Once you feel a PowerBlock knurled handle, you’ll never go back to the rubber ones.

It gives the PowerBlock dumbbells a better look too.

All you need is an Allen wrench and the installation is straight forward.

Don’t worry, I’ll walk you through the whole thing.

Let’s check it out!

Unboxing

Table of Contents

I got the PowerBlock knurled handles from Bare Steel Equipment.

They came in a small box full of bubble wrap and they were at the bottom tightly wrapped in paper.

PowerBlock knurled handle bare steel equipment

Once I got them out of the paper wrapping here’s what’s inside.

Two knurled handles and two washers.

I’ll show you what the washers are for once I get to the installation.

The knurling on the handles is beautiful and aggressive.

At the end of each handle you’ll see a hex head fitting.

Specs

Knurling: Aggressive

Length: 4.8″ / 5″ with hex head

Diameter: 1.25″

Hex head: 0.875″

Weight: 1.75 lbs each (Handles adds about 12 ounces to my PowerBlock dumbbells)

Compatibility

Bare Steel Equipment says the knurled handles will fit most PowerBlock models.

I have the PowerBlock EXP but here’s a list of the ones they know are compatible:

PowerBlock Pro Series

PowerBlock EXP

Powerblock Pro 100 EXP

PowerBlock US EXP

PowerBlock U-Series

PowerBlock Elite Series (click here for the Elite Series handles)

How to Remove PowerBlock Handles

The PowerBlock EXP are the first set of adjustable dumbbells I ever got.

I have stages 1 – 3 which makes the dumbbells go up to 90 lbs.

And I’ve had some great workouts but it’s time for an upgrade.

To remove the rubber handles, first flip the handle on its side.

Right smack in the middle you’ll see a screw and a washer and that’s what I’m gonna remove from both sides.

All I used was an Allen wrench so there’s no major tools required.

Flip the dumbbell on to its other side and repeat.

Here’s what the washer and nut look like.

Make sure you don’t lose these cause you’ll need them to attach the knurled handle.

And here’s the rubber handle once I took it off.

You’ve been good to me my rubber friend but it’s time to add some knurling.

Next I’ll show you how to install the knurled PowerBlock replacement handles…

Installing Knurled Handle On PowerBlock

I’m showing you the end of both PowerBlock handles here for a reason.

The hex heads are the same size but I want you to look at the circle around them.

You can see the end of the knurled handle on the left is not as wide as the rubber handle on the right.

That bigger circle is important because it will keep the PowerBlock adder weights lock mechanism in place.

So this is where the washers that are included come in.

The washers make up for the narrow end of the handle.

This only applies for PowerBlock dumbbells that use adder weights (fractional weights).

You’ll see this option on the Bare Steel Equipment website.

If your PowerBlock has adder weights, make sure you select yes on that question.

Once I got the knurled handle on, the hard part was done.

To finish off the installation, put the dumbbell on its side again and screw the bolts on each side.

Here’s the final product and I’m very happy with the way they look.

You can see the washer at the top of the handle on the adder weights lock side.

Here are the handles with the rest of the PowerBlock set.

I gotta say Bare Steel Equipment has done a great job at manufacturing these to fit perfectly!

Pros & Cons

powerblock-knurled-handle-review-bare-steel-equipment-5

Pros

Improved Grip: Grip feels much more secure so I feel confident in lifting heavier

Aesthetic: Much better look than the black handles I had on there previously

Knurling: The aggressive knurling feels great on my hand but doesn’t hurt

Straight handle: I prefer the straight handle vs the curved rubber one

Compatibility: Fit most PowerBlock dumbbells

Cons

This is an upgrade to the rubber handles that come standard with the dumbbells.

I can’t think of any cons, the knurled handles are a big improvement.

Bare Steel Equipment Discount Code

bare steel equipment discount coupon code

If you’re ready to change from rubber handles to knurled PowerBlock handles I’m gonna hook you up with a discount.

Bare Steel Equipment currently sells these fro $184.95

But I have an exclusive coupon code for you that’ll take off $10.

Click here and use coupon code SHREDDED for a discount.