Bumpers

Good: Rogue Color Echo Bumper Plates: Combined with stainless steel inserts and quality virgin rubber, these color-coded Echo Bumpers offer a dead bounce and durability rarely seen in an economical plate.

Better: Rogue HG 2.0: A durable but reasonably priced plate that's earned its keep at top high school and collegiate weight rooms. HG Bumpers are available in LB and KG versions, and are cut thinner than a lot of comparable bumpers to allow for more weight to be loaded on the bar. They also produce a consistent dead blow and are built to last, with 25+ LB playes warrantied up to 3 years.

Best: Rogue LB Training 2.0 Plates: Rogue's color-coded Training Bumpers have a tested Shore A durometer of 86 and a durable zinc-plated steel disc insert. They minimize the bounce on the drop and won't break down with heavy use over time.