There are plenty of different options when searching for dumbbells, but good old-fashioned Olympic dumbbell handles give you the ability to swap out plates without having to spend an arm and a leg on them. While there are plenty of other adjustable dumbbells available like Power Blocks, they tend to be a lot more expensive.
To make it easier for you to find the best possible Olympic dumbbell handles, we’ll be looking at five of the best ones of the market over the course of this guide. We’ll take a look at the pros and cons of each of them and then we’ll conclude by summing up what you need to know about each of them and which one we consider best.
List of the Best Olympic Dumbbell Handles
1 – A2ZCARE Threaded Olympic Dumbbell Handles
This mid-range pair of olympic dumbbell handles from A2ZCARE is one of the more reasonable options available. If you’re just getting started with your weight training regimen and you’re not looking to spend too much money, these dumbbell handles offer excellent value for money since they come in a pack of two.
The textured surface of the rubber ensures that the dumbbells won’t slip out of your hands in the middle of a workout, making them much safer to use. The locks also fit tightly and securely, so you won’t have to worry about the plates slipping off of the handles in the middle of a workout.
The dumbbell handles feature a size of 15.75 inches and they have rubber handles, ensuring that they’re comfortable to use for an extended period of time. These dumbbell handles are designed to fit standard 1-inch plates without any trouble, and they feature a durable steel design with rubber o-rings.
A2ZCARE has so much faith in these dumbbell handles that they come with as long return period as well as a iron clad one-year warranty on them.
The max weight capacity on these is about 130 pounds per dumbbell, as you’d expect from an olympic-style dumbbell handle, so you shouldn’t have any trouble with capacity.
Pros:
- Comes in a pack of two
- Rubber hand grips
- Made of heavy-duty steel
Cons:
- Sub-optimal if you’re only looking for a single dumbbell
- Handles are prone to chipping
2 – Sunny Health & Fitness OB-20 Olympic Dumbbell Handle
Whether you only need a single dumbbell handle as a replacement or if you’re looking for something of slightly higher quality, then the OB-20s from Sunny Health & Fitness may be the best option for you. There are a few features on these dumbbell handles that make them a little more enjoyable to use.
For example, these handles feature diamond knurling around the hand grip itself, ensuring that you’re able to get a good grip on them, even while you’re in the middle of an intense workout. These are designed for traditional olympic plates, with a two-inch hole in the center.
The sleeves also feature brass bushings that allow them to rotate around their own axis as you lift the dumbbell. This reduces the amount of strain on the lower half of your arms and ensures that you’re able to grip the dumbbells more securely. The inclusion of bushings ensures that the rotation is as smooth as possible.
With a max load of 150 pounds, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting as much weight as you’d like on these dumbbell handles. The only downside to these is that they’re a little pricey, especially if you’re a beginner who’s unsure if you’ll be able to make the most of these for the price.
Pros:
- Excellent build quality
- Bushings for smooth plate rotation
- 150 lbs max capacity
- Optional quick-release collars
Cons:
- Expensive
- Only available individually
3 – Yes4All Adjustable Olympic Dumbbell Handles
If you’re looking for the most affordable olympic dumbbell handles that you can get your hands on without sacrificing too much quality, these handles from Yes4All may be exactly what you’re looking for. These handles feature a 1-inch diameter, but they’re also available in a 1.15-inch variety.
This means that they’ll work with standard 1-inch plates, ensuring that you can use any plates you already have your hands on without having to look for specialized 2-inch olympic models. The handles themselves are textured for optimal grip, ensuring that the handles remain secure in your hands.
Unlike other cheap dumbbell handles, these feature a relatively wide sleeve that allows you to stack further plates on them, giving them a higher weight capacity than other models in their price range. For added safety, these also feature secure star-lock collars with rubber trim to ensure that they don’t end up going loose.
The locks are also easy to use and can be quickly loosened and tightened, allowing you to make plate changes with relative ease. The only downside to these handles is that they were machined a little sloppily, so there may be some sharp edges around the edges that will have to be sanded down.
Pros:
- Great price
- Pack of two
- Wide sleeves
Cons:
- Sharp edges and burrs
- Relatively thin handle
4 – CAP Barbell 14’’ Threaded Olympic Dumbbell Handles
If you’d like some even cheaper olympic dumbbell handles than the last ones, your best bet is to go with the 14” dumbbell handles from CAP Barbell. You can find these available in singles or pairs with either a chrome or black finish, and they are made of solid steel with a powder coat finish.
Like many of their competitors, these handles feature knurling on the hand grips to ensure that they don’t slide out of your hands while you’re using them. They also feature threaded handles with star locks that you can use to keep your plates in position while you lift, though they lack rubber stoppers.
The sleeves have a decent amount of space for additional plates, but you’ll have to consider that the collar takes about half an inch of space. This still gives you a sufficient amount of room to use these dumbbells for more advanced exercises, though we wouldn’t stick with plates that are too heavy due to their construction.
There are a few problems with these dumbbell handles that mostly stem from their relatively cheap construction. For example, they don’t feature rubber centers on the locks, so they can loosen over the course of your workout. The handles are also tubular, so they’re not quite as resilient as solid ones.
Pros:
- Very cheap
- Nice powder coated finish
Cons:
- Tubular design reduces durability
- No rubber to hold the locks in place
5 – Diliboz 1-Piece Olympic Dumbbell Handle
On the other end of the spectrum, if you’re looking for some professional olympic dumbbell handles and you don’t mind spending a decent chunk of change on them, you’ll be impressed with this model from Diliboz. These heavy-duty handles are made of solid steel that can withstand up to 200 pounds of weight per handle.
The hand grip itself features diamond pattern knurling with a medium depth to provide you with additional grip and to allow sweat to run through the channels without compromising your grip. Along with its superior durability, this dumbbell handle features a design that can be quickly loaded.
This will allow you to transition from low-intensity workouts to high-intensity workouts at the drop of a hat without disrupting your flow. Diliboz is also highly confident in the quality of their product since it comes included with a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects.
Due to the high chrome content of the steel, you also won’t have to worry about the metal flaking when you slide your plates onto these dumbbell handles. One of the only issues we have with this handle is its high price.
Pros:
- Excellent build quality
- Medium depth knurling
- Ball bearings allow plates to rotate
Cons:
- Rather pricey
- No discount for buying a pair of them
Best Olympic Dumbbell Handles – Buying Guide
While you may now have a better idea of what to expect from these olympic dumbbell handles, you may be wondering how you can choose between such a fine set of products.
You’ll have to take a look at the various features that they offer and see how they compare to each other and what you need out of them.
To that end, we’re going to take a look at some of the most crucial features to consider when you’re shopping around for quality dumbbells. We’ll explore the importance of things like quality hand grips, whether they come in singles or in a set, and how long the warranty lasts.
- Hand Grips
One of the first things you may notice when looking for olympic dumbbell handles are the hand grips themselves. There are two main varieties of hand grips: knurled or rubber. Each has their own set of pros and cons, but professional weight lifters tend to prefer knurled hand grips due to their sheer durability.
Whereas a rubber hand grip can shear off over time, you’ll be hard pressed to wear away metal knurling on a metal hand grip. You should also consider the width of the hand grip. If you have larger hands, you may struggle to comfortably use dumbbells that don’t leave you a wide enough space to grip.
- Set or Single
Whether you want to get your hands on dumbbells that come in a set or come individually depends on your personal workout plan. Some people are comfortable working with only one dumbbell at a time while others may wish to be able to lift using both of their arms at the same time.
One thing to consider is that you’ll often get a better price for olympic dumbbell handles if you purchase them in a set of two, but this may not always be the case. Some of the best dumbbells on the market will go for the same rate regardless of whether you get one or two of them, so keep that in mind.
- Build Quality
Another thing to account for is whether or not your dumbbell handles are durable enough to last you for a long enough time for you to get your money’s worth out of them. This is why it’s often a good idea to search for dumbbell handles that have excellent build quality, though these will typically be more expensive.
You can see the quality of a dumbbell handle in how it’s manufactured, with high quality machining leaving behind no burrs or extensions of metal that can potentially injure you. Another thing to keep an eye out for is tubular dumbbell handles, as these will be far weaker than handles made of solid steel.
- Warranty
Also, take the time to consider whether or not your dumbbell handles come with a long enough warranty for your needs. If a handle or set of handles only comes with a warranty that lasts one year, then you’ll likely want to avoid it because even the manufacturer doesn’t have enough faith in how long their product will last.
If you’re looking for the best dumbbell handles on the market, then you’ll need to find yourself a set that comes included with a lifetime warranty. While this may not cover the product if you end up damaging it yourself, it will get you a new set if a design flaw in the handles causes them to fail.
Conclusion
While all five of these olympic dumbbell handles have something unique to offer, there are a few of them that stand out. For those of you who are in the market for a good set of cheap dumbbell handles, then we’d highly recommend the model from Yes4All that comes available in both individual handles and a pack of two.
If you’re in the market for a quality mid-range product, then we’d recommend the OB-20 from Sunny Healthy & Fitness, though you’ll have to buy them individually. Finally, for customers that want a truly professional set of olympic dumbbell handles, then the model from Diliboz is the best one that we’ve come across.