Of course, adjustable dumbbells aren’t exactly new — during the pandemic, the best adjustable dumbbells were like gold dust, as we all realized how these clever pieces of kit negated the need for a rack full of weights. Yet until now, switching the weights often meant returning the weights to their rack to add or remove plates, or using a pin mechanism to change the weight. The NordicTrack iSelect Adjustable Dumbbells can be electronically adjusted from 5 to 50 pounds, using Alexa, or by mechanically twisting a knob. iFit, NordicTrack’s parent company, said the dumbbells feature a “motorized weight selector”, that enables the user to quickly change the weight of the dumbbells, allowing them to stay focused on their workout. Mark Watterson, Chief Experience Officer for iFit said, “Our patent-pending electronic adjustment eliminates the pain points of cumbersome mid-workout weight change found on other adjustable dumbbells, like decreased heart rate and reduced time under tension, creating a truly uninterrupted and transformative experience.” As well as asking Alexa to add or decrease the weight of the dumbbells between sets, you can also create pre-sets for some of the most common exercises you’d use the dumbbells for. “Alexa, get my weights ready for deadlifts” you can shout, and Alexa will adjust the weight to your pre-set preference. The list of dumbbell pre-sets includes: biceps curl, overhead shoulder press, lateral shoulder raise, front shoulder raise, triceps extension, bent over row, chest press, squat, deadlift, lunge, lateral lunge, wood chop, chest fly, reverse fly and renegade row. While users don’t have to have an iFit subscription to use the dumbbells, they will get a free month-long subscription when purchasing the weights. iFit recently acquired the Sweat app (read our Sweat app review here), so users will be able to use their dumbbells to work out with Kayla Itsines and Kelsey Wells, as well as all of the other trainers on the platform. After the free trial, a subscription to iFit costs $39 a month. The dumbbells come with their own rack to store them in, which also has space for a tablet, so you can follow workouts from your workout app of choice (we’ve hand-picked some of the best workout apps here). The rack also has an adjustable knob, where you can manually change the weight of the dumbbells, if Alexa is down, or you just don’t like her. At $429, the NordicTrack iSelect Adjustable Dumbbells aren’t cheap, but they aren’t all that expensive either, especially for the smart technology installed in them. Our current top pick for the best adjustable dumbbells is the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells, which weigh in at $400, and don’t have the same integrated tech on board. That said, if you don’t already have an Alexa-enabled device, buying one is an extra cost if you want to get the most out of these dumbbells. Of course, we’ll wait until we’ve lunged, squatted, and deadlift the dumbbells to cast judgment, but on the surface, this looks to be an exciting addition to the smart fitness world. The ability to change your weights without touching them or pre-set weights for certain exercises gives you the time to use the “rest” period between sets to actually do just that, which is a major training plus, however heavy you’re lifting.
