{"id":531052,"date":"2026-07-03T12:08:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T12:08:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/531052\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T12:08:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T12:08:33","slug":"id-replace-all-my-weights-with-these-design-y-dumbbells","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/531052\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019d Replace All My Weights With These Design-y Dumbbells"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I Tried All The \u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\n A series in which we test every version of a particular product from a single brand, to see what stands above the rest. Read more here<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n

\n Photo: Brenley Goertzen\n <\/p>\n

Over the past few months, I\u2019ve noticed a kind of funny workout-gear trend: The clunky kettlebells and dumbbells of yore have been joined by surprisingly art-y weights, ones that look more like an elegant vase than something you\u2019d use at the gym. Many of these art-y weights, like the ones Subtle Impacts is offering, are actually meant to be displayed like sculptures on your mantel. Others, like the Muna kettlebell or Bala bars, are just generally nice-looking, in neutral palettes that would easily blend in with a beige West Elm couch or a tan Nordic Knots rug.
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As our resident fitness expert, I\u2019m always trying to weed out the iffy workout tools (like vibration plates<\/a>) from actually useful ones (like weighted vests<\/a>), so I had to see if these new weights were worthwhile. I\u2019ve tested the ones here at home and in group Pilates or Lagree classes and tried everything from hand weights that can pass for objets to bar weights that remind me of Jonathan Adler\u2019s pill designs. Below are the ones I\u2019d use to work out \u2014 and display in my living room.<\/p>\n


\n \"Subtle <\/p>\n

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The decorative weights from Subtle Impacts<\/a> \u2014 which is the main player in the world of design-y weights \u2014 resemble vases and bookends. The brand has all kinds of abstract sculptures in varying weight levels, from 2.5 to 20 pounds. I\u2019ve been testing this solid cast-iron weight at home and love that it looks like a handmade ceramic (and even slightly resembles my favorite earthen home goods by Virginia Sin). At eight pounds, it\u2019s versatile for a range of high-rep toning movements, including triceps extensions and sumo squats with a pulse. It has a powder-coat finish, just like the exterior coating of our best kettlebell overall<\/a>, meaning it\u2019s plenty durable and easy to grip.<\/p>\n


\n \"Equipt <\/p>\n

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I stumbled across Equipt while scrolling on Instagram and was immediately drawn to its Ubarre. The curved shape can be held in a variety of challenging ways \u2014 I tried using it for one-handed bent-over rows and holding it during Russian twists and overhead shoulder presses. The Ubarre looks nothing like a traditional dumbbell, reminding me instead of a minimalist centerpiece. It\u2019s available in 4-, 8-, 12-, and 16-pound sizes.<\/p>\n


\n \"B, <\/p>\n

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B, Halfmoon is a Canadian yoga and wellness brand that makes cast-iron hand weights with a smooth silicone outer. They can be placed together to create an intertwined sculpture on a bookcase or console table, and they\u2019re perfect for high-rep arm circuits since each weight is only three pounds. I\u2019ve used them in a side plank to make it more difficult to move my upper arm and rotate my torso (a.k.a. threading the needle). I was a little concerned about the silicon becoming grimy \u2014 and un-displayable \u2014\u00a0but so far, the material has easily wiped clean with a wet cloth.<\/p>\n


\n \"Bala <\/p>\n

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The compact design of these weights really reminds me of those solid acrylic paperweight pills by Jonathan Adler<\/a>. But they\u2019re not all looks: These were my favorite weights for toning my upper body. In the product description, Bala claims these are more approachable than traditional dumbbells, and honestly, I\u2019d have to agree because they\u2019re easier to hold with a neutral grip, so I\u2019m never putting strain on my wrists.<\/p>\n


\n \"The <\/p>\n

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These hand weights from Stakt are the only adjustable option on this list, and their sleek, modern look makes them seem like something you might see in Hay\u2019s accessories department. Each weight can be adjusted to two, four, or six pounds with the base unit being two pounds. To adjust them, you simply twist off or add on the weighted segments to the ends. While they aren\u2019t necessarily as sculptural as the weights above, they\u2019d still look nice laid across a coffee-table book.<\/p>\n


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These weights aren\u2019t as statuesque as some others on this list because they can\u2019t be propped upright, but their wavy, ergonomic grip still gives them a design-y look. They\u2019re available in two, three, or five pounds, and I went with the lightest option, which is nice for adding slight resistance on my mat<\/a>. I love that the D-shape makes these easy to hold compared with hexagonal dumbbells, which require my maximum grip strength at all times.<\/p>\n


\n \"Muna <\/p>\n

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Muna is the brand used at my local Pilates studio<\/a> north of Pittsburgh. We regularly do reps with this PVC-coated cast-iron kettlebell, including Russian twists and shoulder presses. The supersmooth exterior is easy to grip even with sweaty hands, and I love that it puts a modern, feminine spin on a traditional kettlebell. They always look lovely placed around the studio.<\/p>\n


\n \"Muna <\/p>\n

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The other weight I\u2019ve tested in my group Pilates strength classes is this ring. Coming in at only eight pounds, it is almost like a hybrid between a dumbbell and a kettlebell because it can be used for swings, overhead shoulder presses, or hammer curls. It could be placed on a coffee table as a paperweight, almost like the chain-link<\/a> ones you\u2019d find at Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn.<\/p>\n


\n \"Muna <\/p>\n

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Also from Muna is this long dumbbell bar, which I wrote about in our guide to the best Pilates weights and props<\/a>. The beam has a silicone exterior and a cast-iron core, and its wavy construction allows it to rest super comfortably around your neck and shoulders. The 15-pound beam is my go-to for biceps curls, while the 25-pound beam is nice for heavy squats.<\/p>\n


\n \"Bala <\/p>\n

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Bala also makes a long, wavy dumbbell bar that I\u2019ve used in several mat-Pilates classes. It has a similar silicone exterior to the Muna above, but the brand offers a heavier 35-pound beam.<\/p>\n

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The Strategist<\/a>\u00a0is designed to surface\u00a0useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom\u00a0you can read about\u00a0here<\/a>. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I Tried All The \u2026 A series in which we test every version of a particular product from…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":531053,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[499,226038,103,226037,61,60,185641,119064,1184],"class_list":["post-531052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-gated","tag-health","tag-i-tried-all-the","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-sporting-goods","tag-the-strategist","tag-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/531052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=531052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/531052\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/531053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=531052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=531052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=531052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}