Best Adjustable Dumbbells

These Bowflex dumbbells are a fan favorite that were hard to come by during the peak of the pandemic. After finally getting my hands on a set, I understood why. They were packed well and easy to set up compared to the others that I had to unbox. Not only were the dumbbells properly secured to the rack with straps, but I found it easy to slide them out onto the floor in my living room. Bowflex offers the option to purchase a and a separately, but I decided against it because of lack of space in my home. 

The Bowflex dumbbells are a standard round shape and have a sleek black and red design. They’re made up of steel, nylon, ABS plastic (commonly used in 3D printing) and thermoplastic rubber. These dumbbells replace 15 sets of weights and range from 5 to 52.5 pounds. There are dials on opposite sides of the individual dumbbell, which you have to twist one at a time to change to your desired weight. Logically, I wouldn’t expect to have to turn the dial in two different places (or directions) on a single dumbbell, but the design makes it a seamless process without any of the weight getting snagged.

I liked that these dumbbells have a rubber grip on the steel handle, which made them comfortable to hold for long periods of time. One complaint I’ve heard about the Bowflex adjustable dumbbells is that they’re bulky, making it hard to do certain exercises such as deadlifts and overhead presses. I did find the dumbbells to be oversized, but I noticed that was the pattern with most adjustable dumbbell designs. I didn’t love how bulky it felt to have the weights overhead or for deadlifts, but I didn’t mind them when I did chest presses, bicep curls, lunges or squats. 

A year-long JRNY membership is also included with your purchase if you’d like to take on-demand strength classes to get the most out of your dumbbells. If you’re looking for a reliable, tried-and-true set of adjustable dumbbells, then you’ll like the Bowflex’s style. 

Pros

• Durable and make up 15 sets of weights
• JRNY membership included
• A good starter set of dumbbells

Cons

• Can be bulky for certain exercises
• The dial has to be turned in two different places to change the weight
• It only goes up to 52.5 pounds, therefore heavier lifters may feel limited

The latest Nordictrack iSelect Adjustable Dumbbells are unique because they are the only Alexa-powered dumbbells on the market. By connecting to your Alexa device, the iSelect dumbbells allow you to use voice control to change the weight selection. They replace 20 sets of dumbbells and range from 5 to 50 pounds. These are electrically powered so you have to make sure that wherever they’re set up, they’re close to an electrical outlet and within close proximity of an Alexa device to get the best connection. The tray that holds the dumbbells also has a dial that lets you change the weight manually on a digital LCD screen if you don’t want to use the voice control option. 

I liked that these dumbbells are shaped differently than the standard round adjustable dumbbell. The square shape makes it easy to use during floor exercises. When I was using the voice control feature, I found that there was a 6-second lag when changing weights, which doesn’t sound like a long time, but when you’re moving through exercises quickly, it can feel like a lifetime.

Personally, I preferred the alternative option of changing the weight using the digital dial because it was way faster. If you’re into the latest high tech gadgets, then you’ll love all the features on the Nordictrack iSelect Dumbbells. 

Pros

• Sleek looking and blends into any room
• Square shape makes it ideal for floor exercises
• Digital dial makes it easy to change weight

Cons

• Voice-control feature doesn’t always work well and can lag
• Dumbbells have to be placed in rack that needs to be connected to an electrical outlet
• You need to buy an Alexa device if you don’t own one

After the Bowflex, the Core adjustable dumbbells had my second favorite packaging. It made sense to me that, upon unboxing these dumbbells, the rack was at the very top. This made it easy to not have to lift the heavy weights first before locating the rack. I also liked that the weight plates are magnetic and can be easily separated before the dumbbell is placed on the rack. These were also the only ones that came with a loose handle that latched onto the base and then the weight plates. 

Core’s dumbbells range between 5 to 50 pounds, and you can change the weight in 5-pound increments. They’re easy to use since you can change the weight with just a twist of the handle, and they had the fastest weight transition for an adjustable dumbbell with a manual design.

Even though these dumbbells are round, I liked the sleek design and found them to be the least bulky of all the adjustable dumbbells I tried. I liked the contoured and soft grip handle which made the dumbbell comfortable to hold and molded perfectly into my hand. I also noticed they didn’t roll around when I placed them on the floor, which made them feel extra secure, and an extra plus since I live on the top floor and didn’t want to disturb my downstairs neighbors.

One thing I didn’t like about these dumbbells was that I would have to hold the rack down when I changed it to a heavier weight. This was because the weights felt stiff and would get stuck as you pulled them out of the rack. This could’ve easily been my own user error, but Core also offers an optional stand for purchase. Based on customer reviews, the stand is sturdy and eliminates the issues I experienced compared to just having the rack alone. Another solution I figured out was to place the rack on a rubber mat — it provided a better grip and made it easier to slide out the dumbbell. 

Pros

• Less bulky than other round adjustable dumbbells
• Easy to change weight by twist of a dial
• Soft grip handle that doesn’t slip out of your hand even when sweaty

Cons

• The heavier the weight, the easier the dumbbell gets stuck when pulling it out of the rack
• Only goes up to 50 pounds, which may be an issue if you lift more than that
• The dumbbells scuff easily

The MX55 Rapid Change Adjustable Dumbbells didn’t take long to put together, but the hexagon shape of the plates took me a moment to figure out how to set it up in the rack. This is because they each have indented slots that they slide into to keep them aligned. Also, the MX55 racks come assembled, but users have to attach protective rubber feet (that come in the packaging) to the bottom of the cradles first.

These dumbbells replace 10 sets of dumbbells, ranging from 10 to 55 pounds. They have a small dial on top of each side of the handle as well as a button beneath them. In order to change the weight, you have to press the button underneath first, which prompts the dial to pop up. From there you can turn the dial, select the weight and press the dial back down to lock the weight into place.

These adjustable dumbbells are ideal for doing offset exercises since each of the weight plates weigh only 2.5 pounds. The weight legend on the rack gives a guide on the proper offset settings based on how much weight you want to lift. For example, if you are doing an offset squat that’s 17.5 pounds, all you have to do is adjust one side of the dials to 15 pounds (setting 2) and the other to 20 pounds (setting 3). Keep in mind the purpose of offset exercises is to intentionally load one side more than the other, which will make the dumbbells feel imbalanced. 

I liked that even while holding a dumbbell that was uneven in weight, it was still comfortable to grip and didn’t dig into my palm. If you’re into experimenting with offset exercises or want to focus on strengthening up your muscle imbalances, the MX55 adjustable dumbbells are the right match for you. 

Pros

• Its unique shape lends itself to both overhead and lower body exercises
• You can do offset exercises using the guide on the rack
• It goes up to 55 pounds, compared to others that only go up to 50

Cons

• The dumbbells can feel awkward if there is more weight placed on one side

The Flybird 55 LB adjustable dumbbells are made up of cast-iron weight plates and a black plastic coated handle. They adjust from 11 to 55 pounds and go up or down in 11-pound increments. Personally, I prefer my weights to have 5-pound increments and found that doubling the weight each time was a bit much. 

The dial on these dumbbells was easy to use and just required a single twist to lock in the weight. However, unlike the other adjustable dumbbells I tested, you don’t have the option to choose a weight that’s in-between. I also found 11 pounds as the lightest weight option to be on the heavy side, specifically for newer lifters. 

I’d recommend these if you’re an experienced lifter and know you can handle doubling the weight each time. The round design is similar to other adjustable dumbbells and passed the roll test when I placed it on the ground. In other words, it stayed put and didn’t seem at risk of rolling around. The dumbbells were the right challenge for me when I was doing heavier lifts such as squats and deadlifts. The handle design was my least favorite, however, because I found the plastic to be tough on the hands and think it would have benefited more from a protective rubber covering. 

Pros

• Heaviest set of dumbbells, ideal for experienced lifters 
• Easy to adjust weight with twist of dial

Cons

• Increments increase by 11 pounds, which is high compared to usual five pound increments
• Plastic handle design makes it appear cheaply made

The Ativafit 71.5 Adjustable Dumbbells were my runner-up for a couple of other categories, but ultimately I found them to be the most foolproof to use. The dumbbells range from 5 to 71.5 pounds and replace 12 sets of dumbbells. The plastic rack has grooves that latch onto the dumbbells, keeping them secure when not in use. By looking at these you can tell these are high quality dumbbells because of the sturdy iron plates that make up the weights. It also has a nonslip handle with a rubber grip, which helped with my grip when upping the weight. 

My favorite part about these dumbbells is how easy it was to change the weights with just a press of the red button on top of the dumbbell and twist of the dial. This is also the heaviest adjustable dumbbell on the list, making it a good option for heavy lifters and those who have never owned an adjustable dumbbell before. 

Pros

• Goes up to 71.5 pounds, making it one of the heaviest dumbbells on the list
• Weight changing dial is user-friendly and changes quickly
• Sleek black design blends into any room

Cons

• The design looks like the dumbbells could scuff easily
• If the plastic button that assists with the dial were to break it would impact the way the dumbbell functions