REP fitness rubber grip dumbbell vs Powerblock Elite series

This is a comparison between the Rep fitness rubber grip 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 rubber grip dumbbell

This is an overview of the REP fitness rubber grip 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 grip Hex dumbbell $699

The REP rubber hex dumbbell is a good approach to save some costs on your dumbbell set and make it easier on your hands. The costs are slightly higher than for regular hex dumbbells with a metal handle as worldwide sales volume is not as high for this type of dumbbell. This is a good option if the place you train in is very humid. This is also a good quality dumbbell from a solid supplier in case you are worried about buying something from a random vendor on Amazon or Craigslist. The full specifications of the REP rubber hex dumbbells are:

5 to 20lb - 30mm diameter handle.
25lb+ - 34mm diameter handle.
Dumbbell heads are securely attached via friction welding, an extremely durable process.

5-50lbs
55-75lb
80-100lbs
Increments of 5lbs

A Solid set for a home gym on a budget that wants to have a full set of dumbbells or someone who just wants 1 - 3 pairs that are easy on the hands.

Pros of the REP Rubber grip Hex dumbbell

The pros of the REP rubber hex grip dumbbells are:

Rubber grip
The relatively low price point

This is the easy option for a home gym owner who wants to have a full rack of dumbbells running along with one of their walls. Especially when the significant other and the children who might not be as big into fitness as yourself want to train too. If you are a powerlifter or bodybuilder who loves Iron you might want to opt for the regular hex dumbbells or upgrade to the Urethane version. Especially in a commercial setting.

Cons of the REP Rubber grip Hex dumbbell

The cons of the REP rubber hex dumbbell are:

Rubber
Kettlebells vs Dumbbell
Hex shape

The first con is the rubber design itself. If you like steel and getting your hands a little roughed up you might prefer metal handles. Especially when you use heavy dumbbells on a regular basis the extra grip from the textured metal will come in handy.

Personally, I would always recommend buying kettlebells of different sizes over dumbbells for any home gym scenario, unless you are dumpster diving on the internet. A kettlebell can be used for almost all exercises you can do with dumbbells but not the other way around. The only back draw is that kettlebells need more space to be stored if you really get 5 lbs to 100lbs in 5 lbs increments. I also do not think that this is a wise way of investing your money in a home gym. IN a commercial setting you probably want to lean more towards dumbbells than kettlebells, as they are more user-friendly on the wrists for pressing movements.

A big con for hex dumbbells is their handling when they are heavy. I much prefer round dumbbells as they are a lot easier to get from any surface or your legs to the shoulders for presses. Heavy hex dumbbells are really annoying to deal with and you might want to upgrade to Urethane for these if you are taking your training already that seriously.

Alternatives to the REP Rubber grip Hex dumbbell

Alternatives to the REP rubber grip Hex dumbbells are:

The REP rubber dumbbells also have the hex design but come with a metal handle which is better if you are intending to get a lot of a heavy dumbbells. If you are getting dumbbells from rep fitness for a yoga studio and very low resistant the rubber gripped versions might be better.

The REP Urethane dumbbells are the Cadillac among the REP dumbbells. They last longer as Urethane is more durable than rubber. Their round shape also makes them easier to handle on heavy lifts and transport in your gym. Based on the price tag Urethane dumbbells are usually a good option for commercial gyms but not so much for home gyms. Especially if you are considering an entire rack instead of some carefully selected weights.

Rogue Urethane dumbbells are very similar to the REP fitness Urethane dumbbells. Between the two I personally think it is wholly up to your budget and whether you want your gym completely Rogue or REP themed to determine what you choose. As both dumbbells are imported the REP fitness version might be a good option to save some money on a super high-end home gym build.

The rogue loadable dumbbell is my personal favorite for a home gym. You can use the same budget for a dumbbell rack and invest it in two rogue loadable dumbbell handles and their bespoke dumbbell weights. Saves money and space while also looking cool. This is only an option in a home gym scenario as for commercial use you want a lot of handles so that multiple people can train at the same time.

Titan is the cost leader between Rogue, Rep, and themselves. If you want the most equipment for the least possible amount of money then Titan is the way to go. If you have a lot of space they also have a way bigger selection of plate-loaded machines than the other two. If you are a bodybuilder with a lot of space to fill in a massive basement or barn, then TITAN is your friend. The only downside is that their quality control and return policies are not as up to par as with the other two vendors.

Conclusion for the REP Rubber grip Hex dumbbell

I personally think they are a bit gimmicky. However, that comes from a place of bias towards powerlifting on my end. If you want some light weights that are easy on your hands you are probably better off getting the cheap neoprene dumbbells that are usually stocked in TESCO or Walmart. The only real benefit in a commercial setting I can see is that the rubber handles are easier to clean than the metal ones.