BowFlex Results Series 552 SelectTech Dumbbells (Pair)

Why it's worth it

The 552 covers 5 to 52.5 pounds per hand across 15 settings, and a twist of the dial gets you between any two of them in a couple of seconds. The round handle and traditional silhouette mean you can press, row, and squat without the weight bumping into you.

The dial is the reason to buy these. You set the dumbbell in its tray, turn a knob at each end, and lift. There's no pin to find, no bolt to loosen, no plates to stack. If your program has supersets or 30-second rests, that difference compounds across an hour. Owners who train four or five days a week consistently point to the speed as the thing that keeps them actually using the set instead of avoiding it.

Shape matters more than people expect. The 552 keeps the profile of a normal dumbbell, so it racks on your shoulders for a goblet squat and sits flat in your palms on a floor press. Block-style sets — the PowerBlocks here — form a rectangular cage around your hand that can knock your forearm on hammer curls or press into your thighs on squats. You notice it the first session.

From our review of 8 adjustable dumbbells, by Eleanor Vance, Health & Beauty Editor

What we like

• +The dial is the reason to buy these
• +Shape matters more than people expect
• +Bowflex reinforced this generation with metal plates and a firmer locking system, which addresses the complaint that dogged…
• +For most people, 52.5 pounds is enough

What to know

• –The set is bulky at light weights
• –There's no app connectivity or smart tracking here, which the NordicTrack offers at a comparable price
• –Like every set on this list, these can't be dropped