Tunturi storage systems

Why choose a Tunturi storage system?

Mobility is the thread running through this range. Two of the three weight plate racks stand on wheels, and that is not a side note. Most home gyms are not a dedicated gym but a corner of a garage, an attic, a utility room or a room that turns back into an office or a play area at five o'clock. A rack that stays put forces you to give up that corner permanently. A rack that rolls gets pushed against the wall after your last set, and the floor belongs to someone else again. It sounds like a small thing, but that kind of friction decides whether your kit still gets used in a year or disappears under a cover.

The second characteristic is a low entry point with room to grow. You can start with a light rack with moulded tiers for six to ten sets of neoprene or vinyl dumbbells, and later move up within the same line to a Platinum Hex Rubber rack with three horizontal tiers for fifteen to eighteen pairs. The shelves and uprights of the Prof rack are also sold as separate parts, so you build that model up and extend it rather than buying it complete in one go. On top of that, this is one of the few brands with stands matched to its own adjustable dumbbells, such as the stand for the Selector Dumbbell and the weight stand for the MX Select. An adjustable dumbbell left on the floor gets lifted with your back every single time; on a matching stand it waits at lifting height. Useful too if you only have one corner free: the combination rack puts four to six pairs of dumbbells and four plate posts in the same frame. Also take a look at the other fitness equipment from Tunturi to see where these racks fit in.

Be honest about the ceiling, though. This is kit for the home and for light to medium loads, and within that brief it does exactly what it should. For a gym where heavy plates go on and off all day, or for racks that have to carry genuinely high capacities, you are better off with heavier commercial builds. So do not expect a frame with twenty people on it every hour, but do expect a range that keeps a home space complete and tidy.

The Tunturi storage system range

Just over twenty products, split across five groups that together cover a home gym.

• Weight plate storage: two mobile racks, one of them an upright model with six posts, plus a fixed plate stand that also has six posts. The mobile versions are the reason to look here if your weight plates live in a room with a second job.
• Barbell bar storage: a holder with vertical tubes for nine Olympic bars and a wall holder for one bar. The vertical holder is for anyone with a set of bars, the wall holder for anyone who owns exactly one and does not want it leaning against something.
• Dumbbell racks from light to heavy: a compact rack with moulded tiers for six to ten sets of light neoprene or vinyl dumbbells, a two tier rack for ten to twelve pairs, a Dumbell Toren pro for ten to twelve pairs, a Prof rack with three tiers and a Platinum Hex Rubber rack with three horizontal tiers for fifteen to eighteen pairs. For the Prof rack you add shelves and uprights as separate parts.
• Stands for adjustable dumbbells: a stand for the 25 kg Selector Dumbbell and a weight stand for the MX Select. If you train with adjustable dumbbells, this is the difference between changing weight at lifting height and starting from the floor each time.
• Combination rack: one frame with space for four to six pairs of dumbbells and four plate posts. The answer when you have a single corner available and no room for two separate racks side by side.
• Other kit: a rack for around twenty mats, two medicine ball stands with vertical trays for five balls (one on its own, one supplied with the balls), a multi storage rack with hooks and shelves, a support stand with one tier and hooks, and a rack for five to eight strength bags.

Which Tunturi storage system suits you?

Start by asking what your room has to be besides a training space, because half the decision hangs on that.

You train in a room that doubles as something else: take a mobile plate rack. You roll hundreds of kilos to the wall in seconds and the car, the desk or the children get their space back. Do check your floor first, because wheels and thick matting are a poor match.

You are just starting out with light dumbbells: take the compact rack with moulded tiers for six to ten sets. The recesses hold round neoprene and vinyl dumbbells in place, where they roll off a flat shelf as soon as you put another one back beside them.

You own a full set of rubber hex dumbbells: choose the Platinum Hex Rubber rack with three horizontal tiers for fifteen to eighteen pairs. It is the heaviest build in this line and keeps flat hex heads sitting squarely on their side.

You have one corner and a bit of everything: the combination rack puts four to six pairs of dumbbells and four plate posts in the same frame. That keeps you to one footprint and lets you grab dumbbells and plates from the same spot.

You use adjustable dumbbells: add the matching stand. The stand for the 25 kg Selector Dumbbell and the weight stand for the MX Select bring the dumbbells to lifting height, which your lower back notices on every set.

You mostly have mats and small kit: the mat rack for around twenty mats, the medicine ball stand with vertical trays for five balls and the multi storage rack with hooks and shelves between them catch exactly the things that otherwise end up everywhere. If you train with bags, the rack for five to eight strength bags completes it.

What to look for when buying a Tunturi storage system

Mobile or fixed, and what your floor can take

The choice between a mobile plate rack and the fixed plate stand is the big one here. Wheels win as soon as the room has a second function, but they want a flat, hard surface: concrete, tiles, laminate or thin rubber tiles. On thick puzzle mats, foam tiles or deep pile carpet the wheels sink in and a rack weighing hundreds of kilos no longer moves smoothly. If your kit sits on soft matting and you still want it to roll, lay a hard strip of rubber tiles or a board along the route.

Light coated or heavy rubber: the rack follows the shape of your dumbbells

A rack with moulded tiers is built for round, light neoprene or vinyl dumbbells, and that is a different product from the Platinum Hex Rubber rack with three horizontal tiers. Put heavy rubber hex dumbbells into recesses designed for light round ones and they either do not fit or sit unstable. The other way round, light round dumbbells roll off a flat tier. Measure the total length of your heaviest pair and the diameter of the heads, and allow a few centimetres of clearance, because rubber and polyurethane build thicker than cast iron with a thin coating.

Capacity against walking space

A rack for fifteen to eighteen pairs is almost twice as long as a two tier model for ten to twelve pairs, and that extra length comes out of your training floor. So measure not only the spot where the rack will stand, but also what is left in front of it to lunge or swing a dumbbell forward. With a mobile rack, count in the space you need to turn it as well. Better a rack that suits the set you will own in a year than the largest size you can squeeze into the room.

Adjustable dumbbells need a stand of their own

The stands in this range are matched to the brand's own adjustable dumbbells, and that is precisely why they work. The cradle points, the height and the width follow those dumbbells, so a universal bracket will not do the same job without fuss. Check which model of adjustable dumbbell you own before ordering, because the stand for the 25 kg Selector Dumbbell and the weight stand for the MX Select are not interchangeable. If your adjustable dumbbells come from elsewhere, let us know and we will look into it with you.

Floor loading under a mobile plate rack

A fixed rack spreads its weight across a wide base; a mobile rack puts the same load on four small wheels. On concrete you will never notice, but on a wooden attic floor or an upper storey the pressure per contact point suddenly gets high. In that case do not load a mobile rack to the last post, position it over a load bearing wall or across the joists, and put a spreader board under the wheels if needed. If you are unsure about your floor, ask before you park two hundred kilos of plates upstairs.

Our advice: start with the question of whether your room has to be anything besides a training space. If it does, take a mobile plate rack and check your floor surface straight away. Then pick a dumbbell rack on the shape of the dumbbells you own rather than on numbers alone, and only step up to the heavy three tier model once your set genuinely grows into it. If you own this brand's adjustable dumbbells, the matching stand comes before an extra rack, because you use it on every set.

Who is a Tunturi storage system for?

• Home lifters in a shared room: a garage, a utility room or a room with a second job. Mobile plate racks mean you do not have to give up that corner for good.
• Beginners with a light set: the compact rack with moulded tiers for six to ten sets of neoprene or vinyl dumbbells is a decent first step without putting up a big frame straight away.
• Anyone building up in stages: start light and grow within the same line to a two tier rack, a tower or the Platinum rack with three tiers. For the Prof rack you buy shelves and uprights separately.
• Owners of adjustable dumbbells: few brands offer stands matched to their own adjustable dumbbells, and that saves you lifting from the floor at every session.
• Lifters with one corner free: the combination rack for four to six pairs of dumbbells plus four plate posts keeps dumbbells and plates within a single footprint.
• Rooms full of small kit: mats, medicine balls and bags each get their own rack here instead of a corner on the floor.

Less suitable if you are fitting out a busy commercial gym or looking for racks with very high capacities. This range is built for home use and for light to medium loads, not for a gym floor where heavy plates go on and off all day and dozens of people pull at the same frame. For a long set of Olympic bars, or for hundreds of kilos of plates per rack, heavier commercial builds are the better place to look.

Need help choosing?

Would you like to buy a Tunturi 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 Tunturi storage systems

Can I use a mobile plate rack on any floor?

On concrete, tiles, laminate or thin rubber floor tiles a rack like this rolls without trouble. On thick puzzle mats, foam tiles or deep pile carpet the wheels sink in and a loaded rack no longer moves smoothly. Also think about the load bearing capacity of your floor, because the weight rests on four small wheels instead of a wide base. On a wooden attic or an upper storey it is wise not to fill the rack completely and to place it across the joists.

What is the difference between a rack with moulded tiers and the Platinum rack with three tiers?

Moulded tiers are laid out for round, light neoprene or vinyl dumbbells and hold them in recesses. The Platinum Hex Rubber rack has three horizontal tiers and is aimed at heavy rubber hexagonal dumbbells, with room for roughly fifteen to eighteen pairs. So you are choosing on the shape and weight of your dumbbells, not just on the number of pairs. If you are unsure, measure the length of your heaviest pair and the diameter of the heads and run it past us.

Can I extend the Prof rack later?

For that model the shelves and uprights are available as separate parts, so you can build it up and add to it instead of ordering it complete in one go. That helps if your set grows by a couple of dumbbells each year. Do check which parts fit your version before you order extras. With the other racks in the range you buy the capacity in one go, so there it pays to choose a size larger than you need today.

Will dumbbells from another brand fit these racks?

Usually yes, because the tiers and cradles follow common dimensions. Shape matters more than the badge: moulded tiers are for round light dumbbells, horizontal tiers for flat hex heads. The stands for adjustable dumbbells are the exception, as they are matched to the brand's own models and are not universal. Either way, measure the total length and head diameter of your heaviest pair before ordering.

Is this suitable for a commercial gym?

For a small company gym or a quiet training room it can work, but the centre of gravity of this range is the home and light to medium loads. Where heavy plates go on and off all day and the rack is used hundreds of times a week, you want heavier steel and higher capacities. In that case look at commercial builds. If you are not sure which category your space falls into, run your usage past us.