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Strength training

Bowflex adjustable dumbbells, 5–50 lb

One pair of dumbbells that stands in for a rack of fixed pairs, with a dial to change the load.

Dumbbells and weight plates on a rack

Photograph illustrates the category, not this exact model.

What it is good at

  • Covering a wide load range in the footprint of a single pair
  • Changing weight with a dial instead of loading plates by hand
  • Using the same handle for presses, rows and lunges

Check before you buy

  • The length of the handle at the top of the range, which can catch on the way up
  • Whether a stand or cradle is included, since the dumbbells live in it
  • How the plates seat: a dial left between settings can leave a plate behind

Who it is not for

Anyone who drops weights from height, or who needs pairs beyond the range a home set covers.

Adjustable dumbbells solve the storage problem of a home gym: one cradle holds what would otherwise be a rack of fixed pairs. The trade is in the handling, because you are lifting a shell around steel plates rather than one solid cast bell, and the handle grows longer as you add weight.

The mechanism is the part worth understanding. A dial moves a pin inside the cradle and the plates left behind are the ones you did not select. Set the dumbbell down out of position, or turn the dial while it is out of the cradle, and a plate can end up loose.

Also in Strength training

Flat weight bench in a home gym

Strength training

REP Fitness flat utility bench

A flat bench with a narrow pad and a wide base, so your shoulders and your feet stay where you put them.

Best for
Pressing with dumbbells or a barbell in a room where the bench stays out of the way.
Watch out for
It is flat only. Anyone who wants incline work needs a different bench, and a heavier one.
Check price and availability
Barbell loaded with weight plates

Strength training

Rogue Olympic barbell, 20 kg

A straight 20 kg bar with a knurl that grips without tearing and sleeves that turn.

Best for
A garage or ground-floor room with a rack, plates and space to set the bar down.
Watch out for
A bar is useless on its own: plates, a rack and floor clearance come first, and all of them take room.
Check price and availability