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TITAN Competition kettlebell vs TITAN Urethane dumbbell

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Jan 10, 2021 9:00:00 AM

TITAN Competition kettlebell vs TITAN Urethane dumbbell

This is a comparison of the TITAN competition kettlebell and Titan Urethane dumbbell including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally published under which titan kettlebell to get. Follow the links for more details.

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Overview and review of the TITAN Urethane dumbbells

This is an overview of the TITAN Urethane dumbbells including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more information.

 

Overview of the TITAN Urethane dumbbells

Price: $48.99 - $670.99
 
Urethane dumbbells are the Ferrari under the dumbbells which are available on the market. Urethane lasts longer than rubber and is more forgiving when it us dropped. There fore Urethane dumbbells are priced higher than most other dumbbells you will find in the market In addition Urethane dumbbells are usually round instead of hexagonal. This makes them easier to handle when you lift or transport them in your gym. The full specifications of the TITAN Urethane dumbbells are:
 
 
  • Urethane provides greater shock-resistance perfect for dropping repeatedly.
  • Urethane maintains its looks and shape far longer than tradition rubber.
  • Each handle features knurling for a secure grip.
  • Black matte finish for a clean, professional look.
  • Dumbbells are sold in pairs and are available in 5 pound increments from 5 - 120 LB.
 
  • Handle Diameter: 1.25"
  • Handle Width: 6"
  • Weight: 5 - 120 LB Single | 10 - 240 LB Pair
 
Urethane dumbbells are the luxury version of dumbbells which you should get if you expect a lot of use out of them or if you like to just have the best of everything. Otherwise rubber hex dumbbells might be a better choice to save some money.
 

Pros of the TITAN Urethane Dumbbells

 
The pros of the TITAN Urethane dumbbells are:
 
  • Price
  • Round design
  • Durability
 
As with most TITAN products you will get a comparable piece of equipment for roughly half the price when compared to brands like Rogue Fitness or Eleiko. Especially for an item like dumbbells, which you usually buy in bulk and are not that safety critical, this is nothing to be sneered at.
 
Urethane dumbbells are usually designed in a round shape compare to the hex design of the cheaper rubber dumbbells. It can be a matter of state, but especially very heavy dumbbells are a lot easier to manage, store and move around when they are round.
 
Urethane lasts longer than rubber. So especially if your gym is highly frequented or you plan to abuse the dumbbells outdoors and leave them in the rain or moist place, than Urethane might be the better choice.
 

Cons of the TITAN Urethane dumbbells

 
The cons of the TITAN Urethane dumbbells are:
 
  • Price
  • Space requirements
 
While the price of Titan products is always lower than the competition the price for Urethane dumbbells or plates is generally a lot higher than for rubber. If you are building a gym on a budget or a home gym with just one user, I personally do not see it justified to spend that much more compared to rubber dumbbells. Unless you like the good things in mind and having a gym is peanuts for your budget. If you are this kind of buyer i think it is also unlikely that you would be shopping at TITAN.
 
Dumbbells which are fixed in weight are not necessarily the best for home gyms or any other places that are constrained in space. A full rack of dumbbells ranging from 5lbs to 120lbs or even higher takes up an entire wall. If you are training by yourself this is a lot of space to give up and money to invest  on material that you will not use very often.
 

Alternatives to the TITAN Urethane Dumbbells

 
Alternatives to the TITAN Urethane Dumbbells are:
 
 
The Titan rubber hex dumbbells are the cheaper version of the Urethane dumbbells. You will have the same functionality and space requirements, but at a lower cost and with a different shape. The hexagonal shape makes the hex dumbbells a bit harder to handle and transport. The rubber is also more prone to wear off over time. In return you save on the purchase as the material is cheaper. The rubber hex dumbbells are a good alternative for home gyms that have the space for a full rack of dumbbells, but do not want to spend the money on Urethane. When you are the only user of the dumbbells longevity becomes less of an issue, as the usage will not be as high.
 
The neoprene lightweight dumbbells are an alternative for anyone who wants to do yoga or other exercises with slightly more weight than body weight. They tale up less space and are cheaper than the Urethane dumbbells. These dumbbells are aimed at stay at home moms who follow programs like bikinibodymommy. Professional gyms can place these in the dedicated ladies area. Athletes can use these for recovery and mobility exercises to work on problematic ranges of motions.
 
The TITAN Olympic dumbbells come in a 36-inch, 20-inch, and 15-inch version. These adjustable dumbbells are a great solution for home gyms with limited space. You can use the plates you already have to load these individually.This way you have a wide range of weights at your disposal without having to give up the storage space for an entire rack of dumbbells.
 

Conclusion for the TITAN Urethane Dumbbells

 
Urethane dumbbells are a great choice for gyms with high traffic in the free weight area. In this scenario they will suffer a lot of abuse and be transported the gym around a lot. The round shape and the Urethane will help so that you have fewer dumbbells to replace. TITAN themselves as a brand also presents an opportunity to gym owners to expand into high weight dumbbells without breaking the bank too much. While the 20-40lbs dumbbells also might be gotten from a brand with a better reputation for high quality, like Rogue or Eleiko, the big bomber dumbbells could be purchased from TITAN. Reason here is to save half the cost on dumbbells that 90% of your members can not use as they are too heavy.
 
For home gym owners I personally think that Urethane dumbbells are not a great choice. You will not put the mileage on them that warrants paying the extra money compared to rubber hex dumbbells. IN terms of space requirements one of the Olympic dumbbells might be the best choice.
 

Overview of the TITAN Competition kettlebell

This is an overview of the TITAN Competition kettlebell including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally published under which titan kettlebell to get. Follow the links for more details.

 
 

Overview of the Titan Competition Kettlebell $40 - $160

 
The TITAN competition kettlebells are available in a range from 8kg to 40kg. The special features of these kettlebells are their color coding and the same size. Competition kettlebells are designed in the same dimensions so that the movement patterns for juggling and kettlebell complexes do not change. The main difference to cheaper cast iron kettlebells is that they do not get bigger the heavier they get. This makes the production process a little more complex and therefore the kettlebells more expensive. The full specifications for the TITAN competition kettlebells are:
 
- Available in 16 color-coded weights from 8 KG to 40 KG
- Hollow core for better balance
- Solid steel cast with non-welded handles for maximum durability
- Smooth finish for a great hand feel and grip while performing various exercises
- Quantity: 1
 
- Handle Diameter: 35 mm | 1.38-in.
- Handle Width: 190 mm | 7.48-in.
- Overall Diameter: 210 mm | 8.3-in.
- Overall Height: 290 mm | 11.4-in.
- Finish: Powder-Coated Pink, Blue, Yellow, Purple, Green, Orange, Red, Black, White
- Weight: 8 - 40 KG +/- 3%
 
These are solid professional tools and compared to other vendors reasonably priced.
 

Pros of the Titan competition Kettlebell

 

The pros of the TITAN competition kettlebell are:

 
  • Normed
  • Smaller increments
  • Color-coded
  • Price
 
These competition kettlebells are normed and therefore always have the same diameter and handle. This makes progression through different movement patterns easier. Especially if you like to do kettlebell juggling and complexes then these are the ones to go for.
 
Compared to classic kettlebells which come in increments of 8kg the competition kettlebell can be had in increments of 2kg. This also makes it easier to progress to heavier weights for set routines you do over and over.
 
The color coding is pretty to look at and adds a little more fun to your training. In a group setting, it also makes it easier for the instructor to spot whether someone has a kettlebell that is too heavy and which color to swap it for.
 
For a competition kettlebell, the price is great. The competing products from market leaders like Kettlebell kings and Rogue Fitness cost significantly more per pound/kg.
 

Cons of the Titan competition Kettlebell

 
The cons of the TITAN competition kettlebell are:
 
  • Do not scale to high weights
  • TITAN quality issues
  • No lbs labels
  • Price
 
Based on the fact that the diameter of a competition kettlebell is normed, you will seldomly find very heavy competition kettlebells, unless they are filled with very heavy metals which makes them very expensive. If you are looking for a heavy kettlebell you will most likely not juggle it so opt for cast iron which is cheaper and easier to source.
 
TITAN is more likely than other vendors to have minor quality issues as their market strategy is to be a cost leader. This means that the company cuts corners by design to offer you the most competitive price tag on the market for comparable products. In terms of competition kettlebells, this can have an impact in two ways. The first is imprecision on the actual weight. If y ou are a competitive kettlebell juggler you want your instruments to be precise. Weight checks are an easy quality control step to cut out to save cost. The second is the paint. The cheaper the paint, the more likely it is to flake. TITAN has multiple reports online of flaking paints or paints that have not been applied evenly to their products. That does not mean that this has to impact your purchase, just the likelihood is higher compared to other players in the market.
 
Weight competitions are internationally normed to kg and not pounds. This makes it harder to get competition kettlebells or competition plates with pound labeling instead of kg. You can get lbs competition kettlebells, but not from TITAN.
 
The last con is the price. Compared to cast iron kettlebells competition kettlebells are more expensive. If you are just training casually and do not care about pretty colors, why spend more than you need to.
 

Alternatives to the Titan competition Kettlebell

 
Alternatives to the TITAN competition kettlebell are:
 
 
The Rogue competition kettlebells have a better finish and an extra indentation to make them more user friendly. If you want a precise tool for your kettlebell complexes that you can be proud of these are the better option compared to the TITAN competition kettlebell. They are also more expensive.
 
If you want to support locally produced kettlebells to create jobs in the US, then the kettlebell 2.0 from Rogue is a good option. Rogue has started in 2020 to source the metal locally and melt it into kettlebells in a US production facility. They are cast iron kettlebells and a bit more expensive than other cast iron kettlebells which are produced overseas, but they will make you feel better yourself.
 
If all you care about is the best possible price per pound the TITAN cast Iron kettlebells are almost impossible to beat. They might come with some sharp edges which you need to file down, but apart from that, they are cheap and cheerful.
 

Conclusion for the Titan competition Kettlebell

 
If you are looking for a competition kettlebell to use in competition, you might want to go for Rogue or Kettlebell Kings and get the more expensive, proper tools from there. If you like the look of the TITAN competition kettlebells and don't mind minor quality issues, put them into your trolley. If you are just looking for kettlebells, save some money and go for the TITAN cast Iron kettlebells.

Topics: TITAN