The Nuobell adjustable dumbbells are a thing of beauty and can quickly become a home gym owner’s new favorite toy.
Considered by many to be the best adjustable dumbbells in the market, I’ll show you my pros and cons about them.
Inside The Box
When it comes to weight ranges, the Nuobell adjustable dumbbells come in two options.
You can buy a set that ranges from 5 to 50 lbs.
Or you can buy the bigger set that ranges from 5 to 80 lbs.
As you see in the pic above, I went with the bigger option.
Once you unbox the dumbbells, you see they are tightly packed in styrofoam to protect them from damage.
Inside the box you’ll see the cradle, two bags containing the metal weight plates, and the knurled handle in the middle.
Nuobell Adjustable Dumbbells
If you don’t know what Nuobell dumbbells are, they’re adjustable dumbbells that save you TONS of space.
The 5 to 50 lbs version replaces 10 pairs of dumbbells.
The Nuobell version that goes from 5 to 80 lbs replaces 16 pairs of dumbbells.
How Do Nuobell Dumbbells Work?
The Nuobell dumbbells change weight by twisting the handle.
Each time you turn the handle, it goes up or down in 5 lbs increments.
But in order to change weight, the dumbbells have to be docked on the cradle.
The weight plate cradle is made of aluminum and hard plastic.
Right in the middle of the cradle you have two semicircular pieces.
These are important because there’s a male piece on each one that unlocks the handle so you can twist it.
The male pieces insert into a groove below the dumbbell handle to unlock the handle.
If the dumbbells are off the cradle, the handle is locked and you can’t change weight.
This is obviously for safety reasons so that the weight plates can’t be changed while the dumbbells are in use.
Right on the handle you’ll see a weight selection window with a “+” and “-” sign.
Whichever direction you twist the handle, you’ll see the weight you select through the window.
As you increase in weight selection, there is a metal rod going through the middle of the weight plates.
The rod gets longer as you select higher weight. It gets smaller for lower weight.
Whatever you select is picked up by the rod.
The weight plates stay tightly connected to each other by male and female connectors.
Any weight not selected, is left on the cradle.
Nuobell Stand
Because I got the 80 lbs Nuobell set, I decided to pick up the dumbbell stand as well.
Picking up 80 lbs from the floor is not the easiest on my low back and the Nuobell stand’s ergonomic design is genius.
The dimensions of the stand are 26″ wide x 21″ deep x 21.5″ high so it doesn’t take up a lot of space.
You have to put the stand together but it wasn’t difficult to do.
There’s one page of instructions and all the hardware is included.
Assembly took up maybe 10 minutes, if that.
Once you assemble the stand, you attach the cradles to the stand by twisting a knob below each side of the stand.
Set each cradle on the sides of the stand and twist the knob tightly until the cradle doesn’t move.
You can see from the picture above how there is space for you to walk in between the cradles.
This is HUGE especially as you go up in weight.
This prevents you from having to lean forward to pick up or drop off the dumbbells.
Your lower back will thank you.
Here’s a pic of all the pieces put together.
The stand with cradles and dumbbells.
Where to Buy Nuobell Dumbbells
There are several online companies like Finer Form and Rogue Fitness that are authorized to sell the Nuobell dumbbells.
I got mine through Finer Form because they have FREE shipping and have great customer support.
If any issues ever arise with your dumbbells, you can be sure they’ll take care of you quickly.
Rogue Fitness charges for shipping and that can add at least $100 to your cost because of the size and weight of the dumbbells.
Are There Any Nuobell Discounts?
As of right now, the only discount I’ve seen is on the free shipping cost which I mentioned above.
Other than that, I haven’t seen any discounts or coupon codes that will bring down the price of the Nuobell dumbbells.
Not even for military or first responders.
If I run into any other discount, I’ll be sure to put it up here.
Nuobell Dumbbells Pros
Cheaper Than Dumbbell Sets
Many people will say that an adjustable pair of dumbbells is too expensive.
But when you compare it to buying a whole dumbbell rack or set, you can see that adjustable dumbbells save you money.
Not only do you save money but you’re also saving lots of space.
Let’s look at two popular fitness companies, one on the high end and one in the lower end.
When you look at Rogue Fitness, their 5 – 50 lbs set of dumbbells starts at just over $1000.
And that doesn’t even include the shipping cost which could easily add an additional $200 to your order.
When you get a Nuobell set from here, you’re getting 5 – 80 lbs, paying less than $1000, and get FREE shipping.
Now let’s look at a cheaper company.
The image above is from Titan Fitness and if you’ve been around the fitness world, you know they’re one of the most affordable gym equipment companies.
As you can see, they have a 5 – 50 lbs dumbbells set that’s cheaper than Rogue’s, but still $200 more than a pair of 5 – 80 lbs Nuobells.
Quick Weight Change
Without a doubt, Nuobells are the fastest dumbbells when changing weight.
Simply turn the handle to the left or right, and you’re adding or reducing weight without your hand leaving the handle.
Space Saving
Any home gym or garage gym owner will tell you that gym equipment storage and organization is optimal if you want to cram as many toys as possible inside your workout area.
This is where adjustable dumbbells are king.
You can have the equivalent of a rack of dumbbells while only taking up about 2 feet of space.
Handles
The handles on the Nuobell dumbbells are quite different from other adjustable dumbbells.
They are knurled like iron dumbbells.
The knurling is passive but it still gives you a nice grip so you feel secure holding them.
Dumbbell Size
One thing that I really like about the Nuobell dumbbells is that the length of the dumbbell changes based on what you select.
So if you only want to pick up 20 lbs, the length of the dumbbell is small.
Other adjustable dumbbells like the Bowflex 552 maintain the same length whether you pick up 5 lbs or 52 lbs.
The constant length can hinder your range of motion in some exercises.
Aesthetics
The design of these dumbbells is just awesome to look at.
Any home gym fanatic would fall in love with these instantly even if they never pick them up.
Nuobell Dumbbells Cons
Plastic Parts
The Nuobell dumbbells have hard plastic parts where the handle meets the weight plates.
If you drop them repeatedly and with force, there is a possibility that it could damage the plastic.
That goes for any adjustable dumbbell regardless of the brand.
You can’t drop adjustable dumbbells like you would an iron dumbbell.
The cradle is also made of hard plastic and aluminum.
If you take care of them, however, I don’t see why they shouldn’t last for many years.
Not Expandable
The Nuobell adjustable dumbbells are fixed to a set weight.
The most you can go up to is 80 lbs.
There’s no way to add more weight if you get stronger.
Other dumbbells like the PowerBlock EXPs are expandable.
PowerBlock kits start with a set of 50 lbs, then buy an expansion kit that goes up to 70 lbs, and another expansion kit that goes up to 90 lbs.
Some PowerBlock dumbbells can even be expanded to over 100 lbs!
For me personally, an adjustable dumbbell that goes up to 80 or 90 lbs is enough for the way I train.
Nuobell Alternatives
There are plenty of adjustable dumbbells on the market and I’ve tested many of them.
Some adjust using the same mechanism and others use their own unique mechanism.
I’ve found that the mechanism used by the Nuobell is the fastest because you don’t have to take your hands off the handles.
Rep x Pepin Fast Series Adjustable Dumbbells
The Rep x Pepin Fast Series adjustable dumbbells are one of the best adjustable dumbbells on the market.
They’re sold in pairs of 85 lbs, 105 lbs, or 125 lbs pairs (If you buy the 85 lbs or 105 lbs pair it can be expanded to 125 lbs).
Made of full metal construction and drop tested, these should last a lifetime while taking up minimal space.
Nuobell vs Trulap Adjustable Dumbbells
Trulap dumbbells are very similar to Nuobells.
And even though they’re almost identical in size, Trulap dumbbells are 12 lbs heavier than Nuobell.
They’re almost the same size because Trulap’s plates are thinner so they can pack on more weight in less size.
Trulap dumbbells range from 8.5 to 92 lbs in 3.5 lbs increments so the dumbbell set replaces 52 dumbbells (26 pairs).
The handle on Trulap dumbbells is thicker and longer than Nuobell’s but the knurling is less aggressive on Trulap.
One obvious thing I noticed right away, is that the housing around the numbers dial is metal on Trulap vs plastic on Nuobell.
So it seems Trulap is made up of mostly metal parts (at least from what I can see on the outside).
Nuobell vs Snode AD80
Nuobell vs Core Home Fitness Dumbbells
Core Home Fitness makes adjustable dumbbells and a stand very similar to Nuobell.
Major differences between these two adjustable dumbbells are the handles, weight ranges, and weight plates.
Handles
Core Home Fitness adjustable dumbbells have a rubber handle. Nuobell’s handle is knurled.
They both feel secure but my personal preference is the knurling.
Weight Range
Core Home Fitness’ weight range tops at 50 lbs. Nuobell has both 50 lbs sets and 80 lbs sets.
Depending on how you train, 50 lbs may be all you need. If you’re above average, you may need to go with heavier option that Nuobell offers.
Weight Plates
Core Home Fitness’ weight plates are metal but coated with a tough, high impact PVC material. Nuobell weight plates have no outer covering.
The PVC covering helps to reduce rattling, rust, and damage.
For the average person who just wants to stay in shape, the 50 lbs Core Home Fitness dumbbells may be enough.
If you’re above average and 50 lbs doesn’t seem like a challenge, then the Nuobell 80 lbs version would be the right fit for you.
Nuobell vs PowerBlock
PowerBlock adjustable dumbbells have been around for a very long time and have a great reputation for durability since they’re mostly made of metal.
What makes them so durable is the fact that they are mostly made of metal.
The only plastic part is the weight selector pin that you insert underneath the weight stack you want to lift.
I’ve had my PowerBlocks for years and have used them constantly and the plastic pin still looks as good as new.
Their new version (Powerblock Pro 100 EXP) is Urethane coated but still has the same quality of the originals.
If the selector pins ever got ruined, I can just get new ones from PowerBlock and the dumbbells will still work.
I can see the Nuobell dumbbells being just as durable as long as they are not tossed around so that its plastic parts don’t break.
PowerBlock dumbbells work just like a cable weight stack machine.
You insert the selector pin below the weight you want to lift.
This process doesn’t take long but changing weight on the Nuobell dumbbells is a little bit faster since your hand never has to come off the handle.
Nuobell vs Bowflex 552
Bowflex SelectTech 552 and Bowflex SelectTech 1090 are another set of adjustable dumbbells that have been around for a long time.
The Bowflex 552’s have a weight range of 5 lbs to 52 lbs.
The Bowflex 1090’s have a weight range of 10 lbs to 90 lbs.
These use a dial mechanism to change weight.
You have to turn the dial at each end of the dumbbells to select the weight you want to pick up.
One downside to these is that the length of the dumbbell remains constant whether you select the lowest weight or the highest.
The weight changing mechanism is also not as quick as Nuobell’s.
Nuobell vs Ativafit
Ativafit is another company that has popular adjustable dumbbells.
They make the Ativafit DialTech and Ativafit GlideTech dumbbells.
Both use different weight changing mechanisms.
The DialTech dumbbell uses a mechanism similar to Bowflex, except that you have to press a button to unlock the dial.
The GlideTech dumbbell uses a lever that you lift and then slide it to the desired weight.
Both of these are a bit slower to adjust than the Nuobell’s mechanism and a bit clanky when using them.
They work because weight is weight but the Nuobell is a much better dumbbell.
Nuobell Adjustable Dumbbells Overview
I really like the ease of adjusting the weight on the Nuobell dumbbells.
Twist your wrist to the left or wrist and that’s it.
You don’t even have to take your hands off the handle.
When you compare the Nuobell dumbbells to other adjustable dumbbells, they are definitely the fastest to change from one weight to another.
I also like the fact that they feel like regular dumbbells and can go up to 80 lbs.
As with any adjustable dumbbell, tossing them around is not recommended, but I can see these lasting for years since most parts are metal.
For the majority of home gym owners, 5 – 80 lbs is going to be enough weight for dumbbell exercises.
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Nuobell Adjustable Dumbbells
Nuobell Adjustable Dumbbells
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