Fringe Sport Bumper Plates: How we make the most durable bumper plates in the world
What's happening Fringe Fam? Jason Inoue is back with us today to walk us through everything that goes into our bumper plates, how we make the most durable bumper plates in the world happen, and exactly why our bumper plates are so durable.
So, bumper plates. Everyone thinks they're a simple thing. They're just a slab rubber, right? Well, not exactly. Not even close, if we're being honest.
We have a cutout of one of our bumper plates so we can show you exactly what goes into each one internally and externally, because it's a lot more than just rubber.
Let's start on the outside
There's an internal ring, with a stainless steel insert. There's an outer ring, and then the outer section of rubber.
What most people don't know is that there's a lot of engineering that goes into the making of our bumper plates. It's taken quite a bit of time for us to nail the world's best bumper plate, and we've done it. We make some of the most durable bumper plates on the planet (YES! We do, and we stand by that!).
How we make these world-class bumper plates is through a process that's been refined and honed in over time, since we've been in business (over 10 years!).
How can our 10lb plates be dropped on their own?
We make sure that all of our bumper plates, no matter what size, include a pretty hard durometer rubber on the inside. The rubber is pretty hard, so it means that it's going to be really hard in some places, but not in other spots. That's what makes our bumper plates different and sets us apart.
The Outside of the Plate
If you take a durometer scale and push it on any point of the rubber on the outside of our plates, it's going to be the same no matter where you put the scale. Why is that?
The blue color you see around the outside is the exterior coating, and that's all the same hardness. Where the magic is is on the inside. The rubber with the same hardness as the blue exterior is only on the ledge Jason is pointing out below.
But, rubber with that same hardness also lives through the area Jason is indicating in the image below.
You can then differentiate the inner rubber, which is encased in the blue exterior rubber. The inner rubber and the exterior rubber is a different durometer, or hardness.
The rubber you see between the inner chunk and the blue exterior, the tan color, is the hardest rubber in the plate. From the outside starting with the blue exterior, the rubber is stiff, moving inward it absorbs shock, and the center is stiff again. The area that absorbs shock is a softer rubber, and we do that so the rubber in the center of the plate can be super hard because it will protect and absorb shock as you drop your barbell from overhead.
We do things this way because it makes our plates super durable. You can drop your 10s, your 15s, and any bumper plate of ours and they won't taco. Our bumper plates will last you a very long time, and that's why we have ultra-long warranties on these bumper plates. You're not going to need to replace them often.
Our inserts inside of our plates are also quite different from a lot of other brands.
We've done a lot of tweaking to increase the surface area of our inserts so there's no chance they'll break out of their respective plates. Most other plate suppliers will include a smooth stainless steel insert in their plates. Ours are smooth on the inside where they touch your barbell, but we've created as much surface area as we can on the part that touches the rubber of the bumper plate. This allows the insert to stay put for as long as possible, drop after drop.
This is why we give the same warranty to gyms as we do the general public. That's how we've built out the best bumper plates on the market with amazing durability that will last most people a lifetime.
If you have any questions about our bumper plates or our plate creation process, drop them in the comments below! We're happy to chat all things bumper plates with our Fringe Fam, like how many bumper plates you should buy and exercises you can do with just a plate. If you like what you've seen in the video above, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube Channel and follow us on Instagram for more.
As always, lift heavy, lift happy :)
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