The Top 5 Best Olympic Weight Sets to Buy
Olympics weight sets are considered essential for any workout enthusiast, whether a beginner or a professional. Because they are part and parcel of every workout regime, you can’t really follow any genuine workout plan if you don’t have at least one set of Olympic weights in hand.
Besides, Weights are an essential component of any fitness space. Especially if you are really serious about building muscle strength and toning down the fats, weights become indispensable. A full rack, bar, and 350+ lbs of plates can make anyone squatting a dream come true.
While all the weights look the same at a cursory glance, it isn’t really so. Some key features differentiate an Olympic weight set from a standard one. Additionally, there are several differences among even Olympic weight sets that can change the way you interact with them.
So, which ones are suitable for you? This article will delve deep into what things you should consider before purchasing an Olympic weight set. We will also be reviewing the top five best Olympic weight sets below to give you a starting point. Read on!
Top 5 Olympic Weight Sets
We have spent hours on this research to find out the top 5 Olympic weight sets available in the market today. We looked at aspects like size, coating, grip, and the overall package to bring you the best of the best during our research. Each of these weight sets is worth a shot. With that said, let’s dive right in with our top recommendations.
1. Body-Solid Rubber Grip Olympic Plates
Taking the first spot on our list are the body solid rubber grip Olympic plates. These weights are available in the form of three different sets. If you are a beginner, you can get the 255lbs version. And if you really want to get serious about gaining mass, then the 355lbs and 455lbs versions are also available.
Each of these weight sets is made of at least one pair of any plate size you may need from 2.5 pounds to 45 pounds. The diameter of the 45 pounds weight is calculated at 18 inches.
Alright, enough of the dimensions and weight measurements onto our thoughts about this weight set!
The plates come covered with a rubbery material. It provides excellent grip and prevents rust or damage in the long run. They have a metallic inner sleeve that makes them fit well, smooth, and snug on the bar.
The design is neat, and each plat looks nice with 4 openings. These openings allow convenient and solid grip. You can easily hold them to use in various exercises like weighted step-ups instead of using dumbbells.
However, they come covered in oily stuff and even have a bad smell. You will have to first wash and scrub them thoroughly to use in your home gym. Otherwise, they may stain your floor.
2. Troy USA Sports Olympic Weight Set
Ranking second on our list of the best Olympic weight sets is the Troy USA Sports weight set. These weight sets offer you 300 pounds of weight, including a 7-foot bar and a spring collar pair. In total, the set has 14 plates. Two of them are 2.5 lbs, four are 5lbs, two are 10lbs, two are 25lbs, two are 35lbs, and the rest of the two are 45lbs in weight.
Unlike the body solid weight set, there is no rubber casing for grip. Instead, there’s a grayish enamel finishing on these plates, which looks extraordinary. The inner sleeve has a nice finishing, and just by looking at it, you can tell the loading and unloading to and from the bar will be easy peasy lemon squeazy.
The bar is really good. It allows the weights to rotate independently of the grip portion. This keeps things stable and helps the movement when you are setting with plates on the floor.
But, this set has no opening for easy handling of the plates. The round edges are sure comfortable. However, can they beat tri-grip or quad-grip design? We don’t think so. The finishing itself is pretty smooth, so you may have a problem when the two combine with sweaty hands.
You will definitely need a good weight tree to deal with all the weights.
3. Gold’s Gym Olympic Plate Set
On third, we have the Gold’s Gym Olympic plate set. It comes in an extensive range, starting with 50 lbs and goes up to 250 lbs. These plates increase in 10 or 20 pounds increments. Therefore, you can get any plate combo you want for exercise.
Each of the plates has a nice metallic finishing. These feature yellow letters to help find out which one you need real quick. The overall design feels great with rounded edges and smooth touch.
Moreover, three openings let you handle the plates conveniently. Thanks to this tri-grip, you can use both or just one hand to load or unload the plate and then go for a round of any free weight exercise if you don’t want to use the dumbbells.
As for dirt or smell, our package arrived in a really nice condition. There was no dirt or smell on the plates. So, we didn’t have to clean them up. The plates were in tip-top condition, ready to start working out.
While we had no problems with our package, some users have complained about receiving different plate combinations. Other than that, we couldn’t find any problem with this plate set.
4. USA Sports 300 lbs. Olympic Weight Set
Next, we have the serious steel fitness USA sports Olympic weight set. It comes with two 45 lbs plates, two 35 lbs plates, two 25 lbs plates, two 10 lbs plates, four 5 lbs plates, and two 2.5 lbs plates. There’s also a 7 inches Olympic bar included in the package, along with a spring collar pair.
Do the math, and you will find out that all the plates add up to 255 lbs. So, where are the rest of the 45 lbs as advertised by the manufacturer? After a bit of research, we found out that the bar weighs 45lbs. Thus the entire package comes at 300lbs. That’s a bit misleading because we thought all the plates add up to 300. Bad advertising, Serious Steel Fitness!
As for the design, you can pick from three options.
There’s the regular black colored plate, grey as well as gray VTX, giving you enough options to choose one according to the aesthetics of your home gym. Looks-wise, they seem like a replica of the USA Sports weight set we discussed above.
In case you order grey or black options, know that they come with no openings. You will have to grip the plates from their edges when carrying around. It can get a bit uncomfortable, and if you have sweaty hands, there’s always a chance of dropping them off.
5. XMark Rubber Coated Tri-grip Olympic Weight Set
Finally, we have the XMark’s premium quality tri-grip Olympic weight set. Offering multiple combinations to select from, you can start with 90lbs and go as high as 355lbs in 50, 20, 10, or 5 lb increments. Therefore, you can get the combo that suits your exercise.
Like our top pick, the XMark is also coated with rubbery material for better grip. The coating keeps them from collecting rust or dust. Additionally, it also prevents them from making any noise when you smash two plates together. What’s more, they have a tri-grip opening, which is another plus.
The inner metal sleeve of the weights lets them slide on or off the bar very smoothly.
Unlike our top pick, the coating is pretty coarse. When you put the 2 plates together, they don’t nest that well. Other than this minor complaint, this weight set is an excellent option for any workout enthusiast looking to build some muscle.
Last but not least, as the rubber coating gets oily with a pungent smell, don’t forget to wash them a couple of times before using.
What to Look for When Purchasing an Olympic Weight Set
Olympic weight sets come in all different forms, sizes, and styles. Below are the factors you should keep in mind before buying an Olympic weight set for your home gym.
Weight & plate size
First things first, the most important thing to consider is weight & plate size. You need to figure out how much weight do you really need for exercise and in what combination. How much weight can you utilize without causing any injury? Mostly, a weight set will have at least one pair of all plate sizes. But, it’s not always a good option for you.
A beginner will be fine with not more than the standard 255lbs set. Anything more, and you will just be adding to the equipment that you don’t really need. However, if you have been training for a while and are an advanced weight lifter, you will have to get at least 2 or 3 pairs of 45-pound plates for your exercises.
You don’t want to load up the bar with 8 plates of different sizes in order to get to that 225 pounds mark. It’s not only inconvenient but also pretty time and effort-consuming. So, avoid that altogether.
Coating
As you must have noticed by going through the reviews, there are two options for protective coating. You can either go with a rubber coating or no coating at all (bare metal). Which ones are better, and what should you opt for? The answer will depend on your preferences.
Rubber coating makes the plates noiseless. It allows better handling, and the plates won’t get any rust over time. Its downside is the smell. When it’s new, the smell and oily grip can be a bit too much to handle. You will have to wash each and every plate thoroughly before exercising.
The rubber coating also makes the plates bulkier. They will require more space and may not fit snug next to each other.
On the other hand, bare metal plates are less bulky. They nest really well together. Their downside is that they are a lot noisier and can start getting rust if you live in a moist temperate zone. They are also a bit slippery as there’s nothing to provide a firm grip.
Grip
When it comes to grip, there are multiple options as well. You can go with the plates that don’t come with any openings. You will have to hold them by their sides when carrying around or when you’re loading/unloading the weight bar. Obviously, they are a bit tricky to handle – especially for a beginner.
Then there are plates with openings. You can find various different models. Some have two openings, while others come with three or even four openings. Such plates are very easy to grip. You can pick them up with the help of the holes and hold them easily as you perform exercises such as step-up or a walking lunge, etc.
Package
Finally, check whether the manufacturer is offering something else in the package to sweeten the deal?
Most of the time, vendors include a 7 inches standard Olympic bar in the package. Some others also include a pair of spring collars. But, you have to be careful because when there’s a package deal such as this, manufacturers subtract the bar’s weight from the total weight.
That means if they are advertising it as a 300lbs package, you will only get 255lbs worth of plates (after subtracting the 45lbs of the bar). This can be confusing for beginners.
Conclusion
So, that’s all you need to know about the best Olympic weight sets. It must have become very clear now that a weight set must-have equipment for any home gym. This is because you have to use these plates daily. So, don’t compromise on quality and make sure that you only get the package which you like best. Always consider your personal training needs before making the decision.
Consider how much weight you will be lifting, what plate combination will be convenient, what design and grip will suit your requirements. All of these are important questions. Better write answers to these questions on paper to remember them when you go out to make a purchase.
If you are still unsure about which weight set will better suit your needs, we are here with our top recommendation: Get the Body-Solid Rubber Grip Olympic Plates. These plates allow you to get different plate combos, and you can even use them for free weight exercises. Pretty sweet, right?
That’s all for now! Thank you for staying with us, and good luck!
