Best Adjustable Dumbbells – UK Reviews

If you’re sick of battling it out for one of the coveted squat racks at your gym, it may be time to start investing in home gym equipment.

Imagine no more waiting for machines, being able to sneak in a few extra sets of curls periodically throughout the day and getting to customise the gym specifically to your needs. It sounds like a perfect setup for many of us, but it doesn’t come cheap.

If you start adding up the price of all the equipment you use at the gym right now, it may quickly add up to be more than a lifetime’s worth of gym memberships. However, there are some ways you can cut costs.

Instead of buying an entire rack of dumbbells, you can buy a single set of adjustable dumbbells to save money and space. It can be daunting since there are so many brands to choose from. We’ve made it easy for you by doing our own research and simplifying the pros and cons of each model for you.

Keep reading to find out how the best adjustable dumbbells on the market stack up against each other and which brands give you the most for your money.

What Are Adjustable Dumbbells?

Adjustable dumbbells are a set that can be set to a variety of different weights. When you’re at the gym, there’s usually a rack of dumbbells ranging from a few kilograms up to about 40-50 kg.

If you have a home gym, your options are to buy a whole rack, buy a single dumbbell and stick to that weight indefinitely, or buy a set that you can adjust.

Buying dozens of different dumbbells isn’t cost-effective or practical for most people. Buying one non-adjustable set isn’t a great option either. For example, if you bought a 20 kg set of dumbbells, your only way of progressing your workouts is by increasing the volume of your lifts. However, unless you want to end up doing hundreds of reps per session, there’s an easier way.

This is where adjustable dumbbells come in. With that one set, you can work through a range of weights with ease without disrupting your sets very much.

What Are the Different Types of Adjustable Dumbbells?

There are two types of adjustable dumbbells — those with spinlocks that you can manually adjust and dial-a-weight style ones.

Spinlock dumbbells are like tiny barbells. Each one comes with weight plates that you can manually load and lock with a spinning clip. They’re generally much cheaper than the dial adjustable dumbbell. However, they usually don’t let you go as heavy, and they’re slower to load. 

The dial dumbbell style offer several advantages. Most importantly, you can quickly change the weight on them. If you plan on using the dumbbells for circuits or for a workout where you need to alternate between weights often, you’ll be better off with this style so you don’t spend half your workout changing plates – simple twist a dial to select the desired weight and you are ready to go.

However, the dial-a-weight sets are generally about three times more expensive than the spinlock types. They usually max out around 20-25 kg depending on the brand.

Benefits of Adjustable Dumbbells

Buying a pair of adjustable dumbbells is a great investment in your home gym. Even though some sets, especially the dial-a-weight variety, can be a big upfront expense, over time they can save you money by reducing the number of dumbbells you need to buy. If you take care of them, they should last for a long time.

If you live in an apartment or have a limited amount of room for building your home gym, you’re probably concerned with being space-efficient. Adjustable dumbbells are a huge space saver. Instead of having to dedicate an entire wall to a huge rack of various sizes, you can just have one pair of dumbbells instead.

If you ever decide to move to a new home, the move will be much easier too without having to worry about moving a whole wall of weights.

Do you consistently include dumbbell work into your weekly routine? Lifting with dumbbells offers several advantages over lifting with barbells. Since each of your hands move individually, your small stabiliser muscles have to work harder to control the plane of motion. These may help you correct muscle imbalances since each limb has to do the same amount of work.

If you look at the bodies of athletes in sports like tennis where one arm is used significantly more than the other, it’s not uncommon to see that the athletes have a huge disparity in muscle mass between their dominant and non-dominant sides.

No matter whether you’re a competitive bodybuilder or just lifting to look good, you can include dumbbell work into your routine to prevent building these types of muscular imbalances.

Considerations Before Buying Adjustable Dumbbells

Before you buy a pair, it would be a good idea to ask yourself how heavy you plan on lifting. Most go up to about 20-25 kg so anything above this and they might not fit your purpose.

If you spend most of your time under 20-25 kg but you like to do a few heavier sets in your routine, you can add a few extra kilograms to your lifts by wearing wrist weights. If you often lift over 30 kg, you may want to invest in one or two sets of regular dumbbells and save the adjustable ones for your accessory exercises.

They come in a variety of materials including plastic, chrome-plated steel, and cast iron. You get what you pay for. Plastic weights are the cheapest and are the easiest on your floors if you drop them, but they likely won’t last long as metal weights.

Iron weights are the most durable but can rust if they get damp. Before buying a set of dumbbells, ask yourself what your goal is for your home gym. Do you want something temporary or are you looking on investing in equipment that will last the rest of your life?

Heavy lifters however are probably going to have to look at a fixed dumbbell set – certainly some that cover over 50 kg that the adjustable weights go to.

A Detailed Look at the Best Adjustable Dumbbells

Generally, a more expensive set of adjustable dumbbells comes with a few extra features compared to cheaper models and likely to offer a higher maximum weight. They may also give you the ability to change weight in smaller increments and provide a simpler mechanism for changing the weight.

However, just because a set of dumbbells is more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean they are better. We’ve analysed some of the most popular sets on the market and compiled a list of the features of each. Keep reading to learn which set is best for you.

Editor’s Choice: Bowflex SelectTech 2-24 Kg Dumbbells

The ultimate in space-saving designed, this set of dumbbells replaces up to fifteen pairs, making room in your home gym for other pieces of equipment. All you have to do is turn the dial to adjust your weights.

Summary

It’s so easy to change the weight settings on these bowflex weights that it almost seems pointless to own any other kind. It doesn’t take up a lot of space and there are plenty of weight variations. The durable moulding gives these dumbbells a smooth life off and without the clang of metal, your training becomes even more peaceful. The Bowflex Selecttech are a great addition to any at-home set up.

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ISOGYM Adjustable Dumbbell 2.5kg-25kg

The ISOGYM adjustable dumbbell set features 16 weight sections, perfect for drop sets and progressive overload training. No need to set pins or align plates with this set – just twist the dial to adjust the weight.

Summary

This set of adjustable dumbbells is built to last. Considering what they do they aren’t too expensive, but bearing mind they are not sold as a pair so you are going to need to order a couple.

The mechanism to change weights words very well, and they are are something that will serve you for a long time to come.

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Powerblock Elite EXP Adjustable Dumbbell

Powerblock’s set allows you to change the weight by using a selector pin. The mechanism is similar to the pin system used by weight stacks on machines at the gym.

If you’re used to lifting with traditional dumbbells, it may take a few workouts to get used to the square design. However, the design makes it simple to adjust the weight in seconds, and they offer a more balanced design than traditional dumbbells.

A perk of the Powerblock set is that they allow you to increase the weight by 2.5 lbs (1.14 kg) intervals. This may be particularly useful if you’re trying to bust through a plateau. You may also find the small weight range helpful when lifting fairly lightly on an exercise like lateral raises where a small jump in weight makes a big difference.

This set maxes out at 50 lbs (22.68 kg), so for many of us, they should cover most of our dumbbell exercises except for maybe some rowing and pressing exercises. If you do find yourself close to the 50 lb limit, you can either try switching to a stricter form of the exercise or increasing your volume.

Even if these are the only piece of equipment in your home gym, you could easily design an entire workout around them. They’re also small enough that you can keep them in your closet when you’re not using them.

The compact design allows you to bring an entire wall of weights into your home. The selector pin makes switching weights a breeze so that even if you’re doing a circuit, you can set the next weight during your rest period.

Summary

Overall, these weights provide you with good value for your money and a lot of flexibility in your workouts. They’re cheaper than many of their competitors and give you the option to increase your weight by as little as 2.5 lbs. They might not be suitable for you if you have very large hands.

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York Fitness 20kg Cast Iron Dumbbell Set

Adjustable dumbbells need to be easy to use and be solid. This York 20kg black cast iron set does exactly that. Easily incorporate heavier weights into your workouts with the simple twist of a sprocket. The versatility of this set makes it perfect for everyone to use. 

Summary

This adjustable dumbbell set features spinlock collars, which isn’t seen often in these kinds of sets. We love this though because it reduces the chance of internal mechanisms breaking or not working properly. The one downside of spinlock collars is that, well, they spin. So heavy curls might feel a little off balance, especially if the collars aren’t completely locked into place.

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Viavito Unisex’s Dumbbell Set-Chrome

The Viavito Unisex Dumbbell gives you another basic option if you’re looking for a cheap adjustable set to start your home gym. They’re similar to the York set we just reviewed except they’re chrome plated steel instead of cast iron.

They provide you will all the basics you need to target your arms, chest, and back. If you want to go heavier than 10 kg while using both dumbbells at the same time, you’ll need extra weight plates.

The simplicity of this set makes it a great choice for both men and women as a small but versatile dumbbell.

Summary

These manually adjustable dumbbells are similar to the York Fitness set in terms of price and design. The main difference is these plates are chrome plated instead of cast iron.

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Bodypower 30 Kg Spinlock Dumbbell Weight Set

The Bodypower Spinlock set lets you manually load weights onto the handles. The set comes with 30 kg of weight including the two handles. If you want to add more weight, you can add more plates. These would need to be purchased separately but as you grow your gym you’ll likely be adding more plates anyway.

It’s a good set that gives a nice balance of affordability and practicality. It’s worth noting that it comes with 30 kg of weight whereas some similar types of spinlock dumbbells only come with 20 kg.

It’s built with heavy-duty collars and a simple design so it should last for a while if you take care of it.

Summary

If you’re primarily using dumbbells for circuit training or for workouts where you’re spending a lot of time switching the weight, you may want to go with a dial-a-weight set. If you don’t mind manually adjusting the weight, the Bodypower weights are a good option.

They allow you quite a bit of flexibility to do different exercises while only costing you about a third as much as most dial-a-weight dumbbells.

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Conclusion

There are plenty of good options on the market for adjustable dumbbells. If you’re looking for something cheap, the spinlock style provide you with a basic option. Dial-a-weight dumbbells are more expensive but come with the convenience of being able to change weight in seconds.

Among the spinlock sets we reviewed, the Bodypower 30 kg stand out. They’re a little more expensive than their competitors, but they come with 30 kg whereas most other spinlock dumbbells only come with 20 kg. The extra 10 kg greatly increases their versatility.

The Bowflex SelectTech dumbbells stand out as one of the best options among dial-a-weight type because of their great quality and deserved reputation. They offer two different versions; the one we reviewed that ranges from 2 kg to 24 kg and another that runs from 4.5 kg to a max weight of 41 kg.