Reviews
Power Block Review: Are They Worth It?
Since the pandemic started, working out at home has become all the rage. Workout equipment, especially dumbbells, has been flying off the shelves and hard to track down. One of those companies that have been having a fantastic year is Power Block. Power Block specializes in professional-grade dumbbells. Their dumbbells are both adjustable and expandable, making them highly versatile and sought after on the market today.
The Pro Series is adjustable from 5 to 50 lbs and comes in a unique form factor, unlike traditional dumbbells.
About the company
Aaron Tilton founded Power Block in 1993 in Owatonna, MN. He took a leap of faith and purchased the building and equipment needed to fulfill his dream of creating the world’s best dumbbells. Today, Power Block created one of the most unique-looking and straightforward dumbbells. Dumbbell adjustments have always been clunky and prone to damages if dropped. The engineers at Power Block solved this problem by creating a U-shaped pin adjustment mechanism. The result is a simplified dumbbell with few moving parts, making it indestructible since there’s nothing to break.
The Features
The Power block Pro Series is made from a series of solidly constructed weight drawers stacked on top of one another. Each drawer is color-coded to let you know the weight.
The weights are from 10lbs to 50lbs in increments of 5 lbs. However, there’s a nifty little feature that lets you make micro 2.5-5lb adjustments by removing a steel bar inside the handle.
The dumbbells have a matte powder coating that’s soft to the touch but seems pretty durable. Overall, the Power Block Pro Series dumbbells are a well-engineered piece of equipment that’s durable and simple to use. I like that there are no gears, levers, or complicated turning mechanisms to adjust the weights.
How to adjust the Power Block Pro Series
Usually, adjustable dumbbells have a twist and lock mechanism on the handle. The challenge with that is you have to perfectly align the discs every time you put them back, which can be a hassle after a serious arm workout.
The Power Block’s drawer design doesn’t require any precision to put back. Adding and removing weights can be done by sliding the U-shaped pin into the correct slot. It’s a no-frills, no-complex design that gets the job done.
Pros & Cons of Power Block Pro Series
After using the Pro series for most of my home workout routine, I noticed a few awesome things you can do with it and one major issue with the design.
Pros:
- Easy to take out and put back
- Solid construction. I’m not afraid to drop the weights (not that you should)
- It doesn’t roll. The box design keeps it in place when laying them on the floor.
- Comfortable grip.
- Micro adjustments. The ability to remove one or both of the 2.5lbs mini weights on each dumbbell is genius!
- Multiple grips. You use it like a kettlebell by gripping the bottom bars instead of the actual handle. Not sure if this was intended.
Cons:
- Limited range of motion. You’re putting your hand inside a metal box. This limited my range of motion, and there were a couple of exercises I had to use a regular dumbbell.
Overall, there are far more Pros and Cons. However, the limited range of motion is a big one for me. I couldn’t fully relax my wrist without the rails pressing against my forearm when doing concentrated curls. There were a few other exercises where the cage-like design limited my wrist’s movement.
Is the Power Block Pro Series Expandable?
Yes, they’re expandable up to 70 and 90lbs per dumbbell. For $169, you can buy the Pro EXP Stage 2 Kit to expand the weight capacity from 50 to 70 for each dumbbell. The Pro EXP Stage 3 Kit allows you to expand further from 70 to 90lbs.
However, to upgrade to 90lbs, you’ll need to buy both the Pro EXP Stage 2 AND 3 kits. Your total will be $338 to upgrade your dumbbells set to 90lbs per dumbbell.
Also, keep in mind there’s a non-expandable version. So if you plan on expanding later, make sure you get the expandable version.
Is the column stand worth it?
At $129 – $139, they’re certainly not the cheapest accessory. However, the column stand makes reaching your weights much more accessible and looks good enough to put inside a gym. I recommend picking the column stand if your budget allows for them. Just like the Power Block dumbbells, these are well made and can withstand abuse. They also happen to look great.
Final Verdict
The Power Block Pro Series is a piece of professional-grade equipment that lives up to its name. They’re extraordinarily well-engineered, and the drawer designs with the U-shape pin are a game-changer. Gone are the days where I have to align the discs when putting my dumbbells back perfectly. The micro 2.5 – 5lbs adjustments are also helpful in increasing the intensity by just a hair. Depending on your daily exercise routine, the limited range of wrist movement may or may not be an issue.
Overall, I highly recommend the Power Block Pro Series. They’re usually out of stock and often marked up quite a bit online. But if you do manage to get your hands on them, they’re well worth the investment.