Amazon Women’s Dresses Beauty Personal Care

Great so far
OK, I've only had these a couple days now, but so far, I have no complaints at all.
I already own a small 'home gym' type weight machine, & really wanted a full set of free weights to supplement that.
My biggest problem was space. I have a rather small house, & limited room for these things. So, this style of weights was perfect for me.
They do only go up to 50lb each, but I rarely use more than that, and don't see a great need for more for some time yet.
I have large hands, and the handles on these fit my hands very well.
I would guess people with smaller hands might have some complaints about the size, but it's hard to say.
They do feel solid, & though I was a bit worried about the plates falling off at first, I have already gotten over that fear.

Compact, A Little Fussy to Use
I actually stopped using my set at home and went back to standard dumbbells. First, pickup of a pair of standard dumbbells is instant - no fooling around with pins and colors. Second, the PowerBlocks always left me a little uncomfortable when overhead, say with a reclining chest press. I always had visions of a pin coming out and plates coming down into my face. Third, an A-Frame stand holds standard dumbbells in about the same space required by the PowerBlocks on a stand. Finally, if you prefer a shaped handle, you're stuck - the Powerblocks have straight handles.

That said, the PowerBlocks ARE well-made, I haven't actually heard of any accidents from pins coming loose, and, in spite of being a little bulky and enclosing your hand, don't present any range of motion problems. I've kept mine as a take-along set for traveling (by car, obviously!). If they fit your need, I still think they are the best made adjustable sets.

The four stars reflects the slowness of the pin mechanism. I prefer it to the mechanical complexity of dial (and other) systems, but it is slow.

Much better than standard dumbbells
I would give this set 5 stars if the changing of the 2.5 lb inserts was a little easier/faster to do, and if the plates had smoother sides to make the insertion of the dumbbells easier to do. What I mean by this is that when you pick up the dumbbells from the stack (leaving some of the heavier plates on the stand), it is sometimes difficult to put them back in as the fit is very tight and they tend to stick (at least with my set)...so I find myself lifting them back up and trying to reseat them back into position several times. You have to put them back in exactly straight or they will get stuck and you have to lift up and try again. Some people might think this is a trivial thing, but when you are done with 3 sets of 12 reps and you are fatigued, the last thing you want to do is fight with these things trying to get put them back on the stand. Of course if you are using the entire stack, this is not an issue.

Sometimes I find myself just removing the extra pates from the stand and placing them on the floor so I don't have to fight with this.

Other than that, I like them a lot and they are easy to work with, very well balanced, and take very little space in my room. I bought the stand which is really nice and keeps the weights at easy reach.

Using these babies for 15 years and love them
I was an early convert to to these little babies back in the early 90's and they are fantastic! I have the add-on that will take them to 125lbs each and with those additional plates I would agree that they are a little clunky and it takes some effort to keep them balanced-but isn't that one of the reasons to use free weights? You just need to be careful and not max-out when they become a little awkward. also, I agree that you need to be mindful of inserting the pins correctly, but you are aware pretty quickly that something is amiss and you can reinsert the pin quickly and easily. The only negative, cited by another reviewer, that I have seen is that you can't drop them to the floor like dumbbells.

The plusses far outweigh the minuses. They take up very little space, the handles are nice and cushioned, you can change the weight quickly and they are well made. Some of the criticisms about cost I would counter with try to buy all the dumbbells needed to equate to these and see how much $ you spend?-not to mention the space dumbbells take up. I would HIGHY recommend buying the stand for them, just as you would if buying an extensive set of dumbbells. Again, it's costly, but nothing compared to the pain and suffering of throwing out your back. Simple, smart engineering that has withstood the test of time (15 years) and worth every penny.

A Smarter Dumbbell
Powerblocks are very ingenious, instead of having a bunch of dumbbells lying around taking up space, you have a pair that you select the weight you want. At first glance the square design seems a little odd, but have no fear they are very functional and comfortable. The price does seem high, but if you were to buy all the dumbbells powerblocks replaces you would spend more. Don't be fooled by imitations, powerblocks are the original and the best. They are also "Made In The USA" which is nice to see nowadays. A few things to be aware of. The blocks need to be on a flat level surface to properly insert the pins. If you have extra cash they do sell a stand. Before you invest make sure you choose the right model, think of future expansion as far as weight goes. Not all models are expandable. All in all I'm very happy with the Poweblocks.

Awesome
I bought the elite version (5 lbs empty handle up to 90 lbs) for about 0 from a local fitness store to avoid shipping and handling. Initially I thought the handle might restrict wrist movement but it hasn't been a problem. The trickiest part to using them is inserting the selector pins correctly and this is no biggie - just do it right so you don't dent the floor or your head. Selecting the weight in increments of 10 lbs is very quick. To make smaller adjustments requires removing the handle from the weight set, removing a cylinder or two and then reinserting the handle - not terribly time consuming but I find myself trying to avoid it during a workout. I use them for every exercise I would use a regular set of dumbbells except for pullovers. You can't drop these like regular dumbbells and I try not to bang them together. I have had them for about a year and use them at least twice a week. They look brand new. I would give them five stars if I wasn't taking into account the price.

Excellent alternative!
I recently bought a set of Bowflex SelectTech 1090 dumbbells; used. I recently cancelled my gym membership and needed a cheaper alternative to stay in shape. I decided to invest in my own gym equipment; free weights, bench, pull up bar, etc. I looked into adjustable dumbbells (power blocks, selecttech, etc.) but decided to go with the SelectTech 1090s. So far, I have not been disappointed.

Although these ARE bulky, they are do not FEEL bulky when I lift. The grips (all metal) are discomforting at higher weights (i.e. shoulder shrugs at 70 lbs), but a good pair of work out gloves does the trick. Another drawback is that when you lift heavy, it is sometimes a little difficult to place it back in the holder; I put them back 1 at a time with both arms.

Overall I am very happy with my purchase. I can get a complete work out in the convenience of my basement. A few more things: the dials are great and very easy to use, the weights do not shift and feel pretty solid when i lift, although they are long they do not affect my work out, and i handle mine with care (no dropping!) so you have to be careful with these (i guess the same would go with other adjustable dumbbells)

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 0 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 :-)

Bowflex SelectTech 1090 Single Dumbbell
Great piece to have in the gym. Easy to use sometimes gets stuck, alittle bulky but great to have.There's not so much laying around the gym,A lot more room to work out.

great space saver
Although a little bulky to lift with, these weights are a great space saver. 90 lbs is all the weight you need unless you're on steroids. The handle is a little more uncomfortable than the selecttech 552's with more ridges. You won't be disappointed with this purchase. On the pricey side, but pays for its self in a couple of years without paying for a gym membership.

Awesome Dumbells
These Dumbells are great! I get a serious workout and never have to change equipment. Never have to leave the garage! Put on my own music and take my shirt off too! Don't have to bother with gym fees or waiting for a machine and I can hit every body part the same. I would recommend these to anyone who wants to get big at home!