When you’re working on your home gym, there’s one thing that you always need to keep in focus — adjustability.
Regardless of how spacious your home seems to be, you won’t have room for all of the different weight combinations of dumbbells or kettlebells that you’d like to keep.
That’s why people who are into fitness know how useful adjustable kettlebells can be, particularly in limited spatial conditions.
These can give you all of the versatility in your workout routine that you need, much more than the usual dumbbells. With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at the best adjustable kettlebells for your home gym right here!
Best Adjustable Kettlebells
- Best Overall: Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Weight
- Best Soft Adjustable Kettlebell: Hyperwear Soft Kettlebell
- Best for Olympic Plates: Rogue Loadable Kettlebell
- Best Budget Adjustable Kettlebell: Kettle Gryp
- Most Versatile Adjustable Kettlebell: Eazylyfe Adjustable Kettlebell Handle
- Best for Lifting Heavy: Apex Adjustable Heavy-Duty Exercise Kettlebell
Best Overall Adjustable Kettlebell – Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Weight
Specifications:
- Weight Range: 8 lbs to 40 lbs
- Material: Plastic molding around metal plates
- Plates included: Yes
Pros:
- Great weight range
- Excellent build quality
- Saves space
Cons:
- Quite bulky
- Weights rattle while performing swings
If you need some adjustable kettlebells for your home gym, pointing yourself in the direction of the Bowflex SelectTech 840 is definitely a good idea.
This is a single kettlebell that will do just fine if you’re dealing with a cramped space, providing more than enough versatility, certainly enough for the average resistance enthusiast.
Basically, this product is a stack of plates situated in a plastic casing with a sturdy handle. You have a mechanical dial that works to adjust the kettlebell’s weight. Seeing as the dial is entirely mechanical, you will need some strength to wield it — but it’s still great.
If you’re not used to the fact that this kettlebell is open at the bottom, you will need some time to get used to it; you may feel like there’s a chance of the plates falling out. However, that’s definitely not going to happen with this design.
Best Soft Adjustable Kettlebell – Hyperwear Soft Kettlebell
Specifications:
- Weight Range: 7 – 30 lbs
- Material: Plastic handle around soft weights
- Plates included: No
Pros:
- A system of shifting sand
- Lowest risk of injury due to soft plates
- Adjustability
Cons:
- Quite pricey
Basically, the only thing that’s likely to turn you away from the Hyperwear Soft Kettlebells is the fact that they’re slightly more expensive compared to other options on this list. However, that does not mean that they’re necessarily not an excellent choice for you!
First of all, these adjustable kettlebells were designed with a fiberglass reinforcement handle, guaranteeing that they won’t wear down or break after a while. Plus, as with the other options on our list — this kettlebell can be adjusted to fit your strength and training regimen.
The biggest selling point here, however, is the fact that the Hyperwear product was made with soft plates in mind, containing bags of shifting sand.
As such, you don’t have to worry about this product damaging your interior or yourself getting injured. These are pretty much the safest kettlebells that you can buy for your home.
Best Adjustable Kettlebell for Olympic Plates – Rogue Loadable Kettlebell
Specifications
- Weight Range: 2.75 lbs to 10.25 lbs
- Material: Steel
- Plates included: No
Pros:
- Weight accuracy
- Affordable shipping
- Excellent coating
Cons:
- Thicker handles on higher weights
Among all US-based adjustable kettlebell brands, Rogue Kettlebells are one of the best on the market.
First of all, there aren’t many other manufacturers who beat their quality of finish and shipping prices. And while they may not be the best bells on the market — they’re definitely one of the most cost-effective.
Firstly, the neat thing about the Rogue Loadable Kettlebell is that the plates’ weights (if you buy the Rogue ones) are cast into the actual iron. This means there’s no chance of it fading away. Also, there’s an excellent coating made with a textured powder, providing you the ultimate protection against potential corrosion over time.
It is also important to note that the Rogue Kettlebells have approval from the US Army to be used in their combat fitness test. There aren’t many other companies that can boast that.
Best Budget & Most Portable Adjustable KettleBell – Kettle Gryp
Specifications:
- Weight Range: Up to 55 lbs
- Material: ABS plastic & Stainless Steel hardware + Urethane foam inserts
- Plates included: No
Pros:
- Travel-ready kettlebell accessory
- Turns a dumbbell into a kettlebell
Cons:
- No weights included
One of the best things about adjustable kettlebells is that they give you unique yet straightforward exercises to help you work on your motion range and overall strength.
However, most dumbbells are quite expensive, not to mention difficult for traveling. So, if you’re someone who’s always on the move — it’s not easy working your dumbbell routine into this.
But that’s why this Kettle Gryp represents an excellent solution, albeit one that does not include any bells or plates themselves. Instead, this is a simple but effectively designed grip that can help you transform a set of dumbbells into
This is a useful portable adapter for dumbbells, turning the average ones into what amounts to a kettlebell, giving you more dynamic workout options. It’s a great product for traveling or even your home gym. You just need to keep in mind that the supporting bar’s width is 4.5 inches at most.
Most Versatile Adjustable Kettlebell – Eazylyfe Adjustable Kettlebell Handle
Specifications:
- Weight Range: Up to 44 lbs
- Material: Steel encased in plastic
- Plates included: No
Pros:
- Versatility in terms of other exercises
- Excellent sturdiness
- Comfortable grip
Cons:
- No actual plates included
One of the bad things about conventional kettlebells is that you can’t adjust their weight, but even with adjustable kettlebells, getting the most versatility out of the product you buy is not always easy.
However, that’s where Eazylyfe adjustable kettlebells definitely shine. Firstly, this product can be used with pretty much any 1-inch plate that you have for your barbells and dumbbells.
Plus, this product contains a revolutionary 2-for-1 handle design.
With just the handle itself, you can do triceps pushups, climbers, handstands, and regular pushups, all before you’ve even put any weights on it.
This allows you to complete a full-body workout session using nothing more than this kettlebell handle. You will be able to save a ton of money on home gym equipment by utilizing the diverse range of exercises that this utility helps you perform.
Best Adjustable Kettlebell for Heavy Lifters – Apex Adjustable Heavy-Duty Exercise Kettlebell
Specifications:
- Weight Range: 20lbs to 50lbs
- Material: Cast iron
- Plates included: No
Pros:
- U-bar handle
- A couple of spacer disks
- Cast iron design
Cons:
- Lack of included weights
By buying the Apex Adjustable Heavy-Duty Kettlebells, you’ll get the entirety of the items you need to start lifting at home, barring the actual weight plates themselves.
There are 4 spacer plates that you get with this set, allowing you to retain the appearance of a full kettlebell even without all weights being on it.
The handle itself weighs 15lbs, while the lowest plate has 5 pounds, meaning that the empty kettlebell still allows you to exercise with 20 pounds. So, depending on your current strength level, you may not even need to put weights on this.
When it comes to the material itself, it’s incredibly well-made. There’s a cast iron base that was powdered with an excellent coating, meaning it can pretty much withstand any sort of strenuous exercise.
It’s also relatively easy to take out the spacer disks and put in the actual weights; the process won’t take you more than a minute or two at most.
All you need to do is to turn the bottom knob and then take out the pin, which binds the entire construction together. Then, you can interchange the spacers and the weights as you see fit.
Really, the only downside is that the kit doesn’t include any actual weights itself — but that’s a minor grievance.
How We Chose the Best Adjustable Kettlebells
There are a lot of adjustable kettlebells on the market nowadays. Trust us – we know, we looked at them all to pick our best list.
Narrowing it down to only 6 was no easy feat. To help us rank the options, we used the criteria in the Buying Guide section below – including:
- Weight Range
- Materials
- Durability
- Handle
- Ease of Adjustment
- Accessories
- Price
With so many options on the market, we couldn’t personally test them all, so we researched the options by talking to real personal trainers, reading user reviews, checking product manuals, assessing overall brand quality and reputation, and checking the current prices.
Adjustable Kettlebell Buying Guide
Now that we’ve taken a look at all of the different adjustable kettlebells which you can buy, the question is — which ones should you pick?
And more importantly — what if you need to decide between a bunch of other adjustable kettlebell models, ones that we haven’t reviewed here?
Keeping this in mind, we’re going to present a detailed buying guide on this product niche, allowing you to pick the best product yourself, regardless of the options in front of you.
Weight Range
Logically, one of the most important things that you need to consider while you buy the best adjustable kettlebells for your home gym is the — weight.
And if you’re just starting out to buy stuff for your home gym, you may not know the weight range you can get out of adjustable kettlebells.
Now, while there are many different manufacturers out there — the fact of the matter is that their minimum and maximum weight range is pretty universal.
Depending on what product you buy, your adjustable kettlebells will weigh between five and eighty pounds. Obviously, this is quite a wide range — and you may not know which weights to use.
In such a situation, bear in mind that beginners usually exercise with up to 15 pounds. On the other hand, those with approximately intermediate strength may go up to 40 pounds.
Finally, advanced kettlebell users can go up to 50 pounds.
Although some kettlebells may support weights up to 80 pounds, we don’t really recommend going so high unless you’re a bodybuilder or absolutely sure of your strength.
Learn more at our Guide to Choosing the Right Kettlebell for Your Home Gym.
Materials and Durability
When you begin picking out the best adjustable kettlebells for your home gym, there is another significant factor that you need to consider, or rather, two. And those are the materials from which the kettlebell was manufactured — and their inherent durability.
Even the cheapest adjustable kettlebells can present a sizable investment for some people; thus, not something that you want to buy often. Considering that, you need to look for kettlebells that strike the perfect balance between durability and affordability. So, how can you choose?
You’ll find that, barring some exceptions (such as soft kettlebells with sandbags), most kettlebells are manufactured either from steel or cast iron.
The difference can be summed up as follows — cast iron bells won’t be nearly as expensive. Still, they’re also just as less durable compared to the more expensive and durable steel ones.
Though, there are some other factors to consider when we talk about the materials of your kettlebells. You should know that there are all kinds of sizes and shapes of iron kettlebells.
On the other hand, steel kettlebells are usually used in professional weightlifting competitions; thus, they come in uniform sizes and shapes.
When you take a more extended look at the market, you’ll find other materials — such as plastic or vinyl. However, we don’t recommend considering these; they usually come with a critically flawed design because their weight isn’t evenly distributed across the entire kettlebell.
There are also other materials like vinyl and plastic. However, their design is usually flawed because the weight is unevenly distributed in the kettlebell. Plus, they tend to be less durable than both iron and steel; it’s far easier to break or damage a plastic kettlebell during training.
Handle
The next part of the adjustable kettlebell that you need to consider carefully before purchasing is the handles.
First and foremost — you don’t want to have a kettlebell whose handles are too thick. This will lead to your inability to completely wrap your fingers around the handle of the kettlebell.
And that’s not something that you should take lightly; if the handle is too thick, you will find that your forearms will quickly start hurting and get tired. And this won’t allow you to properly finish the exercise.
On the other hand — you need to make sure that the handle width isn’t too narrow. Certain kettlebell handles won’t allow you to fit both of your hands through them.
This isn’t good, as it narrows the number and range of exercises you can achieve with the kettlebell. These are generally competition kettlebells, which are designed to be used with one hand.
But, if you’re a beginner, you will probably be doing quite a lot of two-handed exercises with the kettlebell, so we recommend getting a kettlebell that will support that.
Finally, there’s a third aspect of your adjustable kettlebell handle that you need to watch out for — and that’s its sharpness. The last thing you want is a handle with sharp edges; these will cause you pain as you start working out more and more, becoming a great nuisance over time.
So, check how well the kettlebell was finished and manufactured; you don’t want to spot any sharp paint bits or nicks on the joint between the body and the handle. If you notice sharp edges on a kettlebell that you’ve already purchased, try using some sandpaper to smooth it over.
Ease of Adjustment
One of the other crucial things about your adjustable kettlebells is the ease of use, or rather, the ease of adjustment between different weights. This is important because it dictates how much time you’ll waste on fiddling with the different weight plates and the kettlebell itself.
With this in mind, we recommend finding one that you can definitely adjust with ease and quickly — on the fly. There’s no reason to spend any more time on the adjustments than you absolutely have to, as that cuts into your workout time.
There are a couple of different types of mechanisms that you’ll come across, but there’s no real difference in objective quality between them. All you need to do is to decide which you prefer personally. Apart from that — bear in mind you want to adjust the weight with nothing more than a couple of turns or clicks.
You may also want to look into kettlebells, which keep the weight plates inside. This excellent feature allows you to always have a balanced sense of gravity within the kettlebell.
And, of course — you need to find a product that ensures that the weight plates remain in place via a secure locking mechanism. If you hear any rattling, you will be distracted by the possibility of the plates falling off — and you won’t be able to concentrate on your workout.
Included Plates
Finally, the last factor that you need to consider with adjustable kettlebells is the weights or plates included in the set — or which you can purchase separately. For people who are just getting into weightlifting and aren’t all that serious about it, this isn’t necessarily so important.
But, if you already have a solid workout routine and good base strength and fitness level, you need to think about the weight you’ll be able to use with the kettlebells. For instance — what kind of weight increments and overall weight does the kettlebell support?
Some allow you to juggle between 3 plates with a total of a dozen pounds — while others can go up much higher. It’s all up to you and the kind of workout that you plan on doing with these.
So, there’s a good chance that a basic, light adjustable kettlebell will do the trick for you, with just a couple of different increments. And if you’re more serious about your routine, look for heavier options that allow you to pack more increments on safely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Now that we’ve shown you everything you need to know regarding adjustable kettlebells for your home gym, we’ll answer some of the most fundamental questions that people have about these products.
Benefits of Adjustable kettlebells vs. Regular Kettlebells?
One of the things people ask about most often is why adjustable kettlebells are better than regular ones. And we’ll try to answer this without describing the general benefits of kettlebells compared to other pieces of exercise equipment.
As if you’re reading this, chances are that you’ve already decided that kettlebells are the weights for you.
That being said — there are plenty of reasons why adjustable kettlebells are a better option than regular kettlebells.
For instance — the fact that you’ll save a ton of money on these.
Remember, exercise equipment can cost an arm and a leg. So, if you want to be serious about your home gym, getting different kettlebells for every weight increment can exhaust your budget.
When it comes to prices for regular kettlebells, some will set you back more than $2 per pound! And while that may not sound like too much at first — remember how many different increments of weight there are.
By the time you reach 40 or 50 pounds, you will spend a ton of money on different weights.
On the other hand, you can get all of those weights included with an adjustable kettlebell, severely lowering your expenses.
Plus, you’re going to save on space as well — seeing as you won’t have to find the room for 10 different kettlebells somewhere in your home!
Can you get a good workout with adjustable kettlebells?
Adjustable kettlebells can give you the same huge range of workouts that regular kettlebells can as well — which is definitely more than enough for a regular exercise session.
Check out our guide to the Best Full-Body Kettlebell Exercises.
What is better Dumbbells or Kettlebells?
Dumbbells and kettlebells are both excellent. If you had your pick, you’d get both!
But that’s not the world we live in.
Sometimes, we have to make hard choices, and dumbbells are often the best choice for newer trainees or those with classical strength or bodybuilding goals.
Kettlebells are a bit more niche and offer great functional and conditional benefits in a single implement.
Adjustable is the smart choice for dumbbells, with the cost of a full rack reaching into the thousands. Kettlebells are compact, easy to store, and reward, putting in the effort on unique and challenging movements.
The important thing is to get what fits your goals – both for your training and your space – and to make sure you understand the limitations of that choice.
Be real with your experience and goals, and you’ll get a great investment with either a kettlebell or dumbbells!
Learn more at our definitive guide to Dumbbells Vs. Kettlebells.
Conclusion
Adjustable kettlebells can provide you with a vast array of benefits if you want to buy them for your home gym — or a space-deprived professional gym.
Just remember to take all of the various factors into consideration — and we’re sure that you’ll get the best adjustable kettlebells for your home gym!