Alexa Can’t Make These Great Dumbbells Smart

One of the first things I bought at the start of the pandemic was a set of adjustable dumbbells. My husband and I both wanted to strength train, but we needed a lot of different weights. He had real muscles whereas I had noodle arms. The problem was that our apartment couldn’t accommodate a full rack. Adjustable dumbbells seemed like a sensible option. And that was until it was. During a set of chest presses, the pin securing the weight plates broke. I got a 5 pound plate in the face. So, as you can imagine, I was wary about testing the $429 (or as low as $300) NordicTrack iSelect Adjustable Dumbbell on sale.

While the price was definitely one thing I was wary of, it really isn’t outrageous. I’ll go into this a bit more, but you can easily spend — if not more — on 10 sets of dumbbells on a regular basis. That’s essentially what you’re changing here, as the iSelect Dumbbells go from five to 50 pounds in five-pound increments. You’re also paying a premium for iSelect’s smart features.

There are two things that make the iSelect dumbbell “smart.” The first is that these use an electronic locking mechanism as opposed to a pin or end screw. Another is that you can have Alexa change the weights using voice commands. Although, fortunately, you don’t have Since it also has a knob that lets you change the weight manually.

The dumbbells (or smartbells?) themselves rest in a custom-fitted tray. Along with the manual knob in the center is an LCD display that shows you the current weight. There’s also an optional tablet holder that you can screw on from the back. The tray itself is relatively compact, measuring 21 x 19 x 16 inches (LWH). I couldn’t fit it in my living room, but that’s because I already have another connected fitness gadget. However, it fit easily in my home office. Most people should have no problem locating somewhere to store the tray. The only requirement is that it be placed near a power outlet, which is generally not considered when storing dumbbells. You’ll also want to know where you want the tray to start. Once you put these kids down, you’ll have to move 100-pound weight plates if you change your mind. it is No fun. (You should also take this into account when weighing. The box it comes in weighs 123 pounds.)

The dumbbell set is easy. All you have to do is download the iSelect app for iOS or Android and then follow the prompts to pair the Dumbbell over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. (The latter is for a firmware update.) If you want to use Dumbbell with Alexa, you’ll need to take a few extra steps to link the iSelect app and your Amazon account. The iSelect app is also where you can set customized weight profiles for 15 dumbbell exercises, including bicep curls, chest presses, and squats. I didn’t use this feature much, but I can see it being useful if you’re the kind of person who knows exactly how much weight you need for each move.

Unlike most connected fitness products, iSelect Dumbbells have one big thing in their favor: Membership isn’t mandatory. You get one month of NordicTrack’s iFit family membership with the purchase, but you don’t have to stick to it. If you want to use any other service – If you want to use any service just make sure you cancel auto-renewal. Best of all, if NordicTrack decides to stop selling or supporting this equipment, you’re not stuck with bricked dumbbells.

If you choose to stick with iFit, you’ll need to download a separate iFit app to access classes. It’s annoying when connected gadgets make you download more than one app to use them. This is especially troubling if neither app is particularly well built. With both the iSelect and iFit apps, I had loading and connectivity issues. This wasn’t the case every time I removed the apps, and restarting my phone usually fixed the problem. But I didn’t appreciate the extra time to troubleshoot while trying to squeeze in a workout.

As far as the content of the iFit is concerned—it’s fine. It’s not as flashy as the Peloton or the Apple Fitness Plus, but it may appeal to those who don’t like the fortune cookie knowledge that stellar trainers do. You’re still getting a solid workout. Structurally, the classes and exercises displayed were similar to those I’ve taken on many other fitness apps. (Though I appreciated that the iFit wasn’t rushing during the rest periods between sets.) It just has a different overall flavor. If the Peloton is a Starbucks Frappuccino, the iFit is like a solid cup of diner coffee.

That said, iFit does not provide exclusive content or features within its service for these dumbbells. Unlike the tempo move or jaxjocks’ connected dumbbells, these dumbbells aren’t going to count your reps or provide any additional information. you get the most instructors Some Classes are going on how iSelect dumbbells work while plugging Alexa functionality in.

Speaking of which, one of the most annoying things about working out with traditional adjustable dumbbells is that it takes time to increase or decrease the weight. It’s not a problem if you’re doing your own workouts. However, if you’re taking classes, the 30 seconds between sets isn’t enough time to reset the weights in the rack, lift a mechanical pin, calculate how many extra plates you need to add, and then actually I make sure everything is secure. When I first covered these dumbbells, NordicTrack emphasized in a demo that Alexa’s combo and quick electronic locking mechanism would be faster. And Safe.

Actually, Alexa was sometimes faster. The second time around, Alexa got very confused.

To control the dumbbells, you can issue commands such as “Alexa, set weight to bicep curls,” “Alexa, increase/decrease weight by five pounds,” or “Alexa, set weight to 15 pounds.” When everything is working properly, it probably takes 5-10 seconds for Alexa to do what you asked. This doesn’t include the time to re-rack the dumbbells, which you have to do to adjust the weight. Unfortunately, Alexa isn’t always the smartest assistant on the block. At times, Alexa will mistake “waits” with “lights.” Instead of doing what I asked, Alexa would ask which Hue bulbs I’d like to turn on or off. Other times, Alexa will say it can’t connect to my dumbbells—but then will successfully switch weights after a short interval.

Again, this is less of a problem if you’re not following through with any sort of program. However, if you are, Alexa may have a hard time hearing you correctly. I tested using both the Echo Spot and the fourth-generation Echo, both of which I sometimes had a hard time understanding—much more so than the Spot Echo. To be fair, Alexa Was Able to understand me several times in Peloton or iFit class without any problems. But, from time to time, I have to repeatedly yell at the instructor or stop the class to get Alexa to understand my command. But even if Alexa was working properly, it was nine times out of 10 for me to manually adjust the weight using the knob.

The only time I could see myself using Alexa over the knob was if I was running to the kitchen for water during the recovery break. Still, I’m not sure it would be faster than adjusting manually. I’m all for the Alexa control for accessibility reasons, but in that case, I want the feature to work more consistently.

I was impressed with how fast it was to manually adjust the dumbbells. A few years ago, I reviewed Jaxx’s Connected Kettlebell. Although it also had an electronic locking mechanism, it was not always fast enough to keep up with the orbits. Conversely, it seems that the iSelect dumbbell changes the weight immediately. And that speed doesn’t come at the cost of security. I’ve done overhead tricep extensions, deadlifts, Russian twists, renegade rows, chest presses, squats—you name it. Nothing ever fell.

The iSelect Dumbbells are also sturdy, and the plates don’t rattle as much as other adjustable dumbbells I’ve tried. The handles are grippy and the square shape is good for exercises where you have to plank with weights (e.g., renegade rows, dumbbell pass-throughs.) Still, the size is bigger than I’d like, and I would. T have to say they were much better than the standard dumbbells I already have.

At $429, dumbbells are expensive. This doesn’t include the cost of an Amazon Echo device — if you don’t already have one — or the $39 monthly subscription if you choose to continue with iFit. However, whether they are too expensive to be worth it depends on your strength-training needs. A full rack of standard 5 to 50-pound dumbbells in five-pound increments can cost a small fortune. For example, the NordicTrack version costs $1,999. Most are in the $700-$1,000 range. When you compare the iSelect dumbbells to that, you’re getting a deal. You’re also saving a ton of space in your home.

But that’s when you really need a full rack. If you’re a beginner, you don’t. Small, space-efficient dumbbell sets can be found for much less. Adjustable dumbbell sets with smaller ranges are also available on Amazon for around $20-$150. Some can even turn into a barbell. In the meantime, if you’re frustrated by the lack of metrics, Jaxxox also has a $499 set of connected adjustable dumbbells that can count your reps.

If you have multiple people in your household at different strength levels—like me and my husband—then a set like this makes more sense. We already have Alexa devices, though I don’t know if any of us would use voice control if I wasn’t testing the device. For me, these dumbbells have the weight range we need, save space, and adjust quickly for classes. Most importantly, I can work without worrying that the plate will jolt me ​​into the schnoz. I’m well aware that no one needs to spend hundreds on a connected weight that doesn’t really have a lot of smart features. But if you’re looking for a full rack and don’t have a lot of space to work with, you could do worse.

Photography by Victoria Song / The Verge