It's the first and a god damn classic! Drink safety is important!

I have the original Kleva version, but it is similar enough to the REP branded version to compare directly. I replaced my Rogue Monster landmine with this and have not looked back. It is very smooth, well built, and has a much smaller footprint. The added magnet for out of the way storage is a nice touch, but it is relatively weak, and I find the landmine can disconnect with minor contact or a forceful rerack.

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.