REP fitness hex dumbbell vs Powerblock Elite

This is a comparison between the Rep fitness hex dumbbell and Powerblock Elite the including pros, cons and alternatives. Follow the links for more information.

Overview and review Power block classic elite series

The Power Block classic series has a stacked design to save maximum space at home. You will invest around $299 to get one to your home. This article has been originally posted in "which dumbbell to get from Rogue".

Most popular Rogue dumbbell in 2020

This is an overview of the most popular Rogue dumbbells on Marathon-Crossfit.com based on views and click through rates to Rogue Fitness for purchases. If you want to dig deeper on the data you will find explanations under what were the most popular Rogue products in 2020.

The most popular Rogue dumbbells on Marathon-CrossFit.com in 2020 were:

The Rogue loadable dumbbell is a good option to save space in a home gym. It avoids that you have to have an entire rack of dumbbells for various weight iterations. This is not particularly great in a commercial gym scenario as you want multiple people to be able to train at the same time. You can read the full review of the Rogue loadable dumbbell via this link.

The Rogue Urethane dumbbells are the rolls Royce among the Rogue dumbbells. Urethane is supposed to last longer than rubber. My main positive about the Urethane dumbbells compared to the rubber hex dumbbells is that they are round. That makes them easier to handle and store. In a commercial setting, you need to consider that the Urethane dumbbells come in at a higher price tag which hits heavier when you buy in bulk. You can read the full review of the Rogue Urethane dumbbells by following this link.

The Thompson fatbell is a hybrid between a Kettlebell and a dumbbell and a nice extra to any gym which already has all of the bases covered. There might be better ways to spend your money to develop strength like grip strength tools. Still, they are fun. You can read the full review for the Thompson fatbells via this link.

Overview of the Powerblock

The Powerblock dumbbells are a classic design to save space and cost. The design is nested. Think of it like the russian dolls in dolls. The handle fits in each higher weight set and there it gets bigger and bigger. The good thing about this is that you only have two sets of handles. The power block sets are available from 5lb to 90lb. Some of the features include:

Black Powder Coat painted steel weight plates in classic square shape
Snap on color band applied to rails on one side of each block.
Handle has padded wrist supports
Straight Center Handle (hand grip)
Welded construction (non flexing)
Limited 10 year home use warranty. Home use products are warranted only for home use and warranty is void if used commercially.

This is a good alternative for people who do not want to pay too much and want their home dumbbells to be as compact as possible.

Pros of the powerblock

The power block design is hard to beat on space savings. Even the rogue loadable dumbbell needs more space as you need the special plates to make it work. In terms of price the power block also is not too bad.

Cons of the powerblock

The mechanics of the power block can become annoying when changing weights and are prone to break. In the higher weight ranges, the dumbbell can also get very cumbersome based on its rectangular design.

Alternatives to the powerblock

The Rogue loadable dumbbell is basically a shortened barbell that can be loaded with weights. Rogue also offers smaller weights to go with the loadable dumbbell. This is a great option when you want to be able to have a load of different weights on one dumbbell without eating too much space. Ideal for home gyms. For a commercial gym, it might be better to stick with a rack of dumbbells as they are more convenient to use and cover more clients at the same cost.

The rubber hex dumbbell is pound for pins the cheapest dumbbell with a rogue logo on it. They are also sold in pairs. If you like the hex design for your commercial gym I think this is the one to go for in bulk.

Kettlebells are always a good alternative to dumbbells. You can do almost all dumbbell movements with kettlebells while kettlebells also offer the Turkish getup and kettlebell swing as great conditioning exercises. The only negative with kettlebells is that I haven’t seen a great loadable Design for them yet to save space. If I was in the market for a big set I dumbbells I would get a wall of kettlebells instead. Especially if you have very heavy kettlebells it will set you apart from other gyms. It all depends on the clients you want to target as bodybuilders usually prefer dumbbells.

Summary for the Powerblock

Great for the occasional, recreational lifter to have a full set of dumbbells at home.

Overview and review of the REP fitness hex dumbbell

This is an overview of the REP fitness hex dumbbell including pros, cons, and alternatives. The original was published under which rep fitness strength equipment to buy. Follow the links for more details.

REP Rubber Hex Dumbbell $674

These are the standard rubber hex dumbbells that save you money if you want to get a decent full set of dumbbells in your home. For commercial use, they might be a bit cheap, but will still do the trick. The full list of specifications runs like this:

Fully knurled handles for maximum grip
Ultra-low odor rubber
The heads of the dumbbells are securely attached via friction welding for extreme durability
Handle diameter sizes

2.5lb - 22mm diameter handle.
5lb to 15lb dumbbells - 28mm diameter handle.
17.5lb+ dumbbells - 34mm diameter handle. The thicker 34mm handle adds comfort on heavier weights.

REP Fitness dumbbells come with a lifetime warranty for home use. 1 year warranty for commercial use.
Dumbbell sets range from 5 to 50 pounds, 5 to 75 pounds, and 5 to 100 pounds

A solid option for an ambitious or small budget with the goal of having a full 5 to 100 pound dumbbell rack.

Pros of the REP Rubber Hex Dumbbell

The pros of the Rubber Hex dumbbell are:

Price
Metal handle
Easily stacked

The main argument for these dumbbells is that they make a full dumbbell rack affordable for a home gym or if you really want to go all the way on massive commercial set up. With rubber hex dumbbells you can still stay under $1000 for a full rack from 5 to 100 pounds.

These dumbbells have a metal handle instead of neoprene or rubber. The extra grip this provides is very welcome on heavy dumbbells.

Another bonus for storage is that these can be stacked easily even without having a dumbbell rack. This makes it an attractive option when you just want to have a pile of them in the corner for group classes without taking up the entire width of a wall.

Cons of the REP Rubber Hex Dumbbell

The cons of the REP rubber hex dumbbell are:

Hex design
Rubber
Harder to clean

The hex design can get very annoying when the dumbbells get heavy. The bigger the dumbbell is the more you want it to be round to be easier to handle for pushes or rolling it around the gym. So if you are a serious lifter you might also want to be serious about your dumbbells and look into Urethane dumbbells.

Rubber dumbbells have a shorter shelf life than rubber dumbbells. The more people use them over a day the more relevant this becomes. For home gyms, I personally don’t think that the longevity aspect should play a big role as you won’t put the time on them. In a commercial setting, you quickly buy twice, and then you might as well get Urethane dumbbells the first time around.

Compared to the rubber grip alternative from REP fitness you will have a harder time cleaning these dumbbells. The metal handle will need a brush whereas the rubber handles will only need a wile with antibacterial cloths.

Alternatives to the REP Rubber Hex Dumbbell

Alternatives to the REP rubber hex dumbbell are:

The REP rubber grip hex dumbbells are the better option if you want something a little easier on the hands and to clean. I personally think that for this purpose you can save a lot of money by just going for the neoprene dumbbells that you can get in most well-stocked retailers or on Amazon. At least if you are buying for your home gym.

The REP Urethane dumbbells are the choice for serious home gym athletes with a generous budget or commercial buyers. These dumbbells will last longer and are also easier to handle. The only downside is that you have to invest north if $1000 to get a full 5 to 100-pound set.

The Rogue Urethane dumbbells are very similar to the REP urethane dumbbells and it all comes down to branding which one you should buy. Especially as both of them are imported. If you want to save some money the REP urethane dumbbells would be better. Compared to the hex dumbbell the main reason to get Urethane is the round shape.

The Rogue loadable dumbbell is in my opinion an excellent choice for a home gym that wants to optimize a generous budget. They are made in the US and combined for the specific dumbbell bumper weights are great fun to use in a home gym to save money and space on a high-quality build. They will still not be as cheap as a full set of rubber hex dumbbells when you tally up all components but why more versatile for one user. If you need dumbbells for multiple users the hex dumbbells or multiples of urethane dumbbells are the better options.

TITAN is the cost leader among the lineup of REP fitness, Rogue fitness, and TITAN fitness. If you want to get your equipment as cheap as possible while not getting utter crap then TITAN is the way to go. Be aware though that TITAN is known in the industry for the most quality issues between these three brands.

Conclusion for the REP Rubber Hex Dumbbell

The REP rubber hex dumbbell is a solid option for a home gym on a budget that you want to fill with a full set of dumbbells fron 5 to 100 pounds. In commercial settings I would lean more towards the REP Urethane dumbbell option.