If someone is serious about weightlifting, they'll typically buy one or more sets of dumbbells, a barbell, and multiple weight plates for the barbell. The new Dualbell system, however, allows existing dumbbells to take the place of the plates, saving space and money.
Presently on Kickstarter, the product was invented by New York-based certified personal trainer/fitness consultant Glenn Dickstein, his son Adam, and architect Roy Kushner.
The Dualbells themselves are simply a pair of hinged polycarbonate devices, each one of which gets clamped around the handle of a third-party dumbbell and then slid onto a third-party barbell – one on either end. A set of standard weight collars are then used to keep them in place, as would be the case with weight plates.
According to Dickstein, the Dualbells work with any dumbbells, as long as their handles are no more than 35 mm (1.4 in) in diameter and at least 108 mm (4.25 in) in length. Rubber inserts help the Dualbells grip securely to those handles.
The Dualbells should also work with any 1-inch-diameter (25-mm) barbell. If buyers opt for two pairs of Dualbells (so they can have two dumbbells on each end of the barbell), an included set of spacers can be used to keep each pair aligned with one another.
Assuming they reach production, a pledge of US$26 will get you a pair of Dualbells, with $50 required for two pairs – the estimated retail prices are $39 and $75, respectively. They're demonstrated in the video below.
Prospective buyers might also want to check out the successfully crowdfunded Hyperbell system. It likewise allows dumbbells to be used in place of barbell weight plates, although it's pricier and incorporates a system-specific barbell.
UPDATE (Feb. 13/23): Dualbells are now available for purchase the company website.
Source: Kickstarter