Weight Jump Check product guide
PowerBlock Elite USA 90 Adjustable Dumbbells, Pair, 5-90 lb
A home lifter who wants up to 90 lb per hand in a nested set and will not drop the weights
A pair of nested PowerBlock dumbbells with Stage 1, 2 and 3 fitted, running 5 to 90 lb per hand in 2.5 and 5 lb steps, with USA-made steel plates and a tethered magnetic pin. The manual says dropping voids the warranty, and PowerBlock's own documents give that warranty as 10 years or 5 years.
Listing checked . Confirm the model, included parts and availability before ordering.
Published specifications
- Listing and maker: pair, 5-90 lb per hand, Stages 1-3 included
- Maker: 16.25 x 6 x 6 in; listing says 12 x 6 x 6 in
- Maker: 32 mm knurled stainless grip; two 2.5 lb micro weights per handle
- Manual: handle 5, 7.5 or 10 lb; pin tethered to top plate rail
- Manual: home use only; do not drop; stand is optional and sold separately
- Warranty: 10-year limited in manual; 5-year residential on maker page
Fit and limits
Strengths
- All three stages come with this listing, taking each hand from 5 to 90 lb in small steps
- Tethered magnetic pin with a manual that spells out how to check it before each lift
- Maker publishes a full manual, specs and FAQ, including what is and is not compatible
Caveats
- Warranty is 10 years in the manual but 5 years on PowerBlock's page; dropping voids it either way
- Size differs by source: 16.25 in long per the maker, 12 in on the listing
- No stand included, and Elite EXP kits and accessories do not fit
A pair that runs 5 to 90 pounds in three stages
The Amazon title reads PowerBlock Elite USA 90, sold in pairs, 5 to 90 pounds, and says it includes Stage 1, 2 and 3 expansions. The listing's model-number field repeats the UPC rather than a model code, so identity rests on that name and on PowerBlock's page, which sells the Elite USA as a pair at 50, 70 or 90 pounds.
The manual explains the stages. The Elite 50 Stage 1 set covers 5 to 50 pounds; set it inside the Stage 2 kit, yellow rail up, and it becomes 5 to 70; nest that inside the Stage 3 kit, red rail up, for 5 to 90. PowerBlock's FAQ says the Elite USA cannot be expanded past 90 pounds per hand.
PowerBlock says the weight plates are made in Owatonna, Minnesota, from US-sourced steel, and that the other components are imported. Its FAQ also warns that Elite EXP expansion kits, parts and accessories do not fit the Elite USA, which Amazon's bullet repeats.
What comes with each handle
PowerBlock's what's-included panel lists two selector pins, one per dumbbell, knurled grip handles, and two 2.5-pound micro weights inside each handle, four in total for the pair. A stand is not included: the manual refers to an optional PowerBlock stand throughout and suggests keeping the set on the floor without one.
The handle alone weighs 5 pounds, 7.5 with one micro weight fitted and 10 with both. PowerBlock's specs give 2.5 and 5-pound increments, a 32 millimetre knurled stainless steel grip 4.75 inches long, a black powder-coat finish and a magnetic selector pin. TPR handles are no longer offered for this set.
Amazon's detail table differs on a few figures. It gives the handle diameter as 1.5 inches and the size as 12 by 6 by 6 inches, while PowerBlock's specs say 32 millimetres and 16.25 by 6 by 6 inches. Plan storage around the maker's longer figure until PowerBlock confirms otherwise.
The pin, the tether and how weight is selected
Each dumbbell has three parts: the weight stack, the handle and the selector pin. You set the handle weight with the micro weights, read the colour-coded chart, then place the pin at the weight you want and lift by the handle. The manual says the pin's magnetic blocks must contact the round side rails with the pin horizontal.
The pin is tied to the number 1 top plate's side rail by a tether cord, which the manual describes as a safety retainer. Before each lift the manual asks you to raise the handle above the stack and check the pin visually.
Handling rules follow from the design. Lift and replace the handle in a straight line, because turning it sideways can jam the assembly. Avoid crossing pins, and keep a hand in front of the handle when unloading the 2.5-pound adder weights. The full list is in the manual's safety section.
Do not drop them, and do not bang them together
The manual is direct: never let the dumbbells drop freely to the ground, and dropping the weight plates from any height voids the warranty. It adds that dropping an un-nested plate can permanently bend it. If your training involves setting weights down hard at the end of a set, that is outside the cover.
It also says never to let the dumbbells bump forcefully together, and never to disassemble a handle, which it describes as not user-serviceable. If a weld breaks, the manual says to stop using that dumbbell rather than carrying on with it.
PowerBlock's page notes the welded steel plates are slightly louder than urethane plates. The manual is written for home use only and says the set is not suitable or warranted for commercial use, which the product page repeats in its warranty line.
Care: inspections, bolts and the painted finish
Inspect each dumbbell before every use, and do not use one with worn, damaged or loose parts or fasteners. The manual asks you to replace worn parts at the first sign of wear and to tighten loose bolts, and it names bolts specifically in its inspection list.
The plates are powder painted, and the manual says nesting during shipping or long use can scuff that finish. It suggests an Armor All type product on the painted plate assemblies, but not over the bands on the side rails, and liquid paint for touch-ups where chipping occurs.
Paint chipping is not covered by the manual's warranty, so the finish is yours to maintain. A stand with storage ports for the adder weights is sold separately, and the manual treats it as optional throughout its instructions.
Warranty: 10 years in the manual, 5 years on the product page
The two PowerBlock documents disagree. The Elite USA manual's warranty page gives a limited ten-year warranty on weights, side rails and handle assembly, repaired or replaced if they crack or break, with replacement parts for defective selector pins and other parts. PowerBlock's product page and Amazon's bullet both say five years, residential use only.
We are not going to pick one. Ask PowerBlock in writing which term applies to a set bought today through this listing, and keep the reply with your order record. The manual's claim process asks for the dealer's name, the purchase date and a description of the problem.
The manual's conditions apply either way: misuse, abuse, alteration, unauthorised repair and dropping void cover; it applies only in the United States, its territories and Canada; PowerBlock pays to ship replacement parts, while labour and the cost of returning parts fall to you.
Check the current listing
Confirm the model, included parts and availability before ordering.
Primary sources
- PowerBlock product page for the Elite USA 90
- PowerBlock Elite USA Owner's Manual
- PowerBlock instruction manual index listing the Elite USA manual
Primary sources checked .
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