Peloton Weights Review: Are They Actually Worth It?

I’ll admit it.

My husband and I admired the Peloton weights our favorite instructors were using for a LONG time before we purchased a set of our own!

But after I got serious about lifting weights five times a week, we invested in three sets of Peloton brand weights – 20 pounds, 25 pounds, and 30 pounds.

I’m super excited to share this Peloton weights review with you after working out with them for two months!

This guide to Peloton weights features:

an unsponsored review of Peloton’s dumbbells
a comparison between different dumbbells for Peloton workouts
a guide to the best weights to use during Peloton strength classes
how to use dumbbells during Peloton workouts

Disclosure: Affiliate links are used throughout this post. You can read our full disclosure here.

Why do you need weights with a Peloton?

There are three ways to take advantage of Peloton’s on demand fitness classes:

1. Bike

2. Tread

3. Digital App

All three of these options incorporate dumbbells into their classes but the weight you need depends on the type of class you’re doing.

What classes use weights in Peloton?

There are three main ways to use dumbbells with Peloton.

1. Intervals & Arms Ride

This type of class incorporates the lighter bike weights by using a set of 1, 2, or 3 pounds during arms sections.

You can pick up Peloton’s bike weights or a neoprene set through Amazon or Walmart.

Personally, I made the mistake of ordering a 2-pound set with my bike but picked up a 3-pound set at Walmart later.

I don’t do arms rides enough to justify spending more money on Peloton-branded bike weights.

And to be completely honest, in terms of the way they feel, there’s basically no difference between Peloton’s bike weights and cheaper lightweight neoprene dumbbells.

2. Bootcamp

There are two different types of Bootcamp classes available – Bike and Tread.

Both incorporate the use of traditional dumbbells.

You’ll want to have a set of Light, Medium, and Heavyweights available for this.

We’ll break down these weight ranges shortly.

3. Strength Classes

A great workout routine includes regular strength training and Peloton’s strength classes are among the best I’ve taken!

In addition to classes that utilize dumbbells, there are also Bodyweight (using just your body weight for exercises) and Resistance Bands classes.

Peloton’s strength classes that use dumbbells include Full-Body workouts in addition to the following focused Class Types:

Bodyweight
Upper Body
- Arms & Shoulders
- Chest & Back
Lower Body
- Glutes & Legs
Core

You’ll want to have a set of Light, Medium, and Heavyweights available for strength training.

More tips to improve Peloton workouts:

Peloton Weight Ranges

Before each strength class, your instructor will tell you exactly what weights you’ll need for your workout with a weight range guideline.

Usually, they’re along these lines:

Light Weights: 5 to 10 pounds

Medium Weights: 10 to 20 pounds

Heavy Weights: 15 to 30 pounds

peloton weights cast iron neoprene comparison

Honest Peloton Dumbbells Review

I absolutely love the shape and design of our Peloton weights and find that they’re especially great for workouts like:

Goblet squats
Sumo squats
Overhead triceps extensions
Sit-ups to presses
Swings

Interestingly, the flat design of the dumbbell’s ends makes them a great substitute for kettlebells!

Material

Peloton dumbbells are made of cast iron and include a natural rubberized coating.

This promotes a stable non-slip grip but you may want to wear weight-lifting gloves with these.

When I first started lifting these, I found them a bit prickly compared to my GoZone dumbbells.

The GoZone dumbbells have a slightly smoother texture than the Peloton weights do.

But like the Peloton bike seat, you just get used to it after a while!

Versatility

As you’d probably expect, Peloton’s dumbbells are perfect for all Peloton strength classes.

With the exception of the workouts listed above, you’ll generally be holding your dumbbells by the middle and NOT the ends.

And with these workouts, it’s honestly more comfortable to lift a different Hex dumbbell like the Amazon Basics ones unless, of course, you’re wearing gloves.

I’m going to be completely honest with you – I bought these for the way they look more than anything!

Price

Compared to Amazon Basics Hex dumbbells, Peloton weights are a bit more expensive.

To give you an idea, a set of 20-pound Hex dumbells costs $63.98 on Amazon with FREE Two-Day Prime shipping versus $75.00 plus $12.95 shipping through Peloton.

That’s a $24 difference.

I’d like to have a full set of Peloton weights one day but for that cost, I couldn’t justify upgrading my 10 and 15-pound sets to the Peloton brand ones.

I would consider adding different-sized Peloton weights to our collection though!

More Peloton ideas:

Overall Thoughts

I love my Peloton weights and the flat ends that make them so perfect for a wide range of exercises.

But in all honestly, I don’t think it’s worth buying a full set if you’ve already got a few weights you like and are comfortable with.

If my hands weren’t so small (seriously – I can wear a child’s size Large glove), I probably would have invested in a full set of neoprene dumbbells instead.

I really like the smooth texture and the way neoprene feels so stable even when you work up a major sweat!

But on the downside, since the weight is so evenly distributed, you’ll find that neoprene dumbbells have a thicker middle section as the weight increases (hence the reason I have a tough time gripping a 10-pound neoprene weight with my tiny hands).

Here’s what my 10-pound neoprene dumbbell looks like next to my 20-pound Peloton weight.

Pretty big difference in grip size for half the weight, right?

I’ve never seen neoprene weights beyond 20 pounds and I’m guessing it’s for the reasoning I mentioned!

So, with that said, I’ll definitely finish my Peloton set one day.

Kettlebells for Peloton

Does Peloton have kettlebell workouts?

No, Peloton doesn’t offer specific kettlebell workouts – Onnit Academy is where it’s at for this.

And while you could incorporate kettlebells into your Peloton strength classes, it’s not guaranteed that you’ll do ANY kettlebell moves during your strength training classes.

So, they’ll just get in your way!

Best Weights for Peloton Bike

In my opinion, there’s not a big difference between Peloton’s neoprene dumbbells and the ones you can pick up at Walmart or through Amazon.

That said, I love the neoprene dumbbell set I got in the Peloton bike accessories package – but I regret not going heavier from the start!

For some reason, I bought a 2-pound set thinking there would be a noticeable difference between this and three pounds.

So, now I use a set of 3-pound weights I picked up at Walmart – they fit perfectly into the weight rack behind the bike.

Pro Tip: Get the 3-pound set from the start! If you need to go lighter, 1 to 2-pound weight sets cost next to nothing on Amazon, at most major retailers, and even the dollar store!

Where to find Peloton weights for sale

Peloton

After falling in love with the design of our 30-pound dumbbell set, we ordered 20-pound and 25-pound sets from the official site but they’re now available on Amazon and ship mighty fast!

Peloton brand dumbbells are available in the following sizes:

5 pounds
10 pounds
15 pounds
20 pounds
30 pounds

Other Amazon Options

You can choose from neoprene-coated dumbbells (my favorite) and hex dumbbells on Amazon.

Both types of weights are perfect for Peloton classes and cost less than Peloton weights.

Amazon also has a lot of other really cool accessories for the bike including personal fans, the Spintray, and even a phone holder.

I have all of these things and definitely recommend the phone holder for those who prefer their own music during scenic rides and even instructor-led rides – because sometimes it’s nice to check out!

Peloton Buy and Sell Group on Facebook

Since I’m from Canada, I haven’t had a chance to take advantage of this group but there are a ton of new Peloton items available on here daily for US shoppers.

I’ve seen entire weight sets on sale for 40% off but obviously, you’d have to pick them up locally to take advantage of this kind of deal – shipping is expensive, haha.

Peloton Weights Rack

The AKYEN A-Frame dumbbell rack is by far the most popular choice for displaying Peloton weights among my Peloton Facebook groups.

Personally, I use this Marcy dumbbell rack – it costs half as much and I bought it before Peloton dumbbells were available in Canada.

What Weights Should I Buy?

As a formerly not-so-strong woman, I could barely even lift 10 pounds when I started my strength training journey.

If you’re a woman like me and brand new to strength training, I’d recommend starting with:

Light: 3-pound set
Medium: 5-pound set
Heavy: 8 to 10-pound set

This is a really cute and inexpensive set to get started.

Note: Most Peloton instructors define heavy weights as being 15 pounds and up but trust me, it’s not worth injuring yourself over and cutting your weightlifting journey short if you’re struggling with 10’s like I did at the start.

With practice, it’ll get easier and those exercises are still just as effective with what YOU consider to be heavy weights.

I’m now able to do overhead lifts with 20-pound dumbbells – something I never thought I’d be able to do!

If you’re a man or a woman with weightlifting experience, this dumbbell set is probably a better fit for you – it includes 10, 15, and 20-pound neoprene dumbbells.

These days, this is exactly what I define as light (10), medium (15), and heavy (20+) – my husband also agrees with these weight ranges!

Best Peloton Weights

The best dumbbells to use for your Peloton strength classes are neoprene or Hex dumbbells – and they DO NOT need to be Peloton brand to make your workout as effective as possible!

Final Thoughts on Peloton Dumbbells

The biggest pro of the Peloton cast iron weights is that their flat ends make them slightly more comfortable to hold for exercises like swings, goblet squats, and overhead triceps extensions.

When held by the middle bar during other more traditional weight lifting exercises though, I’ve found GoZone and Amazon Basics Hex dumbbells more comfortable to lift.

Peloton’s dumbbells are a bit pricklier than other similar cast iron dumbbells.

They’re beautiful to look at though and really pop on a weight rack due to their modern design.

That being said, if gym aesthetic is what you’re after, another downside to Peloton’s dumbbells is that they only go up to 30 pounds.

So, if you want to up your game to a 35-pound or even a 50-pound set, your weights won’t match.

Final Thoughts on Peloton Bike Weights

In comparison to other light rubberized weights on the market, there’s not a whole lot of difference between Peloton’s bike weights and other light neoprene weights!

Personally, I’d rather spend a little extra and get a set that comes with 3-pound weights and a couple of other heavier options like this one.

Conclusion

Peloton weights offer a beautiful modern design in a minimalist color palette but they won’t really enhance your workout – you can do all of the same moves just as effectively with less expensive dumbbells.

I bought my first set (30-pounds) of Peloton weights because it cost less on Facebook Marketplace than a brand new set of GoZone dumbbells did at Walmart!

Do you have Peloton dumbbells? Prefer neoprene over cast iron weights or vice versa? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below 🙂

Happy training, friends!