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18 dumbbells reviewed · 4 types · live prices
There are two honest ways to put dumbbells in a home gym, and they solve different problems. Adjustable dumbbells pack many weights into one compact pair, so they are the space-saving, cost-saving choice for most people. Rubber hex dumbbells are a single fixed weight you can drop, train to failure with, and keep for life, if you have the room and the budget.
Pick the type that fits your space, budget and training first, then choose the best set within it. Both pillars below are ranked on the same honest basis: build, value, grip and the things that actually matter in use, drawn from manufacturer specs and aggregated owner and specialist reviews. No sponsored placements, and live Amazon prices where a set is sold there.
Top pick: Stealth Adjustable Dumbbells. The finest increments in the UK market - 1.5kg jumps up to 41.5kg.
Top pick: Mirafit Rubber Grip Hex Dumbbells. The default fixed dumbbell for UK home gyms: near-commercial quality at a sensible price.
Top pick: Men's Health Cast Iron Dumbbell Box Set. The pick of the budget cast iron starters: quick spring clips and a case, for not much money.
Top pick: Jordan Ignite Neoprene Studio Dumbbells. Studio-grade neoprene: the nicest light dumbbells here, if you will pay a little more.
#1Assassin Goods
The 1.5kg increments are a genuine game-changer for progressive overload, and the 41.5kg max is among the highest in the twist-select category. Solid metal construction - but like all selectorised dumbbells, they must not be dropped.
#2Mirafit
If you want fixed dumbbells you can drop, keep forever and never think about again, Mirafit's Rubber Grip Hex are the UK home gym standard. Virgin rubber heads, hard chrome knurled handles and a 2.5kg to 50kg range, from a trusted UK brand. The only real catch is the one all fixed dumbbells share: you buy, store and pay for every weight separately.
#3Jordan Fitness
Jordan is the brand you have probably lifted in a commercial gym, and its JLC rubber hex dumbbells bring that build home: hard-chromed contoured handles that will not flake, commercial-grade rubber, and a 1kg to 50kg range sold as pairs or full sets. You pay more than Mirafit or JLL, but you get genuine gym-floor durability.
#4NUO Athletics
The smoothest, zero-rattle twist mechanism we've tested - genuinely feels like a fixed dumbbell. But it's the most expensive range on the UK market and locked to 2kg increments.
#5PowerBlock
The tank of adjustable dumbbells. Nothing else comes close on durability, and the expansion system lets you grow from 22.7kg to 40.8kg without replacing the whole set. The boxy shape is divisive, but if you plan ahead and value longevity, this is the smartest long-term investment.
#6Bowflex (Nautilus)
The 1090i is the big brother to the 552i: the same two-second dial, but 4 to 41kg per hand instead of topping out at 24kg. For stronger lifters that extra range is the whole point, and one pair still replaces 17 sets. The catch is physical. It is a long, bulky dumbbell with plastic plates you must never drop, and it costs more. For the right lifter, it is the best value way to own heavy adjustables.
#7Bowflex (Nautilus)
The world's best-known adjustable dumbbell, and the easiest to live with: two dials, a two-second weight change, and 2 to 24kg in one 43cm unit. The catch is the plastic plates and tray, which you must never drop, and increments that coarsen to 3kg jumps near the top. Brilliant for most home gyms, just not the most precise or the most durable.
#8JLL Fitness
JLL's rubber hex dumbbells are the value pick for a fixed-dumbbell home gym. Friction-welded rubber heads, chrome knurled steel handles and a 12-month warranty, sold in pairs from 4kg to 28kg, from a well-known UK Amazon brand. Not quite the finish of Mirafit or Jordan, but noticeably cheaper and genuinely good for the money.
#11MuscleSquad
The best value adjustable dumbbell range in the UK. Four models from £65 to £450 mean there's an entry point for everyone, and the 32.5kg model hits the sweet spot of price, weight range, and compactness.
#12Jordan Fitness
If you want light neoprene dumbbells that feel like the ones in a good studio, Jordan's Ignite range is the pick. Neoprene-coated cast iron, anti-roll hex, a full 0.5 to 10kg spread of colour-coded pairs, from a commercial brand. They cost more per pair than Argos own-brand weights, but the coating and finish are a clear step up and they are built to survive studio use.
#13NordicTrack
NordicTrack's Select-A-Weight is a competent dial-adjust pair, 5 to 25kg, with a twist: Bluetooth and iFIT, so classes on the app can set your weight and log your sets. The hardware is fine rather than exceptional, the increments are a coarse 2.3kg, and the real value depends on whether you will use (and pay for) iFIT. For a connected home gym it makes sense; as plain dumbbells it is dear.
#15BrainGain
BrainGain has significantly expanded their range and now offers genuine competition to MuscleSquad with their 40kg 16-in-1 (consistent 2.5kg increments). The 24kg model is one of the cheapest selectorised pairs in the UK. The confusing lineup of similar-sounding models with different increment patterns is the main drawback - make sure you're buying the right one.
#16Adidas
Adidas's neoprene dumbbells are a well-made, good-looking light pair: neoprene-coated cast iron, anti-roll hex, sold singly in weights from 1 to 4kg. For toning, Pilates and light conditioning they do the job nicely and look the part. The only thing to note is price: you pay a little more for the three stripes than for own-brand neoprene that performs much the same.
#17Men's Health
If you want traditional cast iron dumbbells to start, this Men's Health box set is the one to beat at the price. You get around 18kg of bare cast iron plates, knurled handles, and quick spring-clip collars instead of slow screw collars, all in a carry case. It is a light starter and the iron will rust if neglected, but as a cheap, portable first set it is well judged.
#18PROIRON
The entry-level option that gets the job done on a tight budget. The cast iron plates will last forever, but the low max weight and glacial weight changes mean most people will outgrow these within a year.
#19Opti (Argos)
The Opti 20kg set is about the cheapest way to put real cast iron in your hands: black iron plates on screw-collar bars, from a high-street name, for around £45. The iron lasts forever and 20kg total is a reasonable start. The catches are the slow screw collars and bare metal that rusts if neglected. For a tight-budget first set it does the job; spend a little more for quicker collars.
#20Opti (Argos)
For light toning, Pilates or rehab on a budget, the Opti neoprene pairs are hard to argue with: a neoprene-coated cast iron hex, anti-roll, from a few pounds a pair at Argos. The construction is the same as branded neoprene, so for occasional light use they do the job for a fraction of the cost. The coating is thinner and wears faster, but at this price that is an easy trade.
#21Opti (Argos)
The Opti vinyl set is the sub-£50 Argos spinlock option, and it is exactly what it looks like: a pair of bars with cement-filled vinyl plates and screw collars. For a light beginner, rehab, or an occasional-use home, it does a job for very little money. But the 20kg is spread across the whole set (so only around 8 to 9kg per hand), the plates are bulky and the collars work loose, so most people outgrow it quickly. Spend a little more on cast iron.
