Okay, the full name of this product is “44SPORT Olympic Fractional Plates -Set of 1/2 lb Weights (8 Plates. Total Weight: 4lbs)“, but that seemed a little long for the title.
In case you’re not familiar with the term “fractional plates” or “change plates”, these are lighter than normal weight plates, usually running from .5 to 1.5 pounds. These are a great way to increase the weight on your dumbbells, barbells or cable towers less than 2.5 pounds at a time, whether because you’re rehabbing muscles, trying to break a plateau, or just need to increase the weight a little at a time.
When I was looking for more half a pound fractionals, I didn’t want to spend much money. I already had two Bells of Steel half pound plates, but I needed more for my dumbbells. I went to Amazon, and after looking at a variety of brands and options, I found the 44SPORT, which were well-liked, well-rated, and at the time they were $25 for eight of them. Since I didn’t need the best quality, and I only needed them at a single weight – 1/2 a pound each – I jumped on these.
In person, they look at little like metal washers with the name and weight stamped on one side of each weight.
I try to be realistic when it comes to very inexpensive items I buy, so I didn’t expect these to be the exact same weight. I figured I’d be happy with them if each weighted in at from .4 to .6 of a pound. I DID expect them to fit my dumbbells and barbells, but if I had to sand off a little paint or metal in the 2″ hole, that would be fine.
But I was surprised. Each plate weighed exactly the same – not half a pound but all weighed exactly .8 of a pound by my scale. Luckily that was fine for my use – .8 or .5 of a pound works well for me. But if you’re looking for something close to the stated weight, you might want to steer clear of these, or at least be sure to weigh them when they arrive.
The bottom line – these fractionals from 44SPORT are a very good value, and mine all weigh exactly the same at .8 of a pound. They’re very plain to look at, but they fit my various 2″ dumbbells and barbells. And if that sounds good, the 44SPORT Olympic Fractional Plates worth looking into.