Eisenlink Adjustable Dumbbell Review (2024)

Gluck August 2024

The Eisenlink Adjustable Square Dumbbells are an interesting twist to a familiar design. The squared plates and the rounded chrome locking screws are practically begging us to put them side to side against Ironmaster’s Quick-Lock Dumbbells, and so we did. On the surface, they both go heavy (160 lb vs 180 lb), have similar locking mechanisms, and have 5 pound weight increments. The biggest difference? Their price, with the Eisenlinks starting at $319 for their 50 lb pair, while the Ironmasters 45 lb pair costs $519. But are they similar below the surface? Is the price gap justified?

Eisenlink Adjustable Dumbbells

Before we go into specifics, let’s address the elephant in the room. The strong resemblance between them comes from the fact that the Eisenlinks are based on Ironmasters previous design. You might have seen Hoist selling a similar product in the past since Ironmaster sold them the patent to that older style of adjustable dumbbells back in 2002. That patent has since expired and Eisenlink’s stepped in to, in their own words, upgrade the design.

Eisenlink Vs Ironmaster Adjustable Dumbbells (The Similarities)

So has Eisenlink upgraded the design? Let’s start with the similarities because while there are a lot of important differences, at first glance it’s hard to tell them apart which is why a lot of people have reached out asking us for a review.

Both Eisenlink and Ironmaster’s adjustable dumbbells consist of a handle, locking screws, and a series of square shaped weight plates. They both go heavy, reaching their maximum capacity with extension screws that are sold separately. The Eisenlinks can go up to 160 lb, and the Ironmasters up to 180 lb. Both their locking screws weigh 2.5 lb and share our favorite feature, a flat end cap that allows you to rest the dumbbells on your legs without gouging them up.

Both adjustable dumbbells are imported and the two have a simple, all metal design that has proven to be very durable over time. There are no small plastic parts or intricate mechanisms that can break like is the case with Nuobells. You could even argue (we do) that the Quick-Locks and Eisenlinks are the the most durable adjustable dumbbells on the market with second place likely going to Rep’s Quickdraw adjustable dumbbells.

Rep Quickdraw Adjustable Dumbbells

Sharing that podium is no small feat, don’t get us wrong, we also think gym equipment should be frailer than our cell phones (please sense the sarcasm there) but stuff happens. We’re not advocating for dropping your weights but what if something happens? If you’re benching heavy weights and feel a tweak in your shoulder you should be able to let go of the weights and both of them survive the rare drop. Gym equipment is expensive and should last for years which is why we do extensive drop tests and teardowns of all adjustable dumbbells we review.

Talking of durability , the Ironmaster Adjustable Dumbbells have a slight advantage because the threading inside their handle extends through the entire handle allowing the locking screw to have more to grab onto. In contrast, Eisenlink only threads about the first 0.75 inches. That being said, both dumbbells held their own equally in our tests.

A problem with both designs is that since they’re using black powder coated weight plates, there are no weight indications like you find on systems like the Snode Adjustable Dumbbells. So as you get higher up in weights, you might feel like you’re doing Calculus as you count pairs of plates, add the handles, locking screws and try to decipher how much you are lifting.

Eisenlink Vs Ironmaster Adjustable Dumbbells  (The Differences)

Now that we’ve got a good understanding of their similarities, let’s look at the differences between the Eisenlink and Ironmaster adjustable dumbbells. To give us some perspective, we’re going to compare them to other fixed and adjustable dumbbells as well.

While the size of an adjustable dumbbell is an important factor, between these two, we didn't notice much of a difference during use. Eisenlink’s square plates have a slightly larger diameter but they’re also a little thinner. When both are loaded to 25 lb there’s less than an inch difference in length and both the Eisenlink and Ironmasters are shorter than a fixed dumbbell. At 75 lbs that length difference is just over an inch and both pairs were also shorter than every adjustable dumbbell we compared them to.

A bigger difference is plate design. While both are square shaped (with rounded corners), Eisenlinks have a slot cut from the center to one edge. This is for their plate change mechanism.  They also have another small slot that functions as a handle to help you hold and move the plates as well as two screws per plate that help to lock the plates together and hold them in place.

Before testing them, we thought the cut outs in Eisenlink’s weight plates and the alignment screws would affect their balance. After comparing them to the Ironmaster’s dumbbells by using one of each in each hand for a variety of exercises at various weights we couldn’t find much of a difference between the two.

The differences we did notice were in the handles. The first of them being that Eisenlink’s dumbbells have a larger diameter at 35.5mm vs 32mm on Ironmaster’s Quick-Locks. For users with smaller hands that may be a factor as Ironmasters dumbbells will be easier to grip. To put that in perspective a typical fixed dumbbell is normally around 34mm.

Another difference would be the knurling of handles. While the Ironmaster Quick-Lock dumbbells have a clean, grippy, and well done knurling, the Eisenlinks feel dull in comparison. This is because Eisenlink has powder coated their handles which fills in the knurling making it feel passive which can be a factor as it can affect your grip during movements like rows. The bright chrome finish that Ironmaster opted for preserves the knurling a little better.

Ironmaster Quick-Lock Dumbbells

Those factors don't change how either pair feel during use. A factor that does though is their handle length. At about 6.75" long the Eisenlink and Ironmaster handles are a decent amount longer than a fixed dumbbell which is around 5.5". That matters because the further out the weight is, the more it affects balance. With both dumbbells you'll have to be more careful with how you place your hands and make sure they're centered, especially as you go up in weight.

Ironmaster does have an advantage over Eisenlink regarding balance because they have a heavy handle kit that attaches on the inside of the handle. This helps to fix the grip width and balance issue as it effectively shrinks the handle length allowing you to center your handles easier. It's also what allows the Quick-Locks to go up to 180 lbs (vs 160 with Eisenlink). The only potential problem there is it adds 15 lbs to each handle so your dumbbells would start at 20lb each.

Changing Weights with Eisenlink and Ironmaster Dumbbells

Changing weights on both the Eisenlink and Quick-Lock adjustable dumbbells is pretty simple and straightforward but a little different in the way they work. The common ground is that in both cases you’ve got a series of 5 and 2.5 lb plates and you essentially add as many as you want to get your desired weight. That is a bit of an oversimplification though, so let's use a case scenario to see how it works in each case.

Let’s say we want both dumbbells set to 30bs. With the Ironmaster Quick-Lock Dumbbells the handle weighs 5 lbs. The locking screws weigh 2.5 lb each, so adding those in gives us 10 lb of weight. Then we add 2 pairs of 5 lbs plates, bringing us to a total of 30 lb. It’s an easy process but there are few things to make note of so that you can see how the Eisenlinks work differently.

   1) There are two plate weights, 2.5lb and 5lb. They can be placed wherever you’d like. On the inside, outside, or middle.

  2) The plates have an indent which aligns them and keeps the plates from spinning or rattling.

  3) The handle and locking screws have a mark on them. With them aligned the screw can slide in or out and you only have to rotate it ¼ or ½ a turn to lock everything together.

The Eisenlink Adjustable Dumbbells are, in a way, a little quirkier. Again we’re going to load 30 lb so we loosen the 2.5 lb locking screws since we don’t have to fully remove them with the Eisenlinks, the handle weighs 10lb so add a pair of 5 lb plates and a pair of 2.5 lb to reach our target of 30 lbs. A few notes regarding the Eisenlinks: 

  1) The plates can be a little finicky to add/remove because of the alignment screws that keep from sliding off the handle if everything isn’t tightened down.

  2) The plates have an orientation. They’re loaded vertically but it’s not an issue because each plate has a “handle” cut-out so you’ll naturally hold them that way anyway.

  3) Changing weights can have an extra step because the 2.5 lb plates must be loaded outside of all other plates.

What does that all boil down to? With small weight changes at lower weights the Eisenlink’s dumbbells tend to end up a little quicker than the Quick-Locks. If you have to swap locking screws and require the longer screws for weights over 80 lb, or maybe you’re jumping from 20 to 50lb because you’re changing exercises, then the Quick-Locks will be quicker. This is because the locking screws on the Quick-Locks always slide in and out easily and only require a small rotation to lock or unlock them. Eisenlinks locking screws have to come all the way out (or in) to make space to add or subtract plates. One caveat to all that, we wouldn’t call either particularly quick for changing weights.

Once tightened though, both Eisenlink and Quick-Locks are very solid. There’s no shaking or rattling and they both feel and function like fixed dumbbells. They’re also two of the most durable options on the market. One thing you may have to consider is that the Quick-Lock handle weighs 5 lb and Eisenlink’s 10 lb. That starting weight may not be a factor for everyone but it is a slight advantage for Ironmaster.

Final Thoughts: Are the Eisenlinks Worth It?

Which pair should you get? That depends. If you’re looking for a budget version of Ironmaster Quick-Locks then that’s essentially what the Eisenlinks are. Ironmaster’s Quick-Locks are the more refined option and have a much better warranty (lifetime vs 12 months) but they’re also more expensive. We feel the features and refinement of the Quick-Locks as well as their history (Ironmaster has been around for over 40 years) means they’re worth the extra money but your muscles probably won’t know the difference. Eisenlink is a newer company so you have to factor in whether they’ll be around to service and sell parts. That being said both Eisenlink and Quick-Locks are well balanced, durable, and can go really heavy.

Eisenlink Adjustable Dumbbells

Eisenlink Adjustable Dumbbells Video Review