PRx Bumper Plates Review
Updated September 2026 with my 6-month review · First tested July 2025 · 3 videos
If you lift on a finished floor, buy bumpers, not iron. I love the competition plates because they're dense and thin and you get more weight on the bar, but the base plates surprised me, and they're enough for most people. Neither set shows wear or warping. The catch is PRx gives three different warranty answers on three different pages.
Buy it if
- Buy them if you lift on a finished floor, a vinyl floor or above a living space.
- Buy them if you drop the bar, or train alone and want the option.
- Buy the competition plates if you want the bar loaded thin.
- Buy the winged plate storage with them if you're done tripping over plates.
Skip it if
- Skip them if you lift on a garage slab and never drop the bar. Iron will save you money.
- Skip the competition plates if budget matters. They run about three times the price of the base plates per pair.
Photos
Pictures from the videos
Before you buy
What I don't love
Three warranty answers
The Prime page says 90 days on 10s and 15s and 2 years on the bigger plates. The site warranty page says 10 years. The Competition page says nothing. Get it in writing.
Prime specs are missing
The Prime line doesn't publish its insert material or rubber hardness, which are the two specs that separate a good bumper from a bad one.
Competition plates cost a lot more
A pair of competition 45s is $369.99. A pair of Prime 45s is $208.99.
Watch the videos
Every video I've made on it
Newest on top.
Base plates or competition?
Both PRx plate lines side by side after six months, plus the plate storage with the wings.
One month in
How the bumper plates held up after a month of use, and what I'd flag before you buy.
Day one
Unboxing the Elite and Prime bumper plates, getting it set up in my parents' home gym, and my first impressions.
Questions I get
What's the difference between Prime and Elite Competition?
Competition plates are denser and thinner for the same weight, with a published steel insert and 90 to 92 durometer rubber. The Prime plates are thicker and don't publish either.
Competition or base plates for a home gym?
Base plates are enough for most people. Buy competition if you want the bar loaded thin, or you just like them, which I do.
Will bumpers protect a basement floor?
That's the reason to buy them. Iron dropped on vinyl can crack it.
How much does the plate storage hold?
270 lb on the 3-peg and 360 lb on the 4-peg. The Weight Wing adds 50 lb per side for plates under 9.5 inches.
What's the warranty?
It depends which PRx page you read, which is the problem. Get it in writing before you order.
Specs
| Prime diameter | 17.75", solid rubber, 50.6 mm collar opening |
|---|---|
| Prime widths | 45 lb 3.18", 35 lb 2.59", 25 lb 2.00", 15 lb 1.37", 10 lb 0.90" |
| Prime sets | 160 lb $376.99, 260 lb $624.99 |
| Competition plates | 450 mm, steel disc insert, 50.4 mm collar, 90 to 92 durometer |
| Competition widths | 25 lb 37 mm, 35 lb 47 mm, 45 lb 52 mm |
| Competition sets | 210 lb $889.99, 320 lb $1,354.99 |
| Plate storage | 3-peg 270 lb $154.99, 4-peg 360 lb $179.99 |
| Weight Wing | Plates under 9.5", 50 lb per side, 100 lb total |
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