My Five Favorite Adjustable Dumbbell Sets for Your Home Gym

My overall pick, my budget pick, and why one of the most popular brands didn't make my list.

August 15, 2024

Our Top 5 Picks

Best overall Powerblock Elite EXP (5 to 50 pounds)

$359.99 at Amazon

$359.99 at Amazon
Best traditional-shaped dumbbell at a good price Core Fitness Adjustable Dumbbells (5 to 50 pounds)

$379.99 at Amazon

$379.99 at Amazon
Most durable Rep Quickdraw (5 to 50 pounds)

$569.99 at Amazon

$569.99 at Amazon
Easy adjusting, with a 90-pound option as well Bowflex SelectTech 552

$214.97 at Walmart

$214.97 at Walmart
Gets the job done, cheap Yes4All Spinlock Dumbbells (10 to 52.5 pounds)

$228.00 at Amazon

$228.00 at Amazon

Dumbbells are versatile tools in any gym, and especially a home gym. But who wants to buy, and store, a whole rack’s worth of fixed-weight dumbbells? Adjustable dumbbells exist to solve this problem, fitting an entire selection of hand weights into the storage space of just one pair.

The old-fashioned style of adjustable dumbbells requires you to load little plates onto little bars, and this is still a viable option if you’re on a budget. (My list includes a solid pick in this category.) But the nicer adjustables on the market all have quick-select mechanisms that allow you to flip a switch, turn a dial, or insert a pin to easily pick up the weights you want, and leave the rest.

Below you’ll find my five picks for the best adjustable dumbbells to consider for your home gym. Since the weights and prices can vary, and as store listings are sometimes for a single dumbbell and sometimes for a pair, I’m including a “price per pound” metric to help you compare brands. And for each brand, I’m considering their 50-pound dumbbell as the main offering, and noting where heavier and lighter models are available.

My Top Picks

Best overall Powerblock Elite EXP (5 to 50 pounds)

Weights possible

5, 7.5, 10, 15, 17.5, 20, 25, 27.5, 30, 35, 37.5, 40, 45, 47.5, 50 pounds per hand

Size

12” long (14” for the 70 lb set, 16” for 90 lb). Height and width are both 6". No cradle.

Price

$419.99/pair list price ($4.20/lb) but currently available at several retailers for $359.99/pair ($3.60/lb).

Adjustment mechanism

You insert a plastic comb-like selector pin into the desired level of the dumbbell. This is quick and easy when making 10 lb jumps. For 2.5 lb or 5 lb increments, you’ll need to add or remove the 2.5 lb “adder weights” which live in the bottom of the dumbbell handle and are controlled by a separate lever.

Heavier options

These also come in a 70-pound and 90-pound version. If you go with one of the smaller sets, you can also buy expansion sets later to upgrade to the larger versions. The full 90-pound set is $827 ($4.59/lb).
- - Expandable to 70 and 90 pounds
  - Flat ends so you can hold them on end on your lap
  - Compact length, won’t bump into each other on shoulder or chest presses
  - Owners report they are durable
- - You have to put your hand inside the dumbbell’s frame, which can be awkward, especially if you’re wearing a large watch.
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Best traditional-shaped dumbbell at a good price Core Fitness Adjustable Dumbbells (5 to 50 pounds)

Weights possible

5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50

Size

14.5" long, 7.2” wide, 7.9” high

Price

$379.99/pair ($3.80/lb)

Adjustment mechanism

Twist the handle until you see the number for your desired weight appear in the little window.

Heavier options

None.
- - Actually dumbbell shaped
  - Simplest weight change method, and can be done with one hand
  - More affordable than most on this list
- - Only available in a 5-50 lb model, no expansions
  - Only 5-pound increments (sorry, no 12.5-pound curls in your future)
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Most durable Rep Quickdraw (5 to 50 pounds)

Weights possible

5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5, 30, 32.5, 35, 37.5, 40, 42.5, 45, 47.5, 50

Size

16.4” long (18.5” for the 60-pound version, 20.6” for the cradle that any size fits in). 7.3” wide and tall

Price

$479.99/pair ($4.80/lb)

Adjustment mechanism

Flip a lever on each plate to lock it on to the handle (at least two clicks per dumbbell, per change). The 2.5 lb weights each have their own switch, rather than being attached in a completely different way like the Powerblocks.

Heavier options

There is a 5-60 lb model for $479.99 ($4.75/lb). If you want to go lighter, there are also 5-30 lb and 5-40 lb versions.
- - Owners report they’re durable. (Rep’s own drop testing was extremely impressive; it survived a fall off a roof)
  - Relatively quick changes
- - Weight numbers are hard to read. (Reddit users note that you can color the numbers in with a white sharpie for better readability.)
  - 2.5-pound increases are done by locking in just one of the smaller plates, meaning the dumbbell will be slightly unbalanced.
  - Heaviest model only goes up to 60 pounds
  - Support bars join the two ends of the dumbbells, so it's not quite a traditional shape
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Easy adjusting, with a 90-pound option as well Bowflex SelectTech 552

Weights possible

5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 52.5

Size

16.9” long, 8.3” wide, 9” high when siting in their trays

Price

$429.99/pair ($4.13/lb)

Adjustment mechanism

A dial on each end of each dumbbell. You have to remember to turn both, or else the dumbbell will be unbalanced.

Heavier options

There is no expansion set, but Bowflex does also make a 10-90 pound model for $399.99/single ($4.44/lb).
- - Rounded grippy handle
  - Dials are arguably easier to read and adjust than Powerblock or Quickdraw mechanisms
  - The 10-90 pound model provides a lot of weight in an only slightly longer length than the 5-52
- - Increments are only 5 pounds at a time when you're between 25-50 pounds
  - Need to select the weight in two places per dumbbell (4 dials to turn per pair)
  - 16.9” is really dang long for a dumbbell that’s only 50(ish) pounds
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Gets the job done, cheap Yes4All Spinlock Dumbbells (10 to 52.5 pounds)

Weights possible

10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5, 30, 32.5, 35, 37.5, 40, 42.5, 45, 47.5, 50, 52.5

Size

16” long, larger plates are 6.3” diameter

Price

$129 for two 52.5 lb dumbbells ($1.22/lb)

Adjustment mechanism

Spin the collar off, add or remove plates, spin the collar back on.

Heavier options

Available in a version that goes up to 100 pounds per hand. Some adjustable dumbbells can take plates that you buy individually, but note that the Yes4All dumbbells use plates with a 1.15" hole, not the standard 1" hole. These are harder to find.
- - Incredibly good price
  - Very durable
- - Bar sticks out at the end, not comfortable to stand the dumbbells on end on your lap
  - Adjustment isn’t quick; expect to take at least 30 seconds changing weights.
  - No stand or cradle to hold the plates you aren’t using; you’ll want a corner of your gym where you can keep a few small stacks of weights.
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Two models of dumbbell that didn’t make the list, and why

Nuobells

I’m not including Nuobells on the list because reports from owners indicate that they’re delicate—one hard drop can brick the entire dumbbell. (I even saw one review that listed this as a plus, since the build reminds you to be careful with the dumbbells. Sorry, that doesn’t gain them any points in my book.)

That said, if you’re very sure you’ll never drop them, Nuobells are well-liked. Their 5-80 pound set is $4.60/lb and has a click-and-lock mechanism that looks very convenient. They’re also actually dumbbell-shaped, without connecting struts, so you can easily do a goblet squat with them.

NUOBELL Adjustable Dumbbell Pair, 5-80 lbs

$775.00 at Amazon

Rep x Pépin

These look really nice, but they didn’t make the list for two reasons. One is that they’re stunningly expensive—$5.88/pound, whereas other quick-select dumbbells on our list range from $3.60 to $4.80. The other is that they’re not actually available for sale yet, so I can’t know if they’re really as good as they seem to be. That said, reviewers who got early access have generally liked them. They’re built like a heavier, all-metal Nuobell, and the 85-pound base model is expandable to 125 pounds per hand. Worth keeping an eye on, if you’re in the market for a high-end dumbbell.