Dumbbells on sale: muscle-building weights without breaking the bank

Use these dumbbells on sale to pick up essential strength training weights at a discount

Man doing a dumbbell goblet squat
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Finding dumbbells on sale is a great way to work out at home without straining your wallet. These versatile weights are ideal for muscle-building sessions or for adding some resistance to body weight moves like squats and lunges.

If you've been looking for a customizable set like the best adjustable dumbbells, you'll know that these weights can be quite expensive, so it makes sense to save money by picking a pair of dumbbells on sale instead.

There are adjustable or fixed weight varieties and you can find some with hexagonal plates to stop them rolling about when not in use. Plus, they're a great space-saving option for home workouts or training outdoors.

Some of the dumbbells on sale right now include huge savings on the JaxJox adjustable dumbbells, which are available right now from Best Buy for $200 less. If you're after a budget-friendly set, you can save 32% on Sunny Health and Fitness adjustable dumbbells.

We've scoured the internet for the top dumbbells on sale right now, helping you find the best discounts around and checking historical prices to make sure you're actually getting a good deal. Looking for more deals? Check out our cheap fitness tracker deals roundup. 

US Retailers

UK Retailers

Dumbbells on sale: today's best US deals

Sunny Health & Fitness 40lb adjustable dumbbell$49.98$33.99 at Amazon

Sunny Health & Fitness 40lb adjustable dumbbell |$49.98, $33.99 at Amazon
This no-frills set of dumbbells now costs less than $35, which is a very fair price for a resilient bit of kit. The mechanism is a little fiddly—you have to screw on and screw off additional plates—but for this price, you really can't complain.

Target everyday essentials 105lb adjustable dumbbell| $195.99, $111.99 at Target

Target everyday essentials 105lb adjustable dumbbell | $195.99, $111.99 at Target
These weights have had almost an incredible 50% knocked off their regular price. Going all the way up to 105lb, they're a fairly heavy option and the mechanism to get plates on and off might be a little time consuming—but it's a low price to pay for an adjustable set of this weight.

Sporzon! Rubber Encased Hex Dumbbell | $91.99, $70.99 at Target

Sporzon! Rubber Encased Hex Dumbbell | $91.99, $70.99 at Target

This Sporzon set of dumbbells weighs 15lbs and will be great for isolating individual muscle groups in your workouts or for intensifying your HIIT sessions. The weights feature textured handles improving the grip and they have hexagon ends to prevent rolling. Swipe up a pair now for $21 less!

HolaHatha Dumbbell Weight Set | $108.99, $55.98 at Walmart

HolaHatha Dumbbell Weight Set | $108.99, $55.98 at Walmart

You'll be saving yourself over $50 by picking up this set of dumbbells on offer. This purchase includes a weight rack that holds three sets of different-sized dumbbell weights - 3lbs, 5lbs, and 8lbs. The HolaHatha dumbbells are stored away easily and they also feature hex-shaped ends so there's no rolling away when you place them on the floor between exercises.

FLYBIRD Adjustable Dumbbell | $109.99, $99.99 at Amazon

FLYBIRD Adjustable Dumbbell | $109.99, $99.99 at Amazon

Get $10 off this adjustable dumbbell which comes with an anti-slip metal handle, fast adjustable turn handles and a handy tray to help you keep your equipment tidy once you've finished your workout. You can adjust weights from 5lb to 25lb.

JAXJOX DumbbellConnect | $499.99, $299.99 at Best Buy

JAXJOX DumbbellConnect | $499.99, $299.99 at Best Buy

Save yourself $200 and make working out even easier with these adjustable digital dumbbells from JAXJOX. Select your chosen weight with a touch of a button and then sync it to the JAXJOX App to track reps, volume, sets, and workout duration. It's that simple. You can vary your weights from 8, 14, 20, 26, 32, 38, 44 and 50lbs – all thanks to this space-saving piece of workout equipment.

Package - Tru Grit - 65-lb Hex Elite Dumbbell | $279.98, $167.98 at Best Buy

Package - Tru Grit - 65-lb Hex Elite Dumbbell | $279.98, $167.98 at Best Buy

Pump some serious weight with these 65lbs dumbbells which come with a Hex Elite design to stop them from rolling away from you mid-workout. The weights are built to minimize noise and mitigate typical wear & tear to the equipment and your floor. While the chrome-plated handles are ergonomically designed for any grip style or hand. Pick up these and save yourself $112.

Dumbbells on sale: Today's best UK deals

JaxJox DumbbellConnect | £499.99, £360 at Decathlon

JaxJox DumbbellConnect | £499.99, £360 at Decathlon

There's currently 27% off this neat set of digital dumbbells, which can change load from 3.6kg to 22.7kg. You can also sync these dumbbells with the Jaxjox app, where you'll find plenty of workout ideas. The app also records your reps during a workout, so you can track your progress.

Everlast 18kg dumbbell set | £89.99, £44.99 at Sportsdirect

Everlast 18kg dumbbell set | £89.99, £44.99 at Sportsdirect

This dumbbell set has a 'build your own' feel to it, as it comes in a compact little tool case with several different plates that you can add to the bar. It's not often you see this much weight available for less than £50, which is why we think this is an especially good deal.

Body Sculpture BW108T Smart Dumbbell Tower| £65 £59.99 at Amazon

Body Sculpture BW108T Smart Dumbbell Tower| £65, £59.99 at Amazon

Want to store your dumbbells neatly? Check out this Body Sculpture dumbbell tower which includes 1.5kg weights up to 5kgs. Use these dumbbells to tone your arms or upper body or you could also use them for weighted lunges or squats. Then, when you're finished, stash them away in the tower until your next workout. But be quick – there's 8% off right now.

How to choose the right dumbbell weight

Different exercises require different weights. You might find that you need a relatively heavy weight to make your squats more challenging, but you only need a light weight to exhaust your arms with a lateral raise. So think carefully about your regime before you buy a new set of dumbbells.

Once you've figured out which exercises you want to focus on, you then need to make sure you're grabbing the perfect weight for it. The correct weight dumbbell is the one you can use to complete your planned number of repetitions (reps) in each set without quite losing form on the last rep. So if you plan to do 12 bicep curls, you should find that your dumbbell weight challenges you when you're on that last rep—but you can still manage to complete it. 

Everyone is different when it comes to the above. If you're really new to fitness, it might be worth chatting with a personal trainer—or even your doctor—to get some guidance on what weights you need. You could also try heading to your local gym and lifting different weights, to figure out what works for you. 

Adjustable dumbbell mechanisms

Adjustable dumbbells have different types of mechanisms to allow you to switch between the various weights.

Sunny Health and Fitness 40lb adjustable dumbbell landscape

(Image credit: Sunny Health and Fitness)

Traditional adjustable dumbbells are made up of a short metal bar and weight plates that are stacked at either end of the bar. They may be held on with a locking clip, or a screw on nut. This system is simple to use, but can be slow to use when switching between weights. You might also find that you get grease on your clothes if using a dumbbell with a screw nut. Budget adjustable dumbbells are usually made this way.

Powerblock pro series adjustable dumbbelll

(Image credit: Powerblock)

Stacking adjustable dumbbells are made up of separate components that are held together with a double locking pin. Powerblock, shown above, is a well-known example of this style. As well as selecting your level of weight by moving the double locking pin, you can slip adjuster weights into the block to increase the weight slightly, which can be useful when you’re trying to make incremental progress in the amount of weight that you lift. This style of dumbbell tends to be a block shape and can feel quite bulky if you’re used to single weight dumbbells.

Best adjustable dumbbells

(Image credit: Bowflex)

Dial adjustable dumbbells use a rotating mechanism that automatically selects the weight you want to use. You place the dumbbell in its ‘cradle’, turn the dial to the weight you want to use and then pick up the dumbbell, which will now be the correct load. These dumbbells are easy to use, but the weight plates typically have a notch taken out of one side, which allows the weight to be adjusted. This means that each dumbbell is a little ‘bottom heavy’, which can take a bit of getting used to. Examples of this style include Bowflex (above) and Keppi adjustable dumbbells.

FAQs

Adjustable dumbbells vs normal dumbbells

Plenty of space at home? Then getting a set of fixed weight dumbbells may be your preferred option. If you are just starting out you may prefer to buy a limited range of weights and then add to them later. A full set can take up a lot of room, but you can purchase a stand to stack them vertically.

If space is at a premium, an adjustable dumbbell set may be a better bet for you. As these include a large range of weight options, they are more expensive than buying a few pairs of dumbbells in a limited number of weights, but should usually be cheaper than buying a complete set of fixed weights.

Which is the best material for dumbbells

Dumbbells are usually made from different types of metal. Cast iron dumbbells tend to be cheaper and, because cast iron is relatively brittle, are also bulkier than steel dumbbells.

You may find coatings like neoprene on cast iron dumbbells, which can make them more comfortable to hold, and also protects them from wear and tear. Stainless steel dumbbells are stronger and so are usually thinner. They are also typically more expensive.

Ruth Gaukrodger
Fitness Editor

Ruth Gaukrodger is the fitness editor for Fit&Well and its sister site Coach, responsible for editing articles on everything from fitness trackers to walking shoes. A lot of her time is spent setting up testing protocols for our in-depth buying guides and making sure everything is reviewed to a set standard, so you can be confident we only recommend the best products on the market.

When she's not wrestling with equipment in our dedicated testing centre, you can find her pursuing running PBs around the streets of London or improving her yoga skills from the comfort of her living room. She’s a keen believer in working out for enjoyment first and is always open to hearing about new, fun ways to exercise.

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