Mine has lived multiple lives, first as a space-saving soundproof platform, then as pulling blocks, and now as a more permanent platform. I’ve got a few layers of foam puzzle piece tiles stuffed under the stall mats, and they do a great job of deadening sound. There’s a little bounce, especially with bumpers, but it’s held up really well.

I use this at the gym at my office. Can’t imagine paying anything near full price for it. Performance-wise, it is extremely solid and can bear a ton of weight. The pad wobbles a bit, a trade-off you have to make for how easy it is to adjust it, I guess.

I’ve been pretty impressed with this bench. I got it used for a good price, but I think the value is still there. The pad is nice and grippy, and it feels really sturdy. There’s a little wobble, but I think that just comes with the territory for 3-post benches. No mishaps with the handle, either, despite it not being knurled.

This was the rack my gym at work had when I first started lifting. I had no idea how spoiled I was to start with it, because it held up great to the beating it took from a bunch of users. On top of that, the footprint and hole spacing are great. It gave me complete confidence to get a 2x3 rack for my home gym.

I got these for less than I resold my Fitness Gear plates for. They’re probably not an upgrade in terms of quality, but I like the classic aesthetic, and weight is weight. Don’t expect too much out of weight tolerance, hole size, or paint.

These get the job done if a matador-type handle isn't an option. I thought the construction and paint job were high-quality, and the pad on the handles held up well. The inherent flaw with a product like this is the inconvenience of getting it onto the safeties, setting up the proper width, and making sure they're locked in adequately. So...trade-offs.

The main thing these have going for them is that they're super cheap. That being said, the 45s aren't the standard diameter, the hole tolerance isn't great, and I doubt the precision of the weights was very high. To their credit, they did hold up fairly well in my garage in terms of rust.

This was the first "real" bar I bought, and it did a decent job. The knurling was fairly passive and the black zinc coating where I gripped it did start to wear off over time. I sold it, but with good maintenance, I don't see why it wouldn't have lasted forever.