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Deadlifting with dumbbells is a great workout that can engage your entire body. For people who don’t have a lot of room in their home gym, using adjustable dumbbells is a good option because you can still have a wide range of weights while saving space. However, maybe you want to use a barbell instead and are looking for the best and most compact steel weight plates for your home gym.
Made in the USA, the Weight It Out plates are solid steel weight plates that have great weight accuracy and might just be the thinnest weight plate on the market. If you’re a lifter who is interested in powerlifting, the Weight It Out plates may be a great option for you!
In this Weight It Out plates review, I’ll focus on the Weight It Out 45 Pound Solid Steel Weight Plate Pair. I’ll discuss everything from specs to user experience and will compare the Weight It Out plates to the Rogue Calibrated Lb Steel Plates. You can check out our full video review for further details, too. Let’s dive in.
RELATED: The Best Weight Plates
We Know a Thing or Two About Weight Plates
At Garage Gym Reviews, we aim to write reviews that give an honest opinion about home gym equipment. Our team includes CrossFit Level 1 Trainers, certified personal trainers, weightlifting coaches, Olympic athletes, and other experts who work diligently to provide the best opinions and most accurate scientific data for our articles.
Our website includes many products such as the Weight It Out plates, which have been tested by our team and reviewed on our YouTube channel to give you the best insider look to determine whether each product is worth it.
Weight It Out 45 Pound Solid Steel Weight Plate Pair
Weight It Out 45 Pound Solid Steel Weight Plate Pair
Product Highlights
- Very thin, solid steel weight plate
- Has a variance of +/- 1%
- Great for adding a lot of weight on small sleeves
- Made in the USA
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Handle cutout is good for portability
- Compact design is great for storage
- Steel construction is very durable
- It is the thinnest plate on the market
Cons
- Not a budget weight plate
- Does not have rounded edges
- Is not calibrated so it could be more accurate
- Does not come in a wide variety of colors
Bottom Line
The Weight It Out 45 Pound Solid Steel Weight Plate Pair is an extremely thin plate set that would make a great addition to your home gym. Made from solid steel, these plates are very durable, yet have sharp edges, so you must be careful handling them. They have a variance of +/- 1%, making them pretty accurate. If you have small sleeves or want to purchase metal plates, these may be for you. If you want calibrated or budget-friendly plates, you may consider buying a different product.
A Quick Look at the Weight It Out Plates
The Weight It Out brand has created one of, if not the thinnest weight plates in the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Weight It Out noticed that people needed home gym equipment, so they used their CNC cutters to make weight plates. Striving for function over aesthetic, they make their plates from industrial steel and take pride in the raw steel appearance and feel. These high quality plates are built for weightlifting and come with a variety of coatings, including gold, black, and clear coating options, as well as a gray rubber coating.
Before You Buy
- These plates aren’t rounded on the edges so be careful when handling them
- They are within 1% of the stated weight increment, which is great but you may find more accuracy with a calibrated plate
Video Review
Are the Weight It Out Plates Worth It?
These plates are great for people who don’t have enough space for a full set of bumper plates but want a few plates to add weight to their barbell and make a DIY set that fits their space and their needs. These plates may also be the best weight plates for those who have small sleeves and want super thin plates to add the most weight possible, or people who want to supplement their bumper plate set with additional plates.
For people who prefer the look of colored bumper plates or have small children who may get cut on the edge of the plate, this product may not be for you.
RELATED: What Is a Bumper Plate?
Great for:
Not recommended for:
- Portability due to the handle cutout
- Adding weight to equipment with small sleeves
- People who need more compact gym equipment
- People who want to load more plates than they can with traditional weights
- People who prefer to buy equipment made in the USA
- People who want colored plates
- People who want rounded edges on their plates
- People who prefer to buy calibrated plates that are more accurate
- People looking to buy budget weight plates
Weight It Out Plates Specs
| Price | $299.99 |
| Material | Steel |
| Weight Range | 5-45 lb plates |
| Thickness | 19 mm |
| Diameter | 450 mm |
| Opening | 2” |
| Variance | +/- 1% |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime for 20 years |
*Measurements are for the 45-pound plate; they may change slightly for other weight plates
Workout Experience/Using the Weight It Out Plates
Fitness aficionado and GGR founder, Coop Mitchell, tested the Weight It Out plates because so many people in the Garage Gym Reviews community asked him to review them. He was immediately very impressed at how thin they are.
When testing the product, Coop commented that the 2-inch center hole opening may be looser, or, as he says, have more “slop” than a normal calibrated plate that is just under 2 inches. Coop wishes that Weight It Out would give another option other than the 2-inch diameter because there is less tolerance between the plate and sleeve so it will rock from side to side when there is a single plate on the barbell. He also says that the plate doesn’t sit perfectly upright on a barbell, since there is not much for it to rest on due to its thinness.
On the Weight It Out website, they suggest using a tight fitting collar if you put only one pair of plates on your barbell to keep them from sliding around. Since the weights are made of steel and aren’t rubber coated like many weight plates, there may also be clanging noise when using them on a barbell, especially if you chose not to use a collar.
RELATED: Crazy Ways to Use Weight Plates
Construction, Portability, and Durability
The Weight It Out plates are some of the thinnest, most durable plates on the market. With a thickness of 19 millimeters for the pair of 45s, Coop says this rivals the competition. The solid steel plates have a gold color coating as well as a rainbow effect. The cast iron option can be cast with a clear coat or with a machine edge and a black powder coat. What’s great is that even though the coated options may be slightly thicker due to the coating, they are also listed as being 19 millimeters thick.
Coop personally tested how accurate the steel plates are and found that they are within 1% of the stated weight increment, which is fantastic for not being calibrated plates. The handle cutout is a great addition to this weight plate, since it adds to the comfortability of the product and makes it easier to pick up. The plates also have an industrial design with the lettering either screen printed or laser etched.
Since the plates are constructed from American-made solid steel and the edges are not rounded, they may be sharp. This may make their portability a little more difficult if you have to be cautious to ensure that you don’t get cut. Coop joked that the plates are so sharp that you may lose a toe if you dropped one on your bare foot. However, this is also important to keep in mind if you have small kids who come into your workout space.
Weight It Out also makes cast iron weight plates, which Coop says are less durable than solid steel plates.
Comparison to the Rogue Calibrated Lb Steel Plates
Rogue Calibrated Lb Steel Plates
Rogue Calibrated LB Steel Plates
Product Highlights
- Available in kilos or pounds
- IPF-approved
- Machine calibrated to within +/- 10 grams
- Thin design for 1,500-lb load capacity
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Available in kilos or pounds
- Thin width allows for heavier loads on the barbell
- IPF-approved
- Very tight weight tolerance (15 grams)
- Machine calibrated to within +/- 10 grams
- Calibration plugs on back of plates for increased precision
- 50MM collar opening
- Thin Design for 1500LB load capacity
- Low Gloss Powdercoat surface finish
- Exclusive Rogue branding, Artwork on one side only
Cons
- Paint is known to chip away fairly easily
- Can be hard to pick up from the ground if lying flat
- Center ring fits very snug and may not fit cheaper barbells not made to IPF spec
Bottom Line
The Rogue Calibrated Steel Weight Plates have a tight weight tolerance of just 15 grams, are IPF-approved, and are extremely durable.
According to Coop, the Rogue Calibrated Lb Steel Plates are the most similar product to the Weight It Out plates. The Rogue plates have a thickness of 22 millimeters, which matters, according to Coop, especially when you have a short sleeve, since you cannot fit as many plates on a barbell.
For portability, the Weight It Out plates are better because unlike the Rogue, they have handle cutouts. The lack of a handle makes the Rogue plates hard to pick up and move around a home gym. The paint finish is also known to chip away on the Rogue plates.
The cost of a pair of Rogue 45LB Calibrated Plates is $225, which is similar to the Weight It Out 45 Pound Solid Steel Weight Plate Pair, which cost $299.99. However, Weight It Out offers free shipping and Rogue does not. For those who want accurate plates, the Rogue plates may be for you, since they are machine calibrated to within +/- 10 grams, which is better than the +/- 1% offered with the Weight It Out plates. If this is not important to you and you’d rather be able to fit more plates on your barbell, then Weight It Out is the better choice for you.
Rogue does offer a lifetime warranty, which is an added bonus. Weight It Out offers a limited lifetime warranty for 20 years.
Coop says he personally would buy Rogue plates because he loves the product. To determine which plate is best for you, you must choose whether you care about thickness or calibration more. There are many types of Olympic weight plates, so deciding if you want a urethane finish, rubber coating, or solid steel may help!
RELATED: Olympic Weights vs Standard: What’s the Difference?
| Weight It Out Plates | Rogue Calibrated Lb Steel Plates | |
| Price | $299.99 | $225 |
| Material | Steel | Cast iron |
| Weight Range | 1-45 lb plates | 0.25-55 lb plates |
| Thickness | 19 mm | Varies from 4.5-27 mm |
| Diameter | 450 mm | 25 lb – 35 mm35 lb – 400 mm 45 lb- 450 mm55 lb – 450 mm |
| Opening | 2” (50.8 mm) | 50.4 mm |
| Variance | +/- 1% | +/- 10 grams |
| Made in USA | Yes | No |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime for 20 years | Lifetime |
| Free Shipping | Yes | No |
Customer Experience
Weight It Out offers a limited lifetime warranty of 20 years to fix any functional issues. They offer refunds for 15 days after delivery if the product is still in new condition.
Many customers said that Weight It Out has excellent customer service and stated that they received fast shipping and great packaging. One customer also commented that they ordered the plates on backorder and they were very pleased with the accuracy of the shipping date.
Ordering and Assembling the Weight It Out Plates
The ordering process should be pretty simple. You can order the weight plates from the Weight It Out website and select either solid steel or the cast-iron option. You can buy plates individually or in sets. Weight It Out also offers free U.S. shipping to the 48 contiguous states.
The assembly process should also be very easy, since you only have to take the plates out of their shipping containers. However, make sure you are careful not to cut yourself on the sharp edges.
Customer Reviews
The reviews on the Weight It Out website are overwhelmingly positive. Many people have commented that they love that the plates are so thin and some stated that they are changing out their bumper plates for the Weight It Out steel plates. Some customers did mention that the edges are sharp and they got paper-like cuts from handling the weight plates.
Final Verdict of Our Weight It Out Plates Review
If you are looking for the best weight plates for a home gym that don’t take up much space on your Olympic barbell, then you should check out the Weight It Out plates. If you don’t mind that the plates are not calibrated and are OK with the sharp edges, this product is for you. They rival most plates on the market, and are a great way for lifters to increase their load.
Weight It Out Plates Rating
Weight It Out Plates
This Weight It Out Plates review will explain how this product rivals the competition by being the thinnest on the market.
Product Currency: $
Product Price: 299.99
Product In-Stock: InStock
4.1
Weight It Out Plates FAQs
Are weight plate workouts effective?
Yes! Using weight plates can be a challenging, but great way to gain strength. Make sure that you start slowly, and do not lift too much right off the bat. Doing so will help you reach your personal goals and will help you build resistance over time as you add on more weight.
How long do weight plates last?
They can last anywhere from a few years to 20 years or more. It depends on the plate type as well as how often you are using it for workouts.
Are rubber or metal weights better?
Rubber weights are more durable because the metal plate is protected by a rubber coat. This may help prevent scratching, as well as protecting your floor from dropped weights. However, some people may want a metal plate because they like the appearance or because it is thinner and allows you to fit more weight on your sleeve.
Further reading
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