Excellent product. Cheaper and way better than SelectTech

I purchased the PowerBlock dumbbells after returning the SelectTech dumbbells. The SelectTechs are cumbersome the weight plates feel loose and you have to dial two dials to select one weight. Furthermore they are over $100 more expensive than the PowerBlocks.



On the plus side for the PowerBlocks:

1) They take up very little space for an adjustable dumbbell

2) They feel solid

3) While not cheap they are much cheaper than the SelectTech dumbbells

4) You can do over the head tricep extensions using both weights or one using the handles on the bottom

5) Selecting the weights is a one step process for each weight

6) They are upgradable with a heavier handle option and a barbell option



On the minus side:

1) Alligning the pins to select the weight is a bit more difficult with the weights on the ground. The stand or a table top would alleviate this problem.



Overall I'm pleased with the PowerBlocks and definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a quality adjustable weight dumbbell.More detail ...

Great quality product

I've been using the 1090's for a few weeks now. I have a very limited amount of workout space in my apartment so I don't have the room for a full dumbbell set. This set provides 90 lbs for each arm which is more than enough for every exercise that I do. 50 lbs was not enough so I'm glad I bought the 1090's vs. the 1050's.



The 1050's have a nice rubberized handle grip but the 1090's have an all metal grip with a rough texture. I find them less comfortable than the rubberized grip but a little tape takes care of the issue.



The dial selector is very good and is super easy to use. It just takes a couple seconds to dial in the weight you want and off you go. This is a very high quality product and it works very well.



The only drawback I've seen is that the bar is pretty long so you are using a large and long dumbbell even when you only need 10 lbs of weight. I've had some trouble doing double arm curls because the weights hit when I get my arms close enough together to do the exercise properly. To compensate I just do one set with each arm individually. 90% of the exercises I do are not affected by the length so its not a significant issue for me.



I highly recommend this set. You should consider getting the stand to save your back. 90 or 180 lbs is a lot of weight to lift from the floor and especially if you are doing it repetitively. The stand is at the right height and orientation to allow easy pickup of the dumbbells without straining your back.



I bought the 1090 dumbbell set (two dumbbells) and the stand new for $600 at Play it Again Sports. I haven't seen any deals that good online. If you don't want to spend the money for a full set of dumbbells and/or you if you have limited space then I highly recommend this product. I have to say I still enjoy dialing in the weight every time I do it. I guess the gadget factor is something to consider also :-)

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BEST DUMBELLS EVER!!!!

I was torn between these and the PowerBlock dumbells I kept reading about. I had a chance to check out the 2008 and prior model Bowflex Select Tech's at Dicks Sporting Goods and I remember thinking about how easy it was to spin the dials to adjust the weights.



My only concern and hesitation was that a few reveiws mentioned the possibility of the weights rattling and people were worried they could fall off? I had not heard this before so I researched it more and although the PowerBlock dumbells had gotten good reviews I simply could not get past how ugly they were and the fact that they used a magnetic pin to hold the weights in.



I decided to spend the few extra dollars on these 2009 model Select Techs (assuming any prior issues they may have had were corrected) and boy am I glad I did they are AWESOME! The dials in my opinion are ten times easier than the magnetic pins of PowerBlocks and these Bowflex dumbells look ten times more fashionable (our gym equipment is on our loft so yes my wife and I have a style standard). These dumbells are about 15 inches long but neither of us have any issues with their size (I think the PowerBlocks were only a 3 inch difference anyways).



We are 100% happier we bought these and we bought the stand from Amazon to go with them also (it is better for your back if you lift dumbells from a standing position instead of from a squatting one). I hope you enjoy your SelectTechs as much as we enjoy ours!More detail ...