Contact Mat vs. Force Plate: Quick Overview

Before we dive deeper, let’s clarify what each device actually is and does:

• Contact Mat (Jump Mat): It's basically a rubber mat with a switch board inside it...or better said... its a thin mat that acts like a switch. When you step or jump on it and apply enough weight, usually 20lbs, it closes an electrical circuit which starts a timer. When you jump off it, the timer stops; when you land back, the timer starts again, and if you step off, the timer will stop again. Using all this, it tells you your ground contact time and also for the flight time, the system calculates your jump height. It’s essentially an on/off timing device – super simple, portable, and gives you immediate numbers like jump height and Reactive Strength Index (RSI) (if doing multiple jumps).
• Force Plate: A solid platform (or pair of platforms) with sensors that capture ground reaction forces throughout a movement. (the sensors are usually on the 4 corners where the feet of it are). When you jump on a force plate, it doesn’t have to infer how high you jumped – it measures the force you produced on the ground to propel yourself. It records a force-time curve that can tell you not just how high you jumped, but how you jumped (how quickly you applied force, how much force each leg produced if using dual plates, etc.). High-end force plates can measure forces in multiple directions (vertical, horizontal, lateral), but many sport models focus on vertical force only. 

Key difference: Contact mats measure time (and calculate height), while force plates measure force. This means force plates provide more detailed data, but contact mats are generally simpler and cheaper.

At a Glance: Key Differences

To help you scan the main differences, here’s a quick comparison of contact mats vs. force plates:

Table: Contact mats vs. force plates at a glance.

As you can see, neither tool is “better” in absolute terms – it depends on your needs. Next, let’s discuss who should use which tool, and then we’ll dig deeper into each category with pros/cons and product examples.

Who Should Use a Contact Mat, and Who Should Get a Force Plate?

Different people have different needs. Here’s my breakdown of which tool tends to fit best in various contexts:

1. High School Sports Coaches / Small Gym Owners: If your priority is to track basic jump performance of athletes in a simple, time-efficient way, a contact mat is often the best choice. These mats are affordable (fits in a tight budget), easy for anyone to use, and quick for testing a whole team’s vertical jump during training. For example, a high school coach can have 30 athletes each do a countermovement jump on the mat during warm-ups and get instant feedback on jump heights. The downside is you won’t get fancy metrics – but i mean at this level, consistency and motivation are more important than detailed force analytics. (Plus, many high school coaches don’t have the time or background to analyze force-time graphs every day.) A contact mat gives you the core info: How quick or high did they jump, and is it improving? That said, there are ways to cheat so you need to ensure athletes use consistent technique (no pulling knees up mid-air) for accuracy.
2. College/Pro Strength & Performance Conditioning Coaches, Sport Scientists: If you have a bigger budget and the desire to really dig into performance data, force plates become extremely valuable. In high-performance programs, it’s not just about how high an athlete jumps, but how they produce that jump. Force plates let you measure things like Rate of Force Development (RFD) (how quickly force is generated – critical for explosiveness), impulse (force over time), and asymmetry between legs. For example, a Force Plate test might reveal that an athlete’s injured leg produces 10% less peak force in a jump – even if their jump height looks normal on a contact mat, this insight could inform rehab or training adjustments. Force plates have become common in pro and D1 college weight rooms for monitoring fatigue and progress: an athlete might do a jump or specific test on the plates weekly; if their force output drops compared to baseline, coaches know they might be fatigued or need recovery. Bottom line: For advanced performance monitoring and nuanced insight, go with force plates (but make sure you’re ready to use the data they provide).
3. Physical Therapists & Rehab Specialists: In a rehab or clinical setting, the choice can depend on budget and needs:

• If you’re doing basic return-to-sport testing (like a single-leg hop test for distance or vertical jump to assess a patient’s readiness), a contact mat can be a quick, portable tool. It provides objective data (e.g., jump height or RSI) that can complement your clinical tests. It’s also a good motivational tool for patients (“look, your jump improved 3 inches since last week!”).

• However, many rehab professionals prefer force plates, especially dual plates, because of the detail in asymmetry and balance data. Force plates can measure how much force each leg is contributing on a jump or even during standing balance. For instance, a dual force plate setup can show if a post-ACL patient is unconsciously off-loading the injured leg during a squat or landing – something a contact mat alone cannot tell you. This is exactly how I first used them when i was recovering from an injury and found a significant asymetry between my right and left leg. (See the video below). Force plates also allow isometric tests (like an isometric squat or leg press) to safely quantify strength in a healing limb. If your clinic can afford it, force plates provide a more quantitative, scientific basis for progression and clearance decisions. Multi-axial force plates (which measure 3D forces) are even used for balance and gait analysis in neuro or orthopedic rehab, but these are high-end tools typically found in advanced clinics or research labs.

4. Military & Tactical Fitness: For military units and tactical athletes including fire fighters, law enforcement and other first responders, portability and speed are crucial. Contact mats have actually been used in various military research and training programs as a quick way to gauge lower-body power and readiness. For example, a platoon could do daily jump tests on a contact mat as part of a morning fitness screen – any soldier whose jump height is significantly down might be flagged for fatigue or potential overtraining. My good buddy is a fire chief and he has a jump mat (specifically the Plyomat which we will talk about later) in their fire house. The Army also has explored using jump metrics as indicators of neuromuscular readiness because it’s so fast to test a lot of people. A contact mat shines here: it’s durable, simple, and doesn’t require special skills to operate in the field. Force plates in tactical settings are less common due to cost and practicality, but some elite special forces programs and research units have started using portable force plates to get deeper data on soldier performance (e.g., measuring how carrying heavy gear affects jump power and field readiness, or assessing asymmetries that might predispose to injury). If you’re running a tactical human performance program with a good budget, you might deploy force plates in a centralized training facility for periodic testing, while using contact mats for quick field assessments.
5. Individual Athletes & Garage Gyms: If you’re an athlete or coach working solo or in a small garage gym setting, a contact mat is usually the go-to. There are even ultra-cheap jump testing devices now, like phone apps (e.g., you can film a jump in slow-mo and some apps will estimate height) or small gadgets that are basically a pocket-sized device that measures jump via a laser. Among these, a classic contact mat (or one of the newer smart mats) balances accuracy and cost nicely for personal use. Force plates for individual use are rare just because of the cost – though if you’re a data nerd with money to spend (or maybe a powerlifter tracking force in isometric pushes), there are now some lower-cost force plate options appearing. But for most individuals, a mat + maybe an app is plenty to track progress.

Deep Dive: Contact Mats (Jump Mats)

Now, I will go into contact mats in detail – how they work, their pros and cons, and what options are on the market.

How Does a Contact Mat Work? (Simple Explanation)

A contact mat is a switch.

• When you are on the mat, the timer is running.

• When you leave the mat, the timer stops.

• When you land back, the timer starts again.

The gap while you were off the mat is flight time. The app converts that gap into jump height using physics (assuming gravity is constant and that take-off and landing height are the same):

$$\text{Jump Height}=\frac{1}{8}\cdot g\cdot (t_f^2)$$

where:

• $g = 9.81 \, m/s^2$

• $t_f =$flight time in seconds

Example: If flight time is 0.50 seconds, the mat calculates:

$$\text{Jump Height} = \tfrac{1}{8} \times 9.81 \times (0.50^2) \approx 0.31 \, m \, = \, 31 \, cm \, \approx 12.2 \, in$$

Most mats also track ground contact time (the interval your feet are pressing on the mat before the next jump). This enables calculation of Reactive Strength Index (RSI):

$$RSI = \tfrac{\text{Jump Height}}{\text{Contact Time}}$$

RSI is widely used to assess explosiveness the ability to jump high off a short contact.

I like to use this as a way to see if the athlete is more of a elastic jumper or a strength jumper.

What contact mats do NOT measure: force. They don’t know how much you pushed into the ground, only how long you were on it vs. off it. The numbers you get are derived purely from timing, which is simple and useful, but also a limitation (i’ll cover that below).

Technical note: Modern mats sample at very high frequency (often 1000 Hz), so they can detect timing changes down to the millisecond. Most connect via Bluetooth to a smartphone app, while older versions display results on a handheld LCD. They’re usually battery-powered and require no calibration....so if the mat is flat and intact, it’s either “on” or “off,” its really that simple. 

Pros of Contact Mats

• Simplicity & Speed: You can set up a contact mat in literally 30 seconds. Lay it on a flat surface, turn it on, connect wires, open the app, click one button to pair Bluetooth and start jumping. The learning curve is basically zero – anyone can use it, and results are instantaneous. This makes it ideal for testing large groups quickly or doing frequent tests (like daily monitoring) without much hassle.
• Highly Portable: Most jump mats are lightweight and transportable. Some roll up or fold, others are solid but still slim and light. Coaches can bring them to the track, weight room, or even pack in a car for away games. (Some models come with a carrying case). I just leave my plyomats in the trunk of my car all the time. They are also generally durable and don’t require external power (battery-operated), so you can use them outdoors or anywhere.
• Affordable: Compared to force plates, contact mats are much cheaper. Even high-end contact mats cost a fraction of what a force plate system does. This puts jump testing within reach of high schools, small colleges, local gyms, etc., who could never consider a $5k+ force plate. Many good contact mats are in the $800–$1200 range, and there are budget options even under $500 (but be wary of those.) Plus, there’s usually no subscription or ongoing software cost – you buy it, you own it.
• Great for Jump Height and RSI: For the specific metrics of vertical jump height and reactive strength index, contact mats are quite reliable. Research shows that if used properly (consistent technique), jump mats correlate highly with force plate measurements of jump height [2]. The differences are usually small (a few centimeters). They also have very high test-retest reliability – meaning if an athlete jumps multiple times, the mat will give consistent results, making it good for tracking changes over time.
• Immediate Feedback for Athletes: Many contact mats have a digital display or connect to an app that will show the jump height right away. This is great for motivating athletes – they jump and see the result, and maybe try to beat it on the next try. It gamifies the testing a bit. Some apps even have leaderboards or can display in real-time on a screen, which is fun in team settings.
• Minimal Maintenance: There’s not much that can go wrong with a contact mat. No complex calibration, no moving parts (in most cases). As long as you store it flat and don’t abuse it, it can last for thousands of jumps. Just replace batteries or recharge occasionally. They’re typically waterproof or at least water-resistant and can be used with dirty shoes (some tactical versions are built for outdoor conditions). I don't recommend using with spikes or cleats though because of the risk of slipping.

Cons of Contact Mats

• Limited Data – No Force Info: The biggest drawback is you only get the basics. If an athlete’s jump height changes, the mat can’t tell you why. Did their technique change? Are they producing more force, or just swinging arms better? Did they favor one leg on the take-off? A contact mat won’t answer these questions. You get contact time and jump height, but you miss out on peak force, rate of force development, power output, left/right distribution, etc. If you crave that depth, a mat will feel limiting.
• Potential Accuracy Issues with Technique: Contact mats assume take-off and landing height are equal (e.g., you land back on your feet at the same level you jumped from). If athletes cheat that, (which they do.......), the numbers can be off. Common example: an athlete tucks their knees or kicks their feet up during the jump – this can extend flight time slightly without actually reflecting a higher center-of-mass jump. The mat will report a higher jump than reality. Also, landing with very bent knees vs. stiff knees can affect the flight time reading by a small margin. In practice, good coaches control this by instructing athletes to land in a similar position as take-off or to do hands-on-hips jumps for testing. But be aware: studies have found that devices like the Just Jump mat can read anywhere from ~1–2 cm up to ~10–15 cm higher than force plate measures in some cases[2][3] (the larger errors usually with arm swing jumps). So, consistency is key. The mat is very precise on timing; it’s the human element that introduces error.
• No Asymmetry or Balance Info: Since it’s one surface detecting contact, you can’t know if one leg was pushing harder or if the athlete landed unevenly. If you need to test single-leg jumps, you can (just have the athlete jump off one leg), but you’d have to test left vs right separately and you only get jump height each time – no force distribution data. This is a disadvantage in rehab or for coaches concerned with left-right differences.
• Specific Use Only: Contact mats are basically just for jumps, hops, and related plyometric tests. You can’t use a contact mat to measure something like a squat or a upper-body movement. (There are some clever uses like using a contact mat as a start/stop for sprint timing, sprinting ground contact time, long/triple/high jump takeoff ground contact times, but those are niche and not what they’re mainly sold for.) Force plates, by contrast, are more versatile for multiple test types.
• Possibility of False Triggers: If the mat isn’t flat or someone accidentally steps on the edge, it might trigger. Also, very short contact times (like foot contacts of <0.10s) need high sampling rates – a lower-quality mat might miss very brief touches. Most modern ones like Plyomat are fine in this regard (timing to 0.001s), but a cheap DIY mat or older model like the Just Jump system might have small delays. In elite plyometric testing, a difference of just 0.005s in contact time can be significant for calculations like RSI.
• Data Management: Older contact mats (e.g., Just Jump’s basic console) don’t save data – you have to manually record results. Newer ones with apps have improved this, but you still might not get the robust data management that force plate systems offer (like cloud databases, auto-generated reports over time, etc., unless the mat is part of a larger system). If you test dozens of athletes, you’ll need to organize that data yourself in many cases.

Top Contact Mats of 2025

The market for contact mats isn’t huge, but there are a handful of well-known models, each with its own twist. Here is my top pick for best jump mats as of 2025:

Plyomat Review (2025)

Overview

The Plyomat is the modern evolution of the jump mat. It pairs durable rubber panels with a Bluetooth controller and app (iOS/Android). The app displays metrics in real-time, stores data for multiple athletes, and allows custom protocols (3 jumps in a row, 10-second endurance test, etc.).

Key Features

• Mat Design: New models use two separate panels that can connect together or be spaced apart for bounding, broad jump, sprint stride testing, or even long jump/high jump approaches.
• Controller & Battery: Wired to a compact controller box with battery life lasting weeks on a single charge.
• App Integration: Displays jump height, contact time, RSI, best/average results, and can color-code trends. Data exports easily as CSV.
• Accuracy: Validated within ~1 cm of lab-grade force plates for jump height.
• Just Jump Mode: Optional toggle to align readings with the older Just Jump system.

Pros

• Extremely accurate and consistent
• Versatile: works for jumps, bounding, sprints, runways
• Durable rubber build with non-slip base
• Affordable compared to force plates (~$1,000)
• Easy exports for coaches who prefer spreadsheets
• Long battery life

Cons

• Mat must remain wired to the controller
• No built-in cloud database; results stay on device unless exported
• Doesn’t integrate directly with athlete management systems
• I wish the extension cord they provide was longer

My Experience with Plyomat

I’ve used Plyomat on long jump runways, high jump surfaces, sprint training, and standard RSI testing. It’s consistent across all environments. The dual-mat system is especially useful because I can spread the mats apart for bounding, or keep them together for standard jumps. The versatility is unmatched.

• Unboxing/How To Video: VIDEO: This mat tracks how explosive your takeoff is.
• Training Demos: 

Who It’s Best For

• High school and college coaches who need pro-level accuracy on a budget
• Performance gyms testing RSI, fatigue, and vertical jump
• Track & field coaches who want portable, field-ready testing
• Clinicians who need reliable jump metrics but don’t require full force curves

When is a Contact Mat the Right Choice?

To sum up the contact mat section, choose a contact mat if you:

• Need something affordable and easy for measuring ground contact time, jump height and basic reactive strength.
• Plan to test often or test many athletes at once, where speed and simplicity matter more than depth of data.
• Don’t have the capacity to analyze complex data (or simply don’t need it for your purposes).
• Operate in multiple locations or outdoors frequently (e.g., you coach athletes in the gym and on the field) – the portability is a big plus.
• Work with younger athletes or large groups where a quick number is enough to motivate and track improvement.

On the other hand, if you find yourself wanting more detail – like exactly how an athlete is producing force, or whether an imbalance exists – then you’ll start to feel the limitations of mats, and that’s where force plates come in.

Deep Dive: Force Plates (Vertical & Multi-Axial)

Force plates are often seen as the “gold standard” for biomechanical measurement in sports. Let’s break down the types of force plates, what they offer, and how to decide if they’re worth the investment for you.

How Do Force Plates Work?

A force plate is basically a sturdy platform with built-in force sensors. Most sport-oriented force plates are actually sold as a pair of plates – one for left foot, one for right foot – although you can also use them as one larger surface by putting them together. Inside each plate, there are typically four sensors (one at each corner) that measure the force pressing on them. By combining the readings from these sensors, the system calculates the total Vertical Ground Reaction Force (vGRF) at any given moment, as well as the distribution of force (which allows it to find the Center of Pressure – useful for balance).

High-performance plates measure forces in three dimensions: vertical (up-down), as well as horizontal shear forces (forward-backward and side-to-side), plus the twisting moments. These are usually called multi-axial or 3D force plates. However, many portable or sport-model force plates limit focus to vertical force or have less sensitivity in other directions, because for jumps and lifts the vertical component is the primary interest.

Key capabilities:

1. They record force continuously over time during a movement at a high sample rate (usually 1000 times per second or more). So for a jump, you get a curve that starts at body weight (when standing), then spikes as the athlete pushes to jump (maybe 3-5 times body weight briefly), then drops to zero when airborne, and spikes again on landing impact.
2. From this force-time data, software can derive a wealth of metrics: Peak Force, Peak Power, Rate of Force Development (RFD), Impulse (force × time), Eccentric vs Concentric force metrics, Take-off velocity, Landing forces, etc.
3. Another cool thing is if you have dual plates, you get separate data for left vs right leg at all times – meaning you can actually observe asymmetry (e.g., one leg produced 52% of the force, the other 48%, or one leg’s force-time curve lags the other’s).
4. Force plates can be used for more than jumps: you can test an isometric mid-thigh pull (stand on plates and pull a fixed bar – plates measure how hard you pull), isometric squat or lunge, even upper-body pushes (e.g., a clap push-up off plates can measure upper body power).
5. In rehab settings, they’re used for balance tests (stand on the plate on one leg – the tiny shifts in force show how stable you are).

The technology behind them varies:

Strain Gauge force plates: These use metal gauges that deform slightly under force and change electrical resistance. They are accurate and can measure static (non-moving) weights indefinitely. Many portable plates (like VALD ForceDecks, Hawkin Dynamics) use strain gauges. They need calibration but hold it well. 

Piezoelectric force plates: These use crystal sensors that produce charge when compressed. Brands like Kistler use piezos. They have excellent frequency response (great for very rapid force changes) and precision. They can be more expensive and typically are found in lab settings. They can’t measure a static weight forever (drift over time), but for dynamic movements they’re really good. 

Vertical vs. Multi-Axial: 

A vertical force plate system (like the common dual plates) really focuses on up-down force.

A multi-axial (3D) force plate (often a larger single plate) captures shear forces too.

For example, in a landing, if the athlete’s feet skid a bit forward, a 3D plate would measure that forward friction force; a vertical-only plate might not register that except through subtle timing changes. Multi-axis plates are needed for gait analysis (walking across them to see how force shifts), or for capturing things like the force in a lateral cut or a sprint start. As a High Jump coach myself, they are used to see shear forces during takeoff of the jump.

Where they are used note: 

Multi-Axial plates are expensive and most need to be built into the floor surface, which is why they are mostly used in research or high-level biomechanics analysis.

For jump and strength testing, vertical force (and dual-plate asymmetry) is usually sufficient, which is why most sports teams opt for dual vertical plates.

Pros of Force Plates

• Comprehensive Data: This is the big one. Force plates give you everything you might want to know about a jump (or other movement). You don’t just get an output number; you get the full picture of the movement’s force production. Want to know if an athlete is improving because they are pushing harder, or because they’re pushing faster? The force plate can tell you (meaning maybe peak force is the same but they have shortened the time to peak...that's a huge improvement in explosiveness!). You can detect if an athlete is “muscling” a jump (longer, strength-oriented push) vs. “bouncing” it (short, elastic push) by looking at the shape of the curve. This level of insight can guide training programs (maybe an athlete needs more strength work vs another who needs more explosive speed work and plyometrics).
• Asymmetry Detection: Using dual force plates, you can quantify differences between legs (or sides of the body). This is incredibly useful post-injury or to prevent injury. For example, when i was injured, i did a bilateral jump which looked fine to the naked eye, but VALD force plates could show I was unconsciously favoring one leg (60% of force on one side). You can track that over rehab and ensure they get back to ~50/50...or closer to 50/50. Even in healthy athletes, small asymmetries can be monitored; some coaches use a threshold (e.g., >10% asymmetry) to flag potential issues. This is something a contact mat simply cannot do in one jump trial.
• Versatility of Tests: You can do more than just jump tests. Force plates are used for squats (to measure strength and power at different loads), for isometric tests (maximal strength without movement – safer for some injured athletes), for drop jump analysis (the plates can measure the landing forces and how quickly you transition to jump – giving another angle on RSI beyond just flight time). They’re also used in baseball to analyze pitching mechanics (pitcher steps on a plate to measure ground forces), or in Olympic weightlifting to see force output in pulls. Essentially, one device can serve many testing purposes for a high-performance program.
• High Accuracy & Reliability: Quality force plates like VALD and Hawkins Dynamics are lab-caliber instruments. If calibrated and used right, they will give extremely precise measurements. For instance, studies have shown that top commercial dual plates (like VALD ForceDecks) agree within ~1% of the readings of much larger lab force plates. They also have very high reliability – if an athlete performs the same effort, the numbers will be consistent. This gives coaches confidence in small changes being real, not just device noise.
• Software & Analytics: Modern force plate systems come with advanced software that automates a lot of analysis. You don’t have to be a biomechanical scientist to use them. The software will identify key events (start of jump, take-off, landing) and compute metrics for you. Many provide normalized data or allow you to compare to the athlete’s previous tests easily. Some generate nice reports or dashboards at the click of a button. Also, many integrate with athlete management systems – for example, data from force plates can automatically go into a larger database where you also track wellness questionnaires, training load, etc. This integration and analysis capability is far beyond what you get with a simple jump mat.
• Scientific and Professional Credibility: This is the sports psychology aspect of it. Telling a player or a coach that their performance is tracked by a force plate “lab-grade” system can carry weight. It shows a commitment to sports science. In some environments (pro teams, research studies), using a validated force plate is important for consistency across programs. Also, if you ever plan to publish data or share with medical staff, force plate data has that credibility of being the gold standard.
• Long-Term Value: A well-built force plate system, though expensive upfront, can last a long time and remain useful as your program grows. Because the data it provides is so fundamental (force, which is physics), it doesn’t really become obsolete. Even if new metrics or training fads come, force plates can adapt (since you can always calculate new things from the raw data). And when I interviewed Hawkins Dynamics, they said exactly that. They can provide updates to the software which can just run more fancy metrics all on the same data without needing to update the hardware itself. Many labs still use force plates from 10+ years ago effectively. So, it’s an investment that can pay off over a long period if taken care of.

Cons of Force Plates

• High Cost: The obvious con – these systems require a significant budget. Entry-level dual plates might be around $5k, but many of the popular ones with software end up $7k-$10k after including licenses, tablets, etc. Some companies now offer subscription models to lower the upfront cost (e.g., pay a few hundred a month), but anyway it’s a serious expenditure. For small organizations or individuals, this is likely out of reach. Also consider possible ongoing costs (some require software subscriptions for cloud features or support after the first year).
• Less Portable / Convenient*: I put an astrix on this becasue Hawkins Dynamics force plates are in a pretty sweet rolling case. But while much improved, force plates are still bulkier than a mat. If you have to test on a field or move room to room, carrying ~50 lbs of plates plus a laptop/tablet, and ensuring a perfectly flat surface, is more hassle than a lighter mat. If you have a dedicated space, like the set up at Helix Performance Labs outside of Austin Tx., it’s fine – you can just keep the plates in a lifting platform or inlaid in the floor. But if you’re a coach who travels or needs to test in different places daily, it’s not as grab-and-go.
• Setup and Calibration: Force plates need to be zeroed (tared) for each session (basically telling it what “zero force” is with nothing on it, and accounting for gravity on the plate itself). You also have to make sure the athlete’s weight is correctly captured (some systems have you input body weight, others measure it when the athlete stands still at start). While not hard, it’s a step that a jump mat doesn’t have. Calibration-wise, high-quality plates usually hold calibration well, but if they get banged around or over time, you might need to send them in for servicing. It’s like maintaining lab equipment vs. a plug-and-play gadget.
• Data Overload & Interpretation: In the words of "Uncle Ben": With great data comes great responsibility.... Ok what i mean is you will have a lot of numbers and data to interpret. If you’re not comfortable with biomechanics terms, the output can confuse or mislead. For example, a force plate might tell you an athlete’s eccentric rate of force development is down – what do you do with that info? Coaches need to educate themselves (or have a sports scientist) to get the full benefit of force plates. Otherwise, you risk either ignoring the data (wasting the tool) or misunderstanding it. The good news is many companies provide education, but it’s a factor to consider. A contact mat gives simple numbers that any coach understands (jump height).
• Not Always Necessary: Some critics point out that for many coaching decisions, you don’t actually need all that force plate data. If jump height drops, you likely would have caught that on a contact mat too (as a sign of fatigue). And some metrics can be derived in simpler ways or have high variability (some coaches don’t use metrics like “time to takeoff” because they can be inconsistent day to day). So you might pay for dozens of metrics but end up focusing on just a few key ones. If you won’t use the depth of data, a cheaper method might suffice.
• Environmental and Setup Constraints: Force plates require a solid, flat surface. Using them on a squishy turf field or a bouncy floor is not advisable (it can affect readings or even damage them). This goes for contact mats too though. They also should be secured from moving (some come with rubber feet or even mounting brackets). If multiple people are moving around on the same floor (like a weight room with other athletes dropping weights), it can introduce vibration. Generally, you need to set a controlled environment for testing, which sometimes means telling others to hold off activity briefly. Not huge, but something you typically don’t worry about with a mat.
  
• Injury Risk: Force plates are elevated. So if you don't land fully on the surface, you could put yourself in a risk of rolling an ankle. Luckily, most of the high tier companies offer a padding to go around it which helps mitigate that risk but it still exists non the less. 

Vertical vs. Multi-Axial (3D) Force Plates – Do You Need 3D?

Within force plates, you’ll see some marketed as 3D or multi-axial (e.g., from companies like Kistler, Bertec, AMTI). These are often single large plates installed in labs or universities, capable of measuring horizontal forces and torque in addition to vertical. For most sports performance applications (especially jumps), a dual vertical force plate system (measuring vertical force per leg) is sufficient and far more cost-effective and portable.

The 3D plates though do shine in specialized scenarios:

• Balance and stability testing: e.g., postural sway in rehabilitation – a 3D plate measures the subtle shifts in center-of-pressure in all directions to assess balance deficits[4].
• Gait analysis: having a walkway of force plates to capture each foot strike and the directional forces (used in biomechanical research and clinics).
• Lateral or complex movements: e.g., measuring the push-off force in a side shuffle, or the braking force when an athlete lands and stops quickly.
• Research validation: if you’re doing a study that needs the most precise force measurement in all axes (perhaps to validate a new sensor or something specialized), 3D plates are the gold standard.

For a coach deciding between tools, if you’re even considering a multi-axial plate, you likely have a specific research purpose or a high budget lab setup in mind. In contrast, almost all sports teams and training centers use dual vertical force plates, which already give a lot of info, including some insights into asymmetry and basic balance (through left-right differences and total load).

In summary: A multi-axial plate is amazing, but not practical for 99% of strength coaches – it’s overkill unless you’re literally running a biomechanics lab, or looking for very specific data. They also cost 2-3x a dual plate system. So, our focus in recommendations will be on the more common force plate systems used in sports.
That said, Il have a full review of the Best Multi-Axial Force Plates out on the market that you can go check out if your interested. 

Top Force Plate Systems of 2025

Unlike contact mats (where choices are limited), the force plate market has grown with a variety of offerings. Here are some notable ones and who they’re best for:

Hawkin Dynamics (2025)

Overview

Hawkin Dynamics is one of the most popular dual plate system on the market, known for their ties to the NFL and NBA combines and used by alot of professional sports teams. Their hardware is heavy-duty and wireless (Bluetooth to a tablet), you can get it customized with your logo and team color, and have a pretty sweet carrying case.

Pros: 

Hawkin’s software provides live feedback and simple visuals (you can see the force-time curve during the jump in real time). They focus on key metrics and have a clean, customizable dashboard. One big plus is that after buying the hardware, you can use it without mandatory subscriptions; the basic app and data export are available. (They do have a cloud service for a fee, but it’s optional.) They also have an API that allows advanced users to integrate or pull raw data for custom analysis. Hawkin plates are also well-validated and have been used in peer-reviewed studies on athlete testing.

Why choose Hawkin? 

It tends to be a bit more affordable than VALD, especially since you can opt out of subscriptions. It’s great for coaches who might want more control of their data and perhaps a simpler set of metrics. The company is also known for responsive support and iterating features based on coach feedback.

Cons: 

The difference from ForceDecks in practice is narrowing, but Hawkin’s automated analysis or reference data might not be as extensive as VALD’s (depending on what you need). The hardware, while portable, is slightly heavier – not a big issue, but a consideration if you travel. If you prefer an iOS ecosystem, note that Hawkin’s app has been primarily on Android (they often provide a tablet with the system). Not a huge deal, because they will be releasing their system on IOS later this year (2025) but if you buy today, your stuck with Android.

In summary, Hawkin is a top choice for value and flexibility – you get the core benefits of force plates without feeling locked into a single way of doing things.

VALD Force Decks (2025)

Overview

VALD ForceDecks: Perhaps the most well-known in the physical therapy space right now, ForceDecks (by VALD Performance) is a dual plate system that has set the standard in usability and software. They have alot of other products that all link together into a integrated software ecosystem which makes them really go in therapy and recovery fields.

Pros: 

The software is very user-friendly and quick. It automatically identifies over 150 metrics from various tests, but you can also just focus on the key numbers. It provides immediate comparisons to an athlete’s history or even normalize data from similar athlete populations (because VALD has a large database). The hardware is solid, with options like ForceDecks Mini (very portable and the only ones I have tried for complete honesty) up to ForceDecks Max (for heavier/larger athletes, like linemen).

Why choose ForceDecks? 

If you want a proven, comprehensive solution and you have the budget, this is a top pick. It’s used by many pro teams (NBA, NFL, EPL soccer, etc.) and even tactical performance centers. The integration with VALD’s ecosystem is great if you might also get other devices or use their cloud.

Cons: 

Cost – ForceDecks is on the higher end of the price spectrum. Historically it was a large upfront cost; now they also do subscription models (e.g., around $3k/year for 3 years). Also, some advanced users might find the metric overload daunting or want to do their own analysis (which ForceDecks allows via exports, but the black-box nature of some calculations can be an annoyance). Overall, for elite programs who want the gold standard and full support, ForceDecks is a go-to.

When is a Force Plate the Right Choice?

To wrap up the force plate section, you should consider investing in force plates if:

• Data is king for you: You or your organization thrive on deep analytics and want to pinpoint exact aspects of performance (strength vs explosiveness, asymmetries, etc.). You’re likely already doing things like regular testing and have staff who can interpret results.
• You work with elite athletes or in a competitive environment where small differences matter – e.g., differentiating between two draft prospects’ power output, or ensuring a rehabbing athlete is truly 100% ready to return.
• You work in the recovery space – like physical therapy or medical.
• Budget is available – it’s not an afterthought purchase; you have funding or support because the value is recognized.
• Broad use cases are needed – you want one tool that can do jumps, track progress in lifts, test balance, maybe do some research studies, etc.
• You aim to stay on cutting edge – adopting force plates can open the door to more advanced training insights (and also collaboration with sports scientists, if that’s in your network).

If those don’t describe you, a force plate might be more firepower (and expense) than necessary. Many successful programs still rely on simpler tools – it’s about how you use the information you have. A contact mat in the hands of a coach who understands his athletes can be more effective than a force plate collecting dust or spitting out uninterpreted data.