A great cheap way to exercise (Asda Pink Dumbbell Set)

Member Name: jennikitten

Product:	Asda Pink Dumbbell Set
Date:	04/11/09 (54 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Low price, good quality

Disadvantages: Annoying bands

Recently I've been building up a small collection of fitness equipment to use with exercise DVDs/videos and my Wii fitness games. As well as a yoga mat and resistance band, I decided to get some dumbbells as I find arm workouts more enjoyable and easier to do in a shared house than intense cardio workouts.

Asda have a very cheap range of fitness equipment along these lines, and browsing through the aisles, the bluegrey box with a pair of pink dumbbells pictured on the side instantly attracted me. Unfortunately I haven't seen them available in any other colours, but at just £7 (I think I might have picked mine up for £5, so keep an eye out) they're excellent value for money.

Weighing around 2 and a half pounds each, they fit into the 'light' category, which was perfect for me as I just wanted to boost the exercises I'm doing. Two bottles filled with something heavy are an alternative, but aren't as comfortable and can be awkward to store.

The dumbbells themselves are pretty heavy to carry round - I wouldn't recommend buying them in store if you haven't got a car and you're intending to buy other things. Though they are only stored in a cardboard box, it's pretty thick and sturdy. They can be a bit awkward to get out due to the rounded ends, but you can always keep them somewhere else if you're using them very regularly.

I've never bought dumbbells before this so I can't compare the quality. However, they do the job. I've had mine for several months now and have had no problems at all - they look brand new. The plastic is solid and smooth, and the dumbbells are easy to lift and keep a grip on, even with sweaty hands!

The only negative I have is that they have a small black plastic band around the rounded part of the dumbbell on each side. I have no idea whether this is for design purposes, to mark the ends more clearly or some other mysterious reason. However, they aren't secured and simply slot into a groove either side of the dumbbell. This means they come off pretty easily, and can be annoying if this happens in the middle of a workout. However, you could just take them off completely without affecting their functionality.

The dumbbells don't come with instructions or suggestions, so you'll need to look up workouts online if you don't plan to use them with a game or video. However, I think they're great value for money, particularly as they will last forever.

Summary: Highly recommended