POWERBLOCK Adjustable Dumbbell - Black

As a fitness enthusiast with limited space at home, the POWERBLOCK Adjustable Dumbbells have been an absolute game-changer for my workout routine. These innovative dumbbells offer the versatility and convenience I've always wanted, allowing me to perform a wide range of exercises without the need for a full rack of traditional dumbbells. The first thing that impressed me was the compact design of the POWERBLOCK Adjustable Dumbbells. With their unique selector pin system, I can easily adjust the weight in increments, making it quick and hassle-free to switch between different resistance levels. This feature is perfect for superset workouts or when targeting different muscle groups during a single session. The build quality of these dumbbells is outstanding. The solid construction and durable materials give me confidence that they will withstand even the most intense workouts. The weight plates are securely locked in place with no rattling or movement, providing a stable and safe lifting experience. The weight range options are excellent, allowing me to choose from a wide range of weight settings that suit my current fitness level and goals. From light exercises for toning to heavy lifts for strength training, these dumbbells have got me covered. Plus, the weight range is expandable with additional kits, giving me room to progress and challenge myself as I get stronger. The grip of the dumbbells is comfortable and non-slip, ensuring a firm hold during exercises. The contoured handles feel natural in my hands, reducing fatigue and strain during longer workout sessions. Another significant advantage of the POWERBLOCK Adjustable Dumbbells is the space-saving design. They take up minimal space compared to a full set of traditional dumbbells, making them ideal for small apartments or home gyms with limited storage. I appreciate the clear and easy-to-read weight labels on the dumbbells, which help me quickly identify the desired weight setting. The color-coded system makes it effortless to select the correct weight, even in the middle of a fast-paced workout. Overall, the POWERBLOCK Adjustable Dumbbells have revolutionized my home workouts. They offer the convenience of having multiple dumbbells in one compact package, saving space and time without compromising on performance. If you're looking for a versatile and high-quality set of adjustable dumbbells, I highly recommend giving these a try. They have become an essential part of my fitness journey, and I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

I bought the PowerBlock EXP Stage 1 Adjustable Dumbbell Set back in 2020, right when gyms shut down during COVID, and I can confidently say it was one of the best purchases I made that year. It gave me a way to keep training at home without sacrificing space, and even now, years later, I still use them regularly. They’ve held up incredibly well. Functionally, these dumbbells are everything I hoped for. The weight adjustment system is simple, quick, and intuitive. You just slide the selector pin into the slot for the weight you want, and you’re good to go. The increments are practical for progressive overload, and for anyone doing home workouts, it beats having a full rack of separate dumbbells. I started with Stage 1 (5–50 lbs per hand), and it’s been more than enough for a wide variety of exercises—presses, rows, curls, lunges, you name it. Durability is another big plus. I’ve had these for over four years now, and they still function like they did on day one. The plates haven’t bent or chipped, the selector pins still slide in smoothly, and there’s been no noticeable wear beyond a few surface scuffs. I’ve used them multiple times a week and haven’t babied them either—they’ve taken their fair share of drops and rough handling without any issues. What surprised me the most is how ergonomic they feel once you get used to the shape. The design is different from a traditional dumbbell, but it doesn’t take long to adjust. The handle is comfortable, the balance is solid, and the compact footprint makes a big difference in tight workout spaces. I was originally concerned that the square shape might feel awkward, but in practice, it’s never been a problem. From a space-saving perspective, these are unbeatable. If you live in an apartment, have a small home gym, or just don’t want a bunch of loose weights lying around, the PowerBlocks are a no-brainer. I also appreciate that you can expand them later if you want to go beyond 50 lbs—they’re designed to grow with your needs. All in all, this was a perfect pandemic purchase that’s stood the test of time. If you're serious about building a home gym and want something compact, versatile, and durable, I’d highly recommend the PowerBlock EXPs. They’re an investment, but absolutely worth it.

I purchased this powerblock set primarily because of the cost savings over individual dumbbells and also the space savings. Let me say I’m glad I did, because after a couple months of use they haven’t disappointed in performance. I do have a couple of mentionable flaws that should be noted. To start, I ordered these and the available expansion packs. They did come in separate boxes as other reviewers noted, but all packages arrived on the same day. I took the liberty of contacting Amazon beforehand and informed them of the issues other buyers had (only receiving one single powerblock, for example). I requested they confirm there would actually be two powerblocks shipped with two tracking numbers. Amazon assured me both items would be shipped. Better yet, when they arrived on my doorstep, Amazon sent me an email containing a photo of both boxes on my front porch. Very pleased with their efforts in this respect. On arrival, the boxes for the powerblocks were pretty thrashed but still intact. This is due the weight of the blocks likely coupled with rough handling, but there is dense styrofoam surrounding the blocks so they were totally protected. I ordered the folding stand to go with the powerblocks as well. A stand at an appropriate height is is important for powerblocks IMO because it makes useability so much easier. Switching between weight is easy, just pull the plastic “U” pin and place at the desired weight. The plastic pin is durable enough but I do notice it’s flexible enough that it can be inserted crocked if not paying attention. Fortunately the plastic pin quickly retains its original shape it you insert it correctly. Also, ensuring the blocks are on very stable support is critical because the pin will not lock in place appropriately if the blocks are on a soft surface (a weight bench definitely is too soft, and even my rubber gym flooring is too soft). Another reason a stand is really convenient. Switching between 2.5 and 5lb increments is really easy by flipping the lever on the base of then kick and removing the weight inserts. There is a protective red rubber nub and goes on top of each lever, and they will annoyingly come off when you flip the lever over. For now I will hunt them down and put them back on, but I feel like over time I’ll get lazy and just leave them off. The finish in the metal at the end of the lever is kind of rough, and you could potentially scrape your hand on it, so I see why they put the protective rubber nub on. Maybe a tighter fitting nub would fix this issue. The grip on the powerblocks is awesome. I love the tapered shape, and the material provides excellent retention in the hand. Some users mention their knuckles contact the inside of the powerblock. Mine do too, however if you are thoughtful about your grip placement it actually feels like an asset; the powerblock actually feels like an extension of your limb on, say, shoulder presses and bicep curls. This feeling is different than traditional dumbbells and it does take a little getting used to, but I’ve grown to appreciate it. For reference on my hand size I’m a 5’11 adult male, I can almost palm a basketball but not quite. This is pretty average so if you have hands on the larger size then your knuckles will contact the inside of the powerblock that much more. The ability to change between 2.5lb and 5lb increments is a great feature. It allows me to get that much more out of my workout by keeping the volume high. I’d never pay for individual dumbbells, especially theses in between increments, and jumping up in 10lb increments often means sacrificing in terms of the number of reps. The ability to go up in smaller increments has translated into better gains. When taking out the weight inserts I keep my hand over one of the inserts while allowing the other to slide out. You can let both inserts out at the same time but trapping them in your hand simultaneously can be awkward. The folding stand I purchase has 4 small slots that I assumed were designed to hold each weight insert when not in use, another valuable aspect of the stand. The paint on the powerblocks has proven durable so far. When setting the blocks back down into the weights, the sides contact and shear past each other however the paint is durable enough to hold up to this. I do not drop the powerblocks under any circumstances, so the paint hasn’t been tested in that respect. As a side note: the owners manual states you can actually drop them if within a specified height and not void the warranty. Expanding on the cosmetic durability of these powerblocks, there are sticker labels on the blocks that have numbers and add to the cosmetic appeal of the product. On one of my blocks the stickers arrived with the stickers already peeling off. It also has bubbles underneath so that when you go to press down on the label it makes a “crackling” sound but won’t stick because the adhesive is lacking. I usually could care less about something like this, but the stickers actually help serve as a visual cue for which way the blocks are oriented and how they should be placed back into the stack. And with the sticker price these powerblocks command, the damn stickers should stay put. Pun intended. When in use, the powerblocks feel solid, even with heavier weights. There is a noticeable “clicking” that can be heard due to the weights shifting slightly during used. This doesn’t really bother me because I wear headphones working out and I am confident in the security of the “U” shaped pin. If you are closely playing attention you can feel the weights rattling a little, but the powerblock always feels like a solid unit. I also like how broad and flat the sides of the powerblocks are because it makes it comfortable to use your legs to raise the weights as you lean back for, say, chest presses. It also makes it a lot more comfortable to rest the blocks on your legs between sets. In all I am extremely pleased with this purchase, and I saved a ton of money and space over traditional dumbbells. I wish powerblock made extensions for this model beyond 90lbs because I’d be a buyer.

I was initially skeptical of the power blocks at first. Not any longer. I have had them about two years and they are far better than I hoped to be. They are well balanced, feel good through the arc of motion in exercises, and have never had a single issue. There are a couple things to keep in mind though. Do NOT purposely drop them on the ground like some do which will possibly destroy the mechanistic characteristic of these dumbells. They do every exercise perfectly minus a few rare movements none of which I do anyway. Pressing movements for chest, flye movements for chest side rear and front delt raises are excellent, Bicep curls feel very natural even better than traditional hex dumbells. The only negatives is the upfront cost and that you must be "somewhat careful" with not dropping or slamming them which you should not do to any dumbells anyway as dumbells were designed to be picked up to work the muscle hard then set down NOT DROPPED OR SLAMMED! Another downside or I should say a minor inconvenience is you must be careful when you pull out the sleector and push it in to select a given weight that it is perfectly lined up and not on say 30 lbs on one end of the selector and 40 plbs on the other end of the selector side I have done this a few times but it is super easy to catch before you lift. Just make sure you select the weight you want and then carefully push in elector and make sure it is engaged with one weight level. I also highly suggest getting the stand in my picture it is by far the strongest and most solid and well designed stand specifically made for these dumbells. They are close to perfect for space considerations as they replace dozens of dumbells so the cost is well worth it! Do youself a favor and get them you will thank me later. There are far more positives than negatives to these well designed dumbells.

I've worked out with weights at the gym for years, never bothered with home gym equipment because they tend to cheaply made, take up space and ultimately are no more convenient than just going to the gym ... and then COVID-19 hit and everything changed. I am at that age (63) where if I go for 1, 2 or maybe 3 months waiting for the gym to open I might never be able to get back to in shape. Dumbbells are a key part of my workout, I need them for bench chest press, seated shoulder press and shoulder shrugs. I use 80, 75 & 70 for chest press, 55, 50 & 45 for shoulder press and 90, 85 & 80, for shrugs. I would need a lot of separate weights which can be expensive and take up a lot of space. The format is key, I am only 5'8" and weight 150lbs, so when I do the 80's on the bench press I need to rest them on thighs/knees and then use my legs to help me get them up, so the typical adjustable where you screw on the weights won't work because the won't comfortably rest on my legs. The only two options being the bowflex and these. The bowflex appear to be very good as the look like a regular dumbbell with a slick way to change weights, however I had the occasion a few years back to try them and wasn't impressed as they didn't seem very solid (too plasticy), they don't really rest flat on your thigh and it is hard to find the set that goes over 55lbs. These seem ideal, as I got the stage 2 and 3 to get up to 90lbs and they will fit flat on you leg. The concern was that look like some rinky dink thing you would see on an infomercial. Plus you put your in this odd looking bear trap cage thing. But while they look rinky dink, they are actually very robust and an intelligent design. Most of the gym stuff that I've gotten only have to be 'good enough' to bridge me over for a few months and not something I would get if I were building a serious home gym, but these are much better than 'good enough' and they are a reasonable alternative to proper dumbbells if space and convenience is an issue. While I prefer the fixed weight dumbbells at the gym, the compromise you make for space savings and flexibility is not too significant and I could see these being part of a serious home gym. They may become a permanent option after COVID for the days I can't drag my butt to the gym. It is still a compromise vs. proper dumbbells but if you are looking for adjustable like these, then you will be impressed. The Bowflex may look pretty, and these not so much, but these are more durable and usable. update 11 June: now that I have been using them for a few months, I am even happier with them than I was before. Their Compact heavy duty weight stand is a must, but at only $69 it is well worth. It holds the weight at the right height to work with, a big plus is that it keeps things lined up so that the plastic pin slides in and out easily.

Bought these for use during quarantine. They seem well made and are generally working well for me. I received two, in good condition, within a reasonable time of ordering. I'm also a relatively small woman, so the size of the grip area is not a problem for me. That said, a few minor gripes keep this from being 5 stars. 1. I find the time to change weights takes a bit too long for quick circuit workouts. Even changing in 10lb rather than 5lb increments (so no internal weights), it still takes me a bit of time to line up the insert for the stack weights. I often end up hitting pause on workout videos if I need to switch weights and the transition is on the short side. 2. I know this was advertised from the beginning, but the lack of a 12.5lb weight is bothering me more than I thought it would. I bought wrist weights to accommodate this as one reviewer suggested, but it's still not really the same. I will probably buy a supplementary cheap set of 12.5lb dumbbells once weights become more available again. With these caveats, I would absolutely still recommend these dumbbells. I'm currently still on the low end of the weight range (max 30lbs even for legs). But I love that these are expandable, so I can keep using years from now even when I'm a lot stronger. I also feel like the weight change mechanism, while a bit slower than some other adjustable dumbbells, also seems sturdier and less prone to failure. So this seems like a fair tradeoff.

Changing weights is very easy. The magnetic weight selector thing works well and won't come off no mater what position they are in or how much swinging/moving you are doing. They are super sturdy and feel like they will definitely last a lifetime. They take up way less space than an assortment of dumbbells. I was worried about the plastic/rubber handle on these as I prefer a knurly bar but it's very grippy even if your hand is sweaty. The only con is that the real cost of this gets way up there when you add the 2 different expansion plates and then you are going to want the stand as well. It's a lot of money for sure but these are "buy it for life" so, the investment should be well worth it, in the long run.

Forget about buying a whole bunch of different dumbbells, and then having to figure out how to organize and keep them off the ground. With a couple of the extensions, this thing goes up to like 90 or 100 pounds, which is as much as I will ever benchpress or need otherwise. They are easy to use, easy to select the weights, and pretty sturdy. I wouldn’t recommend slamming these on the ground, as it might end up, breaking the mechanism that you used to choose the weight amount, but they aren’t fragile by any means. Well, worthy investment for anybody who takes their home gym serious. If you are researching the different versions or models of these, go with these for the space to get your hand in, and the ability to add the extension packs for more weight. Big fan.