REP x Pepin Fast Series Adjustable Dumbbells Review: Compact, Drop Tested, and Lifetime Warranty!
Introduction
The new REP x Pepin Fast Series dumbbells are one of the hottest and arguably one of the best adjustable dumbbells available on the market today. Featuring the ability to switch from 10 to 125LBS in literal seconds, an adjustable cradle, a beautiful volcano knurled 34 mm handle, a lifetime warranty, and a soon to be ecosystem featuring a rolling dumbbell storage cart/stand and potentially more. This new collaboration features nearly all the same features and quality as the original, Pepin exclusive made in Canada version, but is now almost half the price. Let’s check it out!
Today we are reviewing the newly released REP x Pepin Fast Series Adjustable dumbbells. I am super excited to do a review of these dumbbells since I have owned the original Pepin made in Canada version for almost a year and a half now prior to receiving this set. If you’re interested in my original review of the Pepin’s Fast Series or the recent in depth side-by-side comparison video of the two versions, I have the links to both in the description below.
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Materials and Durability
Ok so the REP x Pepin Fast Series above all else are made with durability and speed of change in mind, typically things that can be mutually exclusive when talking about adjustable dumbbells. These dumbbells and the cradles are almost fully metal, with only UHMW liners built into the weight plates and the bottom of the cradle to prevent the wear and tear of metal on metal contact. This nearly all-metal construction is one of the reasons A.) they are slightly on the pricey side for similarly weighted adjustable dummbells but B.) also the reason REP is able to offer a lifetime warranty, there just aren’t really a lot of parts that should or could ever break or wear, so these should last that lifetime.
Drop Test
Speaking to the durability they have even done a real world drop test comparison that I will link in the description so you can see how it compares to and beats nearly all of the competitors, but I will just add my personal PSA to just drop them at your own risk or please see REP’s website at least before you do and the full list of do’s and don’ts when it comes to dropping these and the warranty.
Handle
One of the other things that makes this dumbbell stand out to me is the beefy, 34MM, nickel plated, volcano style, fully knurled straight handle. This knurling reminds me of a cerakote Ohio power bar in that it is not super peaky but definitely has a more aggressive and deep knurling pattern than traditional fixed dumbbells, which really adds to the premium experience that you feel when handling these dumbbells, not to mention obviously being extremely practical for the actual purpose of increasing your grip.
Weight Increments
The knurled handle is housed in the main core cage of the dumbbell which includes a built-in weight plate on either side along connected via the cerakote siderails which contain the sliding steel bar locking mechanism for the dumbbells. As you will side on the side of the handles, the weight increments are listed from 10LBS to 120LBS in 10 pounds increments, although you can actually make 5LB jumps by using the included 2.5 LB adder weights on each side including up to the max weight of 125LB. I also wanted to point out it is rumored that there also may be 1.25 adder weights coming in the future from REP, presumably since the original Pepin version also offered these increments and the new dumbbell cart product page picture clearly shows 8 sets of adders plates, so speculate with that as you will. Just know that as of today technically., they do they not currently offer 1.25 adders so you have to stick with the 5LB jumps, for now, unless you don’t mind doing 2.5 LB jumps by just adding 1 singular adder plate to one side only.
Sizing Options
So there are currently 3 different sizes for the dumbbells you can order, 85LBS, 105LBS and 125LBS pair’s. Everything is the same for all 3 options except the amount of actual weight plates you get. The cradle itself is adjustable and expandable over time, so you can start with the 85LB pair, and order a la carte weight plates down the line if you need them, and if you just adjust a few screws on your existing included cradles you are able to go from the 85 to 105 or 105 to 125 LB pair, which is a really cool foresight in the expandable design by REP.
Price
Since there are 3 different sizes there are obviously 3 different pricing options as well, REP did increase their prices slightly from the original preorder that was launched a few months ago, but the current pricing structure is still relatively affordable, especially comparing them again the previously nearly twice as expensive Pepin made in Canada version. The 85LB pair is $999, the 105LB pair is $1199, and the 125LB pair is $1399, and all of these options include free shipping from REP.
Preorders/Ordering
One thing to quickly note about ordering however is that REP currently is fulfilling the orders based on a pre-order basis. I am not 100% sure if this means they are manufacturing only what get ordered daily or to gauge overall long term market interest, or maybe to even create hype around it, but my guess is they want to take the time to make sure they sort out any kinks in the design, manufacturing, and logistics before going full blown stocking warehouses full of these. So just know that as of today once you place your preorder you still have to wait about 2-3 months until you’ll receive them, which is a little bit of a bummer, but definitely worth the wait.
Dimensions
Speaking to the overall dimensions, this review I have is for the 125LB pair so the only way this option differs in the dimensions category is going to be the overall length due to having the most amount of weight plates. The length of the dumbbells are approximately 18.5 inches long, with a cradle length of 19.5 inches. The weight plates themselves are 7 inches in diameter which is another great feature about these dumbbells because especially at heavier weight, unlike its fixed dumbbell counterpart, this dumbbell always has the same diameter which allows for better range of motion especially while heavy pressing or rowing. The only other dimension worth noting is the spacing between the handles which is 4.9 inches wide, which may be slightly narrower tighter than a traditional fixed dumbbell but still leaves plenty of room for most people hands. If you thing you have super large hands, go get a measuring tape before ordering.
How well does it work?
So drumroll please, if you couldn’t have guessed since there really isn’t a lot of gimmicks gadgets, or things that can really go wrong on these dumbbells, they work fantastic. I have previously dubbed the original Pepin fast series as the best adjustable dumbbells. Now that they are no longer being made, I think these now take their place. Although I will say we are starting to see more and more competitors and companies realize the important of good feeling, well balanced, knurled, quick adjusting dumbbells, these Rep x Pepin version still have a unique design that make them one of the fastest to change and definitely one of the most durable, while maintaining an nice overall traditional dumbbell aesthetic look and feel.
I also want to point out these dumbbells feel the most like a fixed dumbbell of any adjustable dumbbells I have tried. They feel balanced in and around your hands and are even more compact than the comparable regular dumbbells, especially when considering a 10-125 LB set, therefore saving tons of space and really money, especially when you get into the heavier fixed equivalents, all while maintaining all of and in some cases improving the functionality. With creative options like using the side rails as a grip for exercises like close grip pressing, hammers curls, goblet squats, you name it – they actually make the side rails have rounded edges exactly for this option.
Changing the weights
Like I mentioned changing the weight takes literally mere seconds, all you do is press out the spring loaded pop pin selector on each side rails, move it to the desired weight value, and press it in place to lock it. When you want to go in 5LB increments, instead of the listed 10LB weight, all you do is use those 2.5 adder weights that we mentioned earlier, and add one to each side of each dumbbell handle, totaling 5LB of weight per handle so now you can go from 10 – 125LBS in 5 LB increments or again, if you don’t mind slightly laterally unbalanced dumbbells can throw a singular 2.5 on one side only. Totally up to you and your preference.
Overall Ratings
Functionality: 9.5
Features/Design: 9
Fit/Finish: 9
Value: 8.5
Overall: 9
So overall, I think this REP x Pepin Fast Series still remains once of my favorite pieces of home gym equipment of all time. Since dumbbells are typically such a large part of home gym training, in my opinion, these are really a must for most people if you can afford them, and surely you won’t regret them.
Ecosystem
Now I do want to point out REP is investing in the ecosystem here, but to what is still a little unclear. As I mentioned they clearly are releasing a dumbbell cart/stand thing in the early months of next year. Past that, I wouldn’t be surprised if they also are working on or release a kettlebell option like the one that was made for the original Pepin version. This also opens the door to other possibilities like, who knows, an adjustable barbell or EZ curl bar attachment like MX select, but this is purely engineering speculation on my part.
Alternate Options
As far as alternate options go, I am not going to do direct comparisons in this video because honestly there are so many adjustable dumbbells since it is really one of the biggest categories for home gym equipment period. There are a few that come to mind currently like: Trulap 8592 Gen 4, Snode AD80, MX85, Powerblock Elite USA 90 or Pro EXP 100, Ironmaster 120LB kits, but they all have their own specific pros and cons and matrix of price, weight, size, durability, etc. that has to be considered by you the individual before purchasing. Stay tuned for the channel as I review some of these brands in depth in the future and will definitely be featuring comparisons of them side by side with this Fast Series in the according reviews.
Final Considerations/Dislikes
A couple of the things I didn’t like on these are very minor. 1.) The numbers being oriented for both sides. Is confusing, when you are standing on one side of the dumbbells, you are reading the other side up side down. I personally like the original Pepin design that just displayed them from one orientation, understanding you were likely picking up and setting them down in the cradle in the same orientation. These allos to be read in either direction, but then the opposite side always looks wonky and still takes me an extra half a second to read upside down and move the slider the right way.
The other consideration I wanted to mention is that I have seen people complaining about is the rattling of the weight plates, which I discuss in more detail in previous side-by-side of the Pepins and this REP versions. To quickly summarize they the original Pepins and this version rattle and yes I will agree these rattle slightly more, perhaps unsurprisingly when you violently shake them as these plates have slighter larger spacing tolerances between them since this is mass manufactured version compared to the limited quantity release of the Canadian version.
The last only real downside isn’t the dumbbells themselves, but the fact there is a current preorder wait as mentioned, about 3 months from time of ordering.
Taking everything previously mentioned into consideration, these dumbbells are the perfect addition for anybody who wants the feel of a real fixed dumbbell, a lifetime warranty, plans to go heavy and doesn’t want to worry about long term durability, this is it, these are the ones for you.
Signoff and Q&A
So guys that’s it for this review on the Rep x Pepin fast series adjustable dumbbells, I apologize if this is the 10th review you have seen on them in recent weeks but I hope you enjoyed it. As always if you have any questions please comment down below and I will be happy to answer or at least try. Please subscribe to the channel if you haven’t already and stay tuned for some more great reviews coming soon along with our new super comfortable, athletic fit, aggressive graphic shirts and flags dropping soon. If you are interested in purchasing the dumbbells, please use the link in the description to support the channel. Thank you for tuning into The Jungle Gym Reviews, we will see you next time, take it easy, peace.
-Michael @TheJungleGymReviews
