When it comes to dumbbell options for your commercial gym, you’ve got options. You can go old school, cast iron. You could go space-saving and convenient with adjustable dumbbells. However, for your typical commercial gym, you really only have two solid options - rubber hex dumbbells or urethane dumbbells. Sure, other types will work, but these are going to be the most common and for good reason.
Let’s look quickly at the details of each - urethane and rubber hex dumbbells - and then break down the pros and cons, specifically which lasts longer in commercial use.
Rubber Hex Dumbbells
Rubber hex dumbbells are fairly popular in the functional fitness and CrossFit space. Hex rubber dumbbells are exactly what they sound like - hexagonal dumbbell heads with a rubber coating.
You will also find these in home gyms, hotel gyms, and smaller gyms.
There are two types of rubber you will likely see used for rubber hex dumbbells - virgin and recycled. Just be aware that with virgin rubber dumbbells, the rubber on its first use, meaning it is more expensive, but has less, if any, odor and will last longer. Recycled rubber dumbbells is going to be cheaper, but will also last a long time. They may have a stronger odor as well.
Urethane Dumbbells
Urethane dumbbells are very popular in the commercial gym space. You will commonly see these in Planet Fitness, Anytime Fitness, college campus gyms, and professional athletic weight rooms. These dumbbells typically have two round heads and are coated in urethane as opposed to a rubber coating.
Why Rubber Hex Dumbbells?
As mentioned above, rubber hex dumbbells are very popular in smaller gyms. The biggest selling factor is that rubber hex dumbbells are considerably cheaper - I’m talking about half the price. The biggest thing to be wary of with rubber hex dumbbells is that these can crack; however, that is almost always in CrossFit gyms, where they are dropped or exposed to the sun and other elements.
If you take care of rubber hex dumbbells (and your members do as well) hex rubber dumbbells are still built to last.
Another pro, in my opinion, is the shape or rubber hex dumbbells. It may sound crazy, but a hexagonal design is a selling point for me. Do you know what circles do? Roll. Do you know what hexagons do? Don’t roll. This may not sound like a big deal, but you have a lot more options when it comes to dumbbell storage and racks if your dumbbell heads are hexagonal, as with the rubber hex dumbbells. Plus, from a member experience, doing things like rows or even curls, where you may set your dumbbells down, it is much more enjoyable to set them down and not have to chase them, as they roll all over the gym.
I also find that rubber hex dumbbells generally have a more comfortable grip and comfortable feel due to handle style. That will vary brand to brand with rubber dumbbells.
Basically, rubber hex dumbbells are durable and cheaper, plus they come in a cool shape.
Why Urethane Dumbbells?
On the flip side, urethane dumbbells are even more durable. These are the premium dumbbells. They are built to handle anything. Now, as the premium dumbbells, you will be paying more, as mentioned above. However, in high-traffic commercial gyms, you will likely find it worth it. Urethane dumbbells are not going to bounce like rubber will. Urethane is a harder material than rubber and certainly longer lasting.
These dumbbells can also able to be customized. So when you see that college team's or LifeTime Fitness logo on the head of a dumbbell, you know you are likely looking at urethane dumbbells.
As you may have guessed, urethane dumbbells are the longer-lasting of the two in commercial use.
When longevity is the metric the urethane dumbbells are the quality gear you need.
Weight range isn't something you need to be worried about. Both types of dumbbells will have a large range to allow your members to hit all the full body training they desire, regardless of fitness levels. Also, when it comes to things like noise, damage to flooring, performance, versatility, these dumbbells are essentially the same.
However, don’t write off rubber hex dumbbells for their price savings and still-great durability.
Whether you pick rubber hex dumbbells or urethane dumbbells, you can't go wrong.
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