If you’re looking to upgrade your home gym while saving space, this four-in-one kettlebell will tick all the right boxes for beginners but might fall slightly short for advanced lifters, writes Sam Rider
Kitting out any home gym is an eternal compromise between space, variety and cost. Becoming over-reliant on one pair of dumbbells or kettlebells can plateau your progress, but few have the luxury to adorn their homes with multiple sets of free weights. That’s where adjustable weights, like the PowerBlock, can prove their worth. This four-in-one space-saver is an 8kg / 10kg / 12kg / 16kg kettlebell in one neat and tidy powder-coated package. I took one for a spin to see how it stacks up against my trusted cast iron option.
First impressions
The PowerBlock is four kettlebells in one. A steel selection pin, like the one used with resistance machines, allows you to increase and decrease the weight it holds onto, from a respectable 16kg down to an entry-level 8kg.
As you reduce each weight selection, the kettlebell leaves behind a neat pile of its internal load, stacked like a pyramid. This makes switching weights mid workout quick and easy, with minimal risk of plates escaping across the floor.
It’s a tidy design that minimises superfluous features, like the plastic tray required for the Bowflex SelectTech 840
Kettlebell. And the pin is less fiddly to use than the pinch-andturn selection dial of the Primal Personal Series Adjustable Kettlebell. It also allows the kettlebell to retain its shape, whether at its lowest or highest setting.
Oddly, however, it comes with two stickers in the box that you need to apply to each side of the bell to indicate which weight you are selecting. I’m not sure why this couldn’t be done in the factory before shipping.
Build quality
DIY finishing touches aside, the PowerBlock feels well sturdy and durable. The brand does not reveal on its website exactly what material it’s made from, but there’s no plastic in sight and its cool metal, powder-coated, matte black finish looks the business.
