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
Tldr: This set is so customizable, sturdy, and compatible with all other Northdeer weights. Worth it! I have 2 sets (10lbs and 15lbs) of dumbbells from Northdeer already that I bought a couple years ago, and I use them almost every day. So when I saw they came out with an improved version, I definitely wanted to try them. This improved set does not disappoint! In my opinion, they retain the features that made the original sets great while having worthwhile improvements which I will explain below. First, the main difference between this set and the old sets is that these are even more adjustable! They have 4 plates instead of 3 and the plates are all the same shape (i.e. hole on one end, screw on the other end) except for the 4 end plates which don’t have holes. The old sets had a distinct order they had to be attached in because the plates were all different shapes and weights. Additionally, the handle pieces have holes on either end instead of screws, which means you can even just screw in a single end piece and make weights as low as 4lbs, just with this set (see one of the picture). I also attached a picture of my 15lb weights set with 3 plates per end (left) vs these weights (right) so you can see the different plate shapes. Overall, this change makes for the ultimate flexibility and it’s much easier to calculate which plates you need for however much total weight you want. Second, the old weights had these rubbery rings which you could slip in between the plates. They worked well to keep the weights from hitting the metal on the floor, but they were somewhat tight to put on. These new weights come with silicone rings that go on the end of the weights. These are easier to put on and similarly prevent the metal from hitting the floor. However, they also protect the ends of the weights so you can set them standing up. Plus it’s not as bad if you accidentally bump them together while working out since the ends are protected. Next, this set comes with 2 bar pieces that you screw together. They use the same screws as everything else, so there’s a lot of flexibility when it comes to how long you want the bar to be. With the 2 bar pieces and 2 handles all screwed together, the total length is 26” which for me is a good size for home workouts. Lastly, and maybe best, is that these weights are 100% compatible with the old weights. You can see in one of the pictures that I was able to screw on the end plate from my 15lb set onto the 20lb plates from this set. Basically any hole fits any screw across sets including the bars, plates, etc. This leads to even more customization, and I can basically do every weight between 2 and 20 pounds with just the 3 sets I have. Overall these sets from Northdeer are awesome, and these new weights offer some great improvements over their old sets. They’re compact, super customizable, super sturdy, and easy to work out with. 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
