Cast Iron Plates

Name: Cast Iron Plates
Brand: Gear For Fit
Rating: 3.93 (5 reviews)

Gear For Fit’s Cast Iron Plates are a straightforward, budget cast iron Olympic plate: solid iron construction with both pound and kilogram weights stamped on the face in high-contrast lettering, sized for any bar with a standard 2” sleeve (Olympic, power-lifting, or hex). They’re sold individually across six weights – 2.5, 5, 10, 25, 35, and 45 lb – or as pre-built 170 lb (5/10/25/45 lb pairs) or 245 lb (2.5/5/10/25/35/45 lb pairs) sets, so a lifter can fill in exactly the increments an existing set is missing rather than buying a whole new set. At roughly $1.10 CAD per pound in the 245 lb set, it undercuts most branded iron of comparable size, though pricing and availability are Canada-only – Gear For Fit doesn’t operate a US storefront for this line.

There’s no independent editorial review, owner video, or community discussion of this specific product to draw on, and Gear For Fit’s own product pages carry no submitted customer reviews either, so real-world casting tolerance, edge finish, and long-term durability are unverified. Buyers who want a plate with a track record of independent scrutiny should look at REP’s Old School Iron Plates or York’s 2” Cast Iron Olympic Weight Plate instead, both of which have real reviewer and owner data behind them.

Buying guide

Best Weight Plates for Your Home Gym — July 2026 Bumper Plates or Iron Plates? How to Pick Your First Set — July 2026 Do You Need Calibrated or Competition Plates? — July 2026 How Much Do Weight Plates Cost Per Pound? — July 2026 What Weight Set Should a Beginner Buy? — July 2026 Will Dropping Weights Damage Your Floor? — July 2026

Sold as	Individual plates, 170 lb set (5/10/25/45 lb pairs), or 245 lb set (2.5/5/10/25/35/45 lb pairs)
Markings	Pounds and kilograms stamped on each plate, high-contrast lettering
Material	Cast iron
Sleeve size	2" Olympic standard
Manufacturer	Gear For Fit
5 lb dimensions	8" diameter x 0.5" thick
10 lb dimensions	9" diameter x 1" thick
35 lb dimensions	14" diameter x 1.5" thick
45 lb dimensions	17.5" diameter x 1.5" thick
2.5 lb dimensions	6.5" diameter x 0.5" thick
Available weights	2.5 lb, 5 lb, 10 lb, 25 lb, 35 lb, 45 lb

What is a Weight Plate?

What weight plates are

Weight plates load your barbell — but “plate” covers two very different tools. Bumper plates are rubber discs around a steel hub, all the same ~450mm diameter, built to be dropped from overhead without damaging your floor or bar; they’re the default for Olympic lifting and CrossFit. Iron/steel plates are denser and thinner per pound, cheaper, and quieter to load, but most aren’t made to be dropped — better for slow, controlled powerlifting-style work.

What actually matters

Bumper vs. iron. Buy bumpers if the bar might hit the floor; iron (or rubber-coated iron) for controlled lifts and compact loading.
Weight tolerance. How far a plate strays from its stated weight (±1% is tight, ±3% loose). It barely matters for general training but adds up if you chase a specific total — which is why serious lifters add small change / fractional plates.
Collar fit & bounce. The center hole should fit your bar’s sleeve snugly; rubber durometer (around 88 Shore A) controls how “dead” a dropped plate lands.
Coating & set composition. Virgin rubber holds up and smells less than recycled crumb rubber; plan a starting set (usually a pair each of 45/25/10/5 lb plus change plates) around the lifts you actually do.

Who it’s for

Every barbell gym needs plates. Most home lifters should start with a bumper set, then add iron, change, or specialty plates as a second purchase once they know what their training is missing.

How it compares

	Cast Iron Plates	Nike Grind Bumper Plates	Iron Grip Vintage Iron Plates	2-Inch Olympic Weight Plate Standard Barbell
GymRadar rating	3.93/5	3.93/5	3.93/5	3.97/5
Price	$41.66	$250.00		$15.99
Sold as	Individual plates, 170 lb set (5/10/25/45 lb pairs), or 245 lb set (2.5/5/10/25/35/45 lb pairs)			Individual plates or pre-assembled sets (15lb to 285lb)
Markings	Pounds and kilograms stamped on each plate, high-contrast lettering
Material	Cast iron	Nike Grind rubber (recycled footwear-manufacturing scrap), 35-66% Grind content depending on weight; standard black bumper compound underneath (confirmed by teardown)	Bare cast iron (ground seams, painted finish)	Solid cast iron
Sleeve size	2" Olympic standard
Manufacturer	Gear For Fit		Iron Grip Barbell Company
5 lb dimensions	8" diameter x 0.5" thick
10 lb dimensions	9" diameter x 1" thick
35 lb dimensions	14" diameter x 1.5" thick
45 lb dimensions	17.5" diameter x 1.5" thick
2.5 lb dimensions	6.5" diameter x 0.5" thick
Available weights	2.5 lb, 5 lb, 10 lb, 25 lb, 35 lb, 45 lb		2.5 lb, 5 lb, 10 lb, 25 lb, 35 lb, 45 lb, 100 lb

3.9/5 · 5 GymRadar reviews

Reviews by source

Expert

3.93/5

5 reviews

Gear For Fit’s Cast Iron Plates are a plain, budget Olympic plate sold individually (2.5-45 lb) or in 170/245 lb sets, with a standard 2” sleeve and both pound and kilogram markings – the kind of no-frills iron most home lifters buy to fill out a barbell rather than a plate anyone reviews. There’s no independent editorial, video, or community coverage of this specific product to draw on, and the only third-party rating attached to the catalog page turns out to belong to a different retailer’s plates entirely, so it can’t be used as evidence of quality either way. Versatility is the strongest dimension on paper – a universal 2” bore and six individual weights make it easy to mix into an existing set – while durability and build quality are both unverified, since nothing beyond the manufacturer’s own product description exists to confirm real-world casting quality, tolerance, or long-term wear.

+Versatility: sold both individually (2.5-45 lb) and as 170/245 lb sets, and fits any Olympic, powerlifting, or hex bar with a 2" sleeve (manufacturer product page)
+Value: the 245 lb set lists at $269.99 CAD against a $342.99 CAD MSRP, roughly $1.10/lb CAD before shipping (manufacturer product page)
+Functionality: both pound and kilogram weights are stamped on the plate face with contrast markings for readability from a distance (manufacturer product page)

−Build quality: no independent review, video, or owner report exists to confirm casting tolerance, edge finish, or paint durability -- every spec traces back to the manufacturer's own listing
−Durability: no long-term ownership data anywhere online for this specific product
−Value: the only third-party rating attached to this catalog entry (GymRadar, 3.93/5, n=5) is for a different retailer's product ("Northern Fitness Cast Iron Plates") and can't be trusted as evidence for this one
−Functionality: no reviewer has weighed a plate to check it against its stamped tolerance, unlike comparably-priced competitors with owner scale-checks on record

$41.66

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