These are great. I'm on the road for an extended time, and wanted something to lift with that didn't take up too much space. A quick background: I've spent my life with weights, from machine gyms to free weights of all sorts. I grew up working out in dingy weight rooms back in the '70s. So it was a bit difficult to choose a temporary set to keep fit (I'll be leaving the setup where I'm staying as a gift). Went through all the options on Amazon, but didn't care for most and didn't want to spend crazy money. These caught my eye because of the innovative plate system and compact size. I've received everything and have to say that I'm impressed! You can buy additional weight packs if you choose, and the way the weights screw in is quite intelligent. The machining is so good that you can just spin them on. They hold securely – very impressed! The bar that converts them to a barbell is very short, but okay for average folks. I don't know why manufacturers cover bars with foam and I personally don't like it, so I also bought their set of metal, knurled handles which I greatly prefer. Some will prefer the foam, and it's good quality, but foam dries, rips and fails eventually. A bonus to buying the non-foam dumbbell grips is that you can have two sets ready to go, and when in barbell mode the non-foam grips feel better (from an old gym dog perspective). They're chrome-plated steel, which I'm not a fan of (I don't like plating and prefer straight steel, but we'll see how this holds up). All in all, very compact and perfect for daily routines. Quite impressive, and the perfect solution for my current needs. They look a bit "fancy" but I'm thinking most people would like that in a home setup. One thing I wasn't interested in was the boxy, quick-release plate-based sets I see here on Amazon. I don't want to squeeze my hands into a boxy cage. This screw-on approach is nearly as quick, and I like the traditional look. You won't hear a thing in use – even with simple hand-tightening they are solid. The machining is very well done, so you can just spin additional plates onto the bar quickly. They seem to tighten securely and unscrew quickly even after they're tightened. So I'm very impressed, and excited to get after it. I don't think anybody would be disappointed in these. I'll update the review as I use them, but I'm thoroughly satisfied. I think they would make a great gift, and are truly attractive for leaving out in a room. Very, very satisfied! UPDATE: My goodness, even better than I thought. Truly a perfect system for dumbbells and light barbell work. There are no negatives to this set. Absolutely impressive in the smartness of it all. Very, very impressed and delighted. Read more
As a female just a week or two into Bettina's strengthening program, I needed to hit multiple cylinders with weights for a home gym: (1) dumbbells (2) adaptable to a barbell (3) incremental weight increases, 2.5 being the ideal to gradually build without injury (4) easy and reliable to add on weights (5) streamlined (aka not a lot of bulk that sticks out, which I would likely injure myself with) (6) space-saving (7) and as a neoprene handle fan, that would be nice. I'm not going to be a serious weight-lifter. Searching online and reading reviews, I felt like Goldilocks, nothing had it all, and the prices were all over the map. Well, this set did all that I was looking for and more: They're beautiful! Great design. I got the black set because they would arrive sooner and to my pleasant surprise they were even less expensive. And I think will look great for a long time. Smooth and modern. These are just right. Read more
Nice set of weights. Easy to use. Easy to change out. Good price. Great sturdy product. I like mine a lot use them daily. Read more
56-year-old woman here, looking to get back into some form of weightlifting. (Used to own a Total Gym, too bulky.) I think I looked at every single "adjustable dumbbell" listing on Amazon, and they all start to look alike after awhile. I was turned off by how bulky they looked, even at minimum weight. Then I watched a YouTube video review of different products where he twisted his wrist during his range of motion and the thing clicked and the weight fell right off midair. That made me VERY nervous about that entire design. Not to mention every single one had at least one review complaining of the twisting mechanism failing eventually and leaving them stuck on the last weight used. Enter the Northdeer. Of course they're sleeker than the other style, very eye catching. I was briefly drawn to the Eisenlink due to the modularity and ability to add extra weights down the line if needed, but still way, way too bulky. Northdeer also has this capability. I'm stronger than a lot of women but weaker than most men, so deciding on what weight to buy that would push my limits as I grew stronger (ideally) was a bit difficult. I settled on the 20 pounds, and let me tell you, that is plenty. Of course you can combine them into one unit for 40 pounds, but that won't be for awhile (if ever). I don't foresee using the barbell as much but it's awfully nice to have it as an option for the same price as products that don't. The only two drawbacks are that it does take a minute or two to screw weights on and off, as opposed to just clicking over, but a) how many times do you really anticipate changing weight during a workout? and b) at least the screwing method keeps them securely locked on, no chance of flying off midair. Also not a fan of the foam grips, but here's the great thing again about Northdeer -- they sell a set of knurled metal grips that work with these plates too. So that will give me 4 dumbbells instead of 2 and still less space than a Total Gym. (There is also a tiny inconvenience of conventional plate storage not working very well with the protruding bolts, making these not lie flat.) I've also ordered a bench and small rack to hold them, which will give me a nice compact gym right in my office. I'm very excited and I feel like I made a smart choice with the Northdeer system. Update: I couldn't resist the knurled grips, so now I have 4 dumbbells. The metal is pretty cold now that the temps have dropped, so the foam is actually nice to go back to, but they still feel great in my hand. I now have a ND kettlebell on my Xmas wishlist :) Read more
