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Barbell Adjustable Dumbbells - Recommendations

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If you're not looking for the quick adjust style, I would check out Titan. They have multiple options and have some in stock, while the others come back in stock routinely. They even have one with 13" loadable area on each side and 3' long so you could add all kinds of weight on that thing. They also have more standard types available, but I like their olympic loadable handles so you don't have to worry about getting additional 1" plates and collars (if you have enough 2.5, 5, and 10 lb plates to get the results you want).

 
I have Oly dumbbells, a pair, and I think they're fine. Don't recall the brand. I've been liking the Rogue OSO collars for situations in which some of my other collars don't work too well. They'll be what I try on the Oly dumbbells.

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My son has moved out and is looking for dumbbells to use in his new apartment. I know nothing about adjustable dumbbells but since he's used to having a wide selection here, I thought I might look into the adjustable kind.

I'd appreciate recommendations for adjustable dumbbells. He's pretty strong and, in our basement gym, generally used between the 30 lb'ers and the 70's - we have them in 5 lb. increments but I've rarely used dumbbells.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

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Just a thought. Since equipment is still scarce and expensive right now, why not let him borrow the dumbells that he uses and you seldom do for the time being? He is likely to find that his training routine changes when he no longer lives at home and has a plethora of new options for how to spend his time. : ) If he finds that he does stick with the barbell format and weight then he can look for an adjustable that is heavy enough in six months or a year when some might start moving on the used market again. I've had much better luck on FB Marketplace than Craigslist. He might also abandon dumbells for kettlebells during that time.
 
@Brian B, he borrowed the 30 lb dumbbell pair and he seems happy with those for the moment.

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He might find that the 50 lb max on most of the available adjustable sets is perfectly fine for him. Which would make his quest for one at a decent price much easier. Especially if he ban borrow Dad's 70's if he needs them. : )
 
Modern dumbbells are amazing in their functionality. I first learned about adjustable dumbbells during the lockdown. Before covid-19 appeared in our lives, I used to go to the gym.
 
I used to own the Bowflex set - they were solid.

If it were me (and it might be soon) I would follow @Kenny Croxdale advice to start with Powerblock 50lb and then get the add-on set if you need it. The convenience and durability really are unmatched, even with so many new entrants into the market. They are indeed pricey - but you’re getting a complete set of dumbbells that fit in a very small space and can be expanded in the future - and they should last decades. Total cost of ownership is quite low, and the resale value will always be there.

I couldn’t personally go back to plate-loaded dumbbells after using kettlebells, Way too much ”work” when all you want to do is train.
 
I have the Eleiko plate-loadable dumbbells.

The handle is the same as a barbell (28 mm) and empty they weigh 5 kg.

They can hold about 40 kg each.
 
@watchnerd I got a pair of these last Christmas, pricey (I got them at pre-order discount) but lots of fun.

 
@watchnerd I got a pair of these last Christmas, pricey (I got them at pre-order discount) but lots of fun.


Those are pretty slick.

When those came out, I already had these:

Loadable Dumbbell 5 kg / 11 lbs | Eleiko
 
I always just used adjustable Olympic dumbbell handles. I secured the collar with a mallet however and had more than a couple of meltdowns trying to loosen the buggers when adjusting weights but that’s the price I paid to not get concussions and or a bad case of death when doing over head work with dumbbell handles. I was doing Brooks Kubik dumbbell program and there was a lot of snatching and swinging. I had a standard dumbbell come apart on me once doing a snatch and it was only dumb luck I never got a serious injury.
 
@watchnerd I got a pair of these last Christmas, pricey (I got them at pre-order discount) but lots of fun.

Those are honestly pressing my “shut up and take my money” button if I’m honest. Ingenious.
 
Those are honestly pressing my “shut up and take my money” button if I’m honest. Ingenious.
I honestly find them great, but I'm using them with rubber coated change plates so the slight wobble that is present doesn't bother me. Some combination of plates line up perfectly with the sliding collars and have no slop at all, while other combinations have a little play.

They also have sales now and then if you do think about ordering some. I got mine at 20% off last year.
 
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I always just used adjustable Olympic dumbbell handles. I secured the collar with a mallet however and had more than a couple of meltdowns trying to loosen the buggers when adjusting weights but that’s the price I paid to not get concussions and or a bad case of death when doing over head work with dumbbell handles. I was doing Brooks Kubik dumbbell program and there was a lot of snatching and swinging. I had a standard dumbbell come apart on me once doing a snatch and it was only dumb luck I never got a serious injury.

Regular collars (sans mallet) didn't work?
 
I honestly find them great, but I'm using them with rubber coated change plates so the slight wobble that is present doesn't bother me.

If I'm not using a lot of weight, or turning the dumbbells to they're perpendicular to the floor, I can actually hold the <5 kg change plates on just with a 0.5 kg friction grip plate.
 
Regular collars (sans mallet) didn't work?
The regular dumbbells had crappy collars and I used pliers to put them on. I eventually chewed the part I was screwing on with the pliers. Then I bought the oly handles and used the mallet to secure them. Those collars where just metal ones with the sliding lever and I’d mallet that until it was offensively secure lol. To the point loosening it took a bit of effort. In fact the former dumbbell handles I got a blacksmith to make me and I think they were like 20 or 22 inches long so as to take as many standard plates as possible. So when that nut in the collar chewed and snapped it totally ruined one of those handles as the plates on it were fixed fast. Was this dumbbell that almost killed me when I was securing it without pliers. I started using the pliers after the NDE doing a snatch. Bloody magpie perched in front of me right before that near miss. I remember that too.
 
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