NOHrD storage systems

Why choose a NOHrD storage system?

NOHrD builds everything by hand in Germany, and you can see it in how a tower is put together. The uprights are solid timber rather than foil over board material, and steel appears only where it has a job to do: the nickel-plated pegs that carry the plates and the fixings that hold the frame. There is no thin lacquer here to flake off after a couple of winters, and wood that has gone dull comes back with a little maintenance oil.

What sets this apart from an ordinary rack is not what it can hold, but where it is allowed to stand. A steel tower ends up in the garage sooner or later; a wooden tower stays in the living room, the treatment room or a corner of the office without anyone objecting. That is precisely what makes a home gym possible in houses with no dedicated training space. The honest trade-off: this is the most expensive thing you can buy in this category, and the premium goes into material, handwork and finish, not into extra capacity.

The range is deliberately narrow, too. It is designed around the brand's own gear, meaning its own plates, the Swingbells and the accessories from the same line, rather than around heavy Olympic loading. Also take a look at the other fitness equipment from NOHrD to see what these storage systems belong with.

The NOHrD storage system range

Four product types, each in several woods and finishes, twenty-seven versions in total.

• Weight Plate Tower: a free-standing tower for weight plates, with nickel-plated pegs carrying the load. Available in oak, cherry, walnut, All Black and Club Sport.
• Weight Plate Tower with plate set: the same tower, supplied complete with the matching NOHrD plates. Worth it if you are starting from scratch and want the plates to suit the wood.
• Swingbell tower: a slim rack made for the NOHrD Swingbells, in oak, cherry, black, vintage oak and Club Sport. The bells stand upright, so they take up very little floor.
• Organizer: an open storage system for small gear such as bands, straps and loose accessories, in oak, cherry, walnut and Club Sport.
• Swingboard: strictly speaking not storage, but from the same wood line. A balance board that also slides under a standing desk.
• Finishes: besides the woods, most models offer the uniformly dark All Black and the sportier Club Sport version.

Which NOHrD storage system suits you?

What you need follows from the gear you are storing and the room the rack will live in.

You train in the living room: match the wood to your furniture. Oak works in light interiors, walnut in dark ones, and cherry sits warmly in between. The rack then becomes part of the room instead of something you clear away before visitors arrive.

You do not own plates yet: take the version with the plate set included. Everything is guaranteed to fit the pegs and the tower is complete on day one, with no measuring and matching afterwards.

You already have plates: go for the bare tower without weights. Measure the bore diameter and the thickness of your plates first, because the tower is laid out around the brand's own gear.

You train with Swingbells: the Swingbell tower is the obvious answer. It keeps the bells in order and at hand height, which saves real time in a circuit with changing weights. For classic dumbbells a wider dumbbell rack is the better home.

You mostly have small accessories: the Organizer catches bands, straps and odds and ends that would otherwise disappear into a basket. It works well next to a tower, and just as well on its own.

You are fitting out a practice or an office: pair a tower with the Organizer in the same finish. The room looks considered and your gear still sits within arm's reach of your client.

What to look for when buying a NOHrD storage system

Wood and finish

This is the big decision with NOHrD, because all versions do the same job functionally. Oak stays light and calm, cherry runs warm and deepens with age, walnut is rich from the start. All Black and Club Sport are the dark, sporty lines and read less as timber in a living room. Compare the colour against your floor and your cabinets, not against your weights.

With or without a plate set

The Weight Plate Tower exists as a bare rack and as a complete set with plates. The set is attractive when you are starting out, because fit and appearance are then guaranteed to match. If you already have a stock of plates, a set means buying twice, and the bare tower is the sensible option.

Weight and floor loading

A fully loaded plate tower puts tens of kilos onto a very small footprint. On a wooden upper floor or a floating screed you want to spread that load, especially if the tower is not sitting over a joist or a load-bearing wall. Put a firm underlay beneath it; have a look at the mats for that. It also protects your floor while you lift plates on and off.

Fit with the gear you already own

The towers are drawn around the brand's own components: NOHrD plates, Swingbells and accessories. Plates from elsewhere usually go on, but check the bore diameter and how many will fit per peg. If you want a rack that swallows everything from kettlebells to Olympic bars, this range was not built for that.

Caring for solid wood

Timber moves with the room it stands in. Keep a tower away from a radiator and out of direct sun, and wipe it with a barely damp cloth instead of a harsh cleaner. One thin coat of maintenance oil a year keeps the colour deep and lets small scratches fade. That is more work than powder-coated steel, but it is also the only material here that can look better after ten years than it did on delivery.

Our advice: start with the room the tower will genuinely stand in, pick the wood to suit it and only then choose the model. If you are torn between bare and with a plate set, simply count what you already own; that usually settles it.

Who is a NOHrD storage system for?

• Home trainers with no gym room: you train in the living room or the bedroom and would rather it did not look that way. A wooden tower is often the only answer the rest of the household agrees to.
• People who care about natural materials: you deliberately choose solid wood and nickel-plated steel over plastic and powder coat, even when it costs more.
• Physiotherapists and personal trainers: your treatment room is your calling card. Equipment that looks cared for does the same work as good furniture.
• Offices, hotels and wellness spaces: a fitness corner that matches the rest of the interior does not jar in a shared room.
• Owners of NOHrD gear: if you already have Swingbells or plates from this brand, the towers fit straight onto what you own.

Less suitable if your aim is simply the most kilos per euro. If you have a garage full of heavy Olympic plates, kettlebells and bars to store, a steel rack gets you further for less money, and gives you far more choice in capacity and layout.

Need help choosing?

Would you like to buy a NOHrD storage system but are you not quite sure which rack suits your equipment and space? We are happy to help. You can reach our fitness specialists by phone on +31 85 773 00 57, send an email or visit our fitness store in Volkel, the Netherlands.

Frequently asked questions about NOHrD storage systems

Will weight plates from another brand fit the Weight Plate Tower?

Often yes, but it is not a given. The pegs are laid out for the bore diameter of the brand's own plates, and the thickness of your plates decides how many go on each peg. Measure both dimensions before you order. If you are not sure, tell us which plates you have and we will check it with you.

Is solid wood strong enough for heavy plates?

Yes, the timber is not the weak link in this construction; the load sits on the nickel-plated steel pegs and is carried down through the solid frame. What does deserve attention is the floor underneath, because a full tower is a substantial point load. On concrete that is a non-issue; on a wooden upper floor place it over a joist or a load-bearing wall where you can. A firm underlay helps spread the load.

How do I look after the wood?

Dusting and the occasional wipe with a barely damp cloth is enough for daily use. Leave abrasives and aggressive all-purpose cleaners alone, because they attack the oil or lacquer finish. One thin coat of maintenance oil a year keeps the colour deep and fades small scratches. Keep the rack away from heat sources and strong sunlight.

Does this suit the equipment I already have?

Visually it is a world of its own: wood among steel stands out, for better or worse. Functionally the range fits the brand's own plates and Swingbells best. If you have a mixed setup with bars, benches and loose weights, look more broadly at our strength equipment to see what matches in size and capacity. We are glad to think the combination through with you.

Why does this cost more than a steel storage rack?

You are paying for solid timber instead of board material, for handwork in Germany and for a finish that holds up in a living room. That premium buys no extra capacity: a steel rack at half the price stores plates just as well. What it does buy is a tower that is allowed to stay where you live or work and that stays handsome for years with a little care. If that is not what you are after, this category offers plenty of alternatives.