Capacity and handle fit
MX70 or MX100 EVO: capacity, dials and grip choices
MX Select’s MX70 and MX100 Evolution pairs use the same broad idea—two selector dials per dumbbell, a cradle for changes, and separate contoured-rubber or knurled-steel handle choices—but their base capacity is not the same. The useful question is not simply “which goes heavier?” It is whether 70 pounds per hand is enough now, whether you want to keep the two ends balanced, and whether an optional expansion accessory is a real purchase plan or just a theoretical future upgrade.
Read the supplied ladder correctly
The MX70 starts at 10 pounds and is listed to 70 pounds per dumbbell. With both ends set alike, the standard positions rise in 10-pound steps: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70. MX Select also describes independent end dials. Moving one end by one selector step makes a five-pound change in total nominal load, so an offset can fill the steps between the equal-end positions. That is a different way to load the handset; a request for equal loading at both ends and an intermediate 65-pound setting cannot be met together by the documented MX70 plan.
The MX100 uses the same 10-pound starting point and lists a 100-pound-per-hand top end. Its equal-end settings are also in 10-pound steps, while the one-end offset produces five-pound total steps. The larger model therefore gives a heavier base ceiling, not a finer balanced ladder. If your required ceiling is 65 or 70 pounds, buying the MX100 does not, by itself, remove the symmetric-step limitation. Do not read the words “independent dials” as a promise that every intermediate total keeps the weight centered evenly.
Choose the grip as a separate decision
Both capacity families offer two handle variants. R uses a contoured textured rubber grip and yellow polymer dials; the retailer lists an approximate 36 mm diameter. K uses a machined-knurled steel grip and metal dials, around 29 mm. These are real differences in material, diameter and selector style, not decorative color variants. A thicker rubber grip may be the preferred contact for one lifter, while another specifically wants a narrow metal handle. Neither number predicts comfort for every hand, and the product description cannot substitute for trying the surface yourself.
Keep the options in their own pair identities: MX70R versus MX70K, and MX100R versus MX100K. If your capacity need is 70 pounds or less, compare the two MX70 handles first. If the 100-pound capacity is genuinely needed on day one, compare the two MX100 handles and choose between R and K there. A product name or image showing the shared MX70-100 platform should not be mistaken for a 100-pound setting included in the base MX70 box.
Expansion is not supplied capacity
The MX70 product line has a separate MXP12-60 conversion kit described as twelve five-pound plates. The manufacturer’s directions say to remove the cradle spacers and add three plates per cradle end to move the 70-pound system toward a 100-pound system. That is useful if you already own the correct MX70 and intend to buy the conversion kit, but it is not part of the initial pair. A separate magnetic micro-weight set is also offered to add more selection positions; those plates do not turn the base pair into an included 100-pound set.
The MX100 starts with 100 pounds per hand in its published standard range; it should be the comparison when 85, 90 or 100 pounds is required now. Its optional micro plates can create an additional nominal endpoint, but the 105-pound route is separate hardware and not part of the base configuration. In either family, the manufacturer’s selector numbers are nominal. Do not claim measured weight precision where the exact model materials do not provide it.
Setup, space and the decision in practice
Both systems should be adjusted only while seated in their cradles. The official EVO guide instructs the user to release the selector, turn it to the chosen setting and push it back in to lock before lifting. The manual warns that changing a dial or release button out of the cradle may release plates; it also says not to drop, throw or strike the system and describes it as home-use equipment. These are not good choices for someone whose normal routine includes commercial use or hard-floor drops.
For the MX70, MX Select publishes a 14.66-inch length at its 70-pound maximum and a pair footprint of 18.70 × 16.34 × 8.27 inches. The checked MX100 materials do not provide an equivalent exact working length, so do not assume it has the same envelope just because the dial design looks similar. The MX70 and MX100 U.S. pages showed sold out when checked; a current manufacturer catalog page is not an availability guarantee.
In short: choose the MX70 handle variant if 70 pounds covers the program and the lower base capacity is the priority; choose MX100 only if the added supplied ceiling matters enough to justify a different purchase. Choose R or K for the grip, and choose equal-end or offset loading based on the actual progression you will use. If balanced five-pound steps are essential, look beyond this pair family rather than counting an offset as an equal-load solution.
If you are considering one of the seller's B-stock MX70R or MX100R/K clearance listings, read the separate B-stock condition and return guide. Those offers do not change the underlying model's loading plan, but cosmetic uncertainty and a final-sale/no-return term can change whether the purchase makes sense.