Good adjustable dumbbells?

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fiveohmike
fiveohmike Posts: 1,297 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey Guys,

I am looking at gettting a set of Adjustable dumbells and a bench for the house. I currently use a total gym, but want to make the switch to free weights. I dont have a whole lotta space so the adjustables seem to fit the bill.

So my question, anyone have any experience with the following:

Weider PowerSwitch 100
Bowflex Selectech 1090
Powerblock 90

Or any other ones you may recommend? (I am leaning towards the Wieder, just because it got good reviews on Amazon and is 300 bucks, but was still looking at the Blowflex ones for 600)

Replies

  • blonde71
    blonde71 Posts: 955 Member
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    Don't know about the first two but I've known several people who've had the powerblocks and didn't like them for whatever reason.
  • fiveohmike
    fiveohmike Posts: 1,297 Member
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    Don't know about the first two but I've known several people who've had the powerblocks and didn't like them for whatever reason.

    Ya I didnt like the desing, where you put your hands and what not...the bowflex and weider are more traditional grip.
  • ag2ut
    ag2ut Posts: 20
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    I have the 5-50lb selecttechs and my fiance has the powerblocks. I'd recommend either of those, although I'm entirely unfamiliar with weiders. I seem to remember seeing something about a bowflex selecttech recall on the 1090 recently, so check into that before you buy. Adjustable is the way to go with limited space and the ones we have are really easy to use.
  • pgp90xer
    pgp90xer Posts: 219 Member
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    I have the Bowflex and absolutely love them. Just don't drop them!! I am doing P90X2 now and have to use them for certain exercises while leaning on a balance ball. I was just doing one hand chess presses while on the balance ball this morning and all I kept thinking about was don't slip off this ball and drop my Bowflex... didn't care about my safety... just my Bowflex.

    FYI - I got mine used off Kijiji
  • kdsteelez
    kdsteelez Posts: 20 Member
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    I have the urethane PowerBlock 90's and really like them. There is no other dumbbell that equals their quality and compactness, but they are VERY expensive. If you are serious about using them and believe you "get what you pay for" then I recommend them. You can save a little money if you have a military friend who can purchase them from Aafes.

    In doing my research, I found lots of complaints about the length of the other adjustables that make some lifts difficult and plastic parts that break or stop working smoothly after a short period of use.
  • usc2626
    usc2626 Posts: 186
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    Powerblock 90+ is what I have and they are great. A little expensive but worth the money. Not as wide as the bowflex ones which is harder for shoulder presses and curls.
  • fiveohmike
    fiveohmike Posts: 1,297 Member
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    Do you guys think the 50lb sets are enough? Or do you think the 90ls are mandatory for a guy?
  • SAMSON25
    SAMSON25 Posts: 58 Member
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    I have the urethane PowerBlock 90's and really like them. There is no other dumbbell that equals their quality and compactness, but they are VERY expensive. If you are serious about using them and believe you "get what you pay for" then I recommend them. You can save a little money if you have a military friend who can purchase them from Aafes.

    In doing my research, I found lots of complaints about the length of the other adjustables that make some lifts difficult and plastic parts that break or stop working smoothly after a short period of use.

    Ditto. I have the same set. My buddy just got the Bowflex 1090s and was complaining about their size/lenght when using a low weight.

    Also, with the powerblocks, you have the option of getting a lighter weight set initially, and then adding on the expansion packs....ie turning a 50lb set into a 90 lb set and even up to 120lbs.

    Personally, I like the box design of the powerblocks. Very stable for plank&curl moves, or you can load up one dumbbell and grip both support bars to do tricep work.

    IMO, the only drawback is the 2.5 & 5 lb adjustment...not as quick as bowflex. Not a big deal to me though, I'll just go up/down 5 lbs for the entire workout and stick with those intervals
  • fiveohmike
    fiveohmike Posts: 1,297 Member
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    I have the urethane PowerBlock 90's and really like them. There is no other dumbbell that equals their quality and compactness, but they are VERY expensive. If you are serious about using them and believe you "get what you pay for" then I recommend them. You can save a little money if you have a military friend who can purchase them from Aafes.

    In doing my research, I found lots of complaints about the length of the other adjustables that make some lifts difficult and plastic parts that break or stop working smoothly after a short period of use.

    Ditto. I have the same set. My buddy just got the Bowflex 1090s and was complaining about their size/lenght when using a low weight.

    Also, with the powerblocks, you have the option of getting a lighter weight set initially, and then adding on the expansion packs....ie turning a 50lb set into a 90 lb set and even up to 120lbs.

    Personally, I like the box design of the powerblocks. Very stable for plank&curl moves, or you can load up one dumbbell and grip both support bars to do tricep work.

    IMO, the only drawback is the 2.5 & 5 lb adjustment...not as quick as bowflex. Not a big deal to me though, I'll just go up/down 5 lbs for the entire workout and stick with those intervals

    Good info on the Powerblocks, I did not know you could expand them. That is something that interests me! I am going to a store that carries all 3 locally and will check them out.
  • TheFunBun
    TheFunBun Posts: 793 Member
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    I got sent 2 sets of broken weiders before I settled on my awesome powerblocks. They're really stable and you wouldn't ever need gloves the grip feels so good. It's kind of weird having your hand in a box, but small weights stay small unlike the bowflex selecttech.
  • drewols
    drewols Posts: 77
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    We also have the Bowflex dumbbells and find that the length of them make some lifts pretty awkward. Other than that, they are pretty good but I would definitely see if you could try them out first before spending the money
  • usc2626
    usc2626 Posts: 186
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    Do you guys think the 50lb sets are enough? Or do you think the 90ls are mandatory for a guy?


    If your planning to get stronger I'd go withy the 90 plus not the regular 90. With the 90 plus you can later by the add ons that go to 120. The 50 are good but if you get stronger you'll just have to buy another complete set
  • fiveohmike
    fiveohmike Posts: 1,297 Member
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    Thanks for all the advice guys...im gonna go hit the store in a bit and pick them up. Ill let you guys know what i get!
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    We also have the Bowflex dumbbells and find that the length of them make some lifts pretty awkward. Other than that, they are pretty good but I would definitely see if you could try them out first before spending the money

    I agree they are a bit bulky. As a female I got the 50 lb ones and wish I had gotten the 90's, I'm getting close to maxing out the 50's on a couple moves :/ So if you get Bowflex go with the 90's.
  • bzgl40
    bzgl40 Posts: 69 Member
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    I have the bowflex ones and I really like them but have not tried the others for comparison. I agree that they can be bulky compared to a traditional weight but I have learned to work around them. I don't drop my weights so not so worried about the plastic breaking etc...
  • Meg_78
    Meg_78 Posts: 998 Member
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    This might be a really dumb question, but I'm curious why people would prefer these types of adjustable dumbbells over traditional ones? Is it because you can get them up to higher weights, or because they take up less space, are less fuss? Are they cheaper? I use tradition dumbbells (both one piece ones, and regular old fashion iron weights with a bar and clips) because up till now I didn't know there were other options, and because I use the whole set free as it belonged to my FIL and now to my hubs.

    Really I'm just curious about them, they seem so bulky looking in comparison, esp the square type ones.
  • fiveohmike
    fiveohmike Posts: 1,297 Member
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    This might be a really dumb question, but I'm curious why people would prefer these types of adjustable dumbbells over traditional ones? Is it because you can get them up to higher weights, or because they take up less space, are less fuss? Are they cheaper? I use tradition dumbbells (both one piece ones, and regular old fashion iron weights with a bar and clips) because up till now I didn't know there were other options, and because I use the whole set free as it belonged to my FIL and now to my hubs.

    Really I'm just curious about them, they seem so bulky looking in comparison, esp the square type ones.

    For me its about space. I dont have a lot of room for a dumbbell rack + a bench. So a set of adjustable that take 20+ pairs of regular dumbbells and shrinks them down fits the bill for me :)
  • bzgl40
    bzgl40 Posts: 69 Member
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    This might be a really dumb question, but I'm curious why people would prefer these types of adjustable dumbbells over traditional ones? Is it because you can get them up to higher weights, or because they take up less space, are less fuss? Are they cheaper? I use tradition dumbbells (both one piece ones, and regular old fashion iron weights with a bar and clips) because up till now I didn't know there were other options, and because I use the whole set free as it belonged to my FIL and now to my hubs.

    Really I'm just curious about them, they seem so bulky looking in comparison, esp the square type ones.

    I have both regular free weights and the bowflex ones. I currently keep all the weights in a closet out of site. It is much easier to pull out two weights then all the various individual ones. lol
  • Meg_78
    Meg_78 Posts: 998 Member
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    For me its about space. I dont have a lot of room for a dumbbell rack + a bench. So a set of adjustable that take 20+ pairs of regular dumbbells and shrinks them down fits the bill for me :)
    I have both regular free weights and the bowflex ones. I currently keep all the weights in a closet out of site. It is much easier to pull out two weights then all the various individual ones. lol

    Thanks guys! :) Yes, the loose weight do make a mess, and the more you have the worse it would be.
  • PeterThompson
    PeterThompson Posts: 62
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    If you are looking for a good adjustable dumbbells you can click this link http://bestadjustabledumbbellsreviews.com/

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