Is it worth buying the Kogan Adjustable Dumbbells or should you be looking for an alternative. I decided to try them out out to see if they’re worth it. In this review I’m going to be talking about the 24kg adjustable dumbbells from Kogan.
Fortis Kogan Adjustable Dumbbells
Kogan sells fitness gear branded under the “Fortis” brand name. Kogan doesn’t design these products themselves, instead they order them from an existing manufacturer and then stick the Fortis branding on. You’ll find the same fitness gear branded under several names sold by multiple retailers.
Pros
Cheap
Kogan’s Fortis adjustable dumbbells sell from around $250 for a set. This is a cheap price for a reasonably heavy set of weights. If you’re looking to get into strength training a set of adjustable dumbbells is a great place to start. $250 isn’t going to be a massive investment.
By the way – these dumbbells don’t come with a stand. You’ll need to buy that separately.
Quick to Change Weights
While the Fortis weights aren’t as quick as a set of Nuobells, these dumbbells are much quicker to change than a pair of spin lock dumbbells.
Cons
Limited Weight Adjustments
The weights can be adjusted from 2kg to 24kg. However there are some weird increments at higher weights. If you’re looking at adding a little bit of weight to progress each workout, these might not be the weights for you. However, compared to some other brands being able to all the way from 2.5 to 24kg is a really good range.
Not as Secure as Alternatives
I’m not a huge fan of how these dumbbells change weight. While they are secure, they don’t feel as secure as some of the alternatives like Powerblocks or Nuobells. I’m not confident in using these overhead. I wasn’t able to find any information about Fortis. I’m assuming these are cheaply made in china.
Can be a little Finicky
The locking mechanism is prone to getting stuck. This happened to me on multiple occasions. It required me to really jiggle them about.
Same Size no matter the Weight
Something I really value in both the Nuobells and Ironmaster dumbbells is that they get smaller the lighter the weight is. These dumbbells are big and will always be the same width. For some light weight exercises they can be quite annoying to use.
24kg Max
These adjustable dumbbells only go up to 24kg. For most people who are working out at home, that should be enough for most workouts. However, if you’re doing any sort of chest presses you will probably max out these dumbbells after 1-2 years of working out. Obviously this all depends on your workout type and your build. There are alternatives that go up to 32kg.
Are the Kogan Adjustable Dumbbells worth it?
For starting out with strength training I think these dumbbells are a reasonable option. If you’re new to strength training I definitely wouldn’t spend over $1k on a more expensive set of dumbbells right away.
My main concern with these dumbbells is the build quality. They are cheap and Fortis isn’t a known fitness brand. These are just products that are made by a third party factory and badged with “Fortis”. So don’t expect these to last.
If you are looking for a cheap pair of adjustable weights, my first pick would always be spin lock dumbbells. You can pick up a set for under $100 and they will last a lifetime. Once you’ve been training with the spin locks I would then invest in a higher quality pair of adjustable dumbbells like the Nuobells or Powerblocks. These brands are actual manufactures (not just resellers) and they have a large user base so they are tried and tested.
