Looking for the best dumbbells for your home workouts? Get stronger and fitter with the best dumbbells for every budget and type of lifter.
Dumbbells are an excellent way to level up your home gym and your health.
While dumbbells used to be priced at levels that only commercial gyms could invest in them, nowadays there is a dumbbell set for every budget and every kind of athlete and fitness enthusiast.
When you started digging into them, you will be staggered to learn just how many types of dumbbells there are out there.
While dumbbells can look a bit pricey, the upside is that these (well, most of them), will last you a lifetime.
Unlike that recurring gym membership or the time sink that is commuting back and forth to the gym, dumbbells are a one-time investment that you can use to reap health benefits over and over again.
Let’s take a look at the best dumbbells currently on the market, find the ones that match your training goals, and get those gainz.
CAP Barbell Hex Rubber Dumbbells
Rubber hex dumbbells are awesome for the home gym enthusiast who is a little more experienced and wants dumbbells that will go the distance. Stackable to save space, with rubber tipped weights for silencing, and a hexagonal shape that prevents the dumbbells from rolling around, rubber hex dumbbells are an excellent investment.
CAP Barbell makes a range of quality home fitness equipment that I really like, including cast iron weight plates, barbells for home gyms, and E-Z curl bars.
They nail it with their rubber hex dumbbells, which feature a knurled and contoured bar that is comfortable in your hand and won’t slide around as you sweat it up.
CAP Barbell sells these in a 150lb dumbbell set and as well as singles (5lb to 120lb per dumbbell), with prices varying depending on stock (check Amazon for up-to-date pricing and availability).
Amazon Basics Rubber Encased Dumbbells
Another rubber hex dumbbell, these are made by Amazon Basics. Amazon got into the fitness equipment game in recent years, and have a line of quality (if not relatively generic) gear, from kettlebells to flat weight benches.
Hex shaped ends make them easy to stack and store between workouts, and the flat edges mean they won’t roll around between sets (safety first!). The weights are cast iron and the handle is a contoured and textured chrome that gives you excellent grip on your dumbbells.
In terms of available weights, the Amazon Basics dumbbells range from 10lb to 50lb and are sold individually. For pricing, these dumbbells are middle of the pack, costing about $40 for a single 30lb dumbbell (check Amazon for up-to-date pricing and availability).
Wolfyok Adjustable Dumbbells (and Barbell)
These adjustable dumbbells have a feature that separates them from others in this list—they can be combined with a chrome connector to create a barbell. Yup, you read that right! Dumbbells that can be configured into a barbell.
As dumbbells, the Wolfyok DBs are excellent in their own right. Each dumbbell can be customized for up to 33lbs of weight resistance. Thickly threaded bars make locking the weight plates onto the bar painless and a spinlock keeps them locked in place.
Unlike alternative adjustable dumbbells that use sand for weight, these are made with solid steel and covered with TPU for extra durability. The handles are hard plastic and have a slip-free coating to keep your grip nice and strong on the bar.
Configuring the dumbbells into a barbell is surprisingly easy, but the barbell is far from the length of a regular Olympic barbell when fully assembled. Lifters with a wider wingspan will have a hard time using the barbell as the grippable part of the barbell is just over two feet in length.
Besides that, these dumbbells are awesome and are perfect for home gyms. They look great, sit comfortably in your hands, and are made with solid steel.
For a pair, Wolfyok sells these for around $170 (check Amazon for current pricing and availability), which is great for quality and adjustable dumbbells that can be rigged into a barbell.
Rogue Urethane Dumbbells
Rogue is one of my favorite brands on the planet. Whether it’s their power racks, bumper plates, or their absolute beast of a leg press machine for home gyms, Rogue makes some of the best home gym equipment on the planet.
Rogue makes a bunch of different dumbbells, but the Urethane Dumbbells are my top pick for the more serious lifter looking to build out a legit home gym.
One of the issues with weights (this goes for dumbbell and cast-iron weight plates, too), is that they are very often not accurate. Just because it says 45lbs doesn’t mean it weighs exactly 45lbs. Many of the cheaper brands have weight variances of up to 10% from the stated weight. Rogue is one of the more accurate brands in the market and these dumbbells have a maximum weight variance of 3%.
Rogue sells these in pairs from 5lb all the way up to a monster 150lb per dumbbell (a pair of 150lb DBs will set you back about $800 in case you are wondering), and also in sets.
Shipping is one of the big sneaky costs of buying heavy weight equipment, but Rogue provides free shipping when you a buy a set of dumbbells, which is something you should keep in mind when stocking your home or garage gym with dumbbells.
IronMaster Quick-Lock Adjustable Dumbbells
IronMaster makes adjustable dumbbells that come extremely close to replicating the feeling and size of traditional iron dumbbells. Made for heavy-duty use, these things are almost indestructible, and are completely fabricated of steel.
People who buy these consistently note how durable and tough they are. Steel plates are loaded and unloaded and tightened with a steel plate. When loaded, the weights don’t slide or clang at all, giving you the sense that you are using a proper dumbbell.
IronMaster sells additional plates, giving you a maximum of 165lbs per dumbbell, which is far and away the most weight of any adjustable dumbbell currently on the market.
IronMaster brings in a batch of inventory every 5-6 weeks and use a lottery draw for purchases. Sold in pairs, these things aren’t cheap, with a pair of 75lb adjustable dumbbells and a stand costing $749.
The price tag is a big upfront investment, but this price does include shipping, and again, if you are looking for something heavy-duty that is going to work as hard as you do, the IronMaster dumbbells are worth the money.
CAP Barbell Neoprene Dumbbell
Made with iron core, the CAP Barbell Neoprene Dumbbells come in fifteen different sizes (1lb to 15lb), have hex-shaped heads to keep in place between sets, and the black neoprene shell keeps your grip secure and wicks away moisture.
If you recently picked yourself up a Peloton or something similar, and want to level up the poundage of the weights for your classes, these quality-made dumbbells will do the trick.
CAP sells these individually or as a pair (be sure to confirm when you are ordering) and also a set with a dumbbell rack. Prices vary by weight, but you can expect to pay around $65 for a pair of 12lb dumbbells (check Amazon for current pricing and availability).
SPRI Vinyl Dumbbells
SPRI makes a ton of fitness accessories, including some of my favorite medicine balls. Brightly colored and wrapped in a slip-free nylon coat, these SPRI dumbbells are durable, look great, and are available in a wide range of weights, from 1lb to 20lb.
Whether you are walking, doing aerobics, or simply want something for strength training, these dumbbells will last. The vinyl coating keeps your hands firmly secured to the dumbbell, and the bright colors give your exercise equipment a nice “oomph” of color.
Pricing with the SPRI Vinyl Dumbbells is a little bit all over the place. For a pair of 20lb dumbbells they cost around $80 while a pair of 5lb cost $22 (check Amazon for current pricing and availability).