Best Dumbbells for 2024: Top Picks From Fitness Experts After Thousands of Curls and Presses

The REP Fitness Urethane Coated Round Dumbbells are our top choice for people looking for fixed weights because of their price point (around $3 per pound for most pairs), durability, and because you can get them in pairs and sets up to 150 pounds.

We love urethane bumper plates so it’s no surprise that we love urethane dumbbells as well. Urethane is a type of rubber that’s more durable than the rubber compounds on most dumbbells. The REP urethane dumbbells in my garage gym are in perfect condition four years in, and they are used and dropped every day, over and over.

Urethane has a higher load-bearing capacity and better resistance to grease, oils, and dirt. It’s also harder than most rubbers and generally built to outlast and outperform typical rubber products.

So basically, if you want to drop a pair of these REP Fitness Urethane Coated Round Dumbbells from your rooftop, go for it. Just kidding. They do have a lifetime warranty, but they’re probably not warrantied for 30-foot drops.

RELATED: REP Fitness Discount Code

We do recommend that before buying these, you check to see if your floors are really level. Otherwise, thanks to the round head design, you’ll spend a lifetime chasing these across your floor in between sets. Or you’ll just have to re-rack them every time.

Underneath the urethane coating is solid steel dumbbell heads. The handle is also solid steel, chrome-plated, and fully knurled for a non-slip grip. Instead of a contoured handle, REP uses a straight handle that’s very barbell-like. I personally love this but recognize that many people prefer a contoured handle.

The current pricing might give you some sticker shock, but remember you’re getting a longer-lasting dumbbell and REP’s free shipping. All things considered, these aren’t that much pricier than standard hex head rubber dumbbells.

While we can never fully endorse dropping your dumbbells from high heights, we know it happens. With the Giant Lifting dumbbells, you don’t have to worry about damaging the weight because it comes with a rubber head that protects your weights. These best rubber dumbbells will also prevent heavy weights from cracking your floor.

Giant Lifting Rubber Hex Dumbbells are like the classic fixed dumbbells you find in commercial gyms, are priced well, and come with features to protect you and your home gym. Plus, they’re sold in pairs and come with free shipping.

We’ll always go with a hexagonal shape for a dumbbell because it prevents it from rolling around if and when they’re dropped.

RELATED: Does Dumbbell Shape Actually Matter?

Giant Lifting adds an extra layer of durability by friction welding the dumbbell head to the handle, which helps prevent the head from falling off when dropped. The handle has center knurling, and while we would’ve liked to see edge-to-edge knurling for maximum grip, this one’s still pretty good.

Matt Dustin, CES, PN-1, tested these dumbbells and appreciated that the knurling helped with the grip without causing any discomfort. He said, “They feel very durable, and I like the rubber design. The knurling is medium and enhances the grip without being painful on the hands.”

Customer reviewers back up the company’s claims of the rubber being low odor, so there won’t be any stench coming off them when taken out of the package. While building a dumbbell set will always be more expensive than buying a pair of adjustable dumbbells, Giant Lifting’s prices are some of the best for a product that doesn’t sacrifice quality. Their weights start at around $2 per pound and come with free shipping.

While these are fairly affordable, you can save even more money by using our Giant Lifting Discount Code.

The Snode AD80 adjustable dumbbells are our pick for the best adjustable dumbbells. Coop Mitchell, GGR’s founder, has used these multiple times, and admits, “I’m more impressed with these than I thought I would be.”

We love the insanely easy quick-change design, giving it a 4.5 out of 5—one of the highest scores of any adjustable dumbbell we have tested. Also, it’s great that these have a more traditional dumbbell shape. Unlike many other adjustable dumbbells, your hand won’t be surrounded by a cage when using these—you can use them exactly like you’d use a regular ol’ cast iron dumbbell.

One of our favorite features about the Snode Dumbbells is the knurled handle (just like the REP ones above). The knurling really helps with grip, though Snode’s is a bit more on the passive side while still providing good grip. Also, the pancake-like stack of plates is super aesthetically pleasing and allows them to lie flat on your thighs during moves like shoulder presses.

These are also the only adjustable dumbbells that are protected against drops. The plates are made entirely of cast iron and offer the same level of protection at 10 pounds as they do at 80. There is some plastic, but it’s in the adjustment gears. So while they’re fine if dropped once in a blue moon we wouldn’t recommend making a habit out of it.

The one annoying thing about these dumbbells is that they jump in 10-pound increments, rather than 5 pounds like our prior best adjustable dumbbell pick, the SMRTFT NÜOBELL. They’re also a bit pricier, though the superior construction and warranty against falls (up to 32 inches) push these past NÜOBELL in our humble opinion.

Read more in our Snode adjustable dumbbell review.

Some people still like the idea of having an entire dumbbell set in their home gym or training facility. If you fall into that category, you might want to check out the Major Fitness Rubber Hex Dumbbell sets. The brand offers two main dumbbell sets totaling either 1,040 pounds (pairs starting at 10 pounds going up to 70 pounds) or 440 pounds (dumbbell pairs from 10 to 45 pounds). You can also buy dumbbells in pairs from Major Fitness. 

These hex dumbbells are covered in rubber to protect both your floors and the weight. You’ll get free shipping on all orders from Major Fitness and a one-year warranty on the dumbbells from the date of purchase.  

Major Fitness dumbbells are similar to the other best rubber dumbbells we’ve tested in terms of grip, shape, and quality. I think what sets them apart is the ergonomic handle to better accommodate the shape of your hand. Most dumbbells, fixed or adjustable, have a uniform handle that might be hard for some people to grip. Using a Major Fitness dumbbell feels more like slipping your hand into a pair of gloves made just for you.

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Although I don’t think it’s a dealbreaker, I should also mention that knurling is just OK. The ergonomic handles don’t have knurling from edge-to-edge like the REP Fitness hex dumbbells.

Loadable dumbbells were once the best thing since sliced bread. Now, there are tons of quick-change adjustable dumbbells on the market, but if you still want loadable dumbbells, you can’t go wrong with these from Titan Fitness.

I love these chrome-plated steel dumbbell handles because they’re incredibly versatile. I bought a pair of the 15-inch handles during a Black Friday sale a few years ago. I’d recommend buying the 20-inch pair, however, because I can only get a few of my change plates on these with the barbell collars I have (if I used spring collars, I could probably get a third plate on here).

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When it comes to loadable dumbbells, there’s no shortage of these on the market, but I think the Titan ones are the best value (I give them a 5 out of 5 in that category). For under $100 with free shipping (and often cheaper during sales periods), you can get two of the loadable handles. For comparison’s sake, the loadable dumbbell handles from Rogue are $175 for a single handle, and Fringe Sport has pairs for $154. So really, Titan’s are a steal, and they’re still good quality. (Use our Titan Fitness Coupon Code for even more savings).

These loadable dumbbells meet some of the same IWF specifications as Olympic barbells: The sleeves are 50 millimeters in diameter and the shaft is 28 millimeters in diameter, just like a 20-kilogram barbell. In all honesty, I’d say these really are just tiny barbells. And I love that.

You can load these with regular Olympic weight plates, although that might not be the most comfortable or efficient option. I’d like to see some people try doing biceps curls with standard-sized bumper plates on a dumbbell handle! The better option for most exercises is to load them up with change plates or cylindrical plates, which I wish Titan offered. (Rogue does have some dumbbell bumpers though.)

The Titan Fitness loadable dumbbells have a weight capacity of 400 pounds, yet the handles themselves only weigh 12.1 pounds each (if you get the 20-inch pair). That speaks to the quality construction of the handles. These are also fully knurled and have a bushing rotation system, which adds to the barbell element.

After a few years, there is some slight corrosion on these. I keep them in my garage gym, which is not climate-controlled, and which is in the very hot South. Overall, I give the construction a 4.5 out of 5, because they have lasted so long and are still in great shape.

Read our Titan Loadable Olympic Dumbbell Handles review for more.

PowerBlocks have been one of GGR founder Coop Mitchell’s favorites since he built his first garage gym nearly a decade ago, largely because the PowerBlock Elite Series offers the best price-to-performance ratio of any adjustable dumbbell he has tested. He says he considers these the best value adjustable dumbbells for three main reasons: they utilize a quick-change system, they have a wide weight range, and they’re as durable as many fixed dumbbells we’ve tested, whereas durability is usually the primary issue with other adjustable dumbbells.

We particularly like that you can change the weight in both 2.5- and 5-pound increments, and with added accessories, you can go up to 90 pounds. Without the add-ons, the weight limit is 70 pounds, which is still more than sufficient for a lot of home gym owners.

The Powerblock Elite dumbbells are priced competitively at $419 for a pair up to 50 pounds. If you want the 70- or 90-pounders, you’re looking at an additional $149 for each dumbbell, for each additional set (up to a price tag of about $630).

RELATED: Powerblock Coupon

These dumbbells work via a magnetic selector pin, which quickly changes the weight for 10-pound jumps. For 2.5- or 5-pound jumps, the adjustment works a little differently and takes a little longer: You pull out the selector pin, pull out the handle and slide in one of the metal cylinders and then reverse the process.

“I’ve never had a PowerBlock handle separate from the weight stack, and I’ve never experienced any issues with the pin or magnets either—even during movements like dumbbell snatches,” Coop says. For being made in the U.S., the value is unbeatable.

As much as we like the PowerBlocks, we realize the rectangular shape can be tough to get used to. This is the biggest issue for most people. And because the handles are caged, there will inevitably be some contact between your hand and the posts on the bell. This can take some getting used to.

If you’re looking for a more traditionally-shaped adjustable dumbbell, our pick would be the NÜOBELL Adjustable Dumbbells, described above.

See our full PowerBlock Dumbbells review for all of the details on these dumbbells.

If you’re hunting for dumbbells on a budget, check out the CAP Barbell Solid Cast Iron Hex Dumbbells. While I wouldn’t normally recommend CAP over other gym equipment brands, you really can’t beat the value you get in these cast iron dumbbells. The price fluctuates depending on when and where you buy them, but for the most part, these come out to be less expensive than dumbbells from Rogue, REP Fitness, Titan Fitness, and other popular brands.

They have many of the same features as higher-end dumbbells, including a fully knurled handle and a hexagonal head to prevent the dumbbells from rolling around in between sets. The baked enamel finish looks nice when new, but if you leave these dumbbells out in the elements (including the humidity that plagues your garage gym), the coating will eventually crack and chip, leaving iron exposed.

You can get these CAP dumbbells in weight options from a measly one pound all the way up to 120 pounds. They’re available in increments of 2 to 3 pounds up to the 15-pound dumbbell, at which point they come in 5-pound increments. However, they only come in pairs up to 25 pounds. If you want to go heavier, you’ll have to buy them as a single dumbbell.

Many people are familiar with CAP Barbell dumbbells even if they think they aren’t: Walk into any Walmart or Academy Sports & Outdoors store and you’ll likely see some in the fitness equipment section. But I think the best place to get these is on Amazon since you can get them shipped right to your door within a few days with free shipping.

While these are decent dumbbells all around, remember that you can’t drop them—especially not from overhead. They don’t have a protective rubber coating of any kind, so you risk damage to your floors and the dumbbells themselves if you drop them.

We haven’t had a chance to test out the Iron Bull Strength Rubber Hex Dumbbells, but we’re big fans of the affordable, budget-friendly home gym equipment that Iron Bull has made. These rubber hex dumbbells have the classic hexagonal shape, which will prevent your dumbbells from rolling around a slanted gym floor.

These hex dumbbells are also designed with a straight, fully knurled handle, which contrasts with some dumbbells having a tapered, ergonomic handle. Whether you prefer a knurled or ergonomic handle for dumbbells is entirely on preference, but we’re fans of knurled goodness at GGR. The grippy knurling goes end to end on the handle, ensuring a strong grip even during high-repetition sets.

RELATED: What Is Barbell Knurling?

Plus, depending on the pair or set you purchase, you can get these fixed dumbbells for as low as about $1.70 per pound, with free shipping on orders over $150. This is a great choice if you’re looking to purchase an entire set of hex dumbbells, since their weights range from 5 to 100 pounds.

Iron Bull Hex Dumbbells are coated with a natural rubber that they claim is scent-free. Since we haven’t had our hands on these yet, we can’t verify the claim, but that’s a nice perk, especially since so many rubber dumbbells and bumper plates can have a smell to them right out of the box. The rubber-coated heads will help protect your gym floors if you drop them, although I’d never recommend dropping any dumbbell intentionally.

Eleiko Evo Dumbbells are easily one of the best dumbbell options out there, but because of the pricing and super niche design, I can’t recommend them as my top pick. If everyone could afford a single $300 dumbbell, sure, but alas, that’s not the case.

Don’t get me wrong: If you want an absurdly high-quality set of weights in your home gym, Eleiko Evo Dumbbells are it. But you’ll have to pay up. What you’re paying for is a patented rotating handle design that mimics the spin of one of the best Olympic barbells.

The Evos range from 12.5 to 150 pounds and you can buy them in singles, pairs, or sets. Lifters will love the premium construction, from the fully knurled dumbbell handle to the sloped head shape and multi-sided design. “I’m usually a fan of stainless steel, but for the price you’re paying for these dumbbells, the rubberized heads make sense,” says Coop Mitchell, GGR’s founder and the person on our team who has used these dumbbells the most.

RELATED: Eleiko Discount Code

Eleiko does make the Evos in 2.5 to 10 pounds, but the rotating functionality doesn’t start until the 12.5-pound weight increment. Eleiko claims they tested these by dropping them thousands of times from just 4 inches high to 16.5 feet. 

Because they rotate, the Evo dumbbells are naturally more ergonomic than fixed dumbbells. This gives them more versatility, making exercises like dumbbell snatches and power cleans more comfortable. They also feature a smaller diameter of 1.5 inches on the handle compared to other Eleiko dumbbells, which could be a good or bad thing depending on your preferences.

For more, check out our Eleiko Evo Dumbbell review.

If you’re looking for the right pair of dumbbells to begin your journey into home gym training, the NordicTrack Select-A-Weight Dumbbells are the perfect pair for you. These high value adjustable dumbbells take the place of 15 pairs of dumbbells, ranging from 10 to 55 pounds.

That’s enough weight for a variety of exercises—from lighter warm-up movements to heavier presses and lunges. Plus, it’ll leave you with room to grow as you build strength. You get all these sets of weights for less than $400, a price that led GGR founder Coop Mitchell to rate the value a perfect 5 out of 5. If the price is too much for you, you can utilize our NordicTrack Promo Codes & Coupons.

These aren’t the most durable adjustable dumbbells, earning them a 3.5 out of 5 for construction and durability. Each head of the dumbbell has two pin selectors, and some inner workings to connect the weights to the handle. However, as long as you don’t drop these dumbbells, they should last for quite a bit.

The handle has decent knurling, although it’s a bit on the passive side. Still, for the low price, it’s a nice addition to have. Plus, these dumbbells have a flat head, which will give them a more traditional dumbbell feel. “The pro style design keeps these with that flat head and traditional feel, no matter the weight you’ve adjusted to,” Coop adds. 

Although we should note: It’s still a somewhat longer dumbbell at full capacity—16.5 inches long at 55 pounds—so it might feel a bit awkward at those maximal weights. Read our NordicTrack Dumbbell review for more information on these budget-friendly dumbbells.

These are some of the best dumbbells for those who are just starting to build their home gym, or are at a beginner fitness level. As you can read about in our CAP Barbell 150 Pound Dumbbell Set review, the dumbbells start at five pounds and only go up to 25 pounds, so I wouldn’t recommend this set for anyone who can throw down the big weights.

But for those who don’t need more than 25 pounds per hand, I think these are a great choice, especially if you love shopping on Amazon. They aren’t next-level dumbbells, but they’ll do the trick. The hex heads are made of solid cast iron and coated with a durable rubber outer layer. The handles are cold-rolled solid steel, although not stainless steel, so they are prone to corrosion.

The set of dumbbells even comes with a rack for home gym storage; you can choose from a vertical or horizontal dumbbell rack. Both versions have a powder-coated finish to prevent rusting.

For the amount of weight you get, plus the rack, this isn’t a bad deal at all. However, after reading a lot of reviews on Amazon, I recommend keeping your eye on the product page because it seems the price fluctuates quite often. For example, some people got it on Prime Day for under $200, but at the time of writing, the cost for this set is $380.

Keep in mind that this specific set of dumbbells has shipping limitations: You’ll get your set in three different packages weighing 50 pounds each. If you’re lucky, they’ll all come on the same day.

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