When looking for quality dumbbell options for high-traffic gyms, we first need to consider all the options. The good thing for you is that the options when it comes to dumbbells are a lot like Chipotle - well, at least when Chipotle was at its peak. You know you’ve got a few different proteins, a few different toppings, and a few different forms your meal can take (burrito, bowl, tacos).
When it comes to commercial dumbbells, it's basically the same thing. Well, either that or I’m just hungry.
Buying dumbbell sets is critical for any gym.
Dumbbell sets may be the #1 gym staple for any space. If you think about it, every type of gym needs dumbbells - from F45 to Planet Fitness to Strongman to CrossFit and even your old college apartment gym.
Dumbbells are incredibly versatile for any space and are incredible muscle-building tools.
I mean, with one dumbbell set, you can hit every single muscle group in your body.
So, of course, you love dumbbells, I love dumbbells, we all love dumbbells, but before I tell you what is best, let’s first look at the most likely options you’ll see.
Type of Dumbbells
Rubber Hex Dumbbells
Rubber hex dumbbells feature a chrome handle and rubber-coated heads. The two heads of the dumbbell are hexagons, hence the name. The chrome handle on rubber hex dumbbells is ergonomically designed to fit your hand, as the diameter is thickest in the middle.
Rubber hex dumbbells are durable.
While not recommended, they can be dropped (from low heights) without damaging the rubber-coated dumbbells or your rubber flooring, assuming they are commercial grade. The hex design makes them great for practical use. It allows the rubber hex dumbbells to be stored, stacked, and out of the way without any issues. Other dumbbells typically have cylinder heads, so that makes it a little bit more difficult with storage, which we will talk about later on.
Of the dumbbells listed, rubber hex dumbbells are the middle-ground option as far as budgets go. You are roughly looking at about $1-$2 per pound, largely depending on brand.
Rubber hex dumbbells are very common in home gyms due to their affordability, durability, and easy storage, making them also ideal for home workouts and home setups.
You will also see these often in apartment or hotel gyms for the same reason. However, probably the most likely place you will find rubber hex dumbbells is a CrossFit or functional-fitness-type gym. CrossFit gyms almost exclusively use rubber hex dumbbells, so you know they are going to be durable.
One note with rubber hex dumbbells, please, please be sure to look for commercial-grade rubber hex dumbbells if you decide to go with these. Websites like Amazon and Walmart offer versions of the rubber hex dumbbell, but these will likely not make it a year in your high-traffic commercial gym. You want rubber-coated dumbbells that can handle all the strength training, commercial use, and overall training needs of your members and fitness enthusiasts.
Urethane Dumbbells
The next type of dumbbell you will see is the urethane dumbbell. Urethane dumbbells also feature a chrome handle with two heads coated in urethane.
Now urethane is a harder, more durable substance than rubber, and that’s saying a lot because rubber is quite durable.
You will see two types of urethane dumbbell heads - cylinder and hex. With urethane dumbbells, the cylinder dumbbell heads are much more common than the hexagonal heads. I think this is unfortunate as the hexagonal heads are much more practical - I mean, who wants to chase a rolling dumbbell around the gym?! Anyway, those are the two shapes you will likely see - enough geometry for today. Typically, the chrome handle on urethane dumbbells is straight, with the same diameter throughout.
As far as durability goes, you can’t beat urethane dumbbells.
Essentially, they are very similar to rubber hex, with the biggest difference being that urethane is a harder, more durable substance to further protect the dumbbell heads. If these dumbbells are dropped, you will see virtually no bounce, again due to the urethane. Rubber dumbbell weights will bounce as rubber dumbbells aren't quite as dense.
Now with this extra level of durability and quality, you know it will cost you. Urethane dumbbell weights will run you about $3-5 per pound, again depending on brand.
Urethane dumbbells are very common in commercial gyms - places like Planet Fitness and Crunch Fitness.
Urethane dumbbells are also what you will likely find in updated professional and collegiate sports strength training, as well as college campus gyms.
Adjustable Dumbbells
Adjustable dumbbells come in all shapes and sizes.
When talking about adjustable dumbbells, the specific type doesn’t necessarily matter very much. The general premise of adjustable dumbbells is the same; essentially, you have one set of handles and multiple options for the loading or unloading of weights. Basically, adjustable dumbbells just become a mini-barbell.
Now, the benefit of this is that instead of buying a whole range of dumbbell weights, you can buy one set that covers all of them.
The problem that comes with commercial gyms is that you have high traffic. Let’s just say you have 10 sets of adjustable dumbbells. Well, more than likely, more than 10 people want to be using dumbbells at any given moment, especially in peak hours (6-8 am and 4-7 pm). The cost-benefit of buying one set of adjustable dumbbells no longer makes sense when you now have to buy 20 dumbbell sets. Plus, because there are moving parts on adjustable dumbbells, the maintenance and wear and tear costs are going to be higher.
Really, the only high-traffic gym you will see that makes use of adjustable dumbbells effectively is professional and collegiate sports teams. This is because many of these teams prefer to have 3-4 athletes work out at a rack with all the things they need right there to limit transition time. In this case, adjustable dumbbells allow for space-saving and time-saving efficiency.
As far as cost goes, you are looking at around $600-1500 per dumbbell set, excluding plate-loaded. This depends on quality, brand, and adjustable weight ranges.
Cast Iron Dumbbells
Unfortunately, these are no longer reigning supreme. They are still solid, durable dumbbells. However, they are more likely to chip and crack. They also are more likely to damage gym flooring.
Fortunately for us, they have been replaced by better options, such as hex rubber dumbbells, but there’s still a soft spot in our hearts for classic cast-iron dumbbells.
As far as cost, these are likely going to be the cheapest at right around $1 per pound. The primary high-traffic gyms you may still see these at are high school weight rooms and old-school bodybuilding or powerlifting gyms.
So, which ones?
Rubber dumbbells, hex rubber dumbbells, adjustable dumbbells, urethane dumbbells, York Barbell dumbbells, some other version of rubber-coated dumbbells?! It's too much. Don't worry, I got you.
This ultimately comes down to your needs, gym type, and budget. For 95% of commercial, high-traffic gyms, the only decision here should be between rubber hex and urethane dumbbells.
Both options provide dumbbells that can stand the test your members will throw at them. The biggest difference between the two is extra durability and price. If you have a large budget and want to ensure you have the longest-lasting, no issue dumbbells, urethane dumbbells are probably the ones for you, especially if your gym is constantly busy. Urethane dumbbells also have the optional benefit of being custom-engraved with your gym's logo. The pros of the rubber hex dumbbells are that you are getting a significant discount, plus rubber hex dumbbells are still incredibly durable. Rubber hex dumbbells will bounce more, but again, this shouldn’t be an issue at a commercial gym.
You really can’t go wrong with either. However, I will say that if you do decide to go with the urethane, try to find urethane hex dumbbells. They aren’t quite as common, but you’ll think me later for the design.
Now, when it comes to how many to buy and what weight range, this again depends entirely on your gym, space, and crowd. For the average commercial gym, I would argue you need a complete set of dumbbells ranging from 5 to 100lbs. Some commercial gyms stop at 75, and some go all the way up to 125+. Generally, 75lbs ends up being too light for some of your members, and once you get past 125, you are talking about a very small subset of gym goers that would make use of those dumbbells for some serious training. You don't want equipment to stall quality strength training!
Now, next, you may be wondering how many dumbbell sets of each weight you should get.
Again, this depends on your physical space and members, but a good gauge would be one dumbbell set from 5 to 100lbs for a small to medium-sized space and two dumbbell sets each for a medium to large space.
Finally, when it comes to storage and dumbbell storage racks, be sure to invest in quality racks.
Do not store your dumbbells on the ground. One of the benefits of the hex dumbbells is that they can be stored on any type of dumbbell storage rack, giving you many options. The cylinder dumbbells are going to require individual divots in a dumbbell storage rack.