I think that most of us can agree that Eleiko makes some of the best training equipment in the world, and they are one of the most desired brands by those in the know. Unfortunately most of their barbells, bumpers, and change plates are pretty rough on the wallet, so Eleiko + garage gyms or Eleiko + CrossFit affiliate are not very common combinations.
Well not everything that Eleiko offers will set you back an entire mortgage payment. There are a few products in the XF product line that are economical (at least by Eleiko standards) while still offering the excellent durability and performance that you’d expect from an Eleiko product. The XF Bumper Plate that I’m reviewing today is one of those products.
Last Update: January 2018. Link and price checking, minor revisions.
Eleiko XF Equipment – Eleiko’s CrossFit & General Purpose Gear
The Eleiko XF line consists two different XF bars, and the crumb rubber XF Bumper Plates. Unlike the standard IWF and Performance line of Eleiko discs and weightlifting bars that are intended for aspiring and professional Oly lifters, the XF line was developed for less specific and/or higher intensity training programs; programs such as CrossFit.
The previous generation XF Bar with the elastic band around the collar.
Basically, XF gear is built tough enough to withstand the daily, high-rep abuse and constant bar drops typical of a WOD, but it’s done so at a price that makes it the most accessible line of Eleiko equipment to date. Choosing XF equipment is about the only way you’ll equip your garage or home gym with genuine Eleiko equipment for a price that’s more on par with say, Rogue or HI-Temp.
Matter of fact, the 449-lb XF Bar + Plates Set costs about $1350 while a comparable Rogue & HI-Temp set (chrome Rogue Oly, HI-Temp Plates, and Rogue Change Plates) costs over $1500 and is still 50-lbs short of the Eleiko set. Now potential free shipping from Rogue and no free shipping from Eleiko may even this price out somewhat, but the point is that Eleiko XF gear is closer to the norm in terms of price (relative to Eleiko IWF gear).
Eleiko XF Bumpers – The Basics
XF bumper plates are manufactured using a special, recycled crumb rubber; similar to HI-Temp bumpers (I don’t know what special means; I guess it’s like special sauce.) Each disc is 450 mm in diameter with a 50 mm insert opening; just like nearly all other Olympic discs.* The insert itself is stainless steel, which is both strong and resistant to oxidation.
One trait that you’ll notice right off is that XF discs are wider than just about all other discs; including HI-Temps. The reason for the extra width is noise dampening, which I will discuss more below.
Oddly enough, the XF Bumpers are only offered in pounds in the USA, though they are still offered in kilograms in the rest of the world. What’s odd is that the XF bars being sold are in kilograms, whereas up until recently there actually were XF Bars in pounds. What I’m trying to say is that an XF bar and bumper set will consist of both pounds and kilos, which seems pretty dumb to me.
XF bar and bumpers in pounds? How CrossFitty
*Just briefly, its worth pointing out the irony of the fact that HI-Temps are not 450 mm in diameter, but rather 444 mm (17.5″). This difference in diameter makes HI-Temps a less than ideal bumper choice if you combine different bumper brands on the bar for heavy lifts. This is because your standard-sized (450 mm) plates eat the impact of the drop for both their own weight and however much HI-Temp weight you’ve added to the bar. Continuously dropping a bar with different diameter plates will shorten the lifespan of the larger plates, and possibly even the bar.
Eleiko XF Bumpers – Less Noise, Less Vibration
One of the biggest advantages that the XF bumpers have over the other brands is that they make less noise when dropped. A lot less noise. To some of you that may not sound like a big deal, but I’ve been at this long enough to know that noise is very important to many box owners, home and garage lifters, trainers, and coaches.
Interestingly enough, I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a quiet bumper. My gym is below my office, and for a really long time now I’ve endured the sound and vibration that comes from my garage gym as people deadlift, row, and power clean directly under me as I work (yes, I share.) It’s loud, and I can feel the foundation shake whenever someone drops a bar with a couple hundred pounds or more. Now I can go down there and say “use the XF plates, I’m trying to work!”
So yeah, whether you’re in a similar situation to mine where you just don’t want to bother family members when you’re training (or be bothered when they lift), you live in super close proximity to your neighbors, or you personally just don’t like the noise, these discs might be for you.
The reason these plates are so much quieter than the standard econ plates is because of that “special” crumb rubber. Crumb rubber is a lot softer, it creates less vibration on the floor (and is therefore easier on the floors), and it’s much friendlier on the ears. You end up with a wider plate and slightly more bounce than an economy or competition bumper, but that’s just the trade off for having a bumper that is both durable and quiet. Honestly though, if you don’t mind HI-Temp bounce, you won’t mind these either.
Let me thank whoever did the above XF drop test video. It’s a much higher quality video than I could have pulled off with my crappy camera.
According to my Eleiko source, the XF bumpers are a big hit in CrossFit boxes and gyms all across Europe. They also claimed that the XF is currently the preferred bumper plate in the Scandinavian CrossFit community simply because of the reduced noise. I mean it does make sense; with a dozen or more athletes dropping bars at the same time in a box setting, no doubt that any reduction in overall noise is a blessing. CrossFit boxes have neighbors as well, you know.
CrossFit Nordic in Stockholm – Lots of XF plates.
Bjork Odinsdottir working with some XF bumpers. She supposedly has her own XF set at the house too. Did you know a lot of these Scandinavian athletes train in their kitchens? How is the kitchen he biggest room in the house? Are there no garages or even living rooms in Sweden?
That XF Width
As I just touched on, the XF bumpers are wider; at least with the heavier plates (the lighter plates aren’t much wider than normal.) Again, the reason is because a softer, lower density crumb rubber is used. I’m assuming that less dense means that more material is required to achieve any given weight. Since the XF is even softer than standard crumb rubber discs, they’ve got to be wider too.
Three different 10-pound plates for width comparisons. Not all that different really. XF plates don’t start getting wide until the 25’s.
In terms of sizing the XF is to HI-Temps what HI-Temps are to economy plates. In terms of bounce, I don’t find that the XF bumpers bounce any more than other crumb rubber plates, but obviously all crumb rubber plates bounce more than the denser, virgin rubber plates. I actually kind of like a little bounce, but I realize that’s not true for everyone.
Viktor Långsved lifting Eleiko XF at the MK Open
I can see the argument being made that the slimmer, economical plates are “better” plates because they allow you to load more weight on the bar. This argument is completely valid in a strength training or powerlifting environment, but it holds less water when talking about a CrossFit WOD, or even straight-up Olympic lifting for the average person.
Bumper plates are for the snatch and the clean & jerk. If you’re a CrossFitter looking for quiet, resilient plates for your WOD, Eleiko XF plate width is completely fine. If you’re trying to load up for a 500-pound deadlift, sure, this is the wrong plate for that.
For reference, here are the XF bumper plate widths along with HI-Temp plate widths for comparison.
XF KG Plates: 20 & 25 kg (12 cm), 15 kg (9 cm), 10 kg (6 cm), 5 kg (3 cm.)
XF LB Plates: 45 & 55 lb (4¾”), 35 lb (3¾”), 25 lb (2¾”), 15 lb (1½”), 10 lb (1¼”.)
HI-Temp Plates: 45 lb (3¾”), 35 lb (3-1/8″), 25 lb (2¼”), 15 lb (1-7/8″), 10 lb (1-3/8″.)
Indoor and Outdoor Lifting
Crumb rubber bumpers like the XF and HI-Temp are your best option for outdoor lifting. The resiliency along with the softness of the material makes them very forgiving on uneven and abrasive surfaces. They can absorb the impact of drops on gravel or asphalt because they compress more easily than the super dense economy plates (which are more likely to crack and split.) Anyone who has lifted outdoors with HI-Temps will know exactly what I’m talking about.
Vulcan Alpha Bumpers are the only non-crumb rubber plates that can be used outdoors, & while their pricing is not really any better (or worse) than XFs or HI-Temps, they are more durable and colored.Eleiko XF Bumpers – Pricing vs HI-Temps
I’ve known about XF plates for about a year. For the longest time I thought that they were simply an over-priced version of any other black bumper out there. I knew that they weren’t nearly as expensive as competition discs, but to me the price still seemed high for simple black bumpers.
Well it turns out that I was a little too quick to make assumptions, as I overlooked something pretty important; the full XF Set contains 55-pound plates. When you factor those monsters in the Eleiko sets aren’t all that expensive after all. They’re actually on par with the HI-Temp sets.
To give you an idea, the Eleiko XF set in pounds contains a pair of every plate up to 55-lbs (10, 15, 25, 35, 45, and 55) for a total of 370 pounds. The set price is $692 which works out to about $1.88 a pound. Not bad at all for a premium brand.
HI-Temp doesn’t make 55-pound plates, but Rogue does offer a smaller 350-pound set of HI-Temps for $667.50 (about $1.91/pound), and that’s about as cheap as you’ll find the HI-Temps, so technically Eleiko can be had for a few bucks less, but not by much. The point is this; don’t automatically run from XFs just because they’re from Eleiko and you assume that they’ll cost too much. These plates are very reasonably priced all things considered.
The Light XF Plates
I suspect that everyone will want to know what people always want to know about any line of bumper plates… Can the 10’s and 15’s be dropped alone on the bar? The answer is the same for the XFs as it is for any other brand – you can, but you shouldn’t.
The XF plates are very resilient and forgiving plates but like all bumper plates out there, the narrower the plate, the weaker it is. Technically (and even officially) you can drop 10’s and 15’s alone on the bar, but if you want your discs to last for many years, you should avoid it. I actually don’t like the light XF discs alone on the bar. The material is so soft that it feels like I’m going to ruin them, but I have yet to so I guess it’s all good.
If you’re still at a point with your training where you need a bar with only 10-pounds on each sleeve, you need to own a pair of technique plates; plain & simple. Bumper plates will never replace tech plates for this kind of training no matter what manufacturers tell you about their bumpers being up to the task. Manufacturers usually just need for the 10’s and 15’s to not break for 6 months; then the plates are out of warranty range and they’re in the clear.
In any case, to give you a better idea of what to expect, the 10 and 15-lb Eleiko XF plates are almost exactly like HI-Temp 10 and 15-lb plates. They’ll handle some abuse, but if you overdo it, you’ll probably put them in their grave long before their time.
Odor Bonus!
Eleiko XF plates don’t stink like the imported economy plates, and they aren’t coated in a liter of oily gunk when you pull them out of the shipping box. They’ve got some kind of light protective coating on them; presumably for shipping purposes, but I swear it’s not nearly as persistent and gross as what you get on the virgin plates.
Eleiko XF Bumpers – Durability
I’ve only had these XFs for about a month, so I’m in no position to discuss durability over the course of many years. I’m not worried though; crumb rubber bumpers are resilient. HI-Temps have been known to outlive both virgin rubber economy bumpers and even some of the large hub training bumpers, so I would like to think that an Eleiko-brand crumb rubber disc could potentially last even longer.
As with all my reviews, if an issue becomes apparent or my opinion of the product changes for one reason or another, I will update the review to reflect those changes. I can’t imagine I’ll ever have a problem with the XF discs though, as they are really quite nice. Other than a minor issue with some cheap Bendlay’s, I’ve never had any real problems with any of the plates I own, and I have quite the variety of brands out in the gym. Again, really not worried about them failing.
XF Bumper Plate Review – Summary
Rory McIlroy training with XF equipment
I like ’em; no regrets. Of all the different brands of black bumpers, these are by far the most unique. Yeah they’re a bit on the thick side, but they truly are a softer, quieter bumper plate. They seem like the obvious choice for anyone who wants to reduce noise in their gym, and this goes double for CrossFit boxes that have dozens of loaded bars being dropped over and over again at the same time.
XF bumpers won’t be for everyone though. If your workout revolves around the Big 3, and the closest you come to Olympic lifting is an occasional power clean, you’ll want a narrower bumper plate – if you even want bumpers at all. However, I see no reason why an Olympic weightlifter or CrossFitter would ever be upset with only getting three or four big wheels on each sleeve.
As far as cost goes, it is what it is. Obviously Eleiko isn’t trying to participate in the economy bumper price war with Rogue and all the small CrossFit shops, and why should they? The XF plates actually offer something that very few others do – reduced noise, reduced odor, and less wear and tear on flooring.
Next time you’re at a gym or in a buddies garage gym and you see XF bumpers, make it a point to give them a try. You’ll see (and hear) the difference.
I’m planning to build a home gym and this site is one of the best tools on the web. Great work!
The Eleiko XF Bumper Set (370 lbs) is currently selling for $618 and a demo version of the Eleiko XF Bar (45 lbs) is currently available for $499. Unless I’m missing something, this looks like an amazing deal and a better option than the Rogue Ohio Bar + HG 2.0 plates. Especially since I live in a townhouse (i.e. close proximity to neighbors) and I have a bedroom above my garage (don’t want to wake the kids).
One quick question: what is the max a person can load on the XF Bar with the XF Bumper plates? My only concern is that I won’t be able to put enough weight on the bar for max deadlifts. Thanks, George
Yeah that’s pretty good pricing, especially on the bar.
The 45 and 55 pound /20 and 25 kg plates are the same size, and I’ve seen three of them per side with collars. I don’t have 3 pairs of of the heavy XFs so I’ve never actually loaded that many XFs onto the bar myself though. Keep in mind that 3 big wheels per sleeve is a stage worthy C&J weight… Eleiko wasn’t concerned with heavy deadlifts one bit when they developed those plates. Having a deadlift higher than 370 isn’t unreasonable, and if you can already pull that much you might want narrower plates for at least that lift. Though, that doesn’t help you with the noise I realize.
Thanks for the quick response. One follow-up question: do you think a platform is necessary with these bumpers/bar, or would it simply be a nice to have?
I was planning to buy an 8×4 oly platform from a local shop ($400), but may decide to save the cash.
It’s always better to have one, or at least some stall mats, but you can try it without and see how they are with the noise and bounce. If it’s not bad, then you just saved $400.
I have a feeling they’ll bounce a bit more if their being dropped on a bare foundation. The bar will be fine either way with bumpers like those, though I probably wouldn’t use normal comp bumpers with a nice bar off a platform.
Any updates on your impression of the XFs? Trying to decide between these and OFWs for my first set. May get 10 lbs OFWs and the rest XFs?? Thinking for a garage gym the noise dampening may be helpful.
Been using my XF plates for about two months now. I ended up getting the 100 kg set and a pair of the 55 lbs plates. Picked up an extra XF bar during their Black Friday sale since it was such a great deal ( $440 to my door). I’ve been very pleased. The plates are solid, don’t smell, and don’t make nearly as much noise as my Rogue plates when dropped from overhead. One drawback is that they are really wide and don’t work well for deadlift workouts if you’re pulling more than 350ish. That’s why I picked up a few Rogue training plates.
Not really. I don’t use them as often as my OFWs for two reasons. I don’t like that seam in the insert of the XFs that scratches my well-kept bar sleeves, and I’ve got comp plates for cleans and I prefer not to have to try and slide on and off those 5″ thick 45-lb plates when I’m tired.
I bought the xf plate along with a new sports training bar. I added tape to try to protect the sleeves from the edges in the steel insert. It’s been a few days and I have noticed numerous scratches along my new barbell. These plates WILL scratch your barbell sleeves. Yeah I’m pretty pissed about that. Oh well… Can’t dwell on the past.
Thanks for the heads up on the scratched sleeves due to the insert. Looks like I’ll be going the Hi-Temp route for outdoor plates.
It’s so bizarre they overlooked something like this. I mean, Eleiko… really. No one slapped these on one of those thousand dollar bars during R&D? Then again, I missed it at first too.
I think i might give eleiko a call. It’s funny how they say to keep sharp objects away from the bar to avoid scratching on a piece of card when you buy the eleiko bar. Yet the inserts in the xf plates cause massive scratch, and it is much hard to avoid with the wider plates. I asked if it’s normal to get scratches one your sleeves and people say yes. However, I am not sure if the ones caused by the xf plates are normal
At all. The problem is that before owning a home gym, you don’t give a crap if you scratch the bars. But when you yourself purchase a bar close to 1000 dollars and you see scratches within the first day?
Don’t get me wrong, the eleiko xf plates are cool. I think I’ll be getting some felt tape to attempt to correct this problem.
I bought the Eleiko XF bumpers after reading this review, but hesitated for around 2 weeks because of the comments about scratching the bar sleeve. To anyone who is on the fence about buying these guys because of scratched sleeves, I say BUY IT. I wish I could upload pictures to show close ups of the inserts but the XF inserts aren’t that bad at all.
Now they aren’t curved and mushroomed like the inserts of the Rogue HGs or Hi-Temps (I think all econ bumpers should have inserts like those) but running my finger over the XF insert is just like running my finger over the stell hub of my training bumpers. In essence, if you have training/competition bumpers with the steel hub in the center then the XF bumpers won’t scratch up your sleeve anymore than it already is. Personally, I think the sound dampening is worth it.
And if you are REALLY concerned about scratches, take a good look at your barbell sleeve. Its already scratched and it wasn’t due to the XF plates, right? Just get these guys. The quietness of the bar when dropped is profound.
I realize this is a bit late comment :) As for the detail about the lighter plates; I’ve never figured why would you even want full size 5kg/10lbs, let alone 2.5kg/5lbs, especially at home gyms to take up space. When you need to adjust weight increments the smaller IWF-size plates are handier to use, and you can always get a (used) pair of training plates to get started. I mean, they work for competitions :)
I blame CrossFit for that. They use the basic 10-lb/5kg to train the Olympic lifts to newcomers rather than using tech plates like any Olympic WL gym would. Now every bumper manufacturer thinks they need to make all of their plates 450 mm, and they really don’t need to. I get it in the sense that tech plates are unreasonably priced, but they do last forever… and they don’t bend at all. But you’re right, once you’re putting at least one full wheel on the bar, your light plates can and maybe even should be change plates. They’re certainly easier to slip on and off a bar that’s sitting on the platform.
I will say that 10lb bumpers get used a ton in my home gym. My (tiny) wife loves using them for deadlifting (her warmup sets) so she still starts at the correct height. I use them for things like high rep sumo deadlift high pulls, and also when oly lifting going from 95lbs to 115 pounds.. I just like having more surface area hitting the floor instead of just my competition 25s. Sure, they’re not for everyone, but the 10lb ones definitely have their place, IMO. And no, no one drops a bar with 10s or 15s only in my home gym. You will get banned. =]
Yeah that’s a solid rule. If someone insists on dropping 10’s solo, they get the OFW 10’s, not any of the others.
Fair enough, that’s a solid rationale I can understand, and of course chipping the floor and/or wights is a reasonable concern in the home gym :)
In general terms, if I would be cynical, I’d agree in blaming, maybe not CF as such, but ego-lifting in the sense that I can see how people would be keen to get the training wheels of and smash some real (-looking) weight. And I suppose money is a factor if you have a high turn-over of novices.
I was very excited to stumble across your review of the XF plates as I lift in my basement sometimes when the kids are napping (you fit it in when one can). In visiting Eleiko’s site, shipping to Colorado in the US is $261 for the 375lb set… which is effectively 1/3rd the cost of the plates. Is this just a situation where one bows to the inevitable, or are there alternatives I am not thinking of?
Slightly related topic and for a limited time, I see that Vulcan is offering 10% off on their black bumper sets due to a back order on 45’s. 500lbs is now $657 and shipping is $75 to Colorado (free to the eastern and central US).
Well not necessarily. That’s a ton for shipping; way more than it should be, and it’s because they use freight instead of UPS. Try these http://www.vulcanstrength.com/Vulcan-Alpha-Bumper-Plates-Set-p/alphbsets.htm?Click=1312 They are just as quiet, a lot cheaper, same basic compound, thinner, just not as attractive (though that’s just my opinion!)
Thank you! That is a great alternative.
Will using that link ensure you receive the proper benefit from the purchase? I want to make sure all the purchases I make via your insights are recognized by the vendor.
How awesome of you to ask! Yes, if you use my links on the site, if that vendor tracks that, I will get credit. Vulcan does.
I’ll actually be reviewing those plates in the near future. I’ve got a queue of things before them though. If only there were five of me! (actually I’m pretty annoying so that might not be a good idea.)
I’m sorry to ask one more question then but since I might catch you online… Are these low low odor? We lift in a converted bedroom and have had major issues with our first set of (cheap) bumpers. Had to actually get rid of them because of the toxic reek.
Thank you again!
Yeah the virgin rubber & recycled basic plates are the worst offenders, especially the cheaper plates. Alphas will smell much less than that, but don’t expect them to not smell at all. Rubber stinks; no way around that. I think the newer they are the worse it is, too. Nothing wrong with parking them on the patio for a couple days if it bothers you though; it goes away faster outdoors, and doesn’t get the chance to linger indoors.
Hey, thanks for the excellent reviews. I was just checking in to see if you had a chance to test out the Eleiko XF barbell. Eleiko is offering about $100 off right now and I’m thinking of pulling the trigger. How does it handle powerlifting and olympic lifting?
Thanks!
Yeah I have the XF. For pretty much anyone but the most experienced Olympic WLs, the XF is just as my Oly bar as any other Eleiko bar option. It is the same bar as the Sport and Comp bars, only performance difference being the knurling depth and bearing/bushing configuration.
It’s also a pretty solid power bar. I mean I wouldn’t want to be squatting 700 pounds with a bar that whippy but for the average Oly lifter who doesn’t have insane big-3 numbers, it’s a good all-around bar. The only real drawback to the XF is its normally high retail price. On sale, maybe a different story. Also, keep in mind that the XF has no center knurl.
Cool, what do you think about benching with it? If you had the budget, would you go for separate power and oly bars? Have been leaning towards that after your review of American Barbell SS bearing bar… complement that with Rogue SS Ohio bar?
Thanks again
Well I mean, it’s supposed to be a CrossFit bar, but the fact remains that it’s a high-end bar that can be used for pretty much anything. It’s a 215k PSI, strong, whippy, smooth rotating bar. Whether you clean it or bench it, it’s still nicer than anything for half the money. Would a professional powerlifter want to bench with an XF? Probably not. That said, if you can afford a combination like you mentioned (two SS bars) then sure, that would be more ideal… though I would replace that SS Ohio for an actual power bar rather than buy a nice Oly bar and a secondary almost Oly bar (Ohio’s are in fact CrossFit bars, and it’s no better of a power bar than the XF would be – though it is certainly less expensive.) Maybe the SS Oly + the Ohio Power or Vulcan Absolute?
Between XF bumpers or Vulcan Alphas, which would you choose for a basement gym? Also, which had the least offensive smell when you received them?
Thank you.
I’d say Alphas. Both are quiet, neither smell bad compared to normal rubber plates, but XF are just silly thick by comparison, and as far as I know XFs still have that seam in the insert that rips the finish off the sleeve. I know bars wear over time, but no reason to speed up the process.
Just curious, you mention that the bumpers are 444 mm, instead of 450 mm. They are listed as 450mm on their site now, did they change them since this review? Thanks!
I was saying that HI-Temps are 444 mm, not the Eleiko XF – since I was discussing the similarities but needed to point out the difference. Eleiok XFs are 450 mm.
How have the Eleiko XF Bumper Plates held up over the years?