Weight plates come in various qualities, with various price tags attached.  You want to figure out which ones are going to best suit your needs.  The following is a summary of a few different types of weight plates for standard Olympic (50mm) barbells and which ones represent best value for money depending on what you want to use them for. Rubber Weight Plates These weight plates vary in size with 15kg and heavier being of standard Olympic 450mm diameter.  These plates are the cheapest you will find to fit a standard Olympic barbell.  These weight plates are perfect if you don’t plan to rough them up too much – so for things like squats and bench press they’re perfect, and even deadlifts if you avoid dropping the weight back to the ground. Economy Bumper Plates If you’re looking for a plate that can handle being dropped and can survive the rigours of Olympic lifting, but doesn’t come with the hefty price tag that comes with most bumper plates, these could be right for you.  These plates are 100% solid rubber with a thick brass bushing.  The economy bumper plates won’t have the lifespan of a more expensive bumper plate, but [...]