What you have to love about the Bayou Fitness Adjustable dumbbells is just how good they look. There’s less plastic in their design than most adjustables I’ve reviewed, which is a good thing. Shinny metal weight plates and knurled chrome grips give the Bayou dumbbells their tough heavy-duty look. And that’s one of the reasons I like this 25lb dumbbell pair – they look the part.
Impressive but Not Perfect.
Still, there is some plastic in the handle and adjustment system, so they’re not a pair of dumbbells you can throw around your gym, and they use the pull slide selector, which isn’t the strongest of adjustment systems, but it is fast. Overall, they’re fairly impressive for the price point, and today I want to take a close look at everything this 25lb adjustable dumbbell pair offers, including those minor drawbacks.
First a quick look at the product specs!
Product Specifications
Product dimensions – 18 x 15 x 10 inches
Weight – 25lb per dumbbell
Adjustment system – slide selector
Weight increments – 5lb
Materials – metal, plastic
Why Do We Like The Bayou Fitness Adjustable Dumbbells?
If you want to build muscle, you’ll need to be able to perform both advanced and basic bodybuilding techniques with your dumbbells; some of those techniques, even the basic ones, demand speedy weight changes especially exercises like drop sets. You’ll need an adjustable dumbbell with a fast, easy-to-use adjustment system.
One Second To Adjust
The Bayou Fitness dumbbells thankfully boast one of the fastest systems on the market. All you need to do is pull the selector and slide it to the desired weight you wish to lift, taking just a second to adjust.
Be Careful With The Selectors
While slide sector adjustment systems are one of the fastest you’ll find, they are not the most durable.
The most common issue with selectors like this is that they can snap if you’re heavy-handed with them. Its rare one will snap on you, I’ve only seen it happen a few times in the past 20 years, but it’s known to happen more with this type of adjustment system than any other. Be carfell, and they will last. If one does break, it’s not the end of the world. They’re a cheap fix, $10-$20 for a new selector.
Can Adjust in 2.5lb Weight Increments
Small weight increses are one of the keys to progress no matter what exercise you are performing or what equipment you are using, and for dumbbells, ideally, we look for 2.5lb increments or 5lb at most.
A lot of cheap adjustable dumbbells adjust in weight increments of 10lb. This is too big a jump, even for seasoned lifters. You’ll cheat your form and slow your progress, so at all costs, avoid dumbbells with jumps in weight this big.
The 5lb increments of the Bayou Dumbbells, while not ideal, are still okay for most people. Even beginners can get on well with an adjustable dumbbell that adjusts in 5lb increments.
However, if you don’t mind an unbalanced dumbbell? You can adjust the Bayou Fitness dumbbells in 2.5lb increments. One of the advantages of the slide selector systems is that each side of the dumbbell can be adjusted independently. An unbalanced dumbbell can be used for isolation exercises such as tricep kickbacks, hammer curls, etc.
Fixed Length Handles
Fixed length handles are one of the drawbacks to owning an adjustable dumbbell. They’re long and can be awkward to lift with. You’ll find that most adjustable and selectable dumbbells use a fixed-length handle. A fixed-length handle is a handle that stays the same length no matter how much weight you lift.
More of an Issue With Heavier Dumbbells
Fixed length handles are more of an issue with heavier 50lb adjustbales as there’s more weight the handle has to be even longer.
The fixed length of the Bayou Fitness handle is around 14″, which isn’t too bad. 14 inch handles feel reasonably compact and shouldn’t affect your training negatively. However, some beginners may take a few weeks to get used to the handle length, especially when curling.
If you’d like something that feels more natural to lift with. It would help if you looked for an adjustable dumbbell whose handle only increases in length when more weight is added., This type of handle is the gold standard for adjustable dumbbells and is usually found on more expensive pairs. The Powerblock 24s are a perfect example of a compact, lightweight dumbbell that uses this type of handle.
No Drops From Height
The Bayou Fitness Dumbbells may look tougher than most adjustable dumbbells because of all the metal on show, but there is some plastic in the handle and remember that the adjustment system is more fragile than most.
Nearly all adjustable dumbbells can’t be dropped, it’s not just the Bayou Fitness pair, as almost all have some amount of plastic in their design, and most have delicate parts in their adjustment systems.
If you want your adjustable dumbbells to last a few years, you’ll have to be extra careful not to drop them from height. This means no training to failure and dropping them on that last killer rep – you’ll break something.
Drops are never covered in the warranty, so you’ll end up with the repair bill if you drop one and break it.
I’ve owned a pair of Bowflex and a Pair of Powerblocks for over a decade. The Bowflex dumbbells have more plastic than any other set, and mine are still working just as well today as they were ten years ago. This shows plastic and delicate parts aren’t a deal killer as long as you’re careful.
Space Saving Design
One of the reasons people chose adjustable dumbbells over fixed weight dumbbells is the space they save. The Bayou 25lb pair replaces five pairs of fixed-weight dumbbells, saving you a lot of space, which means they can be easily stored under a bed or in a cupboard.
I recommend getting hold of a dumbbell stand or a small sturdy table to keep your dumbbells on, as this will save you having to bend down every time you want to adjust the weight.
Anything Else Worth Mentioning?
Just one last thing you need to make sure to sit the dumbbells fully in their storage trays when adjusting the weight amount, this will ensure smooth fast weight changes.
The Good
Feel solid when lifting – no plate movement
Less plastic than most adjustable dumbbells
Fast, easy to use adjustment system- takes just a second to adjust each end of the dumbbell
They look great – conventional design with chrome weight plates
Space saving design, replacing 5 sets fo fixed weight dumbbells
5lb weight increments, and 2.5lb weight increments can be achieved if you don’t mind an unbalanced dumbbell
Come with storage trays
The Bad
Slide selectors can snap, be careful not use too much force when adjusting this type of system
Some plastic in the design so avoid dropping the dumbbells from height
Alternatives
Flybird 25lb Adjustable Dumbbells
The Flybird Adjustable Dumbbells are a favorite of mine; they’ve been around for a few years and outsell just about every other 25lb dumbbell combined. This pair of dumbbells are so popular because they use a twist-lock adjustment system.
A twist-lock adjustment system is even faster and easier to use than slide selectors. All you have to do with a twist-lock system is twist your wrist to the desired weight you wish to lift. It’s that easy and takes less than a second.
It’s twice as fast to adjust as the Bayou Fitness dumbbells because you don’t have to adjust both ends of the dumbbell. Also, this is a much tougher system. It’s not going to snap as some sectors can. Still, you can’t drop a twist-lock dumbbell as there are plastic parts, but it’s more durable overall.
Other than the adjustment system, the Bayou Fitness and Flybird Dumbbells are very similar. Both adjust in 5lb increments, use the fixed length handles, come with metal weight plates, and can be used for any dumbbell bodybuilding exercise.
The FlyBird Dumbbells are slightly more expensive, as you’re paying for the Flybird Brand, which is known for excellent customer service and the more impressive adjustment system.
You Can Outgrow a 25lb Dumbbell In Six Months.
If you’re serious about your workouts, you could easily outgrow a 25lb dumbbell pair within six months of lifting. You’d be surprised how fast gains in strength come when you first start lifting, and as none of the 25lb dumbbells offer weight expansion packs, once you hit the 25lb max of the dumbbell, you’ll have to buy a new heavier set to continue your progress. Sometimes it’s better to start with a heavier pair of adjustable dumbbells to save you money in the long run.
Here’s a summary of two favorites many beginners choose for their first pair of 50lb adjustables.
Powerblock Elite 50lb Pair
Currently my top pick for an adjustable dumbbell pair, there really isn’t any adjustable dumbbell out there that can challenge the Powerblock Elite series. The Powerblocks are available in 50 – 70 – 90lb sets but what’s great about the Elite range are their expansion packs.Let’s say you bought the 50lb set and a year or two later your strength has increased so much so that you need a heavier dumbbell, what you can do now is simply buy one of
Bowflex 552
By far the most popular set of adjustable dumbbells you can get your hands on at the moment, why? The rep! Bowflex has one of the best reputations out of all the home fitness
It’s not all about rep though, the Bowflex 552 dumbbells were the first adjustable set to use the Select-Tech adjustments system, a super fast adjustment system that allows you to choose your desired weight with a turn of a dial, a fast easy to use no fuss adjustment system.
Are they any good? Yes if you want fast adjustment times and a quality build, but they do have their drawbacks, firstly just like the Bayou Fitnesses dumbbells the handles are of fixed length, this means whatever weight you choose the handle length will be the same.
There’s no expansion packs available for the Bowflex adjustable pair, 52.5lbs per dumbbell is the maximum weight, this limits them to beginner and intermediate weightlifters, which is absolutely fine if you do not envisage yourself lifting heavier than this in the future and not many will, a 50lb a dumbbell is hefty and only serious lifters will need more.
And lastly the weight plates are enclosed in a thin plastic layer if you’re careful this shouldn’t be an issue, but as mentioned earlier because of the nature of weight training it’s very easy to drop a dumbbell, cracked weight plate casing is a well-documented issue with the Bowflex pair.
Adjustable in 2.5lb increments up to 25lb and 5lb thereafter is nice to see. Overall a great set of dumbbells for home use, just don’t go throwing them around!
To Sum Up
There’s not much I can fault about the Bayou Fitness 25lb Dumbbells for the price point. They’re a well made, great looking set of bells. The adjustment system is impressive- it’s fast and easy to use, but it is a system you need to take care with as you don’t want to snap the selector pin.
Also, you have the bonus of using 2.5lb weight increments with this set which is almost unheard of in the 25lb dumbbell range and perfect for isolation exercises that demand smaller weight increases. You’ll have an unbalanced dumbbell, but it’s hardly noticeable in this weight range.
Bayou Fitness Adjustable Dumbbells FAQs
How Many Dumbbells Does The Bayou 25lb dumbbell replace?
The Bayou 25lb per dumbell pair replaces 5 pairs of fixed-weight dumbells.
Are The Bayou Dumbbells Good For Beginners?
The Bayou Adjustable Dumbbells are an excellent choice for beginners as they adjust in increments of 5lb. They are also affordable and compact, making them easy to train with.
Can I Drop A Bayou Dumbbell?
While the Bayou dumbell maybe be tougher than most adjustable dumbells. There is still plastic in the adjustment system. Because of this drops from height are not recommended
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