Why Are Dumbbells So Expensive?

Dumbbells are made of steel, which will never come cheap. On top of that, they are often produced in foreign countries, namely China, so high shipping expenses are tacked on. Plus, depending on your country, certain taxes or tariffs make these products even more expensive.

Another reason behind the cost is related purely to business economics. The higher the demand, the higher the price.

Due to a variety of reasons, the companies that manufacture and sell dumbbells have found that dumbbells are always in high demand. Because people are willing to pay the price, that price becomes higher.

A possible method to get around this is to purchase used equipment. I always check out eBay or Facebook before I buy something new; you never know what gear you might find that people are desperate to get rid of.

You could stumble across very lightly or never-used dumbbells at a low price. Garage sells can help here as well, but the results of garage sale shopping are a little less certain.

Another aspect that factors into the price is the extensive durability of dumbbells. When buying a set of dumbbells, rarely will a consumer ever have to purchase another whole set. These things are sturdy and definitely long-lasting.

Plus, in this area, we (as well as the manufacturer) know that there won’t be any technological updates that will make your 20-year old set of dumbbells irrelevant.

Dumbbells are not iPhones. You’re only buying once, which means consumers are generally more willing to shell out more cash, something the manufacturer knows and obviously exploits.

You can always improvise a bit and build your own dumbbells. Of course, this option is not available to everyone, but it is possible, especially with Youtube as your instructor.

Really, the best money-saver method is to engross yourself in calisthenics instead of weights. Calisthenics are also known as body-weight training, and involve activities based off a series of core exercises; pushups, pullups, planks, and sit ups.

On Amazon, you can get a Power Tower, which is essentially a pullup bar mounted on a free-standing dip bar.

The setup can easily fit in a corner somewhere, as it doesn’t take up that much space, plus you get the benefits of longevity. I purchased the Stamina Power Tower off Amazon over 5 years ago and have been using it since.

And you don’t even need to go that far. It certainly helps, but even the monkey bars at a local park are enough of a pullup bar that your expense for body-weight training can be $0.

With a little googling, and the help of one book on calisthenics, I can perform full body workouts at my leisure.

Calisthenics do get a bit of a bad rap, as it is often thought that the results of calisthenics workouts don’t compare to those of weight-training.

That is partially true. Calisthenics won’t help you gain a ton of weight. But you will get stronger and leaner.

Additionally, the exercises you perform in calisthenics are based off of natural bodily movements where the motions involved in weight lifting are unnatural in that they are more linear. 

This strengthens the muscles that are in everyday use, while also strengthening stabilizing muscles across your body – calisthenics are healthier, safer, and provide you with more usable strength (plus higher odds of a six-pack).