Best Dumbbell Sets For Home Workouts

From enormous weight ranges for serious lifters to floor-friendly designs, here’s our pick of the best dumbbell sets for 2024…

If you could only own one item of fitness kit for the rest of your life, you’d do well to pick the humble dumbbell (or one of the best adjustable dumbbells). Even the heaviest are small enough to fit in the corner of a room, and you can perform virtually every strength training exercise – and just about every workout protocol – with a dumbbell set. It’s certainly the best piece of kit to kick-start your new year, new you fitness drive.

The best dumbbell sets can elevate the calorie burn of high-intensity workouts and help you develop the functional strength and power required for numerous sports.

However, while dumbbell sets are one of the best and easiest bits of home gym kit to snap up, they aren’t all created equal. Generally speaking, for most people’s home workout needs, a rubber-coated ‘fixed dumbbell’ set is going to be the best bet: these tend to be the most durable and forgiving to fragile floors.

As with any exercise equipment, the options are endless and choosing the right type for you can be bewildering. Which is why we’ve pulled this list together: to help you find the best dumbbell set for your own home workout needs.

What are the best dumbbell sets for home workouts 2024?

For their premium construction and huge weight range, it’s hard to look beyond the Jordan Fitness Premium Urethane Dumbbells. Available as singles or in pairs from 2.5kg all the way up to 75kg, there’s an option for every type of lifter – except perhaps those on a budget.

Other dumbbell sets recommendations

Premium feel:	Matching Jordan Fitness for their quality build are Eleiko Vulcano Dumbbells. Their chrome steel handles and polyurethane-covered ends feel robust and confidence inspiring, and a range from 1kg to 40kg will provide something for everyone.
User-friendly design:	The hex design of the Blk Box Rubber Hex Dumbbells makes them well suited to press-up-type exercises, while chunky knurled handles and rubber coated ends round out a package that’s fairly affordable (at the lower weight ranges anyway).
Beginners:	Aimed squarely at beginners, the Corength Hex Dumbbell range only goes up to 22.5kg. But its hex design, rubber coating and decent knurled handles echo the designs of much pricier models at a much more wallet-friendly entry point.

Best dumbbell sets for home workouts 2024

1. Jordan Fitness Premium Urethane Dumbbells

These durable urethane dumbbells can be picked up in pairs, all the way up to a monstrous 165lb / 75kg. Granted, that’s if you have a cool $1,553 (£1,260) to spare, but if money is no object there really is no better option if you want to shift serious tin.

Equally, if you have floors prone to damage when heavy things are dropped on them, the rubber coating to these premium-quality dumbbells can set your mind at rest.

There’s also steel underneath that urethane, which has been heat treated with a handle that offers plenty of metal to grab onto. And while these are going to appeal to experienced gym-goers who want to lift big, but there’s also a good range of weight options for less seasoned lifters.

 

2. Eleiko Vulcano Dumbbell

Eleiko’s Vulcano dumbbell sets don’t come cheap, especially as they’re sold individually. You do get what you pay for, though, in a well-constructed dumbbell that will work for whatever workout you throw at it.

The dumbbells feature chrome steel handles that are sloped and knurled to make sure you can get a good grip even with sweaty hands, while handle length and diameter are accommodating for both smaller and bigger gripping styles.

The ends are coated in protective polyurethane, which softens the sound if you accidentally drop the dumbbells onto the floor. That makes them better suited to home workouts, particularly if you’ve got hard floors and are worried about potential scuffing. Plus, it’s a nice bonus that the polyurethane outer shouldn’t give off any bad smells when sweat comes into play.

From curls to squats to bent-over rows, you have something well-equipped to cover the key dumbbell exercise bases, and with weight options ranging from 2.2lb-88lb / 1kg-40kg, you have the scope to go light or lift heavy.

It’s going to be pricey to assemble a dumbbell set, but if you just need a single or pair for home use, Eleiko’s Vulcano stands out for all the right reasons.

3. Blk Box Rubber Hex Dumbbells

These heavy-duty fixed Blk Box Rubber hex dumbbells go all the way up to 132lb / 60kg, making them strong options for anyone that wants serious weight to hand. The cast iron frame is covered in rubber to protect floors, and there’s chrome-plated knurled handles to get a good hold of.

That hex-style design means they’re not going to roll around, making them well suited to press-up style exercises – think renegade rows or dumbbell press-up. Plus, the lighter weights won’t break the bank – although the dumbbells are sold individually, so a pair of the heavier options is going to set you pack several hundred pounds ($375 / £300 for two 132lb / 60kg weights).

However, compared to other options in this list, that is surprisingly good value.

4. Corength Hex Dumbbell

This fixed dumbbell from Decathlon’s Corength brand wraps its iron frame up in rubber for a more stable design compared to round plates. It works well for dedicated weight training and functional workouts.

There’s a good-sized metal, knurled handle to wrap your hands around, although weight options range from 5.5lb-49.5lb / 2.5kg-22.5kg, so it definitely sits at the lighter end of the weight spectrum. The hex plate design makes this range ideal for floor-based dumbbell exercises, because the flat sides of the weights will stay put as you work away.

They feel built to last and you’re safe in the knowledge that when you put them down and away after a session, they’re still going to be there when you need to go again.

5. Mirafit Rubber Dumbbell Set

These Mirafit Rubber bells come in pairs, with the heaviest weighing in at 77.2lb / 35kg per dumbbell. The rubber coating on the weights mean they’re kinder to hard floors and the knurled steel handle offers a strong and durable place to grip.

You can also pick them up in sets if you want a greater variety of weights (a set of 11lb-66lb / 5kg-30kg at 5.5lb / 2.5kg increments will set you back a cool £999.95) and Mirafit even makes racks for your dumbbell set, to give you that proper gym feel at home.

6. DKN Rubber Hex Dumbbells

DKN’s hex dumbbell sets come in pairs up to 66lb / 30kg per dumbbell. That hex design means they’ll stay put in-between sets and there’s solid steel handles with a knurled pattern to provide a reliable grip even when you start to sweat.

That rubber coating ensures a good amount of durability, too, and won’t do damage to your floor should you accidentally drop them.

What makes a good dumbbell?

When it comes to investing in a dumbbell set, there are a few key points you should be looking out for. Firstly, we recommend looking for an option with a good weight range, as this will allow you to progress to heavier weights as you get stronger, or try out different weights for different dumbbell exercises.