PRX Change Plates
Powder-coated recycled iron microplates made in the USA — a 0.4-inch-thick 2.5 that adds almost nothing to your sleeve.
Specs
| Material | Iron, 100% recycled |
|---|---|
| Colour and finish | Black powder coat |
| Collar opening | 51.4 mm ±0.2 mm |
| 2.5 lb dimensions | 6.5 in diameter x 0.4 in wide |
| Origin | Made in the USA |
These figures are copied from PRX Performance’s own published specs and were last checked on 2026-08-31. Manufacturers revise products without notice, and variants differ. Confirm anything your decision depends on with PRX Performance before you buy.
Choose this one if
- You have stalled on a press and need a smaller jump than 5 lb on the bar
- Your loadable sleeve is short and every fraction of an inch counts
- You want plates made in the USA from recycled material
The detail
Microplates solve a problem that has nothing to do with strength: the smallest standard jump is 5 lb on the bar, and on a press that can be 4 or 5 percent in one step. Adding a pair of 2.5s makes the increment 5 lb; adding a pair of smaller change plates makes it smaller still, and the lift keeps moving instead of stalling and deloading.
Thickness is the spec that matters most here and almost nobody lists it. At 0.4 inches, the 2.5 lb plate costs you almost nothing on the sleeve. That is half the thickness of the comparable Fringe Savage change plate at 0.72 inches. When your bar's usable sleeve is 16-1/8 inches — as on every PRX barbell — and you are already three bumpers deep, thin change plates are the difference between fitting and not.
Bare powder-coated iron rather than rubber-coated is the trade. Iron is thinner for the same weight, which is the point; rubber coating protects your floor and your sleeves and adds bulk. If you set plates down carefully, iron is fine. If they will be dropped and stacked on concrete, the rubber-coated version is the kinder plate.
The 51.4 mm collar opening is slightly wider than the 50.6 mm on PRX's own Color Fleck bumpers, which means these slide on easily and will rattle a little on the sleeve. That is normal for iron change plates and not a defect.
Made in the USA from 100% recycled iron is genuine and unusual in this category, where almost everything is imported. Whether it changes your buying decision is your call; it is at least a verifiable claim rather than a vague one.
PRX publishes dimensions for the 2.5 lb plate only. If you need the diameter and thickness of another size, ask them before ordering.