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The best adjustable dumbbells can take your home gym to the next level. Don’t have a home gym? Well, congratulations, because the right set of adjustable dumbbells is a great first step to creating your very own home gym. In fact, some might consider adjustable dumbbells to be the “gateway drug” of home gym equipment addicts. Sure, it starts with adjustable dumbbells, but then you need an adjustable bench to get a proper chest workout, and next thing you know you’re sweating it out on a $5,000 stair-stepper, with a shake weight in each hand, and a Jawzrsize ball in your mouth. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
In the time of coronavirus and quarantines (or if you’re heading into the long dark winter of the north country like me), having a home gym can be essential for those days when you can’t make it to the gym or if you just prefer to grunt, groan, and sweat in the comfort of your own basement. The problem, however, is that with home gyms, real estate is a premium, and being able to maximize your space often becomes the name of the game. For this purpose, adjustable dumbbells are a no-brainer, eliminating the need for row after row of individually weighted dumbbells.
In the following list, we’ll break down the top brands of adjustable dumbbells and give you the best recommendations for sculpting your guns at home. For the purpose of this list, we have limited the reviewed products to adjustable dumbbell sets utilizing internal mechanisms for (nearly automatic) weight adjustment and excluded those that require the manual changing of disc plates and collars. Read on and let’s see which of the best adjustable dumbbells is the right fit for you.
Best Overall
Bowflex SelectTech 552
Best Affordable
NordicTrack Select-A-Weight
Best Splurge
Bowflex SelectTech 1090
Best Lower Weight
FLYBIRD 25lb Dumbbells
Best Upgradable
POWERBLOCK Elite EXP
Best Tech
JAXJOX DumbbellConnect
Why you should trust us
As an Army veteran, I spent a fair amount of time in the on-post and FOB gyms, with their inevitable rows of iron or rubber-ended dumbbells. In my civilian life, I’ve tried to maintain the same level of discipline when it comes to daily workouts. Six days a week, I’m up at 5:00 a.m. to work out, but I have no desire to pay for a membership to a fancy public gym where I have to compete with meatheads and gym rats for the last set of 40 pounders. Instead, I’ve spent the last few years slowly building my own home gym, with a set of adjustable dumbbells ever on the horizon. Because they come at a higher cost, I’ve really taken my time and done my research. I’ve read countless customer reviews, viewed online rating lists, and even tested out multiple sets, so I’m confident in the recommendations I’m giving, and you should be too.
Types of adjustable dumbbells
For the purpose of this review, I’ve limited the recommendations above to those sets of adjustable dumbbells that come in an “all-in-one” set-up — that is to say, adjustable dumbbells which contain an internal mechanism for adjusting through weight selections, without having to manually add or remove weight disks from the dumbbells.
This is not to suggest there is anything wrong with the add/remove dumbbells, but for my money, if I’m trying to conserve space in my home gym, it makes more sense to have an all-in-one dumbbell than dealing with loose weight plates and bar collars lying around (or having to buy a weight tree to keep them all organized and off the ground). I also try to maintain a certain heart rate when working out, which means rapid transitions between sets and exercise. With the all-in-one adjustable dumbbells, I have to spend far less time transitioning weights than I would if I had to add or remove disks manually all the time.
Within the world of all-in-one adjustable dumbbell sets, there are several different types which earn their classifications mainly by adjustment method.
Dial adjusted
Dumbbells such as the Bowflex SelectTech series use a dial method as the primary means of adjusting weight. With the dumbbell set securely in the base, simply click the dials on each end to the desired weight, lift, and go. The dial technology is also prevalent in the Ativafit brand of dumbbells, which themselves are fairly high rated (but also a bit more costly), as well as several other lesser-known brands.
Sliding selector adjusted
Selector-adjusted dumbbells typically have a knob or small handle that slides among the weighted disks. In order to select the desired weight, the user must lift the knob and pull it to the desired plate, or in some cases move it from side to side to toggle between a 5- or 2.5-pound increment. This type of slide mechanism is utilized in the NordicTrack Select-A-Weight model discussed earlier, as well as the highly rated LifePro dumbbells which are geared toward folks looking for a little bit lower-weight set.
Turn grip adjusted
While the most practical in my mind, the turn grip adjusted dumbbells are probably the least prevalent. As their classification suggests, these dumbbells allow the user to select their weight by a simple twist of the handle. Ingenious, right? I’ve read a number of reviews that suggest these types of dumbbells are quick to fail if treated rough, which is the only reason I can figure on why the turn grip adjustment type is not more prevalent. If you wish to try your luck with this type, the Core Home Fitness brand and the Flybird brand are to be among the highest-rated.
Selector pin adjusted
Selector pin-adjusted dumbbells utilize a metal pin or bar that can be pulled out and reinserted at different weight selections, resembling the weight selection system on a variety of weight room machines (think Cable-Crossover machine). This is probably the most basic of the weight selection types, but also the least prone to failure. The prominent brand using this style is the Powerblock series.
Key features of adjustable dumbbells
When selecting your own set of adjustable dumbbells, it’s important to zero in on what features are important to you as a user. If you’re like me and need to switch weights rapidly between sets and various exercises, finding the pair with the quickest changeover would probably be in your best interest. If you’re a lifter who likes to drop their weight at the end of a set, be sure to steer clear of those constructed with a lot of hard plastic or internal adjustment mechanisms that might be prone to failure.
As with anything, higher prices don’t always signal higher quality. From my research, it seems to me that the higher-tech dumbbells are more likely to fail or break. For my money, I’d rather have a low-tech, but durable system.
Benefits of adjustable dumbbells
Space savers
In most cases, these adjustable dumbbell systems take the place of 15 to 17 different weight sets, which translates to 30 to 34 individual dumbbells. Picture 34 dumbbells lined up on your basement floor. Got that image? Now take away all but two. See how much more room you have for all the other equipment you can buy now? Punching bags, medicine balls, rowing machines. Your spouse will be thrilled by all your new purchases.
Cost savings
Go back to picturing all 34 of those dumbbells on your basement floor again. Now consider that, for typical iron dumbbells, their cost is usually about a dollar per pound. This means that just one set of 50-pound dumbbells will cost you $100. Now you have 16 sets left to purchase. Adjustable dumbbells may seem costly at first, but when you add up the cost of buying all those individual weights, the adjustables don’t seem too bad.
Motivation!
If you’re like me, having an in-home gym greatly increases my daily chance of working out. If I had to wake up and drive to a gym, it probably wouldn’t happen. Also, if you’re going to drop close to $400 on adjustable dumbbells, you’re probably going to get pretty serious about using them. And if you do get serious about using them, you’re probably going to get ripped and then you can walk around asking people if they have tickets. They’ll ask you, “tickets for what?” and you’ll yell “THE GUN SHOW” while flexing your giant new muscles, and isn’t that motivation enough?
Pricing considerations
Up to $250
Generally, adjustable dumbbell sets in this range are going to offer a lower range of weights and be geared to beginners or folks looking to tone muscle instead of build muscle. Typical sets in this price range will max out at 25 to 30 pounds.
$250 – $500
This is the prominent price range for middle-weight dumbbell sets such as the BowFlex SelectTech 552 and the NordicTrack Select-A-Weight, as well as a wide variety of off-brand options. Typical sets in this price range will max out at 50 to 55 pounds.
$500 and up
While some of the more high-end middle-weight dumbbells may fall into this price range, this is typically where you’ll find the adjustable dumbbells with the highest weight range. As with regular dumbbells, the higher the weight, the higher the cost. Typical sets in this price range will max out at 70 to 90 pounds.
How we chose our top picks
In order to determine our picks for this list of top adjustable dumbbells, we scoured countless rating lists, read individual and Amazon reviews, and did hands-on testing with multiple products. We took into consideration a broad range of qualifiers, such as functionality, durability, sophistication, and price points. For each dumbbell selected, we did a thorough review of both the brand and Amazon web pages to ensure all statistics were up to date and accurate, so that you, the user, can make the most informed decision possible without all the added leg work. Because after all, everyone hates leg day.
FAQs on adjustable dumbbells
You’ve got questions, Task & Purpose has answers.
Q: What is the difference between adjustable dumbbells versus fixed dumbbells?
A: With fixed dumbbells, you’ll need to purchase an individual (or set) of dumbbells for each desired weight. With adjustable dumbbells, one set can replace the need for multiple sets.
Q: Can men and women use adjustable dumbbells?
A: Yes. There are no gender designations for adjustable dumbbells.
Q: Does the weight on each dumbbell have to be equal?
A: In most cases, the weight does not need to be equal on each end of the dumbbell in order to remove it from its base. However, the user will definitely notice an unbalanced weight during exercises.
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Brett Allen is a humor writer and former U.S. Army Cavalry Officer who served from 2006 to 2010, largely with the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division. The events of his 2009 deployment to the Logar Province of Afghanistan became the inspiration for his recently published debut novel, Kilroy Was Here, which is a dark comedy highlighting the absurdities of war. Brett resides in Ada, Michigan with his wife and kids and is currently working on his next novel. He enjoys all things outdoors to include backwoods camping, backwoods cooking, hiking, and boating, but can more regularly be found mowing, weed whacking, or performing some other form of backbreaking yardwork.