Calibrated Plates: What Are They and Do You Need Them?

If you're building out your home gym — your playground for heavy lifts, tackling PRs, and a safe space to yell profanity that would shock your loved ones — most people know the basics of what they need: power rack, barbell, dumbbells, and maybe a floor mat to protect your space. Obviously you'll need plates, but there's so many to choose from. Bumper plates, iron plates, steel plates, competition plates — they all get the job done. But if you're serious about training with precision or powerlifting is your bread and butter, calibrated plates are the crème de la crème.

We'll walk you through what calibrated plates are, who should use them, and why they may or may not be the right addition to your home gym.

What Are Calibrated Plates?

Standard iron plates or bumper plates can say they weigh one thing, but actually be a pound or two or three or MORE off! This isn't a deal breaker for the average lifter, but for anyone chasing a PR, or a powerlifter who's getting competition ready with their deadlift, squat, and bench press, it's paramount to know exactly how much you're actually throwing around.

Just think — if you're adding multiple plates to the bar, that's a wider margin of error if your plates are all off, either heavier or lighter than what they're listed as. You may think you're about to go for a 400lb deadlift — you go, Glen Coco — but maybe it's actually closer to 390lbs or 410lbs?! That's a lot of uncertainty when you're prepping for competition or testing your limits.

Calibrated plates eliminate the guesswork. Each plate goes through a strict testing process to ensure that the weight matches the number that's stamped on it, usually within 10 grams — about the weight of two nickels.

These plates also tend to be thinner than other plates, which allows more weight to be loaded on the bar — as seen in big ole' squats, benches, and deadlifts.

Calibrated Plate Colors (IWF vs. IPF)

Color coding plays a big role in distinguishing sizes and whether they're IWF or IPF calibrated plates. Both systems utilize similar color schemes to mark weight denominations, but the plates themselves look different — IWF plates are thicker, rubber-coated bumpers used for Olympic lifting, while IPF plates are thinner, painted steel discs built for powerlifting (deadlifts, squats, and benchpress).

You can buy calibrated plates in either kilograms or pounds, buit here's an important note: powerlifting comps use kilograms. If you're prepping for a meet, training with kilo plates at home is the smartest move — that way, the weight you lift in training matches exactly what you'll see in a comp.

One last thing: don't assume a red 55-pound plate is interchangeable with a red 25-kilogram plate. Even though these colored plates weights look alike, the actual weight differs — so stick with one system to avoid confusion.

KG Plate Color System and Weight

Here's a breakdown so you can easily clock how much weight (kg) is on the bar:

• Silver/Grey Plates = 1.25kg(2.75lbs)
• Black Plates = 2.5kg(5.5lbs)
• White Plates = 5kg(11lbs)
• Green Plates = 10kg(22lbs)
• Yellow Plates = 15kg(33lbs)
• Blue Plates = 20kg(44lbs)
• Red Plates = 25kg(55lbs)

Bumper Plates vs. Iron Plates & More

When it comes time to load up your barbell with plates, understanding what calibrated plates offer can help you decide if they're the right tool for your routine. However, it's also important to know the differences from one weight plate option to the next. Here are some popular alternatives to consider:

Iron Plates: For those just starting on their fitness journey, or casually building out their home gym with the simple goal of "lift more, get stronger," bumper plates and iron plates get the job done. Iron plates are the old-school metal discs — if you visualize a 1980s music video where somebody's got a bad perm and they're doing a bench press, this would be the plate they'd be using.

Who's It For: A good choice for someone looking for an affordable and durable weight plate, who isn't going to be dropping the weight or looking to compete in competitions.

Bumper Plates: These rubber-coated discs are designed to be dropped without damage from an overhead position. The thick rubber or urethane outside covers a steel or iron core, protecting your floor and the weight from impact when dropped during Olympic lifts (why not be extra careful and lay down some rubber floor tiles as well). However, some more cost-friendly bumper plates are made of solid rubber without a metal core, which can make them less durable in the long run and less accurate in regards to their actual weight.

Who's It For: These plates work well for a wide range of lifters — from casual gym-goers to those training Olympic lifts like clean & jerks and snatches. The rubber exterior can help dampen noise and protect your floors, but since the weight isn't always accurate, they may not be the best choice for powerlifters or anyone training for competition.

[Related: Bumper Plates vs. Iron Plates: Which Is The Best?]

Additional Considerations

If you're perusing the web looking for more options, you may even come across vinyl weight plates which are made from a vinyl shell that's, often times, filled with cement. These are budget-friendly, but tend to be less durable, as the vinyl can crack, and less accurate than other options. They're typically used on 1-inch standard bars rather than 2-inch Olympic barbells.

There are also rubber-coated steel plates which aren't full bumper plates, but still help to dampen noise when compared to iron plates, while still remaining fairly thin.

And fractional plates which are tiny little plates that tend to weigh between 0.25kg and 1kg, so you can slowly and incrementally increase the weight on the bar when tackling a PR.

Benefits of Calibrated Plates

The main benefit of a calibrated plate is that you're getting a product that's verified to be the weight it's claiming to be. When you lift up a 45lb weight, it weighs 45lbs — give or take 10 grams. Most of these plates are made from steel, with some more premium options featuring iron, nickel, or chrome-plated steel, which provides added durability, resists corrosion, and just looks and feels sleek as you're loading up the bar.

Then you have Competition Bumper (Olympic-style calibrated) plates which feature a steel core with a high-density rubber or urethane coating which provides accuracy regarding the weight and protection for your floors when you drop the weight.

Whichever calibrated plate option you choose, you'll be getting improved weight accuracy, enhanced durability, and increased safety (for yourself, your floors, and your bar) when compared to standard weight plates.

Takeaway

Picking the best weight plates for your gym can require some real mental gymnastics — will you be dropping the weight? Loading up the bar with hundreds of pounds? Tackling powerlifting moves primarily?

If accuracy and consistency are what you're after, calibrated plates are worth the investment — they're built to competition standards, are thinner to make room for a larger load on your barbell, and ensure that the weight you're moving in training matches what you'll lift when it comes time for competition.

FAQs

How much do green plates weight?

Green kilogram plates weigh 10kg(22lbs). These are the plates you'll typically see in competition. Green pound plates weigh 25lbs(11.3kg).

What is the blue plate's weight?

Blue kilogram plates weigh 20kg(44lbs). Again, the kilogram plate is what's typically used in competition. Then the blue pound plate weighs 45lbs(20..4kg).

Rosie Borchert is a NASM-CPT, former Nike Volleyball coach, and fitness writer whose work has appeared on BarBend and Tonal. If anyone would like to hire her to play beach volleyball, snowboard, binge watch TV, or go climbing, please get in touch.

This article was reviewed by Noah Tenenbaum, MS in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, CSCS, FMS-L1, FMS-YBT, FMS-FCS, and Ashley Boyer, ACE-CPT, for accuracy.