Flybird Adjustable Dumbbell review

If you’re looking to upgrade your home gym and you don’t have the space or the spare cash to invest in a full dumbbell set, the Flybird Adjustable Dumbbells might be exactly what you’re looking for. 

Depending on your current lifestyle, dumbbell workouts can be an understated, underrated part of any gym routine. No matter why you’re pumping iron, free weights allow you to isolate various muscle groups to build a bigger, stronger, faster you. Adjustable dumbbells have become immensely popular of late, and for good reason; just one pair can potentially do the work of thirty standalone dumbbells.   

Read our Flybird Adjustable Dumbbell review to see if they should be on your home gym shortlist.

•  Check out some of the best beginner HIIT workouts you can do at home 
•  No space for dumbbells? Resistance bands are the next best thing 

Flybird Adjustable Dumbbell review: Price and availability

You can find the Flybird Adjustable Dumbbells on Amazon for $100 (25 pounds) or $185 (55 pounds) each, but keep in mind that purchasing a full pair bumps the price up to $200 or $370, respectively. That’s still markedly cheaper than the bulkier Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells, which offers a few more bells and whistles to the tune of $400. 

I test-drove a pair of the 25-pound Flybird Adjustable Dumbbells, but the company also sells an adjustable weight bench for $101; if you don’t have one already, this might be worth the extra coin to maximize your purchase.  

Flybird Adjustable Dumbbell review: Design and build 

With a footprint of 14.6 x 7.9 x 6.7 inches, these 25-pound bad boys take up way less space than a weight rack filled with 5 individual pairs of dumbbells. The plastic cradle feels a bit flimsier than others I’ve reviewed lately, though, so be careful about dropping the weights back into place after each set. (Which you shouldn’t do anyway.)

The handle/knurl on the 25-pound model features a contoured aluminum alloy grip that felt fantastic in the hand. Similar to the Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbells, changing the weight is as simple as rotating the handle and lifting the dumbbell out of its cradle; they’re each adjustable in 5-pound increments. (Note: as a safety measure, the plates can’t be removed from the handle once you pick the dumbbells up.) 

Flybird Adjustable Dumbbell review: Performance

Performance-wise, these dumbbells are very similar in feel and function to the more expensive BowFlex, NordicTrack, and Core Home Fitness brands I tested. The mini-weight plates fit snugly together, and didn’t rattle around as much as I expected. I used these adjustable dumbbells for a variety of HIIT-style workouts during my testing, and loved how easy it was to swap out plates as I seamlessly switched from one exercise to the next. And while I can’t speak for the plastic-coated knurl on the 55-pound model, the aluminum alloy handle on the 25-pound version is top-notch; the contoured design lets you get a firm grip on everything before you pick it up.  

While Bowflex and NordicTrack bundle their adjustable dumbbells with useful apps, Flybird skimps out in this regard. The dumbbells come with a one-page instruction sheet that includes a bare-bones chart for 15 different exercises on the back. 

Flybird Adjustable Dumbbell review: Verdict

Not everyone needs a full 55 pounds of dumbbell for their home gym, and Flybird hits the mark with its 25-pound adjustable dumbbells. While you won’t get the same extras as more expensive competitors (ex, fitness apps, a dumbbell stand), you won’t be disappointed in these functional fitness tools, which represent an excellent value in the ever-saturated world of strength-training gear.

For even less money, the AmazonBasics Adjustable Barbell Lifting Dumbbells Weight Set is just as useful, but you have to remove the collars to manually swap out plates in between sets. If you don’t mind the extra work, though, you’ll burn a few more calories this way.