GORUCK Ruck Plates – Our Review

One of the most beautiful things about rucking is…you don’t have to make it complicated.

…like, at all.

You really want to hit the ground ru(ck)ing as fast as possible? Grab your kid’s under-sized backpack, pack in all of the textbooks he never opens, and get moving!

However, after a certain period of time (possibly that same day) you begin to realize that making “investments” into your new (favorite!) hobby can make the experience a whole lot more enjoyable.

Picking up an appropriate ruck is the obvious first step, but from there, the sky is the limit in terms of shoes and/or boots to try and all types of ruck gear to get your hands on. Much of these items are discretionary and almost all of it comes down to personal preference.

With ruck plates, though…some just “work” better than others. For instance, if you have a GORUCK bag, GORUCK-branded ruck plates are going to be your best option to stick in it.

(imagine that!)

I know you’re thinking “what the heck, man?! A plate is a plate!” and, to a large degree, I agree with you; I had the exact same mindset…until I stuck my first GORUCK ruck plate into my Rucker 4.0.

A plate that fits your ruck pocket like a glove (or, vice versa…or whatever)…makes rucking so much more enjoyable.

I don’t want to get too much gushier here and now; let’s look at how the GORUCK ruck plates hold up across a number of the most relevant metrics:

Rucking

You got your GORUCK bag and your GORUCK plates and you’re ready to get rucking…

Thankfully, the plates live up to the hype and will make your rucking experience better than it would be if you opted for off-brand plates (or, at least off-brand plates that do not possess the same dimensions as the GORUCK plates).

Because the plates fit so securely into either the large, padded (and secured) interior ruck plate pocket (like you would find in the Rucker or Plate Carrier) or in the large, unpadded (and unsecured) interior Cordura pocket (like you would find in the Bullet or GR1), everything about rucking is just…easier.

There is simply no “bounce” or “jostle” when you use GORUCK plates in GORUCK bags. This may not be something you really think about (and possibly don’t even care about) on a short, 20-minute ruck or on the first mile of your outing…

…but trust me, if your ruck plate is moving around because it isn’t the right size (or whatever reason) it’s going to get really annoying.

Unlike many of my other reviews, I won’t go into too much additional detail on this because there isn’t much else to say; if you have a GORUCK bag and want to ruck with it, I can assure you that you’ll “ruck better” (by one metric or another) with GORUCK ruck plates.

Rucking: 100

Dynamic Rucking

As obnoxious as it is to “traditionally” ruck in a bag with an ill-fitting ruck plate, throwing around your ruck when your plate is the wrong size (or is otherwise screwed up).

This can range anywhere from a somewhat substantial annoyance (plates sliding back and forth when you’re pressing your ruck, swinging your ruck, etc.) to effectively being impossible to use (try Murph with your plate carrier half flapping against your back with every step, pull-up, push-up, and squat).

In contrast, when your ruck plate fits perfectly, there is little, if any, movement. This makes the challenge in performing these movements (or entire workouts like Murph) entirely about the movements, weights, and the combination of the two as opposed to being a challenge largely comprised of dealing with unwieldy weights.

As an added bonus, the “handles” on the tops and bottoms of each ruck plate not only make them easier to slip in and out of ruck pockets, but allow them to be used as stand-alone quasi-dumbbell/quasi-kettlebell types of implements. I can’t say I use them for these purposes, but it’s certainly a nice option to have.

Dynamic Rucking: 100

Compatibility

So you can probably discern by now that the GORUCK plates fit…pretty well in GORUCK gear.

Good for GORUCK for…ya know…making stuff that actually fit together well!

However, what if you want a GORUCK plate, but don’t have a GORUCK bag? Will the plate fit as it needs to?

A lot of this is going to be brand and even bag dependent. We’ll look at a few different options and you can see for yourself how the plate fits in each…

…and they tend to fit really well, regardless of whether the bag is from GORUCK or not. Let’s take a quick look at 9 different options:

In terms of my rating, I won’t hold it against the plate if:

• The ruck in question doesn’t have a dedicated ruck plate pocket
• The ruck in question is too small to reasonably accommodate a 20-pound plate

All of that being said, the GORUCK ruck plates are pretty compatible!

Compatibility: 90

Coating

If you’re doing it right, you’re unlikely to spend too much time gazing upon the coating of your selected ruck plates…they should be completely concealed in your bag!

As it is, the coating can make a difference, particularly in regards to chipping and being able to withstand general wear and tear.

Unlike many of its competitors, the GORUCK ruck plates have a smooth (I would dare say “beautiful”) powder coating to them which provides an additional layer of protection from rusting (as well as the aforementioned chipping).

If you’re into doing pull-ups (and, as Cadre Dan says, you should be!) you know all about how different a powder-coated bar feels on your hands and what a non-coated bar does to your hands. You’re not likely to be handling your plate all that much, but if you decide to use it for any type of non-ruck curls or other exercises where you’ll actually handle it, you’ll appreciate the coating.

None of this is to say that it especially difficult to find powder-coated ruck plates, but you can definitely see the pricing difference between these (as we’ll discuss next) and the “painted cast iron” entries.

One could argue that the laser cut steel ruck plate options’ coating is a bit more sleek and “efficient”, mainly due to how much more precise this metallurgical process is. If you’re into a more “rugged” look, the GORUCK plates probably provide the best balance.

Coating: 90

Price

Well, as the saying goes, “all good things come to an end…”

(don’t worry; things will get good again right after we finish this category!)

Straight up, the GORUCK plates are the most expensive ruck plates I have come across (this even includes some more obscure and niche weight vest and plate carrier plates). In addition to that, in most cases, they’re not only more expensive than other options, they’re a lot more expensive than other options.

Obviously, only you can decide how much utility you personally derive from a ruck plate that perfectly fits all of your GORUCK bag, plate carrier, and vest pockets (assuming you using standard plates in standard pockets and long plates in long pockets), but be aware that you will certainly pay a premium for this privilege.

Price: 50

Customer Reviews

One of the things I wasn’t expecting when I started putting this review together was coming across so many customer reviews for ruck plates…

…for ruck plates!

On the official GORUCK page, there are currently over 3150 reviews…for ruck plates!

People must really like writing reviews about ruck plates (yeah…I pretty much walked into that one) and, thankfully, people really seem to love the plates themselves:

4.9 out of 5 is nothing to sneeze at and with this rating, the plates actually come out to be some of GORUCK’s highest-rated products.

You can’t really find too many reviews of the plates on other sites (even on Rogue, there is only a grand total of 3 reviews…not surprisingly, all 5-star reviews), but I would feel pretty comfortable from ~2900 5-star reviews on GORUCK…as in comfortable enough to give their plates a go.

What do people complain about when they leave less-than-stellar reviews (at the time of this writing, there are a little less than 100 1,2, or 3-star reviews on the website?) Most appear to have experienced some type of shipping problem…

…although in Jorge’s case, USPS seems to be actual culprit…

…while others…well…I don’t really know what to tell you, Donna…

Should I make a video? I think I have 5 seconds to spare today!

Overall, a lot of love for the GORUCK ruck plates…even if unzipping your bag and stuffing them into that big pocket might be confusing for some!

Customer Reviews: 98

Warranty and Returns

Pretty tough to go wrong with GORUCK’s return polices and warranty.

To get things started, any item can be returned within 30 days and as long as its in a “new” condition, GORUCK will give you your money back (to include shipping fees). This is pretty fair to me and the only reason why I docked them anything here is because ruck plates are apparently the only items that can’t be exchanged.

I know most people won’t care about this (if you want a new plate, you’ll just initiate your return and then order a new plate), but some people will…have a tough time with it.

Anyways, when it comes to warranties, the ruck plates, like all of GORUCK’s products, are covered by their Scars Lifetime Guarantee. Essentially, this is a “you break it, we fix it” policy which instills confidence in the brand when considering their products.

To be honest, I don’t know how many GORUCK ruck plates get fixed or repaired; I assume they probably just send a brand new one (unless some they are wasting a welder’s expertise on the task of repairing these plates), but as with the return policy, shipping is covered by the company.

Overall, GORUCK scores pretty well here. Order with confidence!

Warranty and Returns: 98

Customer Service

I’ve discussed in a few of my reviews my, for lack of a better term, developing relationship with GORUCK.

If you check some of my earlier reviews (which I guess I should update to reflect more recent experiences) you can see that I didn’t always have the best conversations with the company’s personnel. However, in the 2024 calendar year, these experiences have been pretty much universally positive.

Between a couple of item returns (not defective items, just wrong sizes) and a refund for an event (I rolled my ankle pretty badly about 4 weeks before Normandy 2024), GORUCK personnel have been cool and very responsive with help and support.

The best things about these interactions? I never deal with bots! In fact, I’m pretty sure I always deal with the same person (sorry if I’m getting too annoying Emily!) Maybe in some way, we’ve developed a bit of rapport with one another…

Overall, I don’t have too many complaints with GORUCK’s customer service department (as I’ve stated a few times in previous reviews, a minor annoyance was having to completely repeat an entire large order because I made a minor mistake on the shipping address). If nothing else, it’s nice dealing with humans from time to time!

Customer Service: 95

Who are GORUCK Ruck Plates really for?

GORUCK plates make for nice additions to most rucks. They may not fit some rucks all that well and, in other cases, may not be necessary (depending on what you have in mind). With that being said, let’s take a look at who they’re best for:

GORUCK bag owners

As you could have probably surmised, if you already own a GORUCK bag, getting GORUCK-branded plates is a no-brainer. I don’t regret that I held off on getting mine, but I was certainly happy to have them once I started using them!

Prospective GORUCK bag owners

Seems almost synonymous with the first group above, but if you’re in the market for a new ruck (or even your first ruck) and have your eye on a GORUCK bag, give these plates a long look.

I know that the bags are already a little expensive and that adding plates to the equation only ups the ante on your knew hobby, but you’ll be able to appreciate it (and, more importantly, sustain it) better if you’re perfectly equipped from the start.

Not for those who don’t have or plan on getting a GORUCK bag

If you’re into rucking, but you don’t necessarily want to go with a GORUCK bag, you probably don’t need these plates. Granted, if you have some knock-off bag that has similar proportions and takes similarly-sized plates, it could work.

If, however, your bag just has some generic storage area, you are probably pretty safe throwing any sized plate in there; don’t spend more than you have to.

How we reviewed the GORUCK ruck plates

After rucking for…quite some time with some non-GORUCK plates, we finally got our hands on a 20-pound GORUCK plate (as well as a 10-pound GORUCK sand plate…but that review is for another day!) I didn’t waste any time in putting it to the test, sticking it in my GORUCK Plate Carrier to take on Memorial Day Murph. My wife did me one better in her Rucker…

In the ~3 months since then, every time I have rucked (or used my plate carrier or GORUCK weight vest), I have done it with my GORUCK plate (sometimes I have added my sand plate and/or a non-branded plate when I needed to pack the weight in). This has included countless “traditional” rucks as well as a handful of CrossFit workouts.

GORUCK Ruck Plates Alternatives

As we’ve discussed, GORUCK plates aren’t necessary for all rucking enthusiasts. Thankfully, there are a number of options, many of them rather inexpensive options (especially when compared to GORUCK’s offerings) that you can choose from instead:

Frequently Asked Questions

I know that discussions about ruck plates may not be the…sexiest, but when you’re talking about premium plates…that gets the people fired up! Let’s take a look at the most common questions we get on the topic:

GORUCK ruck plates…worth paying a premium for

I understand that getting into rucking can be pretty inexpensive. Heck, that might be one of the reasons why the activity has grown in popularity over the last few years.

I know that it can be pretty easy to grab an inexpensive ruck and a really cheap plate and be on your merry way…

…and that’s okay! If you’re comfortable rucking, however you choose to do it, with inexpensive gear that simply gets the job done, congratulations; you’re winning!

However, if you’ve committed to a GORUCK bag, have come to appreciate the frame sheet, ruck plate pocket, and 210D Cordura (your exposed skin does…I know this!) it makes sense to take things just a little bit further and snag a perfectly-fitting ruck plate.

It’s a lot of money to spend on a small piece of ore…but…well…I know my body thanks me for pulling the trigger!