Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbells Will Make Your Life 10x Easier

Fitness

Adjustable Dumbbells Will Make Your Life 10x Easier

BY Reegan von Wildenradt
May 9, 2022

Pre-pandemic, the worst of our dumbbell worries was whether or not a fellow gym-goer was hoarding them for arm day. Now? It’s that and home gym woes. Making fitness gains over time requires a certain intentionality about weight selection, meaning the best pair of dumbbells is actually several pairs of dumbbells. But many of us don’t have the space nor budget for an entire wall of weights. That’s where adjustable dumbbells come in. Not only do they save square footage, but they can also be much more cost-effective than buying several different pairs of weights. Whether you’re looking to add versatility to your garage gym, or you’re building it out from scratch, we’ve rounded up our 10 favorite adjustable dumbbells below for any budget, desired weight, or square footage.

The Best Adjustable Dumbbells

1. Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbells

Weight range: 5-50 lbs per dumbbell

Looking for a sleek, comfortable pair of dumbbells? The search ends here. The design of both the dumbbells themselves and the included cradles take up minimal space in whatever room you’re dubbing your home gym and the handles have a rubberized covering for an ultra-comfortable grip. This single pair of adjustable dumbbells features a weight range of 5 to 50 pounds, thus replacing a set of 10 traditional dumbbells. Their weight adjustment system is one of the simplest on this list—just turn the dial to your preferred weight range.

Adjustable Dumbbells

Core Home Fitness

$360

SHOP

at Core Home Fitness

2. Rogue Fitness PowerBlock Elite XP Dumbbells, $359

Weight range: 5-50 lbs per dumbbell with optional add-ons up to 90 lbs

The Rogue PowerBlock Elite XP dumbbells are a great option for those looking for heavier adjustable dumbbells. The base set includes a pair that goes up to 50 pounds per dumbbell, but there are add-ons available for purchase that can bring each dumbbell up to 90 pounds. While many dumbbells on this list either have a dial system or a removable plate system, the PowerBlocks have a pin that’s used to change weights. This system is more foolproof than a finicky dial, which gives the PowerBlocks a slight edge in terms of adjustment speed overall. Weight adjustments can be made in 2.5-pound increments, making the base model a replacement for a whopping 15 pairs of dumbbells. One con: the shape. The handles are caged inside of the square-shaped dumbbells, which can limit some movements and make them a bit cumbersome to hold.

PowerBlock Elite XP Dumbbells

Rogue Fitness

$360

SHOP

at Amazon

3. Rogue Fitness PowerBlock Sport Series, $199

Weight range: 3 to 24 pounds per dumbbell

The Rogue PowerBlock Sport dumbbells are nearly identical in design and adjustment system to the PowerBlock Elite XPs. However, the maximum weight for each dumbbell is 24 pounds, and weight adjustments can be made in 3-pound increments. For dumbbells in this price and weight range, these are among the simplest to adjust, and replace eight pairs of standard dumbbells.

PowerBlock Sport Series

Rogue Fitness

$199

SHOP

at Rogue Fitness

4. Bowflex SelectTech 522 Adjustable Dumbbells, $400

Weight range: 5 to 52.5 pounds per dumbbell

There are a few reasons the BowFlex SelectTech 522 Adjustable Dumbbells have a 4.8-star rating on Amazon with more than 16,000 reviews. While expensive, these adjustable dumbbells replace 15 pairs of dumbbells, include a year-long subscription to the JRNY app (a platform that curates individualized workouts based on goals and fitness level and adjusts recommendations over time), and have a very user-friendly dial adjustment system. The grips are comfortable and the overall design is sturdy. The biggest hangup is how long the dumbbells are, which can make certain movements difficult for shorter people.

SelectTech 522 Adjustable Dumbbells

Bowflex

$400

SHOP

at Bowflex

5. Dripex Adjustable Dumbbells, $90

Weight range: 5-25 pounds per dumbbell

If you want a dial adjustment system on smaller dumbbells, this Dripex pair is it. It replaces five sets of dumbbells and adjusts in 5-pound increments from 5 to 25 pounds. Other dumbbells with this smaller weight range typically have a more cumbersome adjustment system, while others are much heavier or larger, and therefore a pain to move around. These also have a closer feel to non-adjustable dumbbells in terms of their length. Overall, these are a more affordable option that still have the ease of a dial adjustment system, making it very simple to change up weights mid-workout.

Adjustable Dumbbells

Dripex

$90

SHOP

at Amazon

6. BENETA Adjustable Dumbbells, $190

Weight range: 5 pounds to 44 pounds per dumbbell, 88-pound barbell

These are more than just adjustable dumbbells—they can also convert to a small barbell that weighs 88 pounds. Note that this is very much a non-traditional barbell—hand placement, with all weight loaded on, requires a grip in between two sets of weights. Adjusting weights mid-workout takes more time than other options on this list since weight plates have to be taken on and off individually. However, the weights themselves are rubberized, making it safer to do so.

Adjustable Dumbbells

BENETA

$190

SHOP

at Amazon

7. Amazon Basics Adjustable Dumbbells, $58

Weight range: 3 to 20 pounds per dumbbell

The Amazon Basics Adjustable dumbbells are a solid cost-effective option for adjustable dumbbells. The set includes two 3-pound bars, four 2.5-pound plates, and four 5-pound plates. Each collar, which screws onto the bars to secure the weight plates, weighs .5 pounds, so one bar could be loaded with more than 20 pounds. However, changing up weights mid-workout is difficult to do quickly thanks to the plate removal system.

Adjustable Dumbbells

Amazon Basics

$58

SHOP

at Amazon

8. Yes4All Adjustable Dumbbell, $365

Weight range: up to 85 pounds per dumbbell; 190-pound barbell

Looking to lift really heavy but not looking to spend over $600? Try the Yes4All Adjustable Dumbbells. The weight adjustment system is manual, so weight changes mid-workout won’t be happening fast, but the versatility of weight and the added barbell make it worth your while. You’ll be able to add up to 85 pounds per dumbbell and combine forces for a 190-pound barbell.

Adjustable Dumbbell

Yes4All

$365

SHOP

at Amazon

9. NordicTrack Select-a-Weight Dumbbells, $329

Weight range: 10 lbs to 55 lbs

NordicTrack’s adjustable dumbbells are very similar to other dial-adjustment dumbbells. However, the biggest difference is the weight range and the weight increments—these start a bit heavier than others at 10 pounds each and increase by either 2.5 pounds or 5 pounds for a total weight up to 55-pounds per dumbbell. Though the plastic grip of these dumbbells is not quite as comfortable as others which feature a rubberized grip.

Select-a-Weight Dumbbells

NordicTrack

$329

SHOP

at Amazon

10. Rogue Fitness NÜOBELL Dumbbells, $595

Weight range: 5 pounds to 50 pounds

Per pound, Rogue’s NÜOBELL dumbbells are the most expensive option on this list. These dumbbells have a unique dial adjustment system that involves twisting the handle itself instead of a dial on the outside of the dumbbells, which makes them more compact and might explain the heftier price tag. Weight adjustments can be swiftly made in 5-pound increments, replacing a total of 10 sets of dumbbells. This dial system also seems to alleviate some of the issues the other dial systems have with getting stuck while making weight changes.

NÜOBELL Dumbbells

Rogue Fitness

$595

SHOP

at Rogue Fitness

Adjustable Dumbbells Will Make Your Life 10x Easier

The Best Adjustable Dumbbells

RELATED

7 Compact Ellipticals That Turn Any Corner Into a Gym

The 10 Best Compression Socks for Workout and Recovery

No Space for a Sauna? Invest in the Higher Dose Infrared Sauna Blanket

The edge

About hone