fit the collars to the plates before the flare, making them serve longer.
• Every amateur and professional lifter can afford these plates to train at the commercial or home gym.

Homegrown Lifting Bumper Plates review: A detailed review of the main features

Let's delve deeper into the HomeGrown bumper plates description by assessing their properties and functionality in detail.

1. Material Quality

The HomeGrown bumper plates are produced from the premier quality urethane binder and recycled rubber with colored flecks. It makes these weight plates firm and long-lasting being a perfect fit for home, garage, and street workouts. They also have a matte black cover with stainless steel inserts.

2. Ease of use

The HomeGrown created their own design for the plates to make it easier for athletes to distinguish the weight. Bumper plates come with different coloring depending on the weight range. You'll have the following color coding scheme: 10 lb with white inclusions, 15 lb with orange specks, and so on. So, it's a great solution to save time during training sessions and you don't need to distract yourself searching for proper plate weight.

3. Durability

HomeGrown engineers guarantee exceptional-quality manufacturing processes, testing, and performance of the lifting equipment by preserving the demands of weightlifting and bodybuilding. The brand's designers stand for genuine plate quality that withstands the test of time.

4. Versatility

As we already mentioned, due to the high-quality material of the plates and extra rubber inserts, they can be utilized at different gyms both outdoor and indoor. Additionally, by choosing a specific bumper plate set, you can switch between a wide range of weights that also proves their versatility.

5. Value for money

The manufacturers' position is to produce weight plates that will be affordable for all lifting training devotees. That's why they present plates of moderate prices. Also, HomeGrown is an entirely USA-based business that crafts lifting equipment using its own producing technologies and machines.

How do you use Homegrown Lifting Bumper Plates? 

Generally, there's no gym without weight plates. This is a key thing every lifter has been trained with or has a set of plates at home gym. Bumper plates are a perfect way to diversify the workout and incorporate lifting exercises that involve the entire body. There's no surprise that bumper plates are useful for learning the proper lifting technique.

When using HomeGrown lifting bumper plates, you stay safe as you implement the right technique to lift a barbell with various weights. You can utilize the bumper plates in the following cases:

• A particular exercise requires higher safety measures than while using iron plates
• When you drop the loaded barbell during the workout by hitting the surface
• When you start learning new lifting techniques and it's likely you drop the weights occasionally

Bumper plates are originally designed to use during strength-oriented exercises, i.e., squats, cleans, deadlifts and their variations like sumo deadlift high pulls, bar over burpees, Russian twists, weighted planks, bench presses, etc., and also exercises for grip training.

By using bumper plates correctly, meaning keeping the suitable form and lifting performance strategy, you'll avoid injuries and strains.

As this lifting equipment features stainless steel insert, iron base, and durable rubber coat, such a construction allows you to use the bumper plates for weightlifting exercises, preventing plates and floor damage as you'll always drop them after each rep.

If using bumper plates in a street workout area, these plates can be easily cleaned with a towel. Additionally, beginners in lifting and pro lifters perform some bumper plate exercises in the rack to concentrate more on their form and technique.

Homegrown Lifting Bumper Plates alternatives

Let's compare the HomeGrown plates with other prominent alternatives from well-known sports brands that are also specialized in crafting weightlifting equipment.

1. Homegrown Lifting Bumper Plates VS REP Bumper Plates

REP Fitness bumper plates also stand for exceptional quality and durability, having all characteristics perfectly fit for cross-training, HIIT, bodybuilding, and Olympic weightlifting. Similarly to HomeGrown plates, you can use them for various barbell-requiring exercises, i.e., snatches, deadlifts, hip thrusts, dropping the barbell from overhead and shoulder height, and so on.

They also come with steel inserts that have molded hooks to provide better durability than standard bumpers. The plates are black-colored with white letters. All the plates are compatible with 2” barbells and have a 1% weight tolerance.

Like with the HomeGrown lifting bumper plates, you can select a proper weight set for your fitness goals. It needs to be mentioned that, like HomeGrown, the 10lb plates are extra thick (1”) compared with the standard plate. Additionally, all plates have a low bounce rate when dropping off the ground.

You can easily transit the weight plates on and off the bar. The manufacturers claim that the plates are tested meticulously to withstand more than 12,000 drops from an 8' height. Concerning the price, REP Fitness bumper plates are twice more expensive as the HomeGrown ones. However, the ratio of functionality and quality is almost the same.

REP bumper plates colorful variation

Let's look at the colorful variation of the REP's Black Bumper Plates. They really look sharp and are covered by a durable rubber finish. These plates also fit weightlifting, bodybuilding, cross-training, and HIIT.

The REP plates are color-coded according to the IWF standards, so it's easy to define the weight. Another peculiarity is that the 10lb plates are extra thick, which increases durability and reduces tilting. At the same time, the 45lb plates are thinner than others to allow more plates to be put on the bar (you can load 5 plates of 45 lb on each sleeve that is 225 lb for each side, and a total of 450 lb).

2. Homegrown Lifting Bumper Plates vs Rogue Bumper Plates

Rogue Echo Bumper Plates have many common features with the HomeGrown ones: they both have an IWF standard 17.72" diameter (450 mm), stainless steel inserts, rubber cover, 1% of weight tolerance and come with a low bounce rate. However, the durometer rate for Rogue plates shows 88 points, while HomeGrown plates have just 80A points according to the durometer.

These bumper plates are approved for the new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), and just like HomeGrown plates, can be used for deadlifts, cleans, dead rows, etc.

They come in pairs or you can choose a fitting set. Although the plates are thinner than HomeGrown ones, for instance, 10 lb plates are 0.83", 15 lb - 1.04".

Considering the fact that these plates are imported from China, their cost is higher than HomeGrown, which are purely USA-based manufacturers.

Comparison table of the bumper plates reviewed

Сompared Сharacteristic	HomeGrown Bumper Plates	REP Black Plates	REP Color Plates	Rogue Bumper Plates
Plate diameter	17.72”	17.72”	17.72”	17.72”
Plate width	10lb - 1.1” 15lb - 1.6” 25lb - 2.5” 35lb - 3.1” 45lb - 3.6”	10lb - 1.0” 15lb - 1.2” 25lb - 1.8” 35lb - 2.4” 45lb - 2.8”	10lb - 1.0” 15lb - 1.2” 25lb - 1.8” 35lb - 2.4” 45lb - 2.8” 55lb - 3.2”	10lb - 0.83” 15lb - 1.04” 25lb - 1.50” 35lb - 1.90” 45lb - 2.40”
Material	urethane binder, recycled crumb rubber	rubber	rubber	rubber
Plate set options	160lb/190lb/260lb/ 350lb/370lb/500lb	160lb/190lb/230lb/ 250lb/260lb/340lb	160lb/190lb/230lb/250lb/ 260lb/270lb/300lb/340lb/370lb	160lb/230lb/260lb
Durability	durometer rate - 80A	withstand more than 12,000 drops from an 8' height	withstand more than 12,000 drops from an 8' height	durometer rate - 88
Price	$	$$$	$$$$	$$

FAQ

Are bumper plates good for home gyms? 

Since these weight plates are covered with durable rubber, you can consider them worthy equipment for your home gym. Rubber finish helps athletes prevent damage to the surfaces and the plates themselves. Also, they can train in proper lifting techniques and enhance their form.

Is lifting with bumper plates easier?

Concerning the weight, bumper plates are the same weight measure as steel or iron plates. Although, bumper plates look quite bigger than iron ones because they're covered with a layer of thick rubber. The rubber coating can add to the plate dimensions, but it doesn't affect the weight. Although, most athletes say it's easier to lift bumper plates because they're covered in a thick layer of rubber that absorbs shock when you drop a barbell or plates separately.

Are bumper plates any good?

Yes, bumper plates are excellent for beginners to train their lifting strategy, and for professionals to promote their form. Especially, they're handy if you take part in competitive weight training. Bumper plates save your equipment and surface when you drop the plates and load the barbell.

Conclusion

Having conducted a comprehensive Homegrown Lifting Bumper Plates review, we hope you've already determined which bumper plates will be a perfect complement to your home gym. For safe overhead lifts and barbell drops, and for skilling up at performing weightlifting exercises, bumper plates have no option to choose from. Benefit from the HomeGrown plates due to their exceptional price&quality ratio, which will serve you longer than old-school iron plates.

Also read:

• Best Powerlifting Barbell
• Best Trap Bar
• Best Multi Grip Barbell
• Best Rogue Barbell
• Best Women's Barbell
• Best Bumper Plate Storage
• Best Weight Bar for Home Gym
• Best Pull up Bar

References:

1. Unique Aspects of Competitive Weightlifting // SpringerLink: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF03262294
2. Load-velocity relationship of the deadlift exercise // TandfOnline: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17461391.2020.1785017
3. Grip Strength and Sports Performance in Competitive Master Weightlifters // NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9915202/
4. Injuries among weightlifters and powerlifters // BMJ: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/51/4/211
5. Optimal Load and Power Spectrum During Jerk and Back Jerk in Competitive Weightlifters // Journals: https://bit.ly/3NxHexC
6. Factors Related to Average Concentric Velocity of Four Barbell Exercises at Various Loads // Journals: https://bit.ly/3XGVRDr
7. Weightlifting Overhead Pressing Derivatives: A Review of the Literature // NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6548056/