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Introduction
This is a review of The Strength Co. Iron Plates. Given their growing popularity with home gym users, we wanted to bring them in to put them to the test and give our opinion on whether or not they are worth the money.
For many, the answer is yes. For some, the answer is no. Throughout the rest of the review, I’ll narrow down who this is for.
Overview
Within this review of the Strength Co Iron Plates, you’ll find:
The Specs of the plates and why they are liked by many
In addition, below is a quick video review that helps summarize what is written here:
Quick Summary
The Strength Co. started making plates in 2020, and they have rapidly grown into some of the most popular iron plates in the home gym community, but are they that good?
The plates are made in America, and have a uniform, attractive look, and machined edges; their thin depth makes them slimmer than other iron plates but with a thick enough lip to make them easy to handle. Lastly, they are finished in a durable e-coat.
Some cons you might experience with these plates are the inner hole diameter (pro or con? you decide), the shipping experience, and the price.
So are they recommended? Let’s get into it.
The Details
Design
The plates have a mix of a classic plate design with the inner spokes and a new unique look with the company logo and weight numbered on the plates. The face of the lip is more pronounced than most plates which are aesthetically pleasing as well as making them easy to handle.
These plates have a beautiful, smooth machined edge. When they are lined up together on a bar or a weight storage peg, the uniform smooth edges look amazing.
If you have other weights lined up with The Strength Co. plates, you will appreciate your Strength Co. plates.
The Lip
All the plates have a good-sized lip, especially for how thin the plates are. Therefore, they are easy to maneuver around.
The face of the lip is thick and pronounced to give the plate a bold look.
The edges of the plates have a chamfered edge instead of a rounded edge. A chamfered edge is an angled edge instead of a rounded edge. A rounded edge is not as easy to handle.
The Strength Co. took out the hard edge in the design process and subbed in the chamfered edge to make it easy to handle but not sharp.
It’s these small details throughout the plate that make it a popular plate.
Thickness
The 45’s, 35’s, and 25’s all have the same thickness: 1.25″. This is a very nice aesthetic feature. When they are on a storage rack lined up on the bar you appreciate the uniform size.
The plates are also on the slimmer side. Not as slim as a calibrated plate, but also not in that price range.
These plates are a solid mix of slim and affordable.
Since they are so thin, plenty of weight can be added. Below are some clips of the strongest in the world loading up with Strength Co Plates at the Arnold in 2022.
Tight Fit
To keep the weights from wobbling on the bar and closer to the lifter, the inner hole diameter is machined at 1.99″. An Olympic barbell will have a sleeve thickness of 1.95″ which makes these plates fit incredibly tight.
E-Coat
The coating of the plates went through a few iterations, but they landed on a durable e-coat similar to what is used in the automotive industry.
The coating is not resistant to scuffing, but it will be able to survive your garage gym without rusting.
Weight Tolerance
The Strength Co guarantees their plates up to a 2% weight tolerance. If your plates are overweight or underweight by more than 2% of the labeled weight, they will not ship the plates or exchange your plates if they make it to you and are that off.
Made in the USA
It was essential to Grant Broggi and The Strength Co. to have a made-in-America product. The plates are made in a foundry in Wisconsin. In order to bring down the cost of shipping, the plates are then sent to 1 of 4 shipping locations: Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and California.
Great Plates but Not for Everyone
If you have read everything up to this point everything has sounded positive. Although we like these plates, they are not for everyone. Here are some things about the plates that might make you think twice.
The Cost
These plates are not cheap. If you are on a budget, then there are other options you should explore. Look at competitors, imported plates, or the used markets.
For a lot of people ‘weight it weight’. If that’s how you feel, then explore more affordable plate options.
Tight Fit
The tight tolerance on the inner hole was done on purpose. It keeps the weights from wobbling on the bar. It also keeps the weight tight and close to the lifter.
The first time you load a bar with these plates it may surprise you. The tight tolerance can be a different kind of loading experience if you are not used to it. The weights grind as they are put on (more so on ribbed sleeves). You will end up scratching off the e-coat on the inside of the loading hole.
If you are using these plates on a plate-loaded machine, or a sleeve that does not have the standard 1.99″ sleeve diameter the plates may not fit. For example, the Strength Co. plates struggled to fit on the REP 1000 series plate-loaded lat/low row tower. This says more about the sleeves used for more inexpensive plate-loaded machines, but it is still something to be aware of.
Shipping
To be honest, the shipping on these plates could be better, but in turn it would increase shipping costs.
The lighter plates were shipped with no issue. However, the 45’s were shipped in clear plastic bags with a single-layered cardboard box. The boxes were wrinkled and worn thin. There were small chips in the e-coat on the larger plates.
The plates are fully functional. At a glance, you don’t notice any issue, but buying a nice new plate, was slightly disappointing.
It felt like getting new shoes as a kid and not wanting to put a crease across the toe line. It’s going to happen eventually. That’s part of wearing shoes. You just want them to stay new and perfect for as long as possible.
Steel not Bumper
It may seem obvious, but the Strength Co. steel plates are not for anyone who is needing bumper plates. If you are dropping weight from overhead, then you will need bumper plates.
Conclusion
The plates look great in the gym, they are accurate, maintain a thin profile, are made in America, and even though they are priced more than some other options, are still affordable. They seem to be a favorite in the home gym community, and they are a top choice that we recommend as well.
In the end, from the specs to the appearance, the Strength Co. iron plates are an attractive item to bring into your home gym. Whether you are looking to upgrade, or you are getting weights for the first time, these are some of the better plates on the market.
