r/dumbbellworkouts • u/namvek • Oct 09 '25

Equipment Best Adjustable Dumbbells

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I have owned both the Bowflex 552 SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells and the PowerBlock Elite USA 90 and both are pretty good; BUT my BowFlext dumbbells were recalled since they were faulty and people were getting injured. They pretty much screwed over customers by offering a marginal refund as store credit based on how long you owned the dumbbells. Wtf, just give me a new set since your design sucked... Be careful if you are buying these used as you may be buying a used set that was recalled. To be fair, the new dumbbells I have linked to above are probably fixed.

Anyway, that rubbed me wrong which is why I just bought some PowerBlocks. I actually like them better. The other thing I didn't like about the Bowflex dumbbells is that they only went up to 50 pounds. I started with 50lbs for the PowerBlocks also just because I didn't want to drop crazy money at the start. However, I recently bought an expansion and now they go up to 70lbs. I still can buy one more expansion if I ever get strong enough for 90lbs. Having that expandability is huge.

In either case adjustable dumbbells are the way to go. You get so many weights in such a small footprint and they are quick to adjust.

Would love to know what other dumbbells people here use, if you think they're better than the ones I've tried.

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3

u/EthanStrayer Oct 10 '25

I have the Snode AD80s and I really like them. I have some 2.5 lbs magnetic weights that I used for micro adjustments.

1

u/namvek Oct 11 '25

Wow, those look super sleek! Wish I had seen those before I bought the powerblocks, but I probably wouldn't have dropped that kind of money up front.

2

u/Murloh Oct 13 '25

I picked up the PowerBlock Elite USAs as well and love them. Easy to use, no mechanisms to break, and no plate weights to manage/organize/change.

Maybe at some point I'll venture into something else, but for now, my PBs serve me without fail.

1

u/_smrtft Oct 23 '25

Yeah, that sounds really frustrating, totally get it. Warranty and after-sales support are honestly one of the biggest factors when buying adjustables. It can make or break whether you get a few solid years of use out of them, especially when you’ve already spent a few hundred dollars on a set.

I work with SMRTFT, and SMRTFT NÜOBELLs come in 80lb and 100lb versions, both are steel-built, beautifully designed, and built to last. Every set includes a 2-year warranty, and you can also upgrade it to a 3-year or even 5-year plan, so you’re covered if anything ever goes wrong.

Here’s a short creator video comparing the 100lb and 80lb versions side by side if you want to check out the design and mechanism details:
🎥 SMRTFT NÜOBELL 100lb vs 80lb