10 best dumbbells for building strength and muscle at home, tested by a fitness writer

I’ve owned this dumbbell for a year, and it still looks like I bought it yesterday. The rubber coating encases the heads and handle, making it feel bombproof while also acting as a shock absorber if you happen to drop it – good news for both the dumbbell and your floor.

The compact shape never has never felt cumbersome during dynamic HIIT and CrossFit workouts, and the rubber-coated central bar is lightly textured for a grippy yet comfortable feel. I also love the hex design, which means the dumbbell can double up as a press-up platform for exercises like renegade rows and man-makers.

It’s not the cheapest option on the market, and you may need to invest in more than one set to suit a wide range of exercises. But beyond this, I struggled to find any faults.

In my eyes, this dumbbell does everything it needs to. The hexagonal heads provide a good stable base for performing exercises like renegade rows, it feels incredibly robust, and the knurled metal handles provide a nice balance between being grooved for grip without having so much texture they scratched at my hands. It’s quite reasonably priced compared to rivals too.

These attributes mean you can use it for pretty much anything, whether that’s an energetic HIIT workout where you’re powerfully pressing the weights overhead, a Pilates class or a spot of bodybuilding. The only downsides are the limited weight range (2kg to 20kg, which will fall short for some experienced lifters) and the fact that you might need to buy a second pair when your strength improves.

With the Wolverson dumbbell above, it’s likely you’ll have to invest in a few different weights to support a comprehensive at-home training plan. Not so with this Mirafit set.

The 30kg package comes with two central handles, four 1.5kg plates, eight 2.5kg plates and four spinlock collars, so you can chop and change the weight on each dumbbell to suit the exercise you’re doing. There are also lighter and heavier (20kg to 100kg) sets available to suit all levels of training experience.

This offers immense versatility for strength training, allowing you to load up a heavy weight for multi-muscle compound moves like squats, then strip the dumbbell down for lighter isolation moves like lateral raises.

While the collars lock the plates securely in place, I still wouldn’t want to use this dumbbell for explosive overhead exercises like snatches and devil’s presses.

The spinlock system is also notably more time consuming than the selectorised Bowflex ‘bell. But these dumbbells are also considerably more affordable, offering great value for money at less than £100. So, if you want to start strength training at home without breaking the bank, I think this is a top option.

I’m a big believer that the basics will never let you down when it comes to exercise, and this adjustable dumbbell is about as basic as they come. But it earns a place on this list because it’s effective, and it’s usually more affordable than most – although, as is often the case with Amazon, the price fluctuates rapidly and regularly, so hold off on investing until it’s under £50.

In each 17.2kg set you get two bars, four 1.1kg weight plates, four 2.3kg weight plates and four spinlock collars. This means you can load them up for a pair of dumbbells just shy of 9kg each, or lob more weights on one handle to get the total up to roughly 15kg – a good fit for one-dumbbell moves like goblet squats.

These weights may not be enough to challenge experienced lifters, but those new to strength training will have everything they need to get started. The collars hold the weights securely in place, and the semi-gloss finish doesn’t look too shabby either, while also boosting the dumbbell’s resistance to rust.

Selectorised dumbbells are significantly more expensive than their fixed weight twins. But if you’re looking to exercise at home and take your training seriously, they might be worth it.

One of my favourite things about these NordicTrack ‘bells is their 15 weight options, from 5kg to 25kg, meaning they effectively do the job of 15 pairs of weights while taking up the same floorspace as a shoebox. With the weight options jumping up in 2kg or 2.5kg increments, this makes them a great tool for applying the progressive overload principle – lifting gradually heavier weights over time as your strength increases to prevent your progress from plateauing.

However, the starting weight of 5kg is more than other selectorised dumbbells I’ve tried, and on the heavier side for some beginner lifters when performing certain isolation exercises.

The weights are changed using two moveable pins which can be lifted then shifted left or right to decide how many plates remain attached to the dumbbell. Besides hitting occasional sticking points, I found this process was straightforward and rarely took more than a few seconds between sets. Compared to selectorised dumbbells with dial-based weight-changing mechanisms, it also allowed the NordicTrack weights to have a more compact shape, so they never felt cumbersome when lifted.

For these reasons, this is the best selectorised dumbbell I’ve tried for building muscle at home.

I love a hex dumbbell – named after the six-sided design of the heads. The flat surfaces mean you can use it as a press-up platform during renegade rows without worrying about it rolling away, and the knurled steel handle won’t slip out of your hand during sweaty HIIT sessions.

The rubber coated heads can survive being dropped and bashed against the ground if you’re trying to cycle through dumbbell snatches during a CrossFit-style workout, and I’m also a sucker for the Batman-esque black and grey aesthetic.

It can be bought solo or as a pair, with options ranging from 2kg to 30kg to placate all but the brawniest of customers. The weights are clearly shown on the head of the dumbbell, and at the time of writing the price (£29.95 for a 12.5kg dumbbell) was fairly reasonable too.

The weight options jump up by 2.5kg after the 10kg mark, which isn’t as good for applying the muscle-building progressive overload principle (gradually increasing your lifts over time to ensure continued progress) as some selectroised sets. But this is my only minor gripe.

This Mirafit ‘bell is built to last. The thick rubber coating around the heads protects both the dumbbell and your floor, if you happen to drop them near the end of a heavy set, and the weight options (2.5kg-50kg) cater to lifters of all experience levels.

I found the knurled (grooved) steel handle felt comfortable and grippy, even when hoisting heavy weights, and the fixed weight nature meant I could press a pair overhead without worrying about a weight plate coming loose.

It’s not the cheapest, and the round design isn’t ideal if you want to do exercises like renegade rows or man makers (where the dumbbells act almost like press-up stands). It can roll away when used in a far from flat garage too. But for longevity and versatility, this Mirafit dumbbell won’t let you down.

If you’re trying to build size and strength, progressive overload is key. With eight weight choices ranging from 1.8kg to 14.5kg, this dumbbell is a good choice for getting you started, although veteran lifters might want something with a heavier top-end weight.

Rather than using a dial to change the weights like most selectorised adjustable dumbbells, it has a pin system which, while smooth, took a little bit longer. I also found the placement of the handle inside a cage of weights also felt slightly awkward for a few muscle-building exercises. But on the whole, this is a sturdy adjustable option for strength training beginners.

This dumbbell comes in 12 different weight pairings, ranging from 4-32kg, and has a durable impact-resistant plastic coating so you don’t need to worry about dropping or damaging it.

The knurling was sufficient for strength training exercises, offering good grip without being so aggressive that it hurt my hands, and I liked the premium look and feel of the product. The heads weren’t too chunky either, so I could crank through bicep curls without clipping my hip with the weight.

However, I wouldn’t use it for exercisers like renegade rows where you support your weight on the dumbbell handles, as the round heads don’t make for a stable surface.

A pair of 2.3kg Peloton dumbbells will set you back £45. If you own an exercise machine and want to try the hybrid strength/cardio classes without denting your bank balance to this extent, this 1kg Opti pair is a savvy alternative. It even fit in the holsters on my exercise bike.

It doesn’t do anything extraordinary, but it does cost less than a fiver, and the neoprene coating boosts its durability credentials while making it comfortable to hold.

The 1kg weights won’t provide enough resistance for effective strength training in 99 per cent of cases, but it can spice up a high-rep HIIT workout or add resistance to a Pilates class.