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It’s a debate that’s gone on forever. Which one is best for your home gym when it comes to adjustable dumbbells vs fixed dumbbells. Both of them help you gain muscle and let you do all the same workouts, and yet they also have their own pros and cons to consider. There are many representatives we could bring up for this battle, but today we’ll compare Cap Barbell 150 lb Eco Dumbbell Set with Rack for fixed weights and Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell Set for adjustable weights.
Both are great, but let’s put them head-to-head to see which is the absolute best for your home gym. We’ll compare them based on weight per dumbbell, dumbbell construction, and ease of use. By the end of this you’ll know exactly which is right for your needs.
| Cap Barbell Dumbbells | Core Home Fitness |
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Cap Barbell vs Core Home Fitness: Weight
Why do people lift weight? To get stronger, healthier, and to build their muscles. You need adequate resistance to build your body up, so you want a dumbbell set that matches your current level of fitness and that can also progress with you as you get stronger. So, which dumbbell set is better with our adjustable vs fixed dumbbells comparison?
Let’s start with the fixed dumbbells. The Cap Barbell 150 lb Eco Dumbbell Set with Rack comes with 10 weights in 5 different weight classes. You get dumbbells in 5-pound, 10-pound, 15-pound, 20-pound, and 25-pound pairs. That’s pretty good for most people as the majority of home gym enthusiasts will feel challenged by around 15-pound or 20-pound weights. However, that only leaves a tiny bit of progression as 25 pounds is the highest you can go.
While 25 pounds isn’t bad, how do the adjustable dumbbells do here? Well, let’s just say that it’s no contests with the Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell Set. This set ranges from 5 pounds up to 50 pounds. Just like with Cap Barbell, the adjustments go by 5 pounds each, which ensures you have a smooth progression all the way up to 50 pounds. Few people can lift a 50-pound dumbbell without some training, so you’ll have a goal to work towards.
While the Cap Barbell Dumbbell Set is good, the Core Home Fitness Set is significantly better. Speaking of great adjustable dumbbells, you should consider checking out our article Best Adjustable Dumbbells NordicTrack vs Bowflex.
Core Home Fitness vs Cap Barbell: Dumbbell Construction
Let’s talk about how the dumbbells are constructed. This section is a little more subjective than the one above, but I think you’ll see that there is a clear winner in this category.
Starting again with Cap Barbell 150lb Eco Dumbbell Set with Rack, this set comes with hex dumbbells that will never roll along the floor. The hex ends are made from quality iron while the handle is made from stainless steel. The handles have noticeable texturing to ensure they stay safely in your hands while you’re working out. In general, these are dumbbells that are going to last a long time. Put it this way. You will probably be passing these down to your children or other loved ones.
The Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell Set knocked it out of the park when it came to the overall weight, so how will it do here? Not quite as good. The dumbbells are rounded at the ends with flat sections near the top or bottom. They shouldn’t roll if you place them down correctly, but there’s always a chance they will if you place a rounded edge on the floor. That’s not quite as safe as the Cap Barbell set.
The handles are made from a soft material with some slight texturing. The texture isn’t quite as deep as the Cap Barbell set, but the softer material might make some people happy. While the dumbbell should last for a long time, there is a chance this material might wear away after a few years.
In general, the Cap Barbell Eco Dumbbell Set is superior. The entire dumbbell is made from iron and stainless steel, and the hex head is very safe and won’t roll when you place it down. The Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell Set is good, and some people might prefer its construction due to the soft handles, but overall I have to give the win to Cap Barbell.
Ease of Use
If you’ve already picked a side in the adjustable vs fixed dumbbells debate, then we probably aren’t going to change your mind here. That’s fine because both are good and serve their purposes. Fixed dumbbells tend to make switching between weights a tiny bit faster (just pick up the new weights, no need to adjust anything), and a set gives you more weights that other people can use simultaneously. Adjustable weights save space since you only need two dumbbells instead of ten, and many times they go up higher than fixed weights.
That being said, which is easier to use when it comes to Cap Barbell 150 lb Eco Dumbbell Set with Rack vs Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell Set? There’s several things to look at.
Let’s start with Cap Barbell. As we said before, the handles have a good texture and that makes them safe to hold. The included rack is made from steel and is an A-frame. This makes it sturdy and you should have no problem removing dumbbells as needed, but there is a chance they might get stuck for a moment.
The features are otherwise lacking, but that’s fine. You don’t expect a fixed dumbbell set to have lots of bells and whistles. You get it because it’s easy to use and does the job, which is exactly what Cap Barbell does.
On the other side, what does Core Home Fitness give us? The aluminum cradle is durable and lightweight, which makes it easy to move around if needed. You’ll need to stay close to the cradle as it will hold the extra weight and you need to set the handle to adjust the weight.
This makes it very easy to switch weights. It can even be done with one hand. Simply place the handle in the cradle, adjust the dial with your fingers, and then lift up. It’s very simple and couldn’t be easier. Some adjustable dumbbell sets get stuck when you try to adjust them, but this one should be just fine.
While neither dumbbell set is mind blowing when it comes to ease of use and features, they both do the job and are simple to use. Core Home Fitness Dumbbell Set is somewhat easier to use and has more features, but they are fairly equal in this regard.
| Cap Barbell Dumbbells | Core Home Fitness |
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Final Thoughts
So, who is the winner in this contest of adjustable dumbbells vs fixed ones? It’s nearly a tie, so you’ll have to consider your preferences and what you’re really looking for. The Cap Barbell 150lb Dumbbell Set with Rack has hex heads. It’s also made entirely from metal, has textured handles, and pretty good weight capacity.
The Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell Set goes all the way up to 50 pounds. The soft handles might be more appealing to some people, the adjustments can be done with one hand. You also need less space to house the cradle and two dumbbells.
So, which one is right for you? Let us know below.