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Ready to kick your at-home strength training up a notch? Or maybe more like 50 notches, if we're measuring in pounds of weight.

If you've been doing a lot of weightlifting at home in a sweet garage or basement setup, you've probably been making lots of gains. But obviously, there comes a point when you need to step things up a little and add some more weight to that barbell. The starter set you bought only came with so many plates, or maybe you're crafting your home gym from scratch. Either way, it's time you pick out some fresh new plates for your bars—but how do you choose from all the options?

RELATED: 8 Adjustable Dumbbell Sets Ready to Upgrade Your at-Home Weight Routine

First off, you want to decide whether you want bumper plates or metal plates.

Bumper plates are either made from rubber or coated in rubber to provide a little bounce so you can drop the bar without messing up your equipment or your floor. This makes them a particularly great choice for training deadlifts and Olympic-style lifts, and for fast-paced cross-training or HIIT workouts. Their cushioning also makes them ideal for home use since they won't clank against each other and are just far quieter than iron or steel plates when you set them down. 

You'll also find that bumper plates in a set all have the same diameter regardless of each plate's individual weight. This allows your whole bar to land uniformly and avoid wear and tear. Instead of varying diameters, the plates vary in thickness and are often color-coded so you can spot the weight you need at a glance.

Steel or iron plates are, as we already established, louder and more damaging to bare floors, but they should not be written off immediately. They do have their benefits, especially when it comes to their width. They are typically thinner than bumper plates, which means you can stack more of them on your bar for a heavier lift. Try to do the same with a lineup of just bumper plates and you're likely to run out of room on your bar. 

You'll also want to consider whether or not you want your weight plates to have handles. Not only do grip plates make it easy to change plates on your equipment with extra safety and security, but they're also a great choice for free lifting and adding difficulty to any number of exercises.

With those considerations in mind, we've rounded up some of the best weight plates you can buy so you can take your lifts to the next level.

These color bumper plates are a solid choice for taking your Olympic weightlifting and cross-training or HIIT workouts to the next level. They boast molded steel inserts for added durability and have a very low bounce, unlike some other rubber bumpers. Best of all, they have a thin profile so you can fit more on the bar, and they're color-coded so you can easily find the weight you need at a glance.

Get them in pairs of 10, 15, 25, 35, 45, or 55 pounds, or in sets ranging from 160 to 370 pounds.

Promising review: “Man, was my mind blown. These plates are amazing. The colors are great as well. It appears there is a little marking on them of who and when they were made which is pretty cool. I highly recommend these for your gym … The bounce is minimal, although I have not dropped from overhead yet.” – Mike G.

These bumper plates are made from high-density rubber and 2-inch stainless steel inserts for the perfect fit on Olympic barbells, dumbbell bars, or even sleds with a 2-inch diameter. They're color-coded for easy identification, and each plate is labeled with its weight measurement in both pounds and kilograms. They're designed to have low bounce and can withstand repeated drops, but it should be noted that the 10-pound plates should not be dropped while alone on a barbell—they can bend in this scenario.

Sold as single plates, choose from 10, 15, 25, 35, 45, or 55 pounds.

Promising review: “I couldn't be happier and more satisfied with these 35-pound plates. I have effectively used them for pressing (incline, decline and flat), squatting, and perhaps most notably, deadlifting ... These plates have properly dispersed weight and have not cracked, chipped, warped or deformed in any way. Please purchase with confidence and don't forget that HulkFit offers a 2-year warranty on their plates as well as responsive customer service in the unlikely event a problem arises. Happy Lifting!” – J. D. Jordan

These single weight plates boast a high-quality construction, made from vulcanized recycled rubber. They're designed to be peel-, chip-, and bloom-resistant so they'll last you lift after lift for years to come. And as a bonus, you gain access to thousands of on-demand LIVEexercise streaming workouts for 90 days with your purchase.

Promising review: “This is a high quality set of plates at a much lower price than I’ve seen elsewhere. I have been using these for about two months and they are easy to slide on and off the bar. And, since they are padded, they are no danger to damaging the floor.” – Kev Kell

These high-quality plates feature spacious openings with ridged finger grips that make them the perfect choice for free-weight training and easy loading on and off your bar. Each has a 2-inch solid steel center hub that allows for easy sliding, and they're constructed from premium recycled rubber casing for long-lasting durability.

Choose from 25-, 35-, or 45-pound pairs, or sets ranging from 45 to 275 pounds.

Promising review: “I love these weights! I'm very happy with the purchase. They're easy to hold and manipulate, solid in your hand (so I don't worry about dropping them), and look good on the bar.” – Robert

RELATED: Best Kettlebells for Working Out at Home

For those that prefer steel plates for their bars, these durable cast-iron plates are machine calibrated for the ultimate precision within 10 grams of their listed weight. They have a thin profile so you can fit more on your barbell, and their center holes provide a snug fit. Plus, they're color-coded so you easily see how much weight is on the bar at any given time.

Get them in pairs from 0.25 to 50 kilograms, or sets of 159 or 459 kilograms. These plates are also available in pounds, if preferred.

Promising review: “These plates are the gold standard of lifting. I purchased a set and was amazed by the craftsmanship and weight calibration. So I purchased another set to fit my lifting goals and needs, plus a Rogue Ohio Bar. Long story short, these plates make you stronger and are in specs as advertised. I highly recommend them.” – Nick 1234

These premium, pro-grade plates boast a high-quality—and highly durable—construction, made from 100% solid rubber. They follow standard Olympic sizing and fit standard 2-inch Olympic barbells. They're also thinner than most competitors' plates so you can fit more weight on the bar, and have a low bounce when dropped.

Get them in pairs of 10, 15, 25, 35, or 45 pounds.

Promising review: “We have a small gym at work [where] these bumper plates have been used for deadlifts, squats, bench press, overhead press and many more standard weight-lifting and CrossFit-style exercises. I have had to bail on several lifts and they had no problem falling from about six feet up. I was more worried about my bar than the weights. I can't say how they would hold up in a gym where they were getting dumped regularly, but for a small or home gym with a couple people, they do great.” – Patrick452

Made from solid cast iron with a semi-gloss finish for extra corrosion protection, these plates are designed to withstand years and years of daily use. They fit on all 2-inch Olympic-style weightlifting bars, as well as any other weight-bearing equipment with the proper diameter. Each plate features oversized hand-grip holes for easy and secure lifting and loading onto equipment.

Choose from single plates and pairs ranging from 2.5 pounds to 45 pounds.

Promising review: “I'm not a professional bodybuilder or a powerlifter, but I do want to increase weight on my barbell to gain more strength. It does its job and it has three handles for other training if you're not using a barbell, like deltoid or traps exercises. I keep my gym outside in my yard. I left them out in the rain for a month or two and still haven't had any rust, if you're wondering about resistance against the elements ... I already have four of them and will continue to buy more if I need more. It's good for beginners and average iron-pumping Joes.” – Hezir Maldonado

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