Hi-Temp Bumper Plates
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Manufacturer: Hi-Temp Weights
Pros & Cons
6 Reasons To Buy
- We have absolutely used and abused the set of Hi-Temp Bumper Plates we have and although they’re not perfect, for high usage gyms, Hi-Temps are hard to beat (there’s a reason so many CrossFit Affiliate Gyms use them.)
- Hi-Temps are made with recycled crumb rubber from used tires which are then heated up and compressed in a mold. This is what causes them to be so affordable, but also why they bounce more than most bumper plates.
- Although Hi-Temps work fine indoors, the reason we like crumb rubber plates is so we can take them out onto the driveway when the weather’s nice. Training outside is one of the best benefits afforded with a home gym.
- Hi-Temps are guaranteed to be within +/- 0.5 LB of the claimed weight. This is a pretty wide range but at least there’s a guarantee.
- The 2” insert on the plates is made of stainless steel that will prevent rust from forming.
- In comparing price, these are some of the best value bumper plates on the market; especially when you consider the durability. Although we’ve used them a lot, there are many others who have put even more abuse on them. An old CrossFit gym I used to attend had them for nearly a decade with only a few 10 LB plates biting the dust.
5 Reasons Not To Buy
- The biggest complaint people have with Hi-Temps is that their diameter is smaller than IWF Standard bumper plates. At 445MM, although only 5MM smaller, it makes it difficult to use other plates on the bar as well.
- Due to the way the plates are molded, Hi-Temps are notorious for having their center stainless steel hub popping out when people drop a bar with only 10 LB plates loaded.
- These are much wider than your average plates. At a width of 3.75” for a 45 LB plate, that’s over a 1.5” wider than a competition bumper plate. This means you can typically only fit 405 LB on a barbell when doing deadlifts or squats, which definitely limits powerlifters and very strong Olympic Weightlifters.
- Although still functional, our plates look pretty beat up and ugly. They are retired automotive tires so it is a bit expected.
- Due to how they’re molded, Hi-Temps do sometimes have defects that don’t get discovered until they get to the customer. However, most companies like Rogue Fitness and FringeSport will fix the issue.
Author Spotlight
Community Reviews
June 21, 2019
Excellent performance and value for the money
I have found the Hi-Temp bumper plates to have a number of (at least for me) very useful and utilitarian features. In no particular order, some of these features include the following: 1) They are very close in weight to the claimed weight stamped on each plate, as measured by a calibrated scale. This goes for every plate I have purchased, from 10 pounds, 15, 25, 35, and 45 pounds. 2) There is relatively little to no odor, which I understand is a complaint for a number of rubber and urethane bumper plates. 3) The plates are easy to hold on to even with sweaty hands, which is not the case for some of the more "elegant" bumpers with smoother surface finishes. 4) They are pretty quiet when dropped, particularly if you use a good quality bar and collars to hold the plates on tightly. This is useful since I often train late at night and I don't want to wake people up when I set a deadlift down. Downsides which I have heard or read about are a matter of perspective. It is true that these plates are not particularly attractive, are pretty wide and so can limit the weight you can add to the bar, and are not exactly the same diameter as most iron or bumper plates on the market. However, if you want an inexpensive plate for training that is right on the money with respect to weight, is easy to pick up with one hand, doesn't smell, and is made in the USA, I think these plates are very good value for the money.
Product Summary
Manufactured for more than a decade at the Hi-Temp plant in Tuscumbia, Alabama, Hi-Temp Bumper Plates remain among the few American-made weightlifting plates on the market. By no coincidence, they also rank among the very best—vouched for by trainers, gym owners, and competitive lifters, alike.
Finding a much needed alternative to the damaging clang of old-school iron plates and the weak construction of some imported bumpers, Hi-Temps are built from a nearly indestructible marriage of recycled vulcanized rubber and a 2" stainless steel insert. As with most crumb rubber plates, this manufacturing process can sometimes create minor aesthetic imperfections, but quality plates should be all about performance, not winning beauty pageants.
As another key design component, the collar on Hi-Temp bumpers is inset from the plane of the plate, allowing for better protection when multiple plates are on the bar, and reducing the risk of inserts getting impacted or popping out.
Hi-Temp Bumpers measure 445MM in diameter and are guaranteed within +/- 0.5LB of the claimed weight. Using the column on the right, you can order your plates in simple pairs (10LB, 15LB, 25LB, 35LB, or 45LB) or in one of our full set options, ranging from 160LB in combined weight to 1,000LB.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Made in the USA from Crumb Rubber (Recycled Vulcanized Rubber)
- Diameter:445MM
- Plate Widths: See Gear Specs Above
- Durometer: 75
- Weight Tolerance: +/- 0.5LB
- 2” Stainless Steel Insert
- Inset Collar Design to reduce friction
- Color: Black w/ Rogue and Hi-Temp logos
- 1 Year Warranty after purchase
Product Specs
- Diameter
- 445MM
- Durometer
- 75
- Made in USA
- Yes
- Weight Tolerance
- +/- 0.5LB
- Insert Type
- Stainless Steel
- 10LB Plate Width
- 1.37"
- 15LB Plate Width
- 1.87"
- 25LB Plate Width
- 2.25"
- 35LB Plate Width
- 3.12"
- 45LB Plate Width
- 3.75"
- Warranty
- 1 Year Warranty
