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Please forgive my naivety, I remember when there used to be one type of dumbell. But now they seem to be made of different materials. I've had a quick look online and there doesn't seem to be a clear description of the actual benefits of the different material types. You'll see what i mean on https://www.physicalcompany.co.uk/strength/dumbbells - on the left you can select from PU, rubber and steel. I'm after variable weights and would use a few times a week, but I also don't want any cheap tat. Can anyone help?
Rubber is great at protecting floors, but some people have reactions to rubber. It can also bounce which can be dangerous depending on where it bounces/what it bounces into. Rubber is also kind of delicate. A rubber dumbell would bounce off of a piece of furniture (in theory, not a promise) rather then dent/scratch
PU is alright at protecting floors, but doesn't bounce. Will probably still cause damage to furniture if knocked into, but is better than steel. It's quite impact resistant, but will still suffer damage over time/age. People may have reactions to PU.
Steel will damage anything it touches - but is pretty indestructible. PU and Rubber can crack and age with time/damage. Steel will last forever.
That's about it.
I'd add that PU outclasses rubber at every step, the protection offered by PU is enough to protect floors and racks/benches. It's also the most expensive.
Awesome, thanks for the input. So to summarise: steel is definitely out, and PU is probably the best choice because it doesn't bounce.
Thanks!
> I’m after variable weights and would use a few times a week, but I also don’t want any cheap tat.
I keep thinking about getting the adjustable dumbbells eg https://www.physicalcompany.co.uk/powerblock-u90-stage-1-adjustable-dumbbells-2-22-5kg-pair
You can get a similar design much cheaper around about £120 per dumbbell.
Thanks for the advice, I think I'll take another look around, specifically for the PU ones!