Ironmaster Quick Lock Dumbbells Review
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Adding dumbbells to your home gym can greatly expand the variety of exercises at your disposal. Unfortunately, they may also be one of the most expensive purchases you’ll make for your home gym.
It’s important to know exactly what you’re getting before you pull the trigger to ensure you’ll be happy with your purchase. By the end of this post, you’ll know if the Ironmaster adjustable dumbbells are right for you. If after reading you have any questions I didn’t answer, leave them in the comments!
What’s Included? (Base Kit)
The base kit of Ironmaster dumbbells is the Quick-Lock Adjustable Dumbbell System 75 lb set. You can purchase many expansions and accessories that will greatly increase the versatility of these weights, but we’ll talk more about that later in this post.
Included in this set:
Two dumbbell handles
Twenty-four 5 lb plates
Four 2.5 lb plates
Four locking screws
Storage Stand
Ironmaster Dumbbell Stand
The stand is high quality and very sturdy. It is also very compact, taking up very little floor space at only 19 inches deep, 14 inches wide, and 26 inches tall. The platform is big enough to accommodate both dumbbells with about one inch of extra room.
At 26 inches tall, this stand will be the perfect height for individuals who are average height. Personally, at 6 ft, I am slightly taller than average and I have to hunch over slightly when changing the weights. It’s not a huge deal but if you’re over 6 ft, you may want to slap together a base out of 2x4’s to slightly increase the height.
How do the Ironmaster dumbbells work?
In order to put weight on the handles, simply line up the desired weight, align the notch on the locking screw with the notch on the handle, insert the screw, and tighten it down.
Ironmaster claims it takes less than 15 seconds to change all four sides.
It actually takes 30 seconds - 1 minute to change weights depending on how big of a jump in weight you’re making. This is certainly much faster than traditional spin-lock dumbbells, but drop sets will likely be out of the question unless you’re the Flash.
Switching weights can be made faster if you have enough room to scoot the stand away from the wall by about a foot so that you aren’t having to slide the dumbbells forward to change the back weights.
How do the Ironmaster dumbbells feel?
The feel of the dumbbells is the most attractive feature. The biggest drawback to adjustable dumbbells as a whole, is that they usually don’t feel like fixed dumbbells.
Spin-lock dumbbells (and some other styles of dumbbells) will always have the shaft sticking out at both ends. This causes a number of problems. Most notably, it’s extremely uncomfortable to place them on your knees before starting a dumbbell bench press or shoulder press.
Ironmaster dumbbells feel like fixed dumbbells, which in my opinion, is the best compliment you can give to a set of adjustable dumbbells. There are other adjustable dumbbells that feel like fixed dumbbells, such as the Core Fitness adjustable dumbbells but they only go up to 50 lbs. Ironmaster dumbbells are the only dumbbells I’m aware of that feel like fixed dumbbells and can go over 100 lbs.
The Ironmaster dumbbells also have a high quality, aggressive knurling, which is a welcomed feature considering most dumbbells have either poor knurling or no knurling at all.
Versatility of Ironmaster Dumbbells
Versatility is another area where the Ironmaster dumbbells shine. In addition to the base set, you can get a 120 lb per dumbbell add on kit, a 165 lb per dumbbell add on kit, a 1.25 lb micro adjustment plate kit, a 15 lb heavy handle add on, a kettlebell handle, a straight bar, and an EZ bar. The Ironmaster quick-lock system is by far the most versatile adjustable dumbbell system.
Price
Price is yet another area where the Ironmaster Dumbbells shine. At $649 dollars for the base set, with free shipping, they are one of the least expensive of the premium options. The 120 lb add-on is $399 and the 165 lb add-on is $309.
Ironmaster 75 lb Set
120 lb Add On Kit
165 lb Add On Kit
NOTE: The 165 lb add-on kit adds 45 lbs to the 120 lb kit. You will need the base kit and both add-ons to reach 165 lbs.
Ironmaster Competitors
Bowflex SelectTech 1090 Dumbbells
There are two main competitors to the Ironmasters. The first is the Bowflex SelectTech 1090 Dumbbells. $599 for a set of dumbbells that adjust from 10 - 90 lbs is pretty compelling; however, I would personally not choose this option. There is no way to expand these dumbbells. If you eventually needed more than 90 lbs, you’d have to purchase a completely new set. In addition to this, you’ll also need to buy a stand separately.
Bowflex SelectTech 1090
Powerblock Commercial Series Dumbbells
If you wanted to go with one of Ironmaster’s competitors, the best option would be the Powerblock Pros. The benefit of the Powerblocks is how quickly they adjust. All you have to do is pull the weight comb and slot it back in. Both sides can be adjusted in 5 - 10 seconds.
The one drawback for the Powerblock Pros is the price. The 12.5 - 125 lb set is $1,599 plus shipping and the 12.5 - 175 lb set is $1,899 plus shipping so you’ll have to decide how much the ability to swap weights more quickly is worth to you.
Powerblock Commercial Series
What is my personal recommendation?
If you want high-quality adjustable dumbbells that feel like fixed dumbbells, go with the Ironmasters. If not, I would go with a set of spin-lock dumbbells. I personally would not go with the Bowflex. If you put a big emphasis on drop sets and need the ability to swap weights quickly, the Powerblock Pros are your best bet but will cause great pain for your wallet.
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