NordicTrack Adjustable Select-a-Weight Dumbbells

Brilliant set, take my advice and go for them if you’re thinking about it. I’m so glad I did

Why buy this product over the Bowflex 552 model and other types such as the Core Fitness?

Most adjustable dumbbells can change weights easily. There are videos comparing the time it takes to change weights. Deciding to buy a particular type just because it is 1 second faster is silly.

All are quick. You should decide to buy based on the following criteria: (1) handle feel and grip; (2) incremental weight options; (3) max weight needed; and (4) size of dumbbell.
1. handle feel and grip – the Bowflex grip is made of rubber and textured – no slippage. The Nordictrack (orange model) has a metal grip similar to grips found on regular dumbbells. I have handled both and I think the Nordictrack is better in this area.
2. Incremental weight options – be careful in choosing. Some adjustables like the Core Fitness which use the twist handle to increase the weight – will increase it by 5 lbs. That is a lot of weight to add when you are doing bicep exercises. This is where the Bowflex and the Nordictrack adjustables are superior. The Bowflex starts at 5 lbs and increases by 2.5 lbs until you get to 25 lbs (5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5 20, 22.5), then it increases in 5 lbs increments (30,35,40,45,50,55 lbs). The Nordictrack starts at 10lbs and can increase to 12.5 then to 15 lbs then it jumps to 20 lbs. After 20 lbs you can increase it as follows ( 22.5, 25, 30, 32.5, 35, 40, 42.5, 45, 50, 52.5, 55 lbs). This means that the Bowflex has more adjustable increments between 5lbs and 25 lbs, while the Nordictrack has more adjustable increments between 20lbs and 55 lbs. So if you are going to always use the smaller weight amounts and need that lower increments there – maybe the Bowflex is better for you. For me, I didn’t mind that the Nordictrack started at 10 lbs and I wanted the more adjustable increments at the mid to higher weight ranges. My opinion is that the Nordictrack adjustables are better because of the continuous incremental weight adjustments all throughout the weights.
3. Max weight needed. Most of the adjustable dumbbells only go up to 55 lbs. If you need more then look elsewhere such as the Bowflex 1090. For most people, the 55 lbs max limit is probably more than enough weight to do all of your dumbbell exercises.
4. Size of dumbbell. Take a look at videos of the Bowflex adjustables. Even if you are using them as a 5 lbs weight you are picking up the entire outer portion of the dumbbell which states the length is 15.75 inches long. If you are using them to do a chest press – you cannot bring your arms close together at the top of the press because of the length of each of the dumbbells. Here is where the Nordictrack dumbbells shine. If you are picking up the lightest weight (10 lbs) you are only picking up the inner most weights and each dumbbell will measure about 9 inches. The Nordictrack design makes for a superior compact and usable dumbbell.

In my opinion the Nordictrack adjustable dumbbell is the best adjustable dumbbell out in the market at this time. I bought mine for $325.00. Don’t know why they jumped in price. But at the price I bought them, they are well worth the price.

This is a very practical set for use in home gyms, especially if you are working with limited space. They seem durable thus far. The weight adjustment process is straight forward. The bar grips are textured to ensure good hold during use. The storage “rack” keeps them in place and helps identify what weight you are working with to speed up the switching process. It is easy to move between weights and can be done entirely while they sit in their storage on the floor.

Only reason I give it four stars instead of five is that I still have limited time with these yet.

The quality, size, and ease of use of these dumbbells are easily the best at this weight and price point. They are a little long and are the same length as some 80lb sets. But that easy to overlooks this price and quality.
The knurled grip metal handle is excellent. The knurling is not aggressive and will not create callouses, really perfect for this 55lb weight.

The NordicTrack adjustable dumbbells are a real winner that are working out well for my wife and I.

Pros:
1) Nice weight range (10-55) and sufficient increments for me. We have a small set of 2.5 to 8-lb individual dumbbells to fill in on the very low end.
2) Compact dumbbells. The dumbbells are no longer than needed for the weight you are using. The 10-lb configuration is narrower than the 20-lb, which is narrower than the 30-lb, which is narrower than the 40-lb, which is narrower than the 50-lb. DO NOT DISCOUNT this when shopping for adjustable dumbbells. You do not want to be swinging around a 2-ft long bar in each hand when simply using a 10-lb dumbbell. It gets in the way and limits the range of motion for some exercises. These incrementally add plates to the end as the weight goes up. So they are compact at low weights, and very much the size of a fixed dumbbell of similar weight at heavier weights.
3) Easy to adjust. The adjustment system is low effort, but locks solidly and seems unlikely to fail long term, normal use.
4) Value. Not the cheapest, but give a great bang for the buck.

Cons:
1) Slower to adjust, relatively. Some changes require moving 4-adjustment levers on each dumbbell, depending on what weight you are switching between. A single or double dial is quicker, no doubt. But, note that I said “relatively”. They really only take a couple of seconds to adjust, and it has been a non factor in my workouts.
2) Missing some weight choices. You can add 2.5-lb or 5-lb to the coarse 10-lb, 20-lb, 30-lb, 40-lb, 50-lb settings. So you can do 12.5-lb & 15-lb, but not 17.5-lb, etc. The next increment after 15-lb is 20-lb. You could fudge around this by selecting an uneven amount to each end of the dumbbell, which would make them unbalanced by 2.5-lbs and give you a 7.5-lb increment. But I don’t suggest doing that. For me, the increments are fine enough for what I do, and I move up and down in 5-lb amounts anyway.
3) maybe more fragile than fixed weights? This is actually a comment that applies to probably all adjustable dumbbells, simply because they have a selection mechanism added to them. These do not appear fragile in the absolute sense, but I have no plans to drop them the way you see some guys do with fixed weights at the gym.

I researched buying these quite a bit, and narrowed it down to several contenders. The Bowflex dumbbells were one finalist, and are undeniably slick, with the one-knob adjustment system. But, they (and some others) have a disqualifying flaw (in my opinion) where the dumbbell bar is always full length, regardless of how much weight you’ve selected. Even at whatever their minimum is, you are swinging around like a two-foot rod with each arm.

Anyway, I’m a happy customer, and these are working great.