Tom's Guide Verdict

You’ll get your money’s worth out of these adjustable dumbbells, no matter how you slice it.

Pros

+
Premium build quality
+
Sleeker-than-average weight plate design
+
Dead-simple handle adjustments
+
Grippy knurl feels great in the hand
+
Optional dumbbell stand is well balanced

Cons

-
Expensive
-
Plates rattle a bit during use

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Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbells Set: Specs

Price: $400
Weight Range: 5 to 50 pounds each
Dumbbell Size: 14.5 x 7.9 x 7.5 inches
Dumbbell Weight: 100 pounds (50 pounds each)

The next evolution of muscle-building is surprisingly simple, and the Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell Set is poised for popularity amongst those looking to expand their home gym setup.

Every fitness routine should incorporate strength training, and having a personal set of adjustable dumbbells on hand is a great way to do exactly that — without cluttering up your living space with too much gear. In fact, standalone dumbbells are one of the first pieces of gym equipment I learned how to use at my local YMCA; they’re ideal for isolating various muscle groups and executing high-energy HIIT routines.

Pound-for-pound and dollar-for-dollar, these adjustable dumbbells will pump you up without letting you down. Scroll down the rest of our Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell review to find out why.

Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell Set review: Price and availability

The Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell Set is available on the company’s website for $400, though as of this review, they were on sale for $350. This is comparable to the similarly designed BowFlex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells (also $400), which are a tad bulkier in the hand.

My review unit came with the Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell Stand (sold separately for $150), and if you can afford it, I highly recommend the extra splurge; this well-balanced stand puts the dumbbells right around hip height, so you don’t have to squat all the way down to the floor each time you pick them up/set them down. (Your lower back will thank you later, trust me.) Bowflex sells a $180 dumbbell stand, too, and it comes with a built-in media rack to hold your phone or tablet.

Ranging from 5 pounds to 50 pounds, each adjustable dumbbell does the work of 10 regular ones. The dumbbells’ 14.5 x 7.9 x 7.5-inch footprint (when maxed out to full weight capacity) rests in the included cradle when not in use.

Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell Set review: Design and build

At 33.5 x 31.9 x 22 inches and 125 pounds with the weights attached, the dumbbell stand takes up a bit of space, but much less so than a full weight rack filled with 10 individual pairs of dumbbells. The aluminum cradles that hold each dumbbell look slick as hell, and it never felt like the stand was in danger of tipping over and damaging my wooden floors.

The contoured, rubberized grip on the dumbbell handles are among the best I’ve tested so far, and they feel comfortably secure in the hand. Swapping out those weight plates is as simple as twisting the handle on either dumbbell to the desired weight. (This only works when the dumbbells are resting securely in their cradles; as a safety measure, the plates can’t be removed from the handle once you pick the dumbbells up.)

Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell Set review: Performance

Overall, the structural design is very similar to what BowFlex has to offer, and equally easy to use. Whereas the BowFlex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells have adjustment knobs on either end of each dumbbell, the Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell Set gets the job done even quicker with their handle mechanism. That being said, the weight plates in the latter model feel slightly looser, and they rattle more when in use.

When used in conjunction with the accompanying rack, these adjustable dumbbells are a powerful muscle-building tool, to be sure. I used them for several shoulder, chest, and bicep workouts during my testing, and loved how secure the grip felt on each handle. Out of all the adjustable dumbbells I’ve tested to date, the overall size, shape, and feel is most akin to traditional standalone dumbbells.

While Bowflex and NordicTrack bundle their adjustable dumbbells with useful apps, Core Home Fitness skimps out in this regard, though the owner’s manual includes a modest illustrated guide for 20 basic dumbbell exercises.

Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell Set review: Verdict

For anyone already used to standalone dumbbells at the gym, the Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell Set is sure to be a winner, and it’s one of my favorite adjustable dumbbell models that I’ve tested. Granted, $400 for a pair of dumbbells is nothing to sneeze at, but these ones are worth the investment.

Overall, I prefer the similarly priced BowFlex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells in terms of grip, build quality, and general ergonomics. (Plus, that model comes with a useful fitness app). Nevertheless, thanks to a sleek design, intuitive adjustment mechanisms, and an uber-grippy knurl, you won’t be disappointed in Core Home Fitness’ premium gym gear, especially if you spring for the additional dumbbell stand.

As a freelance journalist, TJ has over a decade of multi-medium storytelling under his belt. Leveraging a quarter century of collective coddiwompling amid the ever-evolving landscape of wireless gadgetry, his unique editorial background allows him to explore a variety of tech-centric subsectors on this fascinating planet. When he's not field testing new gear in the Catskills, Adirondacks, or an actual field, he can be found sipping Negronis in his living room and crafting Dr. Seussian poetry inside a tattered moleskin.