SUMMARY
- Took a year but built the whole set (10 - 50)
- Nothing beats the versatility of a good set of dumbbells
- Stinky and oily first few days (no big deal for me)
- Look like new 1.5years later with nearly daily use
- Follow gym etiquette and treat them right, they will last forever
- Did not confirm their weight
FULL REVIEW
BACK STORY
As was the case everywhere when COVID hit, my MMA gym shut down.
Previous to that closure, I had barbells and plates that I'd accumulated through the past couple of decades.
But when the everything closed, I quickly found myself missing the variation and breadth of exercises that you get at the gym vs the barbell setup I had at home. Almost immediately, I ordered a cable machine but still felt like I was missing a bunch of exercises.
4 months later, in July of 2020 I found these and ordered what I could -- at that time only 10 & 20 pounders were available. That order was just shy of $95. Expensive but seemed like a somewhat fair trade given that I had cancelled my gym memberships, not knowing what was going to happen or for how long places would remain closed.
They trickled in as they could over the next month.
I would check the site daily to see if any more had become available for sale. Most of the time they would come with a warning, stating that there were none in stock but would be shortly and charges would appear on CC until they were shipped. I'd pick up a pair as I saw them available.
April of 2021 (almost a year after I purchased my first pair), I bought the elusive 50 and 35 pound pairs. The last two I needed to complete the 10 - 50 pound set (incremental by 5lbs).
THE DUMBBELLS
HIIT, being able to switch weights instantly to finish a set out to complete failure, flies and reverse flies, single arm lifts for core strength, etc. Nothing beats the versatility of a good dumbbell set.
Yes, some were oily and had a rubbery smell when they first arrived. I would cut the box top, remove from the plastic bag and let air outside for a couple of days. I'd then wipe down with a cloth and place on dumbbell rack. These two things were never really an issue for me.
After a year and a half of almost daily use, they look and feel as they did when I first got them. Please note, that I follow gym etiquette. I don't let them slam against the floor (drop), I don't bang them against each other, I re-rack when done, etc. The highest they ever dropped is from bench after doing chest press (will drop lower my arms by my side and l and these roll off -- as anyone would at any gym). They do fall on mats, or carpet. They've never dropped on concrete, brick, rock, or similar.
Take care of them, and THEY WILL LAST you forever.
WEIGHT
There are a few reviews that tested the weight to verify how close they were to their stated weights. I haven't checked mine. Honestly, up until I started to write this review I hadn't even thought about it. I'm no professional body builder. I need resistance and these seem to be doing a very good job at it. Maybe if I get a calibrated scale in the future I'll weigh 'em and update this review (but doubtful).
pj2010
Samuel Langhorne Clemens
K
Courtney Woodard