Rubber hex dumbbells are the best DBs for your home or garage gym. Here is a full breakdown of the top DBs for working out at home.
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Once you have the essentials of a home gym—power rack, gym flooring, an adjustable weight bench—it’s time to start stocking up on dumbbells.
And the best kind of dumbbells for your home or garage gym?
Rubber hex dumbbells.
Why Rubber Hex Dumbbells Kick All of the Butts
There are a few reasons why they should be your go-to dumbbell:
Okay, okay, I will stop, otherwise I will go on and on about why I love these kinds of dumbbells.
Let’s get into the good stuff…
The reason you came here…
A full breakdown of the best rubber hex dumbbells for home gyms.
Read on, and let’s get to ballin’ out with our dumbbells out.
Rogue Hex Dumbbells
Rogue makes stellar gear for both commercial and home gyms. Even though I have never done a CrossFit WOD, and Rogue tends to be linked with the sport, you don’t need to be a CF athlete to love their stuff. I swear by their stuff, from their bumper plates to flat weight benches to Roman chairs.
When it comes to the best rubber hex dumbbells, Rogue wins across every metric.
It’s not even close.
Best quality (made in the USA with North American steel) and best priced (something you don’t always hear when it comes to Rogue equipment).
Rogue’s Rubber Hex Dumbbells are a no-frills set of DBs. Rubber-encased for quieter lifting and softer landing, they have a contoured and knurled handle that increases with size. Smaller weights (10lbs and less) have a handle of 25mm while everything heavier has a thicker, 35mm handle, giving you grip security as you progress in weight.
Rogue sells a range of different kinds of dumbbells, some branded (like the ones we are talking about right now) and some unbranded. They are generally the same, with similar weight variances of 3%.
The branded DBs are slightly cheaper and are sold in pairs as well as in complete sets. A 10lb pair costs around $28 and a pair of 125lb dumbbells run costs $340, which is extremely cost-effective compared to other DB makers.
For example, a pair of 50lb Rogue dumbbells costs $142, while single 50lb dumbbells of “low-cost” brands average $150.
In sum, it’s hard not to gush over the thick handles, heavy-duty construction, and wildly reasonable price point of the Rogue Rubber Hex Dumbbells.
CAP Barbell Rubber Hex Dumbbells
CAP Barbell makes a lot of excellent gear for home gyms (and commercial gyms, too).
I do recommend a lot of their gear, from their basic lat pulldown bar to muscle clamps for barbells.
If you have an antipathy towards Rogue, these dumbbells are a good alternative.
Available in 5lb increments from 10lbs all the way up to 120lbs, the Cap Barbell Rubber Hex Dumbbells are a killer addition to the home gym.
A contoured chrome-plated handle makes handling the dumbbells comfortable and secure. That smelly rubber-encasing (that is typical of all rubber DBs) will guard your floor from accidental drops and damage. And the weights are spread apart far enough on the handle that you can train unimpeded.
They are priced significantly higher than Rogue’s dumbbells and on par with the other DBs that are sold via Amazon, with a single 50lb dumbbell costing about $125 (pricing fluctuates—check here for current pricing and availability at Amazon).
Amazon Basics Rubber Hex Hand Weights
Amazon has infiltrated the personal fitness equipment over the past couple of years, and I am sure they have benefited greatly with the explosion of people working out at home since the beginning of 2020.
Available in a range of weight, from 10-50lbs, they feature the typical chrome-covered and contoured handle that makes holding the dumbbells a more secure experience. The “weight” portion is encased with a thin rubber coating. No rolling when you set the DBs down on the ground or back on the rack.
They are comparatively priced to the CAP Barbell Dumbbells, but the only limitation, for heavy lifters at least, is that they tap out at 50lbs.
Sporzon! Rubber Hex Dumbbells
One of my favorite parts about dumbbells is the sheer versatility. Whether you are looking to blast your upper or lower body, do twists, weighted curls, or even hang them off a weighted dip belt, dumbbells are a killer addition to your training regimen.
Sporzon! rubber encased hex dumbbells check most of the boxes when it comes to a killer DB. Knurled handle, hex shaped for easy storage and no rolling, and rubber encased for soft landings and floor protection.
Two complaints.
First, the DBs only go up to 50lbs and are sold generally in singles (which they specify unlike other sneaky-sneaky manufacturers).
Second, compared to the other low-cost DBs they weren’t actually that low-cost. Price-checked against the Amazon Basics and the CAP Barbell DBs, they were significantly more expensive ($40 more for a single 50lb dumbbell).
That said, pricing can fluctuate (check here for latest pricing and availability on Amazon).
Sporzon’s DBs have a lot of raving fans, with nearly 2500 five-star reviews, making them a solid choice for dominating your DB workouts at home.
JFIT Rubber Hex Dumbbells
Lastly, we have JFIT’s rubber hexagon DBs.
By now, you know the deal: they feature the chrome-plated handle that is countered for an excellent grip.
A diamond-knurl on the handle increases your grip, and the rubber-encased ends are perfect for those working out in spaces with shared walls (i.e. apartments).
Pricing is a bit all over the place, but I was able to get a single dumbbell for under $100, which is cheaper than the other Amazon-listed dumbbells but significantly more expensive than the Rogue DBs.
Available in a range of weight, from 5 to 50lbs, and well-reviewed, with 70% of customers giving them a five-star thumbs-up (check here for more reviews and current pricing on Amazon).
