My biggest question is their durability. Drops will happen by accident occasionally and one or two very well may end them The edges being super sharp sounds unpleasant, and the 80lbs limit without a possible expansion to add later on is unfortunate. However, they adjust like magic and have an open unobstructed handle and some knurl, albeit very mild. That plus the tightness of the plates - a huge plus, as it makes them feel closer to an actual DB. (The little rattle notwithstanding )
I noticed that there are some websites showing different dimensions of the Nuo dumbells. Can you or anyone please provide me with clarification on the exact dimensions of Nuo 80-pound dumbbells without the cradle? H x W x L without them in the cradle Thank you
I have these and I loooove them. so far no problems with the mis-aligning when replacing in the cradle. One other consideration is the sharp edges and small surface area on the bottom flat surface will really dig into your bench leather, possibly wearing that down over time. but so far the durability concerns are just a theory ive been using these for a few months, gently, and had no problems whatsoever
had mine since October 2020. Used 3 times per week. Always racked carefully and never dropped. I can confirm that so far none of the cons (other than price) mentioned in the video have materialised. Still working every bit as good as when I bought them. Just sold my 20kgs to upgrade to 32 kgs.
@@mensaswede4028 the is my whole point. Coop , basement Brandon, and this guy I believe got the dumbbells for free to review. I Know if I got something for free to review I would drop them and everything.
I've had my 80s for a few months now and I really like them. The feel of a regular dumbbell is great and the switching is super easy and convenient. I've done renegade rows on them with no issue. I do treat these bells pretty gently anyway, as I'm lifting in my home office. I'm careful cradling them too, it's not bad but it is something you have to think about. If I'm exhausted or it's on the 80lbs setting, I generally place them on the ground, recover, then rack them. I was concerned about the clanking when purchasing but it's minimal. Though for the price it feels like there should be none, but I get it. I am not doing any Crossfit style WODS with these, I have a hex rubber for that. For in the home use, body building, and some lighter HIIT I would very much recommend. Suitcase deadlifts with 80 on each hand is awesome. I'd also recommend getting the stand or at least have a heavy duty shelf to place them on. Height makes the cradle placement easier. I enjoy them, I have had no issues, I do not regret my purchase.
Hi Berikles, I noticed that there are some websites showing different dimensions of the Nuo dumbells. Can you please provide me with clarification on the exact dimensions of Nuo 80-pound dumbbells without the cradle? H x W x L Thanks
You make a really good point here. I have had my Nuobells since the beginning of the summer. I am SO happy with my purchase. I am definitely a CrossFitter and using adjustable dumbbells for WODs can be a little tricky. I think the best use for these are accessory work and strength work. When using these obviously being “gentle” with them is the best way to go. However, I have been pretty rough on mine and am happy to report that I have had zero problems so far. I don’t drop them but I also don’t treat them like a carton of eggs either. I’m a little conflicted with how rough or gentle to be with the Nuobells because I feel like for $800 they should be pretty durable. But, as an $800 investment they should be treated with as much care my wife’s DSLR camera. So I kind of meet myself halfway as I treat them like regular dumbbells but I don’t do too many WODs with them as I will (and have) been a little too rough with them. Regardless, they have been durable thus far and the plastic isn’t showing any signs of distress so that’s a plus!
First, if you are someone who is aggressive with weights and have a tendency to drop them, you should not buy these. I am ALWAYS careful how I put the dumbbells back in the cradle……I mean ALWAYS. And I NEVER ever would drop them anywhere…….EVER. If someone puts the weights back as aggressive or careless as you’re demonstrating in this video, they should NOT buy these NUOBELLS. I love them and have NEVER had a problem but I handle them properly and NEVER EVER carelessly. Great video!!
@@jw9517 If you are asking me, I’ve had the 80 lb. Adjustable Dumbbells for 2 years and have never had a problem. But, I’m careful and never dropped them. Huge space saver and feel like real dumbbells at the gym without the rubber around them.
Hi! im one of the first to get these, i found some images on the internet and mailed the company and it was just a few of them. That was in Mars of 2015 (i live in Sweden) Only 20kg (44 pounds) was available then but the plan to release a 32kg expansion pack was ongoing at the time. I think the dumbells have not locked in place directly 2 times, and i just lift up a bit and down again, half the dumbell in contact and then lower again, no problem. One thing not mentioned in the Video is one of the biggest selling point for me. When doing a chest press or shoulder press i first sit and rest the dumbells on my knees/legs before kicking them up. With old dumbells where loose plates can be added, they really hurt my legs. And the best is the fast change, i rotate one set of dumbell (the weight is displayed on both sides). I start heavy, set the dumbells down, just loosen my grip and turn my hands in the direction of my fingers (like a hooked grip), then i rotate back with 4kg /8 pounds less and pull straight up. From putting them down just in front of my bench i think it must be 1 second or maybee less before i have the lighter weight in my hands. I have no problem with quality and i am just about to order the expension pack and a rack, i just looked at some reviews to see if i might have a pilot version. the rounding is also nice when touching (not really bouncing) on chest and shoulders, the "sharp edge" as mentioned in the video is NEVER an issue, but i ALWAYS but then down flat, or almost flat if i just put them on the floor. I never put normal dumbells on the edge of them before either. Hope this was useful for someone :)
@@roadToRevolution I have actually never done goblet squats, done them with kettlebell sometime, but i have a rack and do more front squats than regular.It should not be any problem. The dumbell is pretty sharp around the corners and might be uncomfortable. Regarding plastic its only the weight numer showing, and maybe something inside? but there is a steel pin that holds all the weights that is the same width as the hole in the plates, almost and inch. I do hammer curls and have never been scared of the plates falling off. When on the subject of dumbels there is a dumbell with 2kg increments. Tho that one is long even at lowest weight, so that seems no good. And expansion pack for those does NOT fit the 4kg increment. I tried and it did not fit. The hole was to little on the 2kg plates, i tried and had to send them back. If anyone know about 4kg increment for Flexbell not Nuobell let me now, and europe would be nice :)
@@TheBeachboy72 Thank you very much for the detailed answer! That helped me finally to make a decision - not to go for the Nüos and opt for the Taurus Selectabell Plus instead. There, there plates are rounded on the edges, a v 2.0 of the Nüobell with rounded edges and a metal base would be perfect.
I live in Quebec Canada. I bought the Nuobell for about 6 months and had no issues. No signs of wear. I love them . The change of books is very fast and it looks like real dumbbells. I would have liked to buy them in the USA to have them in pounds and not in kilograms. Very good product that I recommend
I seen this ad about these adjustable weights on my social media. I wanted to do a thorough review to see if it’s worth it. I’ve come across a few videos and you by far have the best review. Even mentioning the little things that can make a big difference to some. Thank you so much for your detail review.
I got mine a few weeks ago. The plastic (polymer) is more durable than expected. He talks about dropping them. The only weights that I drop are barbells.
Great review! I’ve seen others that supposedly do “in depth” reviews and none of them mentioned things like the rattle or how they can be gimmicky when racking the weight at the higher weights. I was already doubtful about getting these over traditional dumbbells, have decided to go with traditional ones.
Hey nice review bro, first time to your channel. Quality content. I do think the Nuobell have a chance to be the best adjustable dumbbell for most people with going up to 80lbs, having some more metal then Core and using the quick spin handle to change the weight. But the plastic small design they used to lock plates together is much worse then Cores which is a big issue for many reasons. If they can update the design I think it has a chance to be the best. Any time you have to set down more weight like 80lbs compared to 50lbs after a big set it will be harder to set down into the slots gently. With the groves being smaller and only at the top on the Nuobell that makes you have to be a lot more careful on top of it being harder to set down gently with more weight which results in them getting jammed and possibly breaking easier. The Core's lighter weight and grove design make that way less likely. Not saying everyone has problems with it, just a general truth. You are corrects neither can be dropped, which is why heavier adjustable dumbbells can be an issue for many because that's what they tend to drop after a big set of chest press or shoulder press. Why I use core for my 5-50lb lifts and real dumbbells I can drop and be ruff with for weight over that. Also Adjustable dumbbells have a chance of something breaking and dropping on your face or head which is another reason I'd prefer real dumbbells for the heavier lifts. Core+ 55-80lb dumbbells will cost more then just getting nuobell, but for the reasons I've stated that’s why I think the Core Fitness dumbbells are a better choice for most home gyms. Just stating my opinion on it bro, no worries if you see it different. Keep the great content coming
Great comment Matt, your channel is great too. My set up right now is a Powerblock personal trainer set that goes from 5-50lbs in increments of 2.5lbs and Ironmasters that goes beyond 100lbs. I’ve found this to be the best combo for now. I like the look and feel of the nuobells with its open handle, knurled grip, and quick change but these did fail on me once. The last plate came off and i can never get that out of my mind. It’s 100% due to the plastic connector pieces wearing out. I was able to switch those out to fix the problem but how often do i need to do this you know? Couple of months? Another con of having heavy adjustables that are nested like this and powerblocks is that you have place them back in their stack which can be difficult past 50lbs. I realized this after i got a heavy set of powerblocks and i realized how much i liked the fact that i could just place the heavy dumbbells of the ironmasters back on its stand without aligning it perfectly in its stack like nuobells or powerblocks. Maybe nuobells will make a more durable version in the future. Also, what if one of the gears fail in the interior core handle, you have change the entire handle out…..this won’t happen with both the powerblocks or ironmasters. You can just change out the pins or screws in both sets. You also don’t need a special rack or tray for it. If my local shop picks these up, I may look into getting these again to give them another try but I’m not confident in its durability from first hand experience. I won’t give up my ironmasters or my powerblocks though.
Honestly, these things are killer! I had a pair of Powerblocks and have used a few pair at my work gyms (fire house and military). I swore by the Powerblocks for a long time! But really, they were the only quality ones on the market for years. Once I used the Nuobells, I sold my Powerblocks and bought theses. They look great, they feel great, and they’re built great. Everything has their cons and in the adjustable dumbbell world durability is a must. I can definitely say that the durability of the Nuobells are second to none! I have had mine since the beginning of the summer and have zero problems with them even after being a little too rough with them. Hope anyone looking for a pair of adjustable dumbbells picks these bad boys up!
Great review! You made squats with that 80 lbs. dumbbell look so easy. I need to buy adjustable dumbbells to keep fit in a small space. This my first video. I will check out more.
Just bought mine. So far so good. Bought a set of "cheap ones" first. 300USD. Those released when I was doing hammer curls. Luckily they just made a dent in my floor, nothing else... Didn't expect premium quality, but for 300USD I did expect that they would not be dangerous. NUOBELLS feels much better. Only used them for a couple of workouts so far. Bicep curls, goblet squats and bench presses so far, but feels great for those excercises. Bought them to use in a small room. Perfect for that. Almost feels like "real" dumbbells.
Would definitely prefer my powerblocks to these. Thanks for the great vid, especially highlighting the mechanisms and those numerous small plastic pieces.
Personally, I don't think dumbbells (or deadlifts, for that matter) should be dropped anyway. I was taught that if you can't control the entire movent of the barbell/dumbbell, then maybe you have too much weight on. Not sure why people love dropping stuff other than for showing off. I've seen fixed dumbbells and barbells with plates break with enough abuse. I think almost all brands of adjustable dumbbells are much more fragile than fixed ones because of their complexity and plastic parts. The trade off is the space savings over a comparable rack of fixed dumbbells.
I want to really like them, but that plastic. That's the only thing I would be concerned about. All that cash and you have to be extra careful. If it had better knurling and was made out off 100 percent steel, they would be a homerun. Excellent review!
I think the design is fantastic, but the durability concerns would give me pause. For the price, I would expect less plastic parts. Still, it's a good alternative from the bowflex, which are probably the most fragile dumbbells I've ever used.
With the way they come apart though, I'm thinking they might be easily repairable if something goes wrong? I would be good if the company stepped up and addressed this concern in some way.
I bought the Bowflex USED 5 years ago, and had 0 issues with them. The guy I bought it from said he had them for 3 years... So I don't get why everyone are complaining about that, but I never heard of anyone actually having issues with them.
I was tempted to get these and sell my bowflex, but those are pretty new to begin with and the price difference is massive. I could buy 3 sets of 552's for the price of one of these. In the future, maybe. A friend did buy them and he really likes them so they come pretty highly recommended.
I've had my 80 lbs set for about 6 weeks now. They work great. I spent about $45-$50 at home depot, and built a solid stand. The lateral rattling is a little annoying. Overall, I'm satisfied with getting these.
Man I reaallllyyy thought about building a DIY stand too. I even found some stuff at Harbor Freight of all places that would have made a great stand. But I bit the bullet and got the stand when I ordered the Nuobells. I did however put casters on it to make it mobile. So it’s still a little DIY. I had another brand of adjustable dumbbells and used my jump box for the stand. Needless to say that got annoying. Putting them on the ground sucked too so when I converted to the Nuobells I made sure to get the stand too. In my opinion I think it makes them look better in my home gym too. I know that’s a little vein but something about putting an $800 pair of dumbbells on the floor didn’t seem right. So even though I dug deeper in my wallet, I’m glad I made the job to the Nuobells with the stand.
Best review of these dumbbells! I ended up going with powerblocks, just for the proven durability, but I really like the more traditional shape of the nuobells.
@@GarageGymLab They're great! I plan to use them for many years. I still prefer the feel of a traditional dumbbell shape, like the nuobells, but with the powerblocks I have confidence in the way the weights are secured to the handle and no worries about them breaking or coming apart unexpectedly.
I think they look great and functionality is there. I’d go for it if 80 pounds was enough weight versus paying more for a full set. But needing more weight is why I went with Baadass dumbbells instead. They go up to 200lbs
I've also bought the unofficial ones much cheaper from a seller that probably bought them from alibaba. They seem legit and look exactly the same. I use them every day and they are holding up pretty well.
Just type in 32kg adjustable dumbells on ebay mate, I bought mine from Global Gadgets and they had a discount a few days ago, and I got the 32kg pair for 340 pounds. Arrived next day delivery and I'm really happy with them. I don't see any differences between the branded and unbranded ones, maybe just the plus and minus indicators on the plastic handles.
Great DBs - I love my powerblocks elite but I wish I had the open handle and the even quicker adjustments with the spin. The traditional feel would be nice, but the open handle is more important. Also, for both powerblocks elite and nuobell it would be nice to have them go another 20-30lbs heavier
I had a pair of Powerblocks and have used a few pair at my work gyms (fire house and military). I swore by the Powerblocks for a long time! But really, they were the only quality ones on the market for years. Once I used the Nuobells, I sold my Powerblocks and bought theses. They look great, they feel great, and they’re built great. Everything has their cons and in the adjustable dumbbell world durability is a must. I can definitely say that the durability of the Nuobells are second to none! But I agree with you that I wish both the PowerBlocks and the Nuobells were a little big heavier. Anyway, hopefully now that they have one “Best adjustable dumbbells” by Men’s Fitness and a lot of other brands AND they are selling on Rouge Fitness’ website, they’ll start to get some traction. Especially since Garage Gym Labs and Garage Gym Reviews have both put out these excellent reviews of them!
I'd have to say they look the BEST out of any adjustable dumbbell out there, but the long term durability would concern me, and the fact that you can't drop them (personally I don't drop my PowerBlock Elites), sometimes coming off a heavy bench you can't help but clipping an edge on the way down, and it would be a shame to break them. I also wish they would go heavier for adjustable DB's like the powerblocks commercial!
I was too distracted by those quad tear drops to pay attention. 😢 I think these paired with loadable dumbbell handles would cover all your bases. Nuobells for the light-medium stuff, loadable DBs for kroc rows and stuff.
I like that idea too. I never really thought about it before but any set of adjustable dumbbells should be viewed as filling a specific need and not a one-stop-shop. Like you said, the Nuobells are great for light to medium stuff which, in all honesty, is what most people need. 80 pounds is enough to cover a lot of bases but it’s not enough for people who have a serious need for big weight. A loadable dumbbell or a rack of traditional dumbbells 85 pounds and up would definitely be a better option. What I’m getting at is that we all tend to think of a barbell as a one-stop-shop until we find a need for a specific type of barbell. A great all around bar works for a lot of things but an Olympic lifting bar or a multi-position bench press bar is the right tool for those jobs. So maybe we should look at adjustable dumbbells as a tool for a wide array of needs but not the tool for EVERY need. Anyway, when it comes to adjustable dumbbells that meet light to medium needs, the Nuobells are hands down the best.
Bought my 1 week ago, second hand in mint condition and love them. A few years back I had PowerBlocks but like these way more. I don't see how I could be disappointed with these. I like the stand for them but the girlfriend gave me a hard NO!
The other cheaper options you mentioned are not necessarily cheaper overall as nuo's ship free in US where badass bells can cost up to $175 to ship..add that and you've actually spent more
Take it from me. I have purchased 40lb hex rubber, 50lb hex rubber and now I need 60lb hex rubber. At $2 a pound for rubber hex, it's reaching the price of these "expensive" dumbbells. If you plan on taking working out seriously and long term, buy these. More flexibility and actual savings in the long run.
Thanks for watching! They’ve held up really well since I got them. I wasn’t using them all that much since I have a fixed set, but I gave them to my father-in-law, who uses them all the time. He loves them.
I’ve had mine for two months. They’ve already given me problems, and no I’m not careless with them or drop them or whatnot, and they’re already broken/off track.
Too much plastic for my tastes, especially in the extreme heat/cold that many garages (and the equipment within them) will face. I'd like to see those plastic components upgraded to aluminum, which I'm sure means redoing the design of the pieces due to weight differences.
@@GarageGymLab is it possible for you to fully disassemble one? I’ve heard people mention plastic gearing and I’ve only seen you and Coop tear them down a bit to see internals. Would love to see ALL the plastic parts in the handle to see if aluminum parts could be cast like others have done for Bowflex models
Unfortunately the Nuobells get a bad wrap because the market was flooded with knockoffs. From my understanding, Nuobell had patents in Europe and had good success with these dumbbells. But they had some trouble getting their patents or paperwork or whatever for their patents in the US market. So since the patent wasn’t official yet in the US even though they were already selling in Europe, a lot of companies made knockoffs and hit the US market before Nuobell did. So even though these dumbbells are fucking fantastic, a lot of people in the US are skeptical because the knockoffs were here before the real Nuobells. Hopefully now that they have one “Best adjustable dumbbells” by Men’s Fitness and a lot of other brands AND they are selling on Rouge Fitness’ website, they’ll start to get some traction. Especially since Garage Gym Labs and Garage Gym Reviews have both put out these excellent reviews of them! I was concerned about all the plastic too but I read an interesting comment on another post on the Nuobells. The user commented with all these facts about plastic and how plastic has become a bad word in the fitness industry. He explained all the different uses and types of plastic in all sorts of things we use everyday. Honestly, he really opened my eyes. I was super skeptical at first but I picked up the 80lbs pair of Nuobells. This company really has the end user in mind and doesn’t care much to have every Walmart Wonderer pick up a pair of these. I think that’s why they’re so pricey. But you honestly get what you pay for out of these and I highly recommend them!
Aluminum is softer than reinforced ABS plastic and will deform permanently upon denting. I worked in a metal shop for 20 years. The shapes should be casted right into the steel weight.
@@Chris-vx5kp I would think that would be problematic after a while as well. The way they did it seems like it would break or wear out, but I think it's also to be replaceable.
@@GarageGymLab indeed. I had to get mine second hand and paid full price for them but I have no regrets. Big upgrade from Bowflex 552s. Your content is really good and very thorough. Glad to have another voice in this community with superb production quality and applicable content.
@@josht138 how the hell did you get them? There's a dumb ass lottery system going on. Like Ironmaster either can't sort out their production, or they're sitting around clowning customers trying to buy the product.. silliest shit ever
The nubs break on the cradles rendering you unable to adjust the weight! At minimum this piece should be a machined aluminum material. Reference the nubs stick up at ~5:57.
Assuming space saving is not an issue, would you rather do a 5-50lb traditional set and expand later to 75-80lbs, or buy the 5-80lb nuobell. I'm worried about the durability of these and I'd hate to spend a dollar twice.
I'm also curious to see how durability holds up. We got a set for our garage though because switching the weight was so simple. With me and my GF working out together switching something like iron masters back and forth would have been a huge headache. So far they've been great but we've only had them a few months.
Adam thanks for the fantastic review - could you elaborate a bit on the advantages of these over the similar looking core fitness DBs which seem to be in stock and available at almost half the price or something close to that. I think they are running a 10% off deal at the moment - it may have passed
they have a rubber contoured handle vs steel, plastic plates, plastic retractable rod, and lower weight capacity. They have a questionable reputation on long term durability, which is why I recommend going with the option that has less plastic and actual steel.
Great review. I keep looking at these but curious why Núo make 2 sets, They make the Imperial set go to 80lbs (36.3 kilos),. Where as the Metric set go up to 32 kilos (70.4lbs). Why are they different? I want a Metric set that go up to 36.6 kilos (well actually heavier, but why the difference?).
As someone who owns Nuobells I will tell you first hand - treat them with kid gloves or you will pay if you’re not within warranty. Plastic is not a good durable component people.
I just received the 80 lb nuobell dumbbells in white (looks more gray than white) and for the easy weight switching alone, they are worth it for me. They are so much better than the Bowflex selecttech dumbbells I’ve been using for years. Those were a pain in the ass for switching weights especially when doing circuits and not ideal for many tricep exercises because of the shape. I needed heavier dumbbells so I’m happy with the nuobells.
Got mine a month ago. I don’t think it’s tough to rack... I feel it’s easy and believe anyone who pays $900 for these will find a way to rack them correctly and take care of them.
Hi Bobby, I noticed that there are some websites showing different dimensions of the Nuo dumbells. Can you please provide me with clarification on the exact dimensions of Nuo 80-pound dumbbells without the cradle? H x W x L without them in craddle Thanks
I chose to go with the pepin adjustable dumbbell handles since I have a decent amount of 1" plates. I just got tired of getting stabbed by the threads on my cap adjustable handles.
Comments are often from happy owners but two minutes of research elsewhere shows frequent issues or complete failure stories, and surprisingly poor customer service. Buy these knowing their lives are limited and that resale value will be poor (since it'll be unknown when they are due to fail), if you have them long enough before failure yourself.
I have a one from alibaba, looks 100 percent the same, feels good and have the same exact discreption u provided, the only reason I took the risk getting them is that I trust the factory I'm dealing with in providing high quality gym items as I ordered products from them many times with no issue The only big difference I noticed between my version and yours, mine cost was 200 usd😜 but the warranty is 3 months So if I bought 3 pairs I'll still be saving money 😋
Hey First Floor , I noticed that there are some websites showing different dimensions of the Nuo dumbells. Can you please provide me with clarification on the exact dimensions of Nuo 80-pound dumbbells without the cradle? H x W x L without them in the cradle Thanks
@@firstfloor5347 thanks these measurements must be from NUO 50lbs, which are smaller than my Core Fitness DB that measures 14.5 in length. But I am really looking for the measurements from the 80 lbs without them in the cradle
Hello to all, I noticed that there are some websites showing different dimensions of the Nuo dumbells. Can anyone please provide me with clarification on the exact dimensions of Nuo 80-pound dumbbells without the cradle? Thank you
Great review that hit some cons I have not seen elsewhere. Seems there is little doubt that it's not a matter of if these break or wear out, it's only a matter of when. The two year warranty says a lot about the level of confidence they have in this design.
Realized I accidently replied on my other account... but, I'm with you. I like the traditional look and feel over Powerblocks. These are definitely not made for abuse.