Best Dumbbells for a UK Home Gym: Adjustable vs Hex Set (2026)

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A quick note before the reviews: this piece is written for a different reader than most of what's on this blog. Everything here assumes training is already a fixed part of your life, not something you're still deciding on. These aren't a gentle way to find out whether strength training is for you — they're tools for building muscle, shaping and toning your body, and progressively loading it as you get stronger. If that's where you already are, the question isn't "should I start," it's "which setup actually works for how I train."

And that question comes down to one real decision: one adjustable pair that quietly does the job of a whole rack, or a proper set of fixed weights with somewhere to put them — and if the latter, how much weight you actually need on hand.

There's no single right answer, because it depends on how much floor space you're actually willing to give up. So rather than force a winner, here are three genuinely different options — one built for a corner of a room, two built for a dedicated space at different scales — reviewed on their own terms.

1. BRAINGAIN 15-in-1 Adjustable Dumbbell (24kg Pair)

Price: £198.50 (RRP £219.99)

This is the space-saving option. One pair of dumbbells adjusts from 2.5kg to 24kg across 15 settings, using a twist handle that changes weight in about a second. No separate plates to store, no rack to find room for — just one compact pair that covers a full strength progression.

The cast iron plates sit inside a knurled, non-slip grip, and the whole thing is designed to replace a wall of fixed weights with something that fits in a cupboard between sessions. It's rated 4.4 stars from 283 reviews, and the brand backs it with a 2-year UK warranty.

The honest take: Reviewers consistently praise how quick and smooth the weight changes are, and the value is hard to argue with — one set covering 2.5kg right through to 24kg for under £200. The catch worth knowing about upfront: a handful of reviews report a plate coming loose mid-set, including one detailed account of it happening repeatedly after a couple of months of regular use. It's not the majority experience — most reviews describe a locking system that holds firm through presses, rows, and curls — but it's worth checking the plate is fully seated before every session, and something to be aware of if you're training alone.

Best for: a flat or a room where the dumbbells need to disappear between workouts, and where progressive strength training matters more than having a huge total weight on hand at once.

Check Price on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4g5rx0a

2. Strongway Hex Dumbbells Set with Storage Rack (2.5–15kg / 5–25kg)

Price: £359.95–£489.95, depending on set size

This is a different kind of commitment. Rather than one adjustable pair, this is six pairs of fixed-weight hex dumbbells — either 2.5kg to 15kg (105kg total) or 5kg to 25kg (165kg total) — plus a black powder-coated vertical rack to keep them organised. It's a proper home gym corner, not a piece of kit you tuck away.

The hex shape stops the dumbbells rolling, the cast iron core is rubber-coated to protect flooring and cut down on noise, and the knurled grip is built for repeated, serious use. It's rated 4.7 stars, though from a smaller pool of 32 reviews.

The honest take: Reviewers are consistently positive about build quality and describe genuinely excellent customer service when things went wrong (a couple of mentions of misplaced or delayed deliveries, all resolved without much fuss). One recurring note: expect a strong rubber/oil smell out of the box that can take a couple of weeks to fade, and be prepared for the set to arrive in several separate deliveries rather than one box — it's a heavy set, and couriers split it up. The rack itself needs a genuine footprint (104cm tall, 52cm long) — this isn't a product for a room where floor space is already tight.

Best for: a dedicated home gym room or garage where a full range of fixed weights, ready to grab without adjusting anything, matters more than a small footprint.

Check Price on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4pQSNmz

3. Strongway Hex Dumbbells Set with Storage Rack (5–20kg / 5–25kg) — the bigger tier

Price: £519.95 (5–20kg set, 175kg total) or £699.95 (5–25kg set, 270kg total)

Same brand, same hex-and-rack format as above, but this is the step up — heavier top-end weights, more pairs, and a wider 3-tier rack (88cm tall, 96cm long, 51cm wide) rather than the vertical tree. If the previous set is "a proper home gym corner," this is closer to "a proper home gym," full stop — 175–270kg of iron on the floor at once.

It's the heavier-tier listing of the two, rated 4.9 stars from a smaller pool of 12 reviews.

The honest take: Reviewers describe genuinely excellent build quality — "last you a lifetime" is a direct quote from one — and the rack assembly is reported as straightforward. As with the smaller Strongway set, expect the delivery to arrive in multiple boxes rather than one (several reviewers mention three separate parcels), and budget real floor space: this rack is wider than the other Strongway option, not just taller. One reviewer flagged a single pre-drilled hole that hadn't gone all the way through — an easy fix, but worth knowing rack assembly may need the odd bit of troubleshooting.

Best for: anyone who's already decided a dedicated home gym room is happening, and wants the top end of a hex dumbbell progression without needing to buy a second set later.

Check Price on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TnKUsJ

In my experience

I've used both types, and honestly, both earn their place — just for different reasons.

If you don't have the space for a rack, the adjustable set is fantastic. It slides into a corner, takes up almost no floor space, and still gets you through a full range of weight as you progress. For a flat, it's the only realistic option, and it doesn't feel like a compromise.

But if you can fit a rack, fixed weights are simply easier to handle when you're actually training. It's a small thing until you're mid-session, but not having to stop and twist a dial between sets makes a real difference — especially for arm work and anything where you're adding load progressively. And where fixed weights really prove their worth is when you're using them to hold body weight steady during a movement, rather than just lifting them — that's when you notice how firm and planted a solid hex dumbbell feels compared to an adjustable one, which by design has more moving parts.

Neither type is a wrong choice. They're solving different problems, and which one's right for you comes down to the space you've got and how you actually like to train.

Which one fits your space?

If you're training in a flat, a spare corner, or anywhere the equipment needs to earn its keep between sessions, the BRAINGAIN adjustable pair is the more realistic fit. If you've got a proper room to dedicate and want fixed weights ready to grab without adjusting anything, both Strongway sets are well-reviewed options — the 2.5–15kg/5–25kg set if you want a full range without going too heavy, or the 5–20kg/5–25kg set if you know you'll want to progress into serious weight and would rather not upgrade twice.

None of the three is a wrong choice. They're solving different problems at different scales.