Best Dumbbells For Home Training & Convenience (Updated 2024)

These dumbbells are perfect for small spaces and adjustability to maximize your at-home training and performance goals.

When looking to pack on the muscle mass and beef up your body AND your home gym, finding the right equipment for training and for small spaces is key. Getting the best dumbbells are essential for maximizing all your training needs. In today’s world, especially after something like the Coronavirus pandemic, it is a good idea to have gym equipment on hand. You never know when your local gym will be closed for a period of time. These pieces of equipment are perfect for small spaces, and can be relatively cheap for how versatile they are.

Whether that be for isolation exercises or those compound exercises, dumbbells add a convenient way to pack on additional weight to said exercise and really give your individual muscles a good workout. Jay Cutler is a huge advocate for dumbbell work, as it can build up weak points and prevent imbalances by allowing individual focus. He is a 4x Mr. Olympia winner too, so his advice is probably pretty solid.

Small and versatile pieces of workout equipment allow for a variety of exercises and can very easily take your home gym from zero to one hundred, and quickly. That being said, we’ve put together a list of the Best Dumbbells for 2024 so you can maximize those at-home gains for all your training needs. Good equipment can take your workouts to new heights and allow for the best when it comes to strength, convenience, and of course, a physique others will envy.

Best Dumbbells For 2024

• Best Dumbbells Overall: Living Fit Hex Dumbbell
  
• Best Adjustable Dumbbells: Topeakmart Adjustable Dumbbell Weight Set
• Best Dumbbells For Home Gyms: Iron Bull Strength Hex Dumbbells
• Best Block Dumbbells: POWERBLOCK Elite EXP Adjustable Dumbbell
• Best Hex Dumbbells: Living Fit Hex Dumbbell
  
• Best Dumbbell on Amazon: Amazon Basics Rubber Encased Hex Dumbbell Hand Weight
• Best Dumbbell Set on Amazon: papababe Dumbbell Set
• Best Dumbbell Rack: Marcy 3-Tier Dumbbell Rack

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Best Overall

The best dumbbells overall will be of the highest quality to ensure durability while also being comfortable in size and grip. They also do not break the bank entirely, but are not the cheapest option on the planet. You want to make sure your equipment works for your gains and allows for only the best workouts possible.

Living Fit Hex Dumbbells

Living Fit Hex Dumbbells are great workout equipment for those looking to build strength, burn fat, and create a stellar physique that others will envy. Perfect for free weight training, these can be stored easily for optimal convenience. Made from solid cast iron, these ensure durability and longevity and the rubber coating helps prevent damage to floors and other equipment. With a hexagon-shaped head to prevent rolling, the grip is also secure to prevent slipping and injury.

Pros

• Great for exercise and seeing results for strength and fat loss
• Easy storage for convenience
• Solid cast iron and rubber coating ensure durability and protection

Cons

• Can be an expensive option
• May have a strong scent

Price: $229.99

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Best Adjustable Dumbbells

An adjustable dumbbell is exactly what you need to save space and money when it comes to this type of gym equipment. They are popular choices for many different home gyms because of versatility as well as convenience. What these can do is allow for easy adjusting and basically take multiple different weight sizes and condense it into one piece for variety and storage.

Topeakmart Adjustable Dumbbell Weight Set

Topeakmart Adjustable Dumbbell Weight Set offers a great set of adjustable dumbbells that will save space and money when it comes to your needs. They are perfect for upper body, as well as lower body building exercises. Not to mention, the cement plates and iron bar allow for durability and the utmost quality. Anti-slip grips allow for comfort and safety and the ability to get the best workout possible. Included with this adjustable dumbbell set are four 4.4 lbs. plates, four 3.3 lbs. plates, four 2.8 lbs. plates, 2 bars with grips, and four spinlock collars.

Pros

• Adjusting makes it easier to get through different workouts
• Can add and take off weight for your desired amount
• Save money and time with one set that makes up a full set

Cons

• May be a hassle to have to adjust constantly
• May not be enough weight for some

Price: $44.99

Check out our individual review for Topeakmart Adjustable Dumbbell!

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Best Dumbbells For Home Gyms

For those looking to seriously beef up their home gym, a complete set of high quality dumbbells will give you a professional look and feel from the comfort of your own home. While this may be an expensive option, if you can make it happen, it is totally worth it.

Iron Bull Strength Hex Dumbbells

When it comes to selecting dumbbells for your home gym, Iron Bull Strength hex dumbbells offer a great addition to your home gym, featuring a hexagon head design that prevents rolling and simplifies storage.These dumbbells are constructed with premium, virtually scent-free rubber, helping to minimize noise and protect both the equipment and your floors from any damage upon dropping them. Aside from that, they also come equipped with straight, chrome, fully knurled handles for enhanced grip, with heads firmly attached via durable friction welding.

As far as weight, they offer an extensive range of weights from 5 lbs all the way up to 100lbs, available in 5lb increments, and purchase them individually as pairs or in complete sets.

Sets are as follows:

5-50 Lb Set.
5-75 Lb Set.
5-100 Lb Set.
55-75 Lb Set.
80-100 Lb Set.

They can complete all those home gym needs are are right around the corner, absolutely within reach.

Pros

• Complete sets
• High quality construction and top tier finish for protection
• Comfortable and easy to use grip

Cons

• Premium priced option
• Sets will take up a lot of space

Price: $40.00-$1,600

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Best Block Dumbbells

Block dumbbells also allow for easy adjusting and can provide for fairly great grip as well. It offers a little bit of variety in training, and who doesn’t love to change things up every now and then? While these may not be what some are looking for, if you enjoy lifting with the blocks, then we have a great set for you.

POWERBLOCK Elite EXP Adjustable Dumbbell

POWERBLOCK Elite EXP Adjustable Dumbbell offers an adjustable range of 5-50 lbs. and replaces 16 pairs of dumbbells with just one. The auto-lock handle feature includes two chrome adder weights so you can even adjust your increments by 2.5 lbs. for just that much more weight. Perfect for saving time, money, and energy; these are great pieces of equipment to add to your home gym.

Pros

• Adjustable from 5-50 lbs.
• Replaces 16 pairs with just one dumbbell
• Nice feature to add increments of 2.5 lbs. for a little more weight

Cons

• Stability between the plates may not be the best
• Bit expensive for the overall quality

Price: $345.05

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Best Hex Dumbbells

A traditional dumbbell with a hex design is perfect for stopping it from rolling and causing damage to floors or other equipment. You can drop them or throw them and typically with a rubber head, it ensures the utmost protection for all your surrounding items.

Living Fit Hex Dumbbells

Living Fit Hex Dumbbells are widely used in public gyms as well as at home, since they work for a variety of purposes. Able to be thrown around a bit more and not cause too much damage, these are great pieces of equipment for any gym. Made from high-quality solid cast iron and encased in rubber, these pieces of equipment are durable along with a solid metal chrome finish textured handles for the best grip possible. The hexagon-shape rubber encased head offers protection and limits rolling around.

Pros

• Great for exercise and seeing results for strength and fat loss
• Easy storage for convenience
• Solid cast iron and rubber coating ensure durability and protection

Cons

• Can be an expensive option
• May have a strong scent

Price: $34.99

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Best Dumbbell on Amazon

Let’s face it, Amazon has some great products, and you can get virtually anything on there. Sometimes people do not really shop anywhere else, unless they are buying food. But when it comes to searching for your gym equipment, Amazon tends to have something at the top of the search results, so which dumbbell is the best option on Amazon?

Amazon Basics Rubber Encased Hex Dumbbell Hand Weight

Amazon Basics Rubber Encased Hex Dumbbell Hand Weight is a great option when building your home gym. You have that contoured, textured, chrome handle for a comfortable grip, and it is made from cast iron so you know it will not bend or break. Not to mention, they also are constructed with the hexagon shaped rubber encased ends, which prevents rolling or damage if you drop them. They go for 15-50 lbs and are a great bang for your buck.

Pros

• Amazon provides free shipping and returns
• Affordable
• Good weight
• Durable

Cons

• May not be enough weight for some
• Price is around $1.50/lb, so not the cheapest on the market

Price: $62.00

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Best Dumbbell Set on Amazon

While having a pair of dumbbells is great, having a complete set is even better. It is even more convenient when you can get them all right on Amazon. Although this may be more expensive and take up more space, you will have more variety to your exercises and workouts overall. It is always nice to be able to have different weights for different exercises. For example, you may lateral raise far less than you can bicep curl, so having options can be good.

papababe Dumbbell Set

papababe Dumbbell Set is the perfect set for comfort and use. The pieces themselves are high-quality made of cast iron with a rubber coating for protection. Although a set, it doesn’t take up too much space and is perfect for your home gym and at home training.

The set also includes an A-frame rack for easy storage. This comes along with a pair of 5-pound, 10-pound, 15-pound, 20-pound, and 25-pound weights making this a great set to help you reach your goals.

Pros

• Great dumbbell set for building muscle and seeing results
• They are made of quality and durable material
• Doesn’t take up too much space

Cons

• A bit limited on weight with it only ranging from 5-25 pounds.

Price: $254.99

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Best Dumbbell Rack

Of course, with all these dumbbells, you need a place to store them. However, you may not have the most space to spare, and that is more than okay, we have you covered. Having a sturdy and stable rack will give you the best chance at storing these weights in a great place to take up minimal space.

Marcy 3-Tier Dumbbell Rack

Marcy 3-Tier Dumbbell Rack is exactly what you need to store all of those dumbbells when your not using them for your workout. Made of steel, this heavy duty rack can withstand damage and intensive use over time and a durable powder coat finish offers reinforcement and a great quality coat on top. Compact and great for saving space, this multi-level storage rack is exactly what you need to make that home gym feel a little more complete and organized.

Pros

• Heavy duty steel and quality construction
• Great for saving space with a compact design
• Powder coat finish ensures durability and longevity

Cons

• May not hold as many weights as you have or would like it to

Price: $117.84

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Benefits

While we all know how helpful these pieces of equipment can be, the benefits of using them are too hard to ignore. Great for switching up your training and for small spaces, sometimes these pieces of equipment are actually preferred over traditional exercises like the barbell bench press. In some cases, when it comes to taking your workouts to new heights, these are exactly what you need. Benefits of these pieces of equipment include:

• Safe and effective exercise: Using dumbbells ensure a safe and effective exercise by allowing you to maintain proper form without too much weight and if the weight does get too much, you can ditch it safely without putting yourself at risk of injury (1).
• Perfect for muscle growth: Great fitness tools, dumbbells are perfect for increasing muscle growth by creating time under tension and adding nice resistance to your workouts (2).
• Adjust for strength and symmetry: You can work one arm or one leg at a time with dumbbells and this will be perfect when it comes to strength and symmetry for the ideal physique (3).
• Add variety and versatility to workouts: With dumbbells, you get the best of all worlds as they can be used for a variety of workouts and different exercises to challenge you.
• Convenient pieces of workout equipment: Easy to use and easy to store, they are incredibly convenient pieces of workout equipment.

What To Look For

Aside from price, you want to make sure your dumbbell has some features to offer the best workout experience possible. Let’s see exactly what they are.

• Grip/Knurling

You want to look for the type of grip because the way it feels in your hands and the grip strength matters. Having a safe and effective grip can work wonders for all your fitness needs. Especially as you get to heavier options, the grip you have can help you feel secure and less vulnerable for all your needs (4).

• Handle Size

You want to look for the size of the handle being its diameter. A fatter handle will require different muscles to grip and different muscles worked and you may not fully want that, for example the fatter grip recruits more forearms. Just be mindful of how big you want the handle to be.

• Adjustable/Fixed

This is important because this plays into price. If you wanted an option with fixed weight, you are going to need more space, more weights, and more money. Adjustable ones are great for saving space and money and offer an adjustable option to cycle through weights.

Dumbbells Vs. Kettlebells Vs. Barbells

While all of these are great for working out with, each offers a bit of a unique take on an exercise that can benefit you in different ways. Different muscles are engaged in different ways when you change the equipment you use to workout. So let’s take a look at the differences.

For those interested in more conditioning and endurance based workouts, kettlebells are perfect for that (5). The handle and overall feel allows for better movements when it comes to higher intensity work.

Barbells will be helpful for those looking to lift heavier weight for you can pack on the pounds and allow your whole body to work from just one piece of equipment. Barbells are popular amongst powerlifters who focus mainly on the squat, bench, and deadlift movements. When it comes to bodybuilding, many will prefer isolation movements where they can really squeeze the most out of the muscles they want to work.

Dumbbells fit nicely right in the middle. For those wanting to work on isolation exercises or compound movements, these are great, easy to grip, and can provide for an amazing workout and serious gains.

Comparisons

Category	Product	Price
Best Overall Dumbbell	Living Fit Hex Dumbbell	$229.29
Best Adjustable Dumbbell	Topeakmart Adjustable Dumbbell Set	$44.99
Best Dumbbells for Home	Iron Bull Strength Hex Dumbbells	$1,600
Best Block Dumbbells	POWERBLOCK Elite EXP Adjustable Dumbbell	$345.05
Best Hex Dumbbells	Sporzon! Rubber Encased Hex Dumbbells	$34.99
Best Dumbell on Amazon	Amazon Basics Rubber Encased Hex Dumbbell	$62.00
Best Dumbbell SET on Amazon	Papababe Dumbbell Set	$254.99
Best Dumbbell Rack	Marcy 3-Tier Dumbbell Rack	$117.84

How We Choose

When it comes to choosing the best equipment, we look at a number of factors because you deserve to have only the best on the list to choose from. We look at the company and the brand representing the product. It is important that a company works for you and all your intended goals and is reputable in their mission to produce only the best workout equipment around.

We then look at the quality and other attributes of a good piece including material, durability, grip, and overall feel. This will ensure quality workouts and optimal effectiveness of the product.

Lastly, we look at price because we know these products can get expensive. Not everyone wants to break the bank for at home gym equipment. It is possible to find a great product while still being at an affordable price.

FAQ Section

You may have some questions regarding everything we have gone over. Do not worry, we are here to address the questions you may have.

What is the best option?

Living Fit Hex Dumbbells. These are perfect for those looking for great workout equipment to build strength, burn fat, and create a winning physique. Made from solid cast iron, these offer great strength and total durability.

How much weight should I look to get out of my dumbbells?

This all depends on how much you lift. For most exercises, it is safe to say that around 50-60 lbs. is a good cut off point. While you may need heavier weight on certain exercises, the solution would be to toss on more reps, or even incorporate supersets to still see great gains.

Can I get a good workout with just dumbbells?

Absolutely. Having a well-rounded workout is obviously the goal, but with dumbbells, you can work isolation exercises and compound exercises to really give yourself the best chance at the growth you want most. Most movements can be done in some form with these pieces of equipment.

Wrap Up

Dumbbells are the perfect workout tool for those at-home training needs. Able to save space, provide for great workouts, and really give you the gains you want most, they can really give you everything you want and more to give you the best growth possible. Finding the right set may seem daunting, especially with a market so saturated in fitness equipment, but it is possible. Check out our list above of the best options for these pieces of equipment, and find the right fit for you today.

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References

1. Shaw, I.; Shaw, B.; Shariat, A.; Brown, G. (2016). “Review of the Role of Resistance Training and Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation”. (source)
2. Saeterbakken, A.; Tillaar, R.; Fimland, M. (2011). “A comparison of muscle activity and 1-RM strength of three chest-press exercises with different stability requirements”. (source)
3. Franettovich, M.; Hides, J.; Mendis, M.; Littleworth, H. (2011). “Muscle imbalance among elite athletes”. (source)
4. Lee, J. A.; Sechachalam, S. (2016). “The Effect of Wrist Position on Grip Endurance and Grip Strength”. (source)
5. Manocchia, P.; Spierer, D.; Lufkin, A.; Minichiello, J.; et al. (2013). “Transference of Kettlebell Training to Strength, Power, and Endurance”. (source)