Overall, they’re a really durable piece of equipment that we use weekly in our strength routines. "I've dropped these from three or four feet up after tough sets of presses, and they hold up just fine," Samuel recounts. (Although we don't recommend making a habit out of dropping any adjustable dumbbells on the regular.) If you're building out a home gym and especially if you like to train accessory motions and work through a full range of motion, you still can't beat standard dumbbells," explains Samuel. They feel good in-hand thanks to an ergonomic grip and knurled handles that help you keep a hold during your workout. But, as you may be able to tell by looking at them, they don’t offer the same weight distribution as a traditional bell. "If you’re looking to use a set of adjustable movements for plenty of accessory movements, go with something more dumbbell-shaped," Samuel explains. The basic design of adjustable dumbbells involves a handle that you hold onto during your workout, with a set of weight plates on either end—just like traditional dumbbells. Old-school adjustable dumbbells come with a set of plates of varying weights that can be added or removed from the handle, but newer designs have employed innovative adjustment mechanisms to make adjustable dumbbells more user-friendly. We believe the greatest fault with these weights is the weight adjustment increments. They do not increase by a standard amount – for example, 5kg, 7.5kg, 10kg. Instead, you’ll notice 3kg to 3.5kg stages: 5kg, 8kg, 11kg, 14.5kg, 18kg, 21kg, 24kg, 27.5kg, 30.5kg, 33.5kg, 37kg, 40kg.

Up to 80 pounds of weight per dumbbell means can use the same set of weights for every muscle group for a complete full-body workout, and our Men's Health trainers were able to incorporate them into all of their full body exercise programs in their experience using them. Drop down to a little weight for bent-over flies, for example, or pile on the plates for more intense squats.

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Although water-filled dumbbells also technically fall into the adjustable dumbbell category, it is primarily these two types outlined above that we’ll be covering in this roundup.

The Nüobell is the best blend of reliability and authentic dumbbell feel I’ve used," says Samuel, who has been using these for over three years. "The shape and design of these bells makes them ideal for accessory motions, like skullcrushers and biceps curls, and they’re easy to hold for goblet squats too." Aside, from a few scratches, they've held up great to heavy use. The plastic casing doesn’t make these the best choice for those who are prone to dropping weights during workouts, but all-in-all, we’ve found these extremely reliable for most movements.

On the other hand, if functional training is more your bag, fixed weight dumbbells will be the one for you. Weakness: You have to spin the collars on and off every time you want to change the weight, making this a lengthy process. They also tend to have a lower maximum weight than dial and digital dumbbells. Dial The 552 isn’t the only adjustable weight from Bowflex. The 1090i adjustable dumbbell, for instance, ranges between 4kg and 41kg, while the brand’s adjustable kettlebell ranges between 3.5kg and 18kg. Each dumbbell was rigorously tested in a variety of categories, including durability, weight distribution, and ability to shift between weights efficiently, as well as aesthetics. All dumbbells were tested with three types of exercises: Explosive exercises (like swings and cleans), multi-joint strength exercises (like bench presses and Romanian deadlifts), and accessory motions (like biceps curls and lateral raises). A minimum of 10 sets and 100 reps were performed at both comfortable and near-max weights for each motion. All dumbbells were also dropped from a basic bench to test baseline durability (no adjustable dumbbell should ever be dropped from shoulder height), and all dumbbells were monitored for signs of rust over a three-month period .We also consulted with both our MH Advisory Board, and our Strength in Diversity trainers for deeper anecdotal and experiential thoughts on the best dumbbells. We understand that building a dedicated fitness room in your home is probably a bridge too far (unless your house happens to have an empty wing). And, when you've already turned the spare room into a home office and the kids have to sleep somewhere (apparently), finding any spare workout space can be a mission. Well, with a premium dumbbell, you don't need a gym from MTV Cribs.