These weights are brilliant. Just…brilliant.
I live in an *extremely* tiny space—which means I am a big fan of efficient, space-saving products. It also means that I have a ZERO tolerance policy for design that is only sorta-maybe a success, of sub-par function or inferior quality. If I’m going to give something valuable real estate space in my tiny sanctuary, it has to earn it—ie, be something I will truly use, regularly, with minimal fuss or inconvenience; something aesthetically pleasing; something that stashes easily and compactly, without dominating the space. And honestly, I wasn’t at all sure these adjustable weights were going to earn a spot. So often ‘clever’ multi-use products with snap-on/off parts are gimmicky and flimsy. But these…. these are my new roommates.
Great features:
– ingenious slide-and-click mechanism allows for adjusting weight increments w/ incredible ease (ie, you can do it multiple times per session without interrupting your workout flow—it’s truly done in seconds, with one hand even)
– weights can even be stacked fully on one bar, to create a single heavier unit (there’s no kettle bell handle-base with my set, but you can still use a fully-loaded single handle in some ways with similar effects—and an added balance challenge in your grip)
– ergonomically excellent—they feel smooth, comfortable, sturdy (no, the click-on additions don’t rattle or wobble) and well-balanced in the hand (no rough grip, no sense of possible soreness or callouses
– they are free from sharp corners, but are still squared enough in shape to sit precisely where you place them, with no risk of them rolling off a shelf or away from you when you’re using them
– they give you an array of weights in one tight, discreet footprint—can be stashed easy in a tight spot—really wonderfully efficient
– they are super sleek-looking (I got the black ones, which I appreciate because not all women want their fitness gear, tools, razors etc to be in Barbie’s colour-palette! I’ll note here that the black surface does *not* show fingerprints and smudges, nor does is attract dust magnetically, the way silicone-covered weights do)
– smooth plastic surface and simple shape is easy to wipe and keep clean/sanitary
– come very well packed in fitted foam inserts
– come with a clear instruction booklet showing how to operate the click-slide mechanism (it’s easy, but baffling at first if you’re expecting to pull the pieces off rather than slide)
Caveat:
– while the plastic they are made of seems to be very good quality (no seams, no high-pitched brittle sound when you tap it), it is, still, plastic—so I’m not sure they’d survive being dropped on an edge onto a hard surface; that might end up chipping, say, one of the weight pieces. Still: in the interest of toes and floors, we tend to go out of our way NOT to drop weights… so… that is certainly not enough of a concern for it alter my enthusiasm or my review.
Note:
– there are two configurations for these weights—ie, with or without the kettlebell base—but when you select “pair”, as opposed to “set”, the item Title still reads “kettlebell set”.. so just a heads up! Be sure you click the button for the one that you want (if you choose the set, it is $14.00 more)
I think the price of $55.99 CAD is entirely reasonable (in line with, or less than, what you pay for multi-weight sets)
