
Pros And Cons of Rubbeised Dumbbells
The rubberised dumbbells has become the most popular type of dumbbells in recent years. In the past, before rubberised weights were invented people used steel and iron-cast dumbbells. However those dumbbells post a problem. Over time, iron and steel dumbbells showed signs of rusting. As a result, the rust produced odour when the weight plates come into contact with the hands, in addition, there was strong odour from the rusting. The rubberised dumbbells was thus invented to solve many of the problems, however, those dumbbells has some flaws as well.
Types of rubberised dumbbells
Rubberised dumbbells can come in different shapes. Most gyms used the hex dumbbells which isn’t adjustable. However, most households prefer the round adjustable rubberised dumbbells. The hex dumbbells are typically more expensive but does not pose a problem to gyms as they have to budget to purchase them.
Pros
First lets talk about the advantages of rubberised dumbbells. There are 3 main advantages: resistance to rust, diminished noise and durability. Rubberised weights isn’t entirely made of rubber, there is a rubber coating protecting an inner core which is dense and heavy. The core can be made of steel and iron. Left alone, the core will rust very easily when exposed to air and moisture, hence an extra layer of rubber is wrapped around the dumbbells to prevent exposure to air and mosture. Due to layer of rubber, you can even wash the weights plates with soap and water without worrying that they will rust.
Diminished noise. The rubberised dumbbells produces significantly less clanging compared to their metallic counterpart as the rubber absorbs the clanging. This is helpful for adjustable weights as adjusting the weights plates ususally produces a lot of clanging on iron-cast dumbbells.
Increased durability. Dumbbells are supposed to last very long and the rubberised dumbbells is more durable than other dumbbells since many rubberised dumbbells have thick rubber coating that is resistant to many types of damages.
Cons
The rubberised dumbbells isn’t perfect, they come with some flaws. However, note that these flaws are minor and do not affect the function of the dumbbell and barbell sets in any way. The cons include: prone to chipping and scratches, some odour and larger size.
Due to the nature of the rubber coating, the rubber weights plates are not resistant to scratches, most rubber dumbbells have scratches on them because the rubber is soft and sharp objects can cause scratches to appear on the surface of the plates. The rubber coating can also cause chipping of the inner rings to produce some rubber dust. These however, do not affect the function of the weights to provide resistance.
Some rubberised dumbbells have very strong odour due to manufacturing process. Some odour is inevitable, however, the dumbbells we have have minimal odour and will go away very quickly. You can also use soap to get rid of the smell immediately. Due to the additional layer of rubber coating, rubberised dumbbells will appear larger than iron and chrome dumbbells of the same weight. This does not pose an issue to most people as the difference is not very substantial.
Verdict
The rubberised dumbbells is more affordable than most dumbbells, solves many problems but comes at a price of less attractive appearance and some scratches. If you are looking for a set of weights as a gift, you might want to consider the chrome dumbbells but if you want a set that is effective and durable, the rubberised dumbbells is for you.
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