Cap Barbell Adjustable Dumbbell Weight Set Multiple Options

When originally considering this product I was very concerned with the number of negative reviews/comments that people were leaving about these dumbbells. After deciding to take the risk, I felt the need to write a review since I believe that the negative reviews are overblown and overly dramatic. I will hopefully address the main concerns that you as the prospective buyer are having while considering this product. If you don't care about the details I have a TLDR at the bottom =) 1. Smell: These weights do not smells like daisies; no dumbbells do. However, the smell is NOT as bad as people are saying. I would highly recommend leaving these weights outside (and/or washing them) to let them air out and control the smell, but it is not immediately overpowering. When the package arrived I slowly opened the box waiting for a toxic stench to explode out, but it never came. It was not until I lifted a plate out of the box that I noticed the smell people mentioned (the chemical applied to prevent rust), and it was not very strong. I left mine in the garage to air out and noticed a slight change in the smell of the garage, but nothing extreme. I would certainly keep them out of the house to be safe, but for $40 a quick wash or airing out was worth it to me. 2: Quality: If you are looking for professional dumbbells that are made of top quality materials then look elsewhere. But if you are looking for a solid set of starter weights, this is your product. I will say that the first time I removed a collar a small piece of metal broke off, but it did not affect the functionality of the piece. Also, I noticed someone mentioned that the collar lets the weights slide...this was incorrect in my experience. The collars seem to hold the weights snugly in place, so there should be no problems there. The quality is by no means great (unbeatable for the price though), but it is good enough that I trust it will last and serve its purpose. 3. Case: I saw a few people talking about how the case broke easily. The case seems fairly sturdy if it is treated well. A case breaking or not will depend on your delivery man. The weights are packaged very well inside a few boxes (Amazon ships it out in an excessively large box), and in my experience there were no cracks. The sliders to keep the box closed seem pretty lame, but I'm one of those people who isn't going to sweat it if the case breaks. I hope I covered the main concerns that most people were having. My honest review of this product is that this is unbeatable for the price. $40 with free shipping (mine came in 2 days) is great, and these are exactly what I was looking for. And NO I was not paid for this review and think Amazon should be ashamed of including paid reviews. TLDR: Does NOT smell that bad (easily fixed), decent quality, best bang for the buck for somebody looking for starter dumbbells. UPDATE 1/25/14: I now have two sets of these (it was cheaper than buying weight individually), and they are holding up great after over a year and a half of use. I've noticed the collar shifts slightly when you get over 30lbs, but never enough that it's a problem. Be confident in purchasing these as starter weights. UPDATE 7/31/16: My original bars are still going strong. The collar shifting still happens on occasion, but not to the point where it interferes with my workout. I've purchased additional plates for it and added them just fine - any 1" plate should fit just as well as the originals. So these have held up strong for 4 years...zero complaints here. One thing I forgot in the original review - you may want some lifting gloves. The metals isn't forgiving on your hands, so if you don't want big calluses, invest in a cheap pair of gloves. Read more

I outgrew my CAP 12lb pair for most things. These are perfectly respectable dumbbells for a decent price. They look good and work fine. I'm not sure about the reviews saying there are sharp edges. Unless you're rubbing dumbells on your naked body or planning to lick them, these are perfectly fine. They do start coming unscrewed a little with use but in my experience none stay locked. I'm going to buy the barbell too. Read more

This is a great set of weights for someone looking to get started working out at home. It's not perfect, but I'm not really sure that the imperfections matter for a product like this. So let's get the negatives out of the way first: - Yeah, they smell, as others have noted. It's nothing strange -- if you've ever been to a gym before, you already know this smell. They're metallic with additional chemical odors. For a basic sniff test, you won't notice much. But the smell does begin to accumulate after a few days in cramped quarters, so maybe they're not the best choice for a bedroom or tiny apartment. I suspect the smell will dissipate in time, but I don't know how long that will be. - The carrying case is cheap molded plastic, and there's a good chance yours will arrive with one or more corners dented. It's fine -- the cases aren't meant to be display items. They're meant to store the weights, and to give you a convenient way to lug them around when needed. - It's obvious that corners were cut in some regards. The rubber cushions on the bars are cheap, and could possibly fall off and get lost if you aren't attentive. Likewise, the rubber cushions within the screw-on collars can fall out. It's not a big deal if they do -- you just stick them back in. But these are obviously not advanced equipment. They were designed to be cheap and functional. That said, I don't think any of these cons really matter. Weights have one purpose in life -- to weigh something. Your muscles can't tell if you're holding twenty pounds of expensive metal or cheap metal. This particular set is very well priced, and they feel safe and sturdy. You don't have to worry about the collars wiggling loose, and they're adjustable down to 2.5 pound increments. I snagged two sets, giving me greater versatility and the ability to put more weight on a single bar if needed. For the price, this is a perfect way to get started with a cheap, space-saving home gym. Weights don't need to be pretty and fancy to work. They just need to give gravity something to act on. You can buy fancier equipment than this, but it's not clear why you'd really want to. Read more