Best Bumper Plate Storage Stands for Your Home Gym

Everyone has had to rethink their gym plan over the past couple of years and find ways to keep their gains during lockdowns. The uncertainty surrounding gym closures has inspired many athletes to build a home gym.

The problem? Most of us have limited space to work with. Finding the right equipment storage options makes all the difference.

Bumper plates are some of the bulkiest pieces of home gym equipment. Yet, they’re necessary for Olympic lifters and Crossfitters who want to get in a good workout without destroying their home. Fortunately, there are several types of bumper plate storage options available.

Here are some of the best bumper plate storage stands for your home gym and how to choose the right one for you.

Want to get right into it? Here’s a round up of our top picks.

Types of Bumper Plate Storage and Their Benefits

There are four primary types of bumper plate storage options, each with advantages and disadvantages. Some of the key considerations to contemplate are the floor space you have available, how many plates you own, and any other mobility or safety concerns you might have.

Vertical Bumper Plate Stands

As the name implies, vertical bumper plate stands are elevated storage units that keep your plates off the floor. This type of bumper plate storage comes in a variety of styles, like the weight plate tree, A-frame plate rack, and front load racks.

Vertical plate storage is largely considered the best bumper plate storage for home gyms due to its versatility in design, minimal footprint, and ease of use. It’s generally easy to tuck a plate tree in the corner if your home gym is in a multipurpose room.

The downside of vertical plate racks is that not all of them are optimized for bumper plates, severely limiting how much you can store on one apparatus. Take the time to read whether your vertical plate rack is meant for bumpers before buying.

Some users don’t enjoy the ergonomics of vertical bumper plate stands, especially those with pegs low to the ground. 

Horizontal Bumper Plate Stands

Horizontal bumper plate stands are built for thicker bumper plates and are typically the easiest to use for storage. The racks are optimized for wider plates, and there’s less risk of dropping or tipping if you have kids running around your home gym. These features make them the safest option as well.

The biggest disadvantage to using a horizontal bumper plate storage rack is that they take up the most floor space. If you have limited space, this can be a deal-breaker. However, you can get a floor storage rack with handles and wheels for easy transportation.

Wall-Mounted Bumper Plate Storage

The primary benefit of wall-mounted bumper plate storage is that they don’t take up floor space at all. Realistically, you could store something else in the space underneath to give yourself ample room to move. Many lifers also enjoy having control over the height placement to make it more convenient for their personal gym.

Safety and structural damage are the two main concerns with wall-mounted bumper plate storage. Proper installation is key, and those bad boys had better be mounted into some secure wooden studs. 

There’s also a drop risk when elevating weights, especially if you share the space with kids. Or, if you do an epic arm workout and can’t lift the weight that high anymore— RIP toes.

Rack Attachments

Rack attachments are plate storage apparatuses that affix to a squat rack or power tower. As these aren’t as common in a home gym, they aren’t included in our round-up of the best bumper plate storage options for home gyms. If you have a power tower or squat rack, you should definitely consider this option, as they’re convenient and easy to install.

Choosing the Right Rack

Choosing the right rack for your bumper plates is a personal decision that depends on your space, budget, and preferences. These options are some of the best bumper plate storage options by type. Choose one that fits your home gym and clear up some much-needed floor space.