I bought a set of these weights a while ago so I had some of my own weights at home to train with. These vinyl weights don't match up to proper iron weights but make a good starter kit for anyone wanting to start lifting weights. Having lifted weights for almost 2 years now and having built up quite a big of strength, these weights aren't really challenging for me anymore as they aren't as heavy as cast iron weights that you may buy to attach to dumbell bars.

The set includes two 45cm long bars each with a plastic sleeve to grip onto, two spring collars to hold on the weights, four 1.25kg weights and four 2.5kg weights. This equates to a total of 15kg excluding the bars, which probably weigh a couple of kilograms each. You can't even fit all 15kg on each bar - the maximum you would fit is two weights on each side, so this could equate to 10kg minus the weight of the bar if you used the 2.5kg weights. This is a fair weight for things such as bicep curls and various other exercises, but you'd only be able to do one side at a time, which may not be ideal.

The quality of the set is pretty good. The bars are very solid and the plastic covers are made from thick plastic with a good grip too. However the plastic bits can rotate freely if you don't fit the weights together tightly in place. The shapes on the edges of the weights usually lock into place against the plastic cover and spring collars on the ends. The handles are of a good size and are easy to grip. They leave enough room between the bulky weights to get quite a large hand in there to grip it.

The spinlock collars are pretty good and I have had no problems with them, despite reading about some 'coming loose' during use of the weights. Mine have always stayed pretty much in the same place when working out. This has given me the confidence to hold the dumbells in different positions such as vertically, as i'm quite assured the weights won't come flying off.

The weights are quite easy to assemble and you don't need to be very strong to handle the individual weights or put on/take off the spinlock collars. The great thing about this set is the weights aren't firmly attached to the bars so you can build on weights as you wish when you progress in strength. The other great thing is that you can use the individual weights for things such as crunches by holding the weights on your chest or behind your head for example.

This weight set retails at £40, but can be bought for almost half the price online, currently retailing at £24.99 on Amazon.co.uk. They are a quality set of weights and I'd definitely recommend them for beginners and even intermediates who would like a set of weights at home. However once you build up your strength, these weights become a bit light for most exercises. You can however buy additional weights such as a set of two 10kg and four 5kg weights for around £28 on Amazon.co.uk. These are also compatible with the barbell sets that you can buy produced by York for the vinyl weights.

Thanks for reading!