By Jacob Chambers, Founder & Lead Reviewer · Updated 22 July 2026
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The NordicTrack Select-A-Weight is the American cardio giant's answer to the adjustable dumbbell, and it aims squarely at the home lifter who wants a full rack of weights without a full rack taking over the room. One pair covers everything from a light 2.5kg for rehab and lateral raises up to a serious 25kg for rows and presses, all selected with a twist of a dial. It sits at the premium end of the market alongside the Bowflex SelectTech, and the question is whether the NordicTrack name and build justify the outlay over the growing crowd of cheaper rivals. On balance, it is a genuinely good set with a couple of caveats worth knowing before you buy.
How we review
This review is based on extensive research of verified owner reviews, hands-on testing from trusted expert outlets and NordicTrack's published specifications. We have not run our own months-long endurance test of this exact unit, so we have been careful to report only consistent, repeated findings, both the praise and the complaints, rather than one-off opinions. Prices and specs are correct at the time of writing and can change.
The Select-A-Weight makes most sense for anyone building a home gym in a limited space who wants one tidy pair of dumbbells to cover most exercises. Beginners get room to grow, and intermediate lifters get enough top-end weight for the majority of upper-body and accessory work. It is less suited to advanced lifters who need more than 25kg per hand, or to anyone who trains explosively and expects to drop the weights. If you want a broad overview of the category first, our best adjustable dumbbells UK guide sets the NordicTrack against its main rivals.
The Select-A-Weight feels like a premium product in the hand, which is what you would hope for at this price. The plates are held in a robust housing, the dial action is positive and clicks cleanly into each weight setting, and the handle knurling gives enough grip for sweaty sets without shredding your palms. Owners consistently describe the set as feeling solid and well made rather than flimsy, which is not something you can say about every budget adjustable dumbbell.
The compromise that every dial dumbbell shares is length. Because the mechanism has to hold a stack of plates, the dumbbell is noticeably longer than a fixed one of the same weight, and at the lighter settings you are still swinging a full-length unit. For pressing and rowing this is a non-issue, but for movements where the ends can clash, such as some curl and fly variations, it takes a little adjusting to.
| Weight range per dumbbell | 2.5 kg to 25 kg (5.5 to 55 lb) |
|---|---|
| Adjustment | Dial selector at each end |
| Replaces | Approx 15 pairs of fixed dumbbells |
| Sold as | Pair, with storage trays |
| Handle | Knurled steel |
| Stand | Optional, usually sold separately |
| Best for | Home strength training up to intermediate level |
For the training most people actually do at home, the Select-A-Weight performs well. Changing weight between sets takes a couple of seconds per dumbbell, which keeps supersets and drop sets flowing without a rack of fixed weights cluttering the floor. The 25kg ceiling is the sweet spot for a home set: enough for goblet squats, rows, presses and lunges, while still dropping low enough for rear delt flys, lateral raises and rehab work.
The honest limits are the ones inherent to the design. You have to place both dumbbells back in their trays to change the weight, so you cannot adjust on the fly mid-exercise the way you can nudge a fixed dumbbell. And the plastic shell and locking pins mean these are not built to be dropped. Treat them with a little care, lower them under control, and they will last. Abuse them and the mechanism will complain. That progressive, controlled loading is exactly how you build strength anyway, and the NHS recommends muscle-strengthening work for all the major muscle groups on at least two days a week.
The obvious rival is the Bowflex SelectTech 552, which tops out at 24kg and works almost identically, and the two trade blows on price and availability rather than capability. Cheaper dial dumbbells from brands like Ativafit and NUOBELL-style rivals now match the mechanism for less money, so what you are paying extra for with the NordicTrack is the brand, the build finish and the after-sales support. Whether that premium is worth it depends on how much you value those things. If you want more top-end weight and do not mind a manual change, a loadable set or a hex dumbbell set gives you more metal for your money, at the cost of space and speed.
For heavier lifters who will outgrow 25kg, it is worth looking at a full home setup with a weight bench and a barbell instead, but for the space-conscious majority the Select-A-Weight covers a lot of ground on its own.
At its typical price the Select-A-Weight is not cheap, but it is competitive with the other premium dial dumbbells and undercuts the cost and footprint of a comparable fixed-weight collection. You are buying convenience, a wide range and a trusted brand in one compact package. The compromises, its length, the need to dock it to change weight and the no-drop rule, are shared by nearly every adjustable dumbbell and are easy to live with once you know them.
The pair adjusts from 2.5kg (5.5lb) up to 25kg (55lb) per dumbbell, in increments, using a dial at each end. That single pair replaces roughly fifteen pairs of fixed dumbbells, which is the whole appeal of an adjustable set: a wide range of weights in the footprint of two dumbbells and a tray.
They are a solid, premium-brand adjustable dumbbell. The dial selection is quick and intuitive, the 25kg top end suits most home lifters, and the build feels reassuringly sturdy for the price. The main caveats are common to nearly all dial dumbbells: they are longer than a fixed dumbbell, you must return them fully to the tray to change weight, and they should not be dropped.
They are direct rivals and work in a very similar way, with a dial at each end selecting the plates. The Bowflex SelectTech 552 tops out at 24kg and the NordicTrack at 25kg, so the weight range is almost identical. Choose on price, availability and which handle feels better to you, as build quality and mechanism are broadly comparable between the two.
No. Like all dial-selectorised dumbbells, they have a plastic outer shell and a locking mechanism that can be damaged by dropping. Lower them under control and set them down gently rather than dropping them at the end of a set. If you train to failure on heavy lifts and expect to drop weights, a fixed dumbbell or a rubber hex set is the more durable choice.
The dumbbells include the storage trays they sit in to change weight, but a raised stand that brings them up to waist height is usually a separate purchase. Check the specific listing before buying, as bundles vary. A stand is a nice addition because it saves bending to the floor to swap weights, but it is not essential.
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