All the benefits of a drink spotter, now in a more convenient form factor.

These plates have a very sharp look, with a predominantly chromed finish and silver detailing on the inner portion. I own both these and the painted versions. While you’d expect the only difference to be color, I’ve found the all silver plates to be slightly thicker, with a chrome finish that’s a bit hazier (at least on my set). The downsides largely mirror the painted versions: they’re expensive, not widely available, and the chrome is a fingerprint magnet. An additional drawback with this set is the lack of any color designation, which makes it harder for viewers to quickly identify the weight loaded on the bar.

These plates are absolutely gorgeous. They feel like a modern nod to the old Ivanko chromed competition plates, but with significantly improved chrome and paint quality. The pronounced lip makes them easy to handle and load. The drawbacks are fairly straightforward: they’re expensive, not widely available, and the chrome finish is a fingerprint magnet. That said, if you have the budget and appreciate the aesthetic, these are hard to beat.

XMaster combines the thin profile and tight tolerances of calibrated plates with the durability of urethane. The result is a well executed set of powerlifting plates, available in both all black and color options. My primary drawback is usability. Due to the design and material, these plates are extremely difficult to handle compared to other options. A secondary issue is the rear side branding, which feels unnecessary and somewhat corny. Pricing is in line with both calibrated steel and urethane plates, so if you’re shopping in this category, these plates are worth including on your consideration list.

This is one of Hansu’s few 45 lb barbells. It uses collars similar to a 45 lb Ohio Power Bar, rather than the thinner competition style collars found on most of Hansu’s other bars. Hansu markets this bar as having “special” knurling outside the rings for bench pressing, but in practice it feels more like a gimmick. While the pattern is different, it doesn’t add any meaningful functionality. When discounted, this bar can often be found around $220, which makes it a solid value. At full price, however, there are better options worth considering.

I own this bar with the ceramic colored center. Overall, it’s an average barbell—there’s nothing particularly wrong with it, but nothing that truly sets it apart either, aside from the shaft design. My hesitation around the value comes down to availability. ATX still isn’t widely available in the U.S., despite stating for the past couple of years that broader distribution was coming, which makes the purchase harder to justify.

These kids’ bars can be a solid option for introducing younger athletes to training. They’re lightweight and available in several color options, which makes them appealing for kids. The downside is that they can be outgrown fairly quickly, and the build quality falls short of what I typically expect from Rogue.

I was part of the beta testing for this bar, so my version differs slightly from the final production model. That said, if I had to choose the best barbell Eleiko currently offers, this would be it. It’s actually less expensive than the bare steel IPF bar while being made from stainless steel. Aside from the missing IPF certification sticker, you’re effectively getting the same bar in a superior finish for less money. Even so, at over $1,000 it’s still overpriced, and the manufacturing tolerances are not as tight as some competing bars that come in at a lower price point.