PowerBlock Elite EXP Adjustable Dumbbells, Stage 1, 5-50 lb Pair

Sold in pairs, and the listing says so in three places

This is the question that trips people up with adjustable dumbbells, so it is worth being precise. Amazon's title reads PowerBlock Elite EXP Adjustable Dumbbells, Sold in Pairs, Stage 1, 5-50 lb. The item details back that up with a set name of Pair, a unit count of 2 Pack and a number of items of 2.

The owner's manual is written around a pair as well, describing two handles each with its own micro weights. What is not included is a stand: the manual repeatedly refers to optional PowerBlock stands and tells you to place the set directly on the floor for best support if you do not have one.

How the weight actually changes, step by step

The set has four parts per side: a nested weight stack, a handle, two micro weights that live inside the handle, and a selector pin. The handle alone is 5 pounds. Each micro weight is about 2.5 pounds, so the handle by itself reads 5, 7.5 or 10 pounds depending on how many you leave in.

To add plates, you push the selector pin into the coloured side rail matching the weight you want, then lift straight up from the centre of the handle. The weight range guide's chart lets you read off every combination, from 15 through 90 pounds in the expanded versions, with the micro weights adding the half steps in between.

Amazon's bullet lists the achievable settings as 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 15, 17.5, 20, 25, 27.5, 30, 35, 37.5, 40, 45, 47.5 and 50 pounds per hand. The manual and the range guide agree on the mechanism behind those numbers, and the guide notes the weight printed on the handle assumes both micro weights are fitted.

The safety rules that come with a pin-selected design

The manual is blunt about the selector pin. It must stay attached to its tether cord, which connects it to the first weight plate and acts as a retainer if the magnetic blocks lose contact with the side rails. Removing the pin from the tether is marked as a danger, and using the dumbbell without a working tether is called out as a risk of falling weights.

Before lifting, the manual asks you to check that the pin is horizontal and fully engaged, warns against cross-pinning, and tells you to raise the handle and plates about five inches above the nest to inspect the pin placement visually. Lifting from anywhere other than the centre grip is listed as a danger.

Two further rules shape how you can train with them. Do not let the dumbbells strike each other during an exercise, because contact can dislodge a pin. And remove or replace the handle in a straight motion, because turning it sideways while lifting can jam the assembly, which the manual says must not then be used.

Dropping them voids the warranty

This is the line to read before you buy. The manual's dumbbell care section states that you must not drop the dumbbells and that dropping them from any height will void the warranty. The safety section repeats the instruction separately, saying never allow the dumbbells to drop freely to the ground.

The warranty exclusions then spell it out a third time, listing negligent or faulty use, which it defines as including dropping of the product. If your training involves setting weights down quickly at the end of a heavy set, that habit is explicitly outside the cover.

The micro weights have their own handling rule. Because they slide in and out easily, the manual tells you to keep the handle pointed up when the auto lock is open, to put a hand in front of the handle when unloading them, and to keep the auto lock closed whenever the handle is out of the weight stack.

Maintenance is short but scheduled

The manual sets a three-tier schedule: inspect the dumbbells before every use and do not use one with worn, damaged or loose parts; once a week check all hardware for loosening, tampering or wear and check the condition of the hand grips; once a month tighten any bolts that have loosened.

Cleaning is a soft microfibre cloth and warm water. The manual says not to use ammonia or acid-based cleaners, abrasive cleaners, an abrasive cloth or paper towels, and not to apply cleaner directly to the equipment surfaces. It also tells you never to attempt to disassemble a handle, because the product is not designed to be user serviced.

Neither document we read publishes a length for the dumbbell at each setting, and neither mentions an app or any electronics. Amazon's table lists the pair at 12 inches long by 6.25 inches wide with a 1.5 inch handle diameter, which is retail data we could not confirm against a PowerBlock document.

Five-year warranty, home use only, and the expansion path

The manual gives a five-year limited warranty covering defects in materials or workmanship, applying only to the original purchaser who bought from PowerBlock's own store or an authorised reseller, and it is not transferable. PowerBlock asks you to register within 30 days of purchase.

The product is stated to be for home use only and is not warranted for commercial application. Other exclusions include damage from incorrect assembly, products stored outdoors, accidents, abuse, normal wear and tear, unauthorised repairs, pets, foreign matter entering the product, and rust from improper storage.

Stage 1 tops out at 50 pounds per hand. A Stage 2 kit takes the same handles to 70 pounds and a Stage 3 kit then takes them to 90, with Stage 2 required before Stage 3. The manual warns that the Elite EXP expansion kits will not work with any other PowerBlock adjustable dumbbells, and Amazon's listing adds that Elite EXP expansions and accessories are not compatible with the Elite USA 90 range.