Nike Strength Equipment Review (2024): The Swoosh Just Does It In the Strength World

Nike just went ahead and did it: The company entered the world of home gym equipment with their new line of Nike Strength products. Available now are all the home gym essentials for weight lifting: dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, squat cages, benches, and bumper plates.

GGR founder and guru of product testing Coop Mitchell recently reacted to the unveiling of Nike Strength equipment, where he also unboxed the Nike Grind Rubber Bumper Plates (more on those later). Additionally, we’ve gotten our hands on several pieces of Nike equipment and both Coop and Lindsay Scheele—lead reviewer of Garage Gym Reviews Everything—tried out the equipment, noting its construction, durability, and performance.

Should Nike just do it for your strength training? After spending time with some of Nike’s equipment, we’ll go over the broad strokes of the new training equipment, with where it stands out, and where it misses the mark a little bit. Read on for how Nike fits in the home gym space in our Nike Strength equipment review.

Just Expert Review It

When it comes to testing the best home gym equipment, we know how to do it. Our team of product testers and reviewers has tons of experience in the fitness industry, with an impressive resume that includes certified personal trainers, CrossFit trainers, weightlifting coaches, and competitive athletes. We know what to look for when trying out home gym equipment, from the best Olympic barbells to the best running shoes, and everything in between.

We’ve tested dozens of each piece of gym equipment you can think of, so for Nike Strength equipment, Coop and Lindsay took the equipment through several workouts. We tested out their squat cage, bumper plates, barbell, and bench, checking out and noting features of the equipment such as:

• Durability
• Construction
• Stability
• Coating and finish
• Overall value

Nike Grind Rubber Bumper Plates

Nike Grind Rubber Bumper Plates

GGR Score: 4.3

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Product Highlights

• Bumper plates made with Nike Grind rubber exterior, a recycled material made from manufacturing scrap
• Available in 10-lb, 15-lb, 25-lb, 35-lb, or 45-lb plates
• Sold in pairs
• Weight tolerance of +/- 1%
• Moderate bounce with a durometer rating of 65

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Weight tolerance of +/- 1%
• Uses recycled materials
• Affordable
• Aesthetic design

Cons

• Heavier plates are wider than competitors
• 10- and 15-lb plates shouldn’t be dropped

Bottom Line

Nike Grind Bumper Plates have an exterior made with their Grind rubber, a recycled material made from Nike manufacturing scrap. Sold in pairs, these bumper plates are available from 10-pound plates to 45-pound bumper plates. With a durometer rating of 65, these bumper plates will have a moderate bounce when dropped.

A Quick Look at Nike Strength Equipment

Nike is most widely known for their apparel—particularly their shoes, including cross-training shoes and lifters. With some of the best CrossFit shoes for HIIT and functional fitness like the Nike Metcon 9, to stable weightlifting shoes like the Nike Romaleos 4, Nike has a shoe with the proper functionality and level of responsiveness for any type of training you do.

RELATED: Nike Romaleos 4 Weightlifting Shoes Review

For their entry into strength equipment, Nike partnered with Dimension 6 Fitness to sell their gym equipment. The lineup of Nike Strength equipment includes some basics like:

• Squat racks and cages
• Barbells
• Bumper plates
• Dumbbells
• Kettlebells
• Weight benches and storage

They’re marketing the equipment heavily with their Nike athletes—people like Lebron James, Russell Wilson, and Nelly Korda are seen all over the website. The classic Nike branding is apparent all over the equipment as well, with the Nike Swoosh used on all equipment.

Coop remarks on the clean branding: “I totally foresee so many young athletes walking into a Dick’s Sporting Goods and just being enthralled with the Nike Swoosh. It’s so well known in sports.”

It also appears that Nike is doing more than just slapping their logo and “Just Do It” on imported equipment and calling it a day. Another thing Coop noticed in his initial reaction is that the language used on the website to describe equipment is the type you’d see from top manufacturers like REP or Rogue Fitness. For example, the barbell doesn’t say it has a grippy texture; instead, Nike is specific in their language, saying the barbell has a medium volcano knurling.

RELATED: Barbell Anatomy 101

This shows Nike has taken some care and interest in making good strength equipment, and isn’t just a quick cash grab. While Coop does mention he’d like to see more innovation from a big company like Nike, overall, this is a pretty solid start, and we’re excited to see where it goes from here, both by adding competition and innovation to the fitness industry.

Before You Buy

• Nike continues to have sleek designs, even in the packaging. In his unboxing of the Nike Grind plates, Coop says, “This is very much a Nike box. Basic cardboard, but with the logo and clean look, it almost feels like a shoe box.”
• Most of the equipment Nike Strength offers currently is competitively priced, and has decent value out of the gate. The one exception is the Nike power rack, which is priced a little high and doesn’t offer any innovation or many attachments to justify the price—just spotter arms and dip bars, so far. Expect them to add attachments down the road, though.
• Nike Strength appears to be marketing itself as an entryway into home gym equipment, especially with its bundle deals. You can get assorted equipment, like a barbell, plates, and rack, for discounted prices. Also, the total weight of your order can save you more on shipping costs; over 1,000 pounds ships for free.

Nike Strength Equipment Video Review

Is Nike Strength Equipment Worth It?

After Coop’s initial reaction, he’s excited about Nike’s entrance into the strength market, saying “I think more competitors in the space is a better thing for everybody. I believe in the idea that a rising tide raises all ships.” With a titan of a company like Nike making their foray into the space, other competitors will have to innovate and cut expenses to match the competition. That’ll ultimately keep prices competitive, helping consumers like you and me.

What about the equipment though? All of it is made durable, with 11-gauge steel on the racks and benches. But after testing out several pieces of equipment, we can say…some equipment is worth it more than others. We really enjoyed the bumper plates and weight bench, but have more mixed opinions on the barbell and squat cage. 

The barbell’s knurling felt passive to us—probably too passive for most—and the squat cage doesn’t offer much yet to justify its higher-end price of nearly $1,000. We noticed a little bit of scratching on the cage and barbell sleeves as well. Still, both performed and were constructed well; they just may not be everyone’s ideal piece of equipment.

With that said, Nike Strength equipment is a great way to start a home gym, with mostly affordable and competitive prices. And this initial release of equipment makes us excited for what they release next.

RELATED: How Much Does A Home Gym Cost?

Using Nike Strength Equipment 

At a first look, the specs on Nike Strength equipment look very appealing. As an Olympic weightlifter myself, I was really intrigued by the tensile strength of the Nike barbell at 190,000 PSI…that’s solid. But how did the equipment perform in use?

We’ve tried Nike’s bumper plates, barbells, squat cage, and rolling weight bench through several workouts. For the bar and plates, we tried a multitude of exercises—deadlifts, thrusters, squats, and bench press—and dropped the bar from shoulder height with over 500 pounds loaded. We had about 450 pounds on the weight bench, and another 500 pounds on the squat cage, all to test out the durability and stability of the equipment.

All in all, they held up pretty well. One of the only notable issues was the powder coating on some products. Coop recalls, “When we started to move the J-cups around the coating started to scratch.” He also noticed some scratching on the barbell sleeves from loading and unloading weights.

Outside of that, the equipment performed well and was pretty solid. Let’s break down some of the equipment and each piece’s unique features, good and bad.

Bumper Plates

Nike Black Rubber Bumper Plates

Nike Black Rubber Bumper Plates

GGR Score: 4.15

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Product Highlights

• Bumper plates made with virgin rubber
• Sold in pairs
• Available in 10-lb, 15-lb, 25-lb, 35-lb, or 45-lb plates
• Low bounce with durometer rating of 88
• Weight tolerance of +/- 1%

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Weight tolerance of +/- 1%
• Low bounce
• Affordable
• Durable virgin rubber

Cons

• 10- and 15-lb plates are thin
• No discounts for buying a full set

Bottom Line

Sold in pairs, Nike Black Bumper Plates are available from 10-pound plates to 45-pound bumper plates. With a durometer rating of 88, these bumper plates will have a low bounce when dropped. The 10- and 15-pound plates are thinner, however, and they shouldn’t be dropped.

This was the piece of equipment that had Coop (and the rest of the team) most excited by far. And we’re not just talking about their bumper plates, but in particular the Grind bumper plates. “I’ve looked at Nike’s product log; it’s not huge. They came out with just the essentials. To me, the Grind bumper plates are the piece that’s most interesting.”

Nike does make black bumper plates made with virgin rubber, but the Grind plates are made with recycled rubber and material made from manufacturing scrap. Nike has been using this material for apparel and shoes, and now with bumper plates to help with sustainability efforts.

The Grind rubber gives the weight plates a speckled, multicolored pattern, which looks sharp paired with the stark black text and Nike Swoosh on the weight plates. Each run of these bumper plates will also be different, as the colors of the scraps will differ, making them unique each season and year. Knowing this, we rate the aesthetics of the plates a 5 out of 5; they look sharp.

In our testing, they had a moderate bounce, but nothing more than high-temp bumper plates tend to have. If you want a dead bounce, the black rubber bumper plates have a higher durometer rating, and a lower bounce to keep the noise down and protect your bar and weights.

One thing to also note is that the Grind bumper plates are thicker than most competitors, with the 45-pound plate being just over 3 inches wide. However, they performed very well, with no signs of wear even after repetitive drops.

Nike Grind Bumper Plate Video Review

Barbells

Nike 20Kg Barbell

Nike 20 Kg Coated Premium Barbell

GGR Score: 4.05

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Product Highlights

• 20-kg multi-use barbell with ceramic-based coating
• Nike logo or slogan on barbell shaft
• Available in Black, Orange, or Red
• 28-mm shaft diameter
• Dual knurl marks
• Needle bearing rotation
• Tensile strength of 190,000 PSI

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Good tensile strength
• Color options available
• Dual knurl marks
• Needle bearings

Cons

• No center knurl
• Thinner diameter than most multi-use bars

Bottom Line

The Nike Coated Premium Barbell is a 20-kilogram barbell with good specs and even better aesthetics. The barbell comes in black with the “Just Do It” slogan on the center of the bar, or in orange or red, with the Nike swoosh. The barbell has a shaft diameter of 28 millimeters and needle bearings—ideal for Olympic weightlifting, although it may not have the right specs for a dedicated powerlifting bar.

At $325 for a 20-kilogram barbell, the Nike Coated Premium Barbell is priced affordably, and works great as a multi-purpose barbell. What stood out to Coop in his initial reaction is the sharp design. Like many products in Nike Strength’s release, these barbells are stunning to look at. You can choose between red, orange, or black barbell shafts, which will have either the Nike Swoosh or the “Just Do It” logo across the center.

After testing the barbell, we think it’ll be a great barbell for beginners or for those using light weights. It has solid specs, with a 28-millimeter shaft diameter (ideal for Olympic lifts), and a solid tensile strength of 190,000 PSI. We dropped the bar with 505 pounds loaded, and the bar withstood the shock easily. 

However, our biggest issue with the barbell is the knurling. Nike markets it as a medium volcano knurling. After having our hands on it and inspecting the bar for a bit, the knurling is much more passive than most medium knurling bars we’ve come across. Even lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele, who prefers a more passive knurling, has her concerns on the bar’s knurl rating the knurling a 3 out of 5.

RELATED: What Is Barbell Knurling?

“I like passive knurling, but this was pretty passive,” Lindsay says. “I think that doing complexes with this bar during CrossFit workouts would be great, but for heavy deadlifts or Olympic lifts, I don’t think this would be a good bar.” Expect the bar to have more of a feel of a passive hill knurling.

The bar uses needle bearings for the sleeves to rotate, which was surprising since the barbell seemed to not spin as well as you’d expect. The spin should get better as the bar is broken in, however. With the passive knurling and good specs, this is a fine beginner barbell, great for different exercises and functional fitness.

Nike Barbell Video Review

Rolling Weight Bench

Nike Rolling Weight Bench

Nike Rolling Flat Weight Bench

GGR Score: 4

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Product Highlights

• Flat bench with wheels and a handle for portability
• Single column foot on bench to allow for easy foot placement
• Made with 11-gauge steel tubing and synthetic leather on a foam pad
• Weight capacity of 1,100 lbs

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Handle and wheels for easy transport
• 11-gauge steel frame
• High weight capacity
• Single column foot for easy foot placement

Cons

• Bench height is not to IPF standards
• Not adjustable

Bottom Line

The Nike Rolling Weight Bench is a flat bench with wheels and a handle to easily move around your home gym. At 56 pounds, this bench is lightweight but still provides good stability, with a weight capacity of 1,100 pounds. The bench height is at 18.2 inches, however, which is a little taller than IPF specifications.

Made with 11-gauge steel, Nike’s Flat Rolling Weight Bench is very stable at only 56 pounds, with a weight capacity of 1,100 pounds. While no one on our team has benched that much weight, we did have a total of 450 pounds on the bench—between user and barbell weight—and it stayed very steady and stable. This bench wheels around and can be stored vertically, making it extremely portable as well, earning a score of 4.5 out of 5 in this category. 

While benching, the synthetic leather pad stays grippy, and the end of the bench has a single leg, to allow the feet to fit under you easily without worrying about maneuvering around the bench’s feet. The pad length of 47 inches is enough for most to feel comfortable during benching, although the width of 12 inches might be a little narrow for broader athletes.

The other dimension to mention is the bench height. At 18.2 inches high, this is taller than powerlifting standards, so for any competitive powerlifter, you may want to consider a different weight bench.

One thing Lindsay noticed while testing the bench is that over time, the pad showed some discoloration along the pad where the user’s head would rest. While the pad never wore down more, Lindsay remarks, “I’m not sure if sweat or potential hair products are causing that, but it’s still something worth noting.” Overall, the bench performs well and looks pretty solid.

Squat Cage

Nike Squat Cage

Nike Squat Cage

GGR Score: 3.8

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Product Highlights

• Rack and J-cup weight capacity of 1,100 lbs
• Pull-up bar weight capacity of 660 lbs
• 3” x 3” 11-gauge steel tubing
• Compatible with 5/8″ attachments
• Hole spacing every 2”
• Laser-engraved numbers denote every other hole

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 11-gauge steel
• Laser-engraved numbers along uprights
• High weight capacity
• Compatible with 5/8" attachments

Cons

• No Westside spacing
• Rack must be anchored to the floor
• Only available in black

Bottom Line

With Nike’s entrance into strength equipment comes the Nike Squat Cage, a four-post rack made with 11-gauge steel. Although the rack should be bolted down, it’s rated to hold up to 1,100 pounds. The 3-inch-by-3-inch uprights are compatible with 5/8-inch attachments as well.

At 300 pounds, this is a solid squat cage. Regardless, Coop recommends bolting it down to ensure it is as stable as possible. We had 500 pounds on the inside of the cage, and it felt solid; still, if you’re planning on lifting that much weight, or want to rack a barbell on the outside of the cage, you should bolt it down.

It’s a very durable power rack, made of 3-inch-by-3-inch 11-gauge steel and boasting a weight capacity of 1,100 pounds, but only 660 pounds on the pull-up bar (which should still be plenty for most). The cage comes with J-cups and pin pipe safeties, which work well, too, although the pin pipes can be an annoyance to move around.

The J-cups did cause some scratching along the uprights when moved around, though. It’s slight, but due to the powder coating being a bit on the light side, you may see some scratching from any metal-on-metal contact.

Our biggest concern for the squat cage is that although most of Nike Strength’s equipment is competitively priced, the squat cage is a little higher than other competitors, with REP Fitness coming in at about $800 for a similar rack. 

Also, Nike doesn’t have much to offer beyond the cage, as their only add-on power rack attachments are dip bars and spotter arms. While we’re sure Nike will continue to add attachments beyond their initial launch, currently, the squat cage doesn’t have as much value as the other Nike products. Powerlifters beware, too: there’s no Westside spacing in the bench zone, so setting up for bench press won’t be as precise.

Dumbbells and Kettlebells

While we haven’t had our hands on Nike’s dumbbells or kettlebells yet, Coop’s initial impression was that they looked pretty stylish. Speaking on the dumbbells, Coop says “This is a unique-looking dumbbell. This is a little bit different than what other companies are offering. They went ahead and made their own mold to make these dumbbells, which is kind of cool.”

The kettlebells also have a sleek look, with the Swoosh and logo molded on the sides of the kettlebells. Weights for the dumbbells range from 5 to 100 pounds, and the kettlebells go from 9 to 88 pounds, which is a great range of weights for most home gym owners.

There isn’t anything too flashy about either type of free weights, other than a clean look. They’re priced comparably to other brands, which is sure to bring about some competition in the market. Coop himself even says the kettlebells remind him of what Rogue offers. “Not their made-in-the-USA stuff, but the kettlebells from overseas,” he clarifies.

Comparison to Rogue Fitness and REP Fitness

Rogue Monster Lite RML-3

Rogue RML-3 Monster Lite R-3

GGR Score: 4.5

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Product Highlights

• 3×3″ 11-gauge steel
• 5/8″ bolts and fasteners
• Westside spacing
• Pin/pipe safeties
• Rogue Monster Lite compatible

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 11-gauge steel
• Westside spacing
• Compact rack design

Cons

• Some reviews claim the product was damaged during shipping
• Holes are not numbered
• Must be bolted to floor

Bottom Line

The Rogue RML-3 Monster Lite R-3 is a compact and sturdy rack from Rogue Fitness. Compatible with the entire Rogue Monster Lite series, this durable power rack can offer a good amount of versatility

REP PR-4000

REP PR-4000 Power Rack

GGR Score: 4.4

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Product Highlights

• Heavy duty 11-gauge steel
• 3″ x 3″ uprights
• Rated for 1,000 lbs

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Affordable, high-quality rack
• Several color options available
• Laser-cut holes and logos
• Uprights are numbered every 5 holes
• Westside hole spacing
• Can be built out to include weight storage, pull-up bar, strap safeties, etc.
• 3×3-inch 11-gauge steel

Cons

• Accessories for the PR-4000 and PR-5000 racks aren’t as good as the competition
• Some of the welds and powder coating aren’t up to par

Bottom Line

The Rep Fitness PR-4000 Power Rack is honestly one of the best value power racks on the market. This rack has garnered excellent reviews from us and others and it's largely due to how great it's features are for the price point. This is still a pretty expensive rack for those on a tight budget and trying to build a home gym, but this is the type of rack you never have to upgrade. Is it better than the Rogue Monster Lite? No, but it is cheaper and very similar quality, although it is imported. We are big fans of the PR-4000 and recommend it.

Typically, you wouldn’t want to compare a newcomer to the big companies in the fitness industry, but when it’s Nike, you know that those big companies are going to be their main competitors. So, how does Nike Strength equipment compare to Rogue and REP Fitness?

Ultimately, it depends on what type of equipment you’re comparing. In the case of squat cages, you’re likely going to want to go with REP, or Rogue if you’re wanting American-made equipment. Nike, as well as REP Fitness, imports their equipment, meaning that a 3-inch-by-3-inch upright isn’t truly those dimensions and comes up just shy of those measurements. Rogue does have true measurements though, and can secure attachments much better.

REP has the best price, as their similar squat cage, the REP Fitness PR-4000 Power Rack, starts at $800, with the ability to expand the dimensions to fit your needs—plus free shipping. The Rogue RML-3 comes out to just over $1,000 including shipping, but you’ll have to add shipping to the Nike cage as well.

When it comes to barbells, Nike has a lower price than most of what REP and Rogue have to offer, but the quality is a bit lower, too. The competitors both have better knurling that will work well for metcons and heavy lifting. Still, the Nike barbell is a good barbell for beginners.

Looking at the rest of the free weights—bumper plates, dumbbells, and kettlebells—Nike is somewhat comparable and competitive to these companies, price-wise as well. While not every piece of equipment stacks up, it does leave us a little excited to see how Nike improves upon their equipment in their next release.

Customer Experience

Nike has warranty information on all products sold. It varies from product to product, but the following pieces of equipment have limited lifetime warranties:

• Dumbbells (voided if dropped from above 24 inches)
• Kettlebells
• Squat racks, cages, and stands
• Attachments (dip station and spotter arms)
• Dumbbell rack

Some pieces of strength equipment have unique warranties: 

• Bumper plates have a 6-month warranty on the thinner 10- and 15-pound plates, and a 3-year warranty for home gym use on the 25-, 35-, and 45-pound plates.
• Weight benches have a limited lifetime warranty on frame welds, but a 10-year warranty on the bench frames, and a 1-year warranty on the bench wheels.
• The Nike barbell has a 5-year warranty.

The warranties seem fairly solid, aside from the Nike barbells. Five years seems a bit short compared to top barbell brands like Rogue and REP Fitness, which each provide lifetime warranties on their barbells.

Nike offers 30-day returns on unused products. These items must be unused and in their original packaging. You’ll be refunded the product price—minus any shipping costs charged at checkout and on returns. Don’t worry though; if you’re returning an item because it’s defective, you’ll be refunded for those shipping costs.

Currently, there is only an email address to contact Nike Strength, and there isn’t any FAQ section either. As this is a bare bones approach to contacting customer service, we hope that the website will expand upon its customer service features as the company settles in the strength industry.

Ordering and Assembling Nike Strength Equipment

Nike can be ordered directly from the Nike Strength website, and can also be found in some retail spaces. On their website, you can save on shipping through bulk orders; the heavier an order, the more you save on shipping. A 1,000-pound or heavier order will get you free shipping.

Outside of paying upfront, Nike also offers payment through Shop Pay, which will allow you to pay in four interest-free installments, or with financing options.

Packaging was always nice and stylish in the equipment we were sent, as the boxes reminded Coop of shoe boxes each time. Equipment that needed assembly had individual pieces wrapped and protected, plus they were pretty easy to assemble.

Customer Reviews

As of this writing, it appears that Nike Strength doesn’t display customer reviews, and with how new these products are, I didn’t see any customer reviews on other review websites, either. We’ll update this section if anything changes, though.

Final Verdict of Our Nike Strength Equipment Review

For an initial release of gym equipment, Nike made a strong opening. Some pieces were definitely more of a hit than others, such as the Grind bumper plates, but even equipment that missed the mark—like the Nike Squat Cage—was still made considerably well and wouldn’t be a bad option to have in your gym.

If you’re a beginner and just starting a home gym, Nike Strength is a pretty great place to start, with their bundle deals on equipment, plus free shipping on large enough orders. Still, if you’re wanting individual or specialized pieces, like a powerlifting barbell, you may want to consider other options.

With the innovative sustainability efforts of the Grind bumper plates, however, we’re excited to see what Nike comes up with next.

I know this is more roundup than individual review, but I still think we need a rating here for something—I’ll leave it up to you to choose, but I’m inclined to rate the rack since that’s what you focused on in the comparison section

Nike Strength Equipment: Squat Cage Full Rating

Overall score: 3.8

Nike Strength Equipment Review: FAQs

Caine Wilkes, OLY, CNC, USAW-L1

Caine Wilkes is an Olympian, placing 9th in weightlifting at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. A former gym owner, he also has more than 15 years of experience coaching other athletes in weightlifting, CrossFit, and functional fitness.

Further reading

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