Extremely underrated option for adjustable dumbells. Space efficient, compact size, and can be reasonably priced if you buy your own plates. Best of all it still feels like an actual dumbell you would want to use.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

💯

I have these and they’re awesome. Yes, doing a lot of DB exercises in a row can be a bit finicky changing weights back and forth, but the space saving over a full set of DBs is totally worth it for a home gym, and it’s still a pretty fast change.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Appreciate the firsthand feedback!

Have used these for a year. 10/10 Also, truly the best customer service in the game.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Appreciate the firsthand feedback!

Great review Brandon. I have the original Pepin handles and I’ve got no complaints. I have several hundred pounds of old standard plates so this was just what I was looking for when I purchased them back in 2021. I would definitely buy again.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Appreciate the first hand feedback Joel!

As always, nice review Brandon. I do appreciate how transparent and honest you are doing your reviews ! Looking forward to send you my new 180lbs Fast series 👌

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Thanks David! Keep up the great work!

Oh boy, I have the very first version of these. Pépin started and 1-2 months after he had my order. He’s from the same province as me as well. I bought the fat handle second hand not so long after. I kinda knew at the time this thing would go berserk so I committed early. Never been disappointed even if it was the first iteration. It’s so funny, at first all the competitors were bashing his stuff like hell, I even remember coop doing the same stating stuff ‘’he heard’’ that the quality was not good etc…and in the end he had to do a drop test when the community was not very happy as that was something to get more commission from ironmaster and bow flex… I don’t know for your version, but the knurling is VERY sharp on mine. I mean TPB sharp. Not a bad thing, it just put all other DB handle to shame… That thing stays in my gym until the end of the word for sure.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

From what I've seen it's mostly/only BaadAss. Even if he made the best product I would never buy from him based off how he acts.

@andrewstearns9276

6 ай бұрын

I like the knurling but could see people thinking it’s aggressive. I like that when I go heavier. My biggest gripe with fixed dumbells is the handle mm is the same for 50lb and 120lb

@jonathantremblay3469

6 ай бұрын

@@BasementBrandon Baddass lead a campaign against Pépin, paying people to tell badd things… the guy had a really bad reputation before starting his DB company…

This looks like a great set of adjustable dumbbells. Went with IM for going heavy but still use my fixed set for the smaller increments so those work good for my purpose.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

While I think these are solid for what they are, I do like how the Ironmasters square plates make them not roll.

Great video.. I purchased his 1st design of these which had a problem with the ends snapping off. I sent David pics and he confirmed that there were the original design but he never agreed to replace them with the safer and newer design. They are great dumbbells and the craftsmanship is excellent but everytime I use them I'm concerned for my safety. The screws are the same so only the handles need to be replaced. Keep up the good reviews..

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Appreciate the firsthand feedback!

Another great review, B! I especially like your dedication---putting on knee sleeves for your dumbbell work! 😁

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Safety first!

@ClarksvilleBarbellClub

6 ай бұрын

🤣🤣🤣@@BasementBrandon

Your gym is second to none! It's a museum!

@DrTopLiftDPT

6 ай бұрын

are you calling Brandon an antique?!

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Haha lots of better gyms out there, but the best will always be your own!

Thanks for sharing a bit about the company! That helps with managing my expectations.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

It's basically a nicer way to say it's not a cheaper mass manufactured pair from china.

@reginaldchesterfield8110

6 ай бұрын

Haha, yes sir, thanks so much!

I have had these for a few weeks now and love them. I found used standard plates easy to find and cheap. Space is tight in my basement and being able to just buy the handles to go on the plates I have ended being cost effective. The big deal is the compact narly handle with great knurling that you can bump off your knee comfortably. I am about to order longer screws that will let me add more weight than I can ever lift. lol.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

You know I didn't even mention that. Most screw adjustables stab your quads when setting up. Good call.

@richardmather1906

5 ай бұрын

@@BasementBrandon Use washers from the hardware store to pad them out so they are flush. Very cheap solution.

Awesome review! Literally answered all my questions I had about this, just ordered mine. Now to wait what I imagine is a long time til delivery hahaha

@BasementBrandon

4 ай бұрын

Hope you enjoy it!

As someone with a lot of standard plates, buying just the handles seems like an exciting option. Thanks for sharing Brandon!

@bradcondran8896

6 ай бұрын

You should have a look at the Kensui Adjustabells as well. Not as premium as these but a similar setup for much less money.

@HughLeFitness

6 ай бұрын

That’s what I’m using. I call them budget Pepins lol. Works the same way and 1/4 the cost.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for taking a look!

Very interested in these!!!

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for taking a look!

I had the originals they were pretty sweet and bought 1in plates from Walmart back when they were like .50-.60 cents a pound. Now the same plates are over $2 a pound

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Coach Carp coming through!

I thought about getting these to compliment my Iron Master. I would use these for light movements (i.e curls, lateral raises). But I think I am going to get the REP Quick Draws. The Peppins look really mice though.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Yes, prob not a good idea to own both with the cost structure.

@nickt3169

6 ай бұрын

I’m planning on getting these in addition to several other adjustable dumbbells sets and leaving them each on a particular weight to avoid having to waste time adjusting any of them.

THEY SPIN SMOOTH AND FAST , GRIP IS GREAT

@BasementBrandon

4 ай бұрын

Nice!

If the stand isn't purchased/used, are there any rack-mounted storage options for these 1" plates instead of keeping them on the ground? I know some 5/8" and 1" band pegs are used for a lot of racks, but those generally are loose and likely not safe for storage. All I seem to find are Olympic-sized plate storage from some of the big name brands

@seanberlin

6 ай бұрын

I guess I could always drill holes in the band pegs and use some codder pins to lock them in place... but it sounds inelegant

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

I know a lot of people just buy little carts, or other adjustable stands to keep these on.

Nice review Brandon Haviland? These handlss look like a great option for a second set of adjustables that you can keep pre-loaded for heavy pressing once you outgrow your usual ones, especially with cheap standard plates.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Def solid, but the question is if you're willing to drop the $ on the high end, or would rather save money and go mass import

I’ve had mine for a couple years now and I love the knurling and handle on them. I would’ve gotten the Fast Ones had they been released before these. One thing I don’t love is the changing the plates especially at the heavy weights. It’s nothing against Pepin, it’s just the style of them. I use them less than I did 12-18 months ago due to that. Now I just have them at a set weight that I use for shoulder shrugs once a week 🤦🏻‍♂️

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Appreciate the first hand feedback!

Would you be against making a video comparing the HD vs the pepin fast dumbells. Both are so nice, hard to decide between the 2

@BasementBrandon

4 ай бұрын

I'm not sure a video is necessary. It really comes down to a few things. First of all is probably budget. The Fast are expensive if out of range for what you want to spend, no reason in looking. If price isn't a factor it comes down to more of if you want the convenience of changing weight quickly and having a small compact solution vs a bunch of plates that need to be manually loaded.

I've been eyeing these for a long time and sadly they didn't have a Black Friday sale. I decided to go with Kensui AdjustaBell MAX which function the exact same way for 1/4 of the price LOL. Pepins are probably more durable but I never drop my dumbbells anyways so I think I should be fine. What's the handle diameter of your urethanes? Would 37mm be too thick? I think 35mm are most commercial dumbbells like Iron Grip. You didn't mention how these compare to their competitors like Baadass and Kensui. Kensui has been killing it with the sales since they are SO much cheaper than Pepins especially now they are made in metal as opposed to their initial release of the nylon fiberglass. Stay big!

@josemv25

6 ай бұрын

Lol

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

I haven't used the Kensui so can't really compare. My response would prob be something along the lines of the Pepins being for someone who wanted something a bit more unique/higher end/not from china. For the BaadAss stuff, I don't think I'd do a video on them. Even before looking at adjustables in any fashion I saw how the owner operates by attacking others, just bad business and I wouldn't give them my money or time TBH.

@HughLeFitness

6 ай бұрын

@@josemv25 What's funny?

I have the Olympic version of these, the screw is actually the same, theres just a plastic centering ring added to both ends of the handle and under the cap of the screw. This means if you have more than two plates per side the middle ones arent centered. I fixed that with some 1"ID 2"OD aluminum spacers from McMaster I drop into the plates.

@henrybui6353

6 ай бұрын

What is the length of the spacers? I have 2 olympic sets ordered.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Good to know! I don't think I could find them on the site when editing, so appreciate the feedback!

@joshuagoertz61

6 ай бұрын

@@henrybui6353 I used the 1" long spacers, McMaster item 92510A653, but the 3/4" long option might be slightly better because it'll be closer to the thickness of each plate. This spacer could in theory be too large in OD if you're plates have a tight bore. It's fine in my CAP cast iron plates, on my Rogue urethane change plates the spacers fit in some but not all the plates.

Which grip feels better? The HD handles at 37mm and 5.9 inches, or the fast handles which are 34.5mm and I presume longer than 5.9" but I've never seen anyone say how long the handle is on the fast. If you had to pick fast or HD, which would you choose? I value your opinion as outside of pepin, you're probably the only person that's handled both.

@BasementBrandon

4 ай бұрын

It's personal preference really. I have larger hands so a bigger diameter is my perferred.

I seriously considered these but ultimately went with IM because of price and I was able to stack discounts. These look really nice though!

@TheCarterHomeGym

6 ай бұрын

@@Pler1978 I did get the heavy handle kit and it is nice. Makes the handle more compact. IM was definitely the better value. I think the Pepin plates look REALLY nice though.

@robertoroots8177

6 ай бұрын

How thick are the handles?

@TheCarterHomeGym

6 ай бұрын

@@robertoroots8177 The IM's handle grip diameter is 1.25" with a 6.5" grip width (without the heavy handle kit).

@HughLeFitness

6 ай бұрын

Agree

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

I agree IM are hard to beat, espcially b/c of the quick lock system, square plates that don't roll, etc. Where pepins win IMO are the build options (handle diameter, finish, overall look) and the fact they're able to use any standard plate. I'm glad I don't have to pick between em lol.

LoL.."No face..you're welcome" very funny

@BasementBrandon

5 ай бұрын

😅

Use these as my heavy backups and my nuobell as my daily

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Right on!

These look so much more durable than the Kensui AdjustaBELLs that I use but the price disparity seems so steep.

@HughLeFitness

6 ай бұрын

Yup, I chose Kensui over this simply due to price. Works the same way and no issues so far lol.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Yeah I think for most these would likely be the bougie version.

Could you review the Kensui metal adjustable DB handles? (Also, I am seeing used standard plates at $1/lb, not 50 cts. 😢)

@BasementBrandon

3 ай бұрын

I prob won’t just bc I don’t have a need for them, but if they send me some you may see em!

@Frennemydistinction

3 ай бұрын

@@BasementBrandonI just asked them if they can get you some to review

Thanks for reviewing these! Been looking into these as a premium option to use w/ my current plates. @ 2:46 do you think that these would survive a similar drop at an ~40° angle? and if not, is it more likely to snap or bend? One of my adjustable dumbells snapped at the peg at around those conditions so i'd want to make sure the pepins could survive general wear and tear (not throwing or slamming the weights).

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

I would think so. I'd prob control the drop a little better in every day use personally though.

Taking ease and speed of adjustment out the equation; how do these compare to the fast series feel wise and quality wise?

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

I think most would say these feel better b/c there's no cage. Quality is on point for both.

How nice are the pepin plates? The cost is really high. Is it worth getting those steel calibrated plates over the York cast iron he sells?

@BasementBrandon

5 ай бұрын

I think that's going to depend more on you. Any plates would work, the Pepins are just nicer to look at.

It would be nice if more of these came in KGs. I've only seen the Trulap offer KGs. They are on my shortlist for adjustable dbs.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Could just buy your own standard KG plates I guess 🤪

Wow, that is nice. Machined standard plates! Are the Iron Masters machined as well? Given the price, though, there is a lot to be said for a big pile of standard plates and three or four sets of spinlock handles. There is not really any limit on the weight you can use. (You can put 25s on there for farmers carries, for example.) With several sets of handles, you can make up a couple sets ahead of time and you are good to go. And you can get 1.5 lb plates so you can do 3 lb. increases. (Of course, I bought a few hundred pounds of these plates in the 2000s when new they were under $1.00 a lb. More expensive now). For resting on the knee, get some washers from the hardware store to pad out the nut so it sits flush. And, if you are plebian like me and only have one Oly bar, you can use a 6' or 7' "standard" bar with the same plates. I had 295 on the "Cap" standard 7' bar I have and it did not break.

@BasementBrandon

5 ай бұрын

Not to my knowledge.

@richardmather1906

5 ай бұрын

@@BasementBrandon Thanks.

These look great. The pro series handles are great, but I am pushing them at 140lb loaded. These would be my pick if I had to start over and get a pair of adjustable dumbbells. High loadable capacity and super refined.

@HughLeFitness

6 ай бұрын

Can you not just get their handles since you already have the end screws big phil? Double check if the screws are compatible from the PROs to the HDs. You have an older PRO version so not too sure my guy.

@babygiantbarbell1014

6 ай бұрын

@@HughLeFitness yea not sure but yet another set of dumbbell handles is way down the priority list.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Supposedly these go up to 175 with his plates 😳

They look nice and the like they’d last a lifetime! You may need to do a vid on your extensive sports jersey/shirt collection! 😂

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Haha I've gotten rid of a bunch. But it is prob the only thing I spend money on besides the gym lol.

Wait you're a Commanders fan??? If so I love your channel even more 🏈🔥

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

I made it a point to not buy/rep them the past few years bc of Snyder. Now that Harris is in charge I dont mind giving him my money… for now lol😅

@andrewstearns9276

6 ай бұрын

Yeah I’m the same way! Long time fan from growing up in DC area and was so excited to see him finally sell the team!!!!

Nickel knurling looking nice

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Yeah some of the nicest on a pair of DBs I've used!

Only issue with them is sometimes they would get stuck and hard to unscrew just keep a rubber mallet near by works great

@HughLeFitness

6 ай бұрын

Unscrew by grabbing the plates then twist. The increase in surface area makes it much easier.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

I haven't found the screws sticking to be a problem but I did notice a few times the plate would stick to the screw head lol.

l use selfmade Dumbbells like this it is easy to made if you have machine for it)

@HughLeFitness

6 ай бұрын

Any pics?

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Right on!

Looks dope

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for checking it out my dude.

These or the Badass? Which is the higher end product?

@BasementBrandon

5 ай бұрын

These

Debating if I want to get knurled handles for my pb elite exp or change out for these.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

I think if you like what you have it would be better/easier to just upgrade the handles.

@pedalandypedal

6 ай бұрын

@@BasementBrandon I do like them, but sometimes I feel that the ability to run something like mad spotters would be nice when going heavier.

Does pepin do any sales throughout the year?

@BasementBrandon

5 ай бұрын

Not that I'm aware of.

Holy crap 37mm in diameter for the handle, that's way to thick for me. Even your "crappy" STANDARD olympic bars, their thickest is about 32mm. 37mm for a dumbbell handle would suck doing normal curls with them since you're focusing all that energy to just holding onto them. Trying to work out my biceps not forearms. Bigger the forearms, the smaller my biceps will look LOL.

@MeepMeep88

6 ай бұрын

I like the look of the shininess and the length of the handle. Better length than IronMasters

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

They have both bigger and smaller handles. Personally I find bigger to be better in this case.

There are versions of this that go the same amount of weight and are about 300 bucks and very similar, given that these are nicer quality if they would’ve sold for 600 it would’ve been on the pricey side, but still worth buying but at 1200 they are just going to rust on the shelf. I can’t believe they think that that would be a good price point even for those willing to blow a little more cash.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

I think if you read some of the other comments you can see where the value could be. For me I think I'd rather spend more for something that's not just a mass produced import pair that multiple companies rebrand.

@altairtheeagle

6 ай бұрын

Noted, thank you @@BasementBrandon

104 is plenty heavy, but these could hold 129#?

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

So he sells sets that go up to 175 and use the long screws I show here. He has some 12.5lb plates for that.

Big Pepin'

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

So instead of Hova would we say Scotia?

Still prefer the IMs over these, I think they’re a lot more affordable. $500 for handles alone

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Yeah IMs are hard to beat, where the pepins shine a bit better is the materials (nickel, machined plates, knurling, etc) and the fact you can use your own plates easily. IMs wins on price and ease of changing out plates.

I miss the obvious comment regarding the sizes, I could only see xxs,xs and s😂

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

😇

Purchase a set 5-50 in 5 pound increments hex set. From there get 10 pound increments as needed 60, 70, 80 etc. No coming apart, no changing plates, you will have them for life.. buy once cry once... multiple people can work out.. work out with girlfriend..

@HughLeFitness

6 ай бұрын

That’s exactly my plan too. Do you have plans to get the in between weights someday? 65, 75 etc?

@mysticjedi6730

6 ай бұрын

@@HughLeFitness bicep and tricep I switch around 35, 40.. working out with girlfriend she can use lower weights.. but going from 20 to 30 is such a huge percentage increase.. going from dumbbell bench 50 to 60 or 60 to 70 is a much smaller percentage increase.. Maybe if I had unlimited funds I would get 5-100 in 5 pound increments.. but it's just not needed.. only nice to have.. A set 5-50, incline/decline bench and gym mat gets you working out. Dumbbell squats, dead lifts, incline press, bent over rows, bicep curl, tricep isolation.. crunches.. get 60, 70 as needed Do not spend money on any more equipment.. waste of funds and space.. Look around for used on kijiji, etc.. I put together set for cheap.. my arms are massive. Will never buy gym membership. Put equipment in your living room. NO EXCUSES TO NOT LIFT WEEKLY..

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

I think it just depends what you want. The bigger hex dbs get pretty large. I initially got sets of 10 from 10-100 in my urethanes but ended up missing the jumps and went and bought all the 5lb variants as well.

@mysticjedi6730

6 ай бұрын

@@BasementBrandon I found epic deals used on kijiji... I sent people messages offering cash now if they delivered.. some people are hard up for cash and an offer for Cash now many people take.. I suggest looking around.. they are Damm expensive lately..

I have Pepins, they are the closest thing you are going to find to an adjustable "gym" dumbbell. I cannot stand adjustable "on the fly" dumbbells, they are too large for the weight, they feel cheap, the plates rattle, they drive me crazy. If you've spent a lot of time with real dumbbells in your hands, you will love Pepins. Not to be weird, but if you closed your eyes with them in your hands, you will 100% think you have a dumbbell in your hands from a gym, you cant say that with any other option out there right now. If you pick these up, get a nylon dead blow hammer to spin them down tighter.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

All good points, they remind me of the Ivanko pro style dbs.

@Senick

6 ай бұрын

@BasementBrandon they do look like Ivanko Pros lol, good call. Excellent vids man, keep up the solid work. I think* you also have a Rogue 2.0 bench. You have excellent taste, if I don't say so myself.

Jesus Christ these are expensive!! D:

@BasementBrandon

4 ай бұрын

Take a look at the fast series and these will seem cheap!

they look great but if I get some pepin it will be the fast series.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

Yeah I think those would be the way to go if you can afford it.

Didn’t these used to be called bad ass dumbbells or were those something else?

@ReindeerGames

6 ай бұрын

I have not seen Pepins or baadass in person but I did order baadass ones over 2 months ago and have yet to receive them and getting ahold of anyone there after your purchase is impossible. I'd recommend staying away from baadass, even if the dumbbell is indestructible as they state I have zero faith in returning a handle for warranty because i can't even get answers about my order. so having actually seen neither of these in person just having dealt with baadass id choose pepin

@ReindeerGames

6 ай бұрын

fair point but if that's the case don't have a time frame on your website for delivering or at the very least when someone calls or emails just shoot them an answer on what's going on. unfortunately it seems like an outta sight outta mind situation

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

BaadAss is a different company and go out of their way to talk shit about Pepins. Even before meeting David or using his products I wrote off BaadAss b/c of the way he conducts himself.

@ReindeerGames

6 ай бұрын

only reason I had gone with them is the heavy-duty aspect and the price for the handles without doing much research into the company, now after placing the order and seeing some videos of his conduct I would advise anyone interested go to pepin

The threads look like shit for the price also the website is garbage and won’t scroll down lol

@dumbbellpepin4441

6 ай бұрын

Constructive comments 😂 🤪

@tetriseffect711

6 ай бұрын

@@dumbbellpepin4441 come on you can admit they should have done a better job with the threads

@HughLeFitness

6 ай бұрын

@@dumbbellpepin4441 How come the end screws are not threaded all the way? Also Brandon mentioned the handles inside are also not threaded all the way through?

@dumbbellpepin4441

6 ай бұрын

​@@HughLeFitnessthe long screws aren't fully threaded for 2 reasons. First is for the strenght, second is simply because they don't need to be threaded all the way ( that part of the screw don't go inside the handle). As for the thread inside the handle, the heaviest you go, the less deep the screw go inside the handle. So fully threaded handles doesn't have any + value. I use custom heavy duty thread so 1 inch on each side is stronger that what's needed.

@BasementBrandon

6 ай бұрын

What issues do you have with the threads?