Echelon · Adjustable Dumbbell Review
Echelon Strength Adjustable Dumbbells Review 2026
For my money the Echelon Strength are the pair I would steer most people towards, and it comes down to price more than raw ability. They run from 3 to 24kg a dumbbell, they change on a locking pin, and they usually sell for £299. What I like is what you can bolt on later, an optional stand with a device holder and even kettlebell and barbell attachments, so a cheap pair of dumbbells can grow into a proper little home gym.
Echelon Strength Adjustable Dumbbells
Locking-pin adjustable pair, 3-24kg, trays included
The verdict
Here is where the Echelon Strength earn their place. They are not the strongest or the most refined pair in this guide, but at £299 they undercut nearly everything with the same 24kg top end. Each dumbbell goes from 3 to 24kg on a quick locking pin, and they arrive as a complete pair with trays. Spread the cost with Newpay and you are looking at around £8.31 a month. Line them up against a pair of Bowflex 552i or the £399 NordicTrack and the Echelons come out cheaper while matching them on weight. The clincher for me is the upgrade path. Add the optional stand and you get a device holder for app workouts, add the accessory kit and the same plates become a kettlebell and a barbell. Nothing else in this guide does that.
They are not perfect, and a couple of things are worth knowing before you buy. Echelon claim one-second weight changes, but in the real world owners and reviewers find it nearer three or four seconds once you have seated the dumbbell and set the pin. The steps also widen towards the top, so there is no fine loading up high, and 24kg a hand is less than the Bowflex 1090i if you lift heavy. The stand and holder are extras too, so out of the box you get the dumbbells, the plates and a tray, nothing more. For a well-priced pair with room to grow they make a lot of sense. For the strongest lifters, or anyone who wants the fastest, finest adjuster, they do not.
Strengths
- Priced as a full pair at £299, cheaper than most rival 24kg pairs
- Echelon Fit app workouts if you want the structure
- Grow them later with an optional stand, device holder and kettlebell and barbell kit
- Rubberised, non-slip handle that holds firm, even with sweaty hands
- Cast iron plates, not the concrete-filled budget sort
- Newpay finance from around £8.31 a month
Watch-outs
- Stand and device holder cost extra, they are not in the box
- Real-world weight changes are nearer three or four seconds than the claimed one
- Steps widen near the top, so no fine loading up high
- 24kg a hand will not be enough for heavy pressers
- Long and a bit unwieldy at the lightest settings
- The best app content sits behind an Echelon membership
- One-year warranty, shorter than the Bowflex pairs
What you actually get
They arrive as a pair, two dumbbells running 3 to 24kg each, with eight plates, a handle and a tray apiece. That is it out of the box, the dumbbells and their trays, same as most sets at this money. The adjuster is a locking pin rather than a dial. You drop the dumbbell into its tray, slide the pin to the weight you want and lift it out.
The clever part is not in the box though, it is what Echelon will sell you alongside. An optional stand lifts the weights off the floor and holds a phone or tablet, and an optional accessory kit turns the same plates into a kettlebell and a barbell. Neither comes as standard, but that upgrade path is rare at this price, and it is the main reason I would pick these over a fixed set.
How the locking pin works
Echelon advertise one-second changes, and the action itself is simple enough. In practice owners and independent reviewers put it nearer three or four seconds once you factor in seating the dumbbell, lining up the plates and setting the pin. That is fine for ordinary training, but it is not the instant click of a dial, so if you fly through supersets the Bowflex pairs have the edge.
The bigger thing for me is the step size. Down low the jumps are usable, but near the top they widen to a couple of kilos at a time, with no fine loading in between. Most people at home will not care. If you like nudging a press up by the smallest amount possible, you will, and that is part of why I have marked the Echelons down slightly on performance.
Build and materials
The plates are cast iron, which already puts them a rung above the concrete-and-plastic budget stuff. Reviewers who have handled them describe a solid pair with no rattle or wobble, though a slightly plasticky sheen on some parts means I would call the long-term durability reasonable rather than proven.
The handle is the bit you are holding every rep, so it matters. Echelon fit a rubberised, non-slip grip, and owners regularly say it keeps the dumbbell from twisting or rolling in the hand mid-lift, even with sweaty palms. The textured rubber holds firm without digging in, and it stays comfortable across longer sessions where a bare metal bar can start to feel cold and slippery. It is one of the details that lifts these above budget sets with plain plastic handles.
One rule with any adjustable, do not drop them. The mechanism is what you are paying for, and dropping a loaded pair from height is the quickest way to wreck one. Treated normally they should last years.
How heavy they go, and who that suits
3 to 24kg a hand covers the vast majority of home training, curls, presses, rows, raises and most accessory work, with plenty for high-rep and muscle-building sessions. Where they run out of room is heavy compound lifting. If you already press or row above 24kg a hand you will top them out, and the 41kg Bowflex 1090i is the better shout.
If you fancy building things out later, the optional accessory kit adds kettlebell and barbell attachments, and nothing else in this guide turns the same plates into three tools. For a compact setup that is genuinely worth something, even as a separate buy.
Living with them, and the app
Day to day they behave like a capable mid-tier pair, secure grip, predictable pin, trays that keep the plates tidy on the floor. The Echelon Fit app adds guided strength sessions if you want a bit of structure, though the best of it sits behind a paid membership you do not need just to lift. Add the optional stand and you also get the weights up at a friendlier height and a holder for following classes hands-free.
The usual caveats apply. They are long even at light weights, so tight spaces and some close-in movements take a bit of getting used to, and you need to seat them square in the tray to change weight cleanly.
Price and value
This is where they earn it, just not the way the marketing implies. The stand and holder are extras, so you are not getting those for £299. But £299 still buys a full 3 to 24kg pair with cast iron plates, and that undercuts a pair of 552i singles (around £440) and the £399 NordicTrack while matching them on top weight.
Throw in the app and the fact that they will expand into a kettlebell and barbell, and for the typical buyer they are strong value, with Newpay finance from about £8.31 a month if you would rather spread it. What they are not is a loaded box with a free stand thrown in, and I have scored value and features with that in mind. Cheapest capable pair here, not an all-in-one bargain.
How they compare
Next to the Bowflex 1090i they give up top weight (24kg against 41kg), fine steps and a bit of build pedigree, but they are a lot cheaper. Next to the Bowflex 552i they share the 24kg ceiling, but the 552i is usually sold as a single, so a pair of Echelons works out cheaper and adds the app and the upgrade path. The NordicTrack 25kg has finer steps, but costs more.
For the full field, have a read of our best adjustable dumbbells guide.
Who they are for
Get these if you want a well-priced, capable 24kg pair and you like the idea of growing them later with a stand, device holder or the kettlebell and barbell kit rather than buying a whole new setup. They are ideal for general strength, toning, circuits and muscle-building up to 24kg a hand, with the app there if you want structure.
Look elsewhere if you regularly press or pull above 24kg a hand, where the 1090i is the shout, if you must have instant dial-fast changes and the finest steps, or if you specifically want a stand in the box rather than as an extra.
Specifications
| Type | Adjustable dumbbell pair |
|---|---|
| Weight range | 3kg to 24kg per dumbbell |
| Adjustment | Quick-select locking pin |
| Increments | Finer down low, widening to a couple of kilos near the top |
| Handle | Rubberised, non-slip |
| Plates | Cast iron |
| In the box | 2 dumbbells, 8 plates, 1 handle and 1 tray each |
| App | Echelon Fit (membership for the full content) |
| Optional extras | Stand with device holder, kettlebell and barbell kit |
| Best for | General strength and muscle-building up to 24kg |
| Finance | From around £8.31 a month via Newpay |
| Warranty | 1 year (confirm at purchase) |
| Usage class | Home |
Warranty and support
Echelon sell and support these themselves, so the warranty and any spares go through Echelon rather than some third-party marketplace, which matters if you ever need a new pin or plate. Cover is one year, shorter than the two you get on the Bowflex 552i and the three on the 1090i, and it is the one place the keen price shows. Check the current term when you buy, since promotions and regions vary.
The usual care applies. Keep the receipt, seat them in the tray before you adjust, and do not drop them. The mechanism is the part you most want to protect.
FitRank breakdown
Performance 3.8
A useful 3 to 24kg spread that covers most home training. They lose a little here for weight changes nearer three or four seconds than the one Echelon claim, and for steps that widen near the top.
Build quality 3.9
Cast iron plates and a comfortable rubberised handle make a solid mid-tier pair. A slightly plasticky finish on some parts, and a one-year warranty that is shorter than the rivals’, mean I would call longevity reasonable rather than guaranteed.
Value 4.2
Still their strongest card. At £299 they are the cheapest full 24kg pair here, undercutting the NordicTrack and a pair of 552i singles, and they are app-linked and expandable. The optional stand just means they are not quite the all-in-one bargain the marketing suggests.
Features 3.9
App workouts and a genuinely rare upgrade path, an optional stand, device holder and kettlebell and barbell kit, are real positives, but out of the box you get dumbbells and trays rather than a loaded set, so they land solidly rather than top of the pile.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Echelon dumbbells app-connected?
Do they come with a stand?
How heavy do they go?
How fast are the weight changes really?
Can you expand them later?
Chris writes the home fitness reviews across our sites, including our sister site HomeTreadmill.co.uk. He compares every machine against its rivals on UK pricing and specs, and scores each one with FitRank.
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