ALTLER Adjustable Dumbbell Review: Good, Bad, and Ugly

If you’ve just started lifting? A lightweight adjustable dumbbell with small weight increases is usually the best way to go for most people. But, we need to remember 25lb is the max weight of the Altler Adjustable Dumbbell, and if you have plans on taking your lifting seriously, you could outgrow this bell pretty soon.

Think ahead when choosing your first dumbbell because gains come quickly in the first year.

Still, for beginners on a budget, the Altler Dumbbells remain a good choice as not everyone has $500 to splash on a set of  heavier bells such as the Powerblocks or Bowflex 552’s. And if you want to get into lifting at home buying a cheap set of lightweight adjustables is much better than bodyweight exercises alone.

Today I’ll look at everything this dumbbell from Altler has to offer, including those drawbacks; also, I’ll compare the Altler with the best sellers in this price bracket, the Flybird 25lb Dumbbells. First, a quick look at the Altler dumbbell product specs!

Why Do We Like The Altler Adjustable Dumbbell?

Fast adjustment times are essential as they allow you to perform advanced exercises such as drop sets that require quick weight changes. Thanks to their twist-lock adjustment system, the Altler dumbbells adjust in just one second, and it’s my favorite feature of this dumbbell. It’s the fastest adjustment system on the market, and it’s so easy to use it can be done with one hand.

You need to make sure the dumbbell is sitting in its storage cradle and simply twist your wrist to the desired weight. It’s that easy. Still, I know a few people have had trouble with the twist-lock system, and that’s only because they haven’t pushed the dumbbell fully into the storage tray before adjusting the weight. Once it’s fully in, the weight change will be smooth and fast.

Small weight Inreses – best for progress

Another feature I love about this dumbbell is that it adjusts in increments of 5lb. Small weight increases are one of the keys to progress, and ideally, for dumbbells, we look for weight increments of 2.5lb or 5lb.

Anything higher than 5lb will slow your progress. You’ll see some adjustable dumbbells with 10lb increments; this is too big a jump even for serious lifters. 10lb increments will cause you to cheat on your form and, at worse, cause an injury.

Think of it this way if you can curl a 20lb Altler dumbbell for ten reps and want to continue adapting, curling a 25lb dumbbell represents a 25% increase in load. That is a fairly large jump in weight for any level of lifter, but if you were to choose a dumbbell with 10lb increments, the increase in load would be 50% which is almost useless for Bodybuilding and isolation exercises.

So while 5lb increments aren’t Ideal, they are much better for beginners than the 10lb increments you’ll find on cheap heavier sets.

Click here to check price of Altler 25lb Dumbbell on Amazon

No Drops From Height

The Altler adjustable dumbbell isn’t a dumbbell you can throw around your home gym. You can’t even drop this dumbbell on that last killer rep. Why? There’s too much plastic. Plastic seems to plague nearly every fast-to-adjust dumbbell on the market. Some have more than others, but almost all have some plastic in their design.

The Altler dumbbells have plastic in the adjustment system and handle, which is pretty standard, but it means no drops from height. Im sure they’ll survive one or two drops, they feel solid, but I wouldn’t risk training to failure and dropping a dumbbell like this regularly. The adjustment systems are delicate, and sadly drops aren’t covered in the warranty, so you’ll end up with the repair bill.

Fixed Length 16″ Handle

This is another drawback of some selectable dumbbells, including the Altlers. They use a fixed length handle. A fixed-length handle is a handle that stays the same length no matter how much weight you lift. Whether you choose to lift  5lb or 25lb the length of the handle stays the same. Usually, this is only an issue with the heavier 50lb sets, as their fixed length handles are longer because there’s more weight to lift.

However, the Altler Handle is almost as long as the fixed-length handle of a Bowflex 552, which isn’t good news.

15.7″ is the fixed length of the Altler handle; this is two inches longer than some of the 25lb dumbbells I’ve reviewed recently. Does a long handle affect your lifting? Yes, it can, but it’s not a deal killer. Long handles are awkward to lift with at first. They can clash above your head when pressing, hit your side when curling, and generally take some getting used to, but after a couple of weeks, you’ll adapt to the handle length, and it shouldn’t affect your training.

Still, you won’t have that natural feel you get from a fixed weight dumbbell. If you want that natural feel? You need to choose an adjustable dumbbell whose handle only increases in length when more weight is added. This makes for a much more compact natural feel dumbbell.

Anything Else Worth Mentioning?

If you have the budget, it’s worth purchasing two dumbbells as there really isn’t that much point in buying a single dumbbell. A single is better than no dumbbell, but you’ll miss out on some of the most beneficial exercises, such as compound movements. Compound movements should be the backbone of any bodybuilding routine. They increase strength, add muscle mass, and burn fat faster than any other exercise and can only be performed with two dumbbells or a barbell.

Something else worth mentioning is how much space adjustable dumbbells save. It’s one of the main reasons many lifters choose adjustable dumbbells over fixed weight dumbbells. An adjustable dumbbell like the Altler replaces five sets of fixed weight dumbbells. Heavier sets like the Powerblock Elites replace 15 sets of fixed-weight dumbbells. It’s a heck of a lot of space to save, especially in a home gym where space is tight.

Alternative

Flybird 25lb Adjustable Dumbbell

Flybird has been around for years these guys make some decent gym gear. I’ve reviewed a lot of their products and have always been impressed with the quality for the price.

Their 25lb dumbbells are the best sellers in this price bracket. The reason their dumbbells sell so well is that they use the Twist lock adjustment system, so just like the Altler adjustable dumbbells, the Flybird dumbbells can be adjusted with a twist of your wrist in one second. Another impressive feature of these dumbbells is their 5lb weight increments making them suitable for any level of lifter.

Also they are one of the only 25lb dumbbells that feel compact when lifting. They have a handle length of around 14″, so they are nearly two inches shorter than the Altlers, making a big difference. They feel compact and natural when lifting, and this is exactly what you want from an adjustable dumbbell.

However they have drawbacks as they too have plastic in their adjustment system and handle, so are another dumbbell you have to be careful not to drop.

Overall, the Flybirds are more impressive than most 25lb dumbbells; they feel great, adjust fast, and have small weight increases. They cost around $30 more per dumbbell than the Altlers, but I think it’s worth it if you want a dumbbell that feels natural to lift with.

To Sum Up

There’s a lot I liked about the Altler Adjustable Dumbbells such as the price its great $69 for a twist-lock dumbbell is excellent, and when you consider they feel solid, the weight changes are smooth and fast, and they include the small weight increments. They are a bargain for any beginner.

Just a couple of minor things hold them back. The long handles are really their only noticeable drawback. 16″ is long for a 25lb adjustable dumbbell. I usually expect to see this length handle on much heavier sets of bells. I mentioned it’s not a deal killer, but don’t be surprised if it takes you a while to get used to the length of the handle.

There is some plastic in the design. Still, I’ve come to expect this over the past two decades of using selectable dumbbells. There’s always some plastic, so no drops!