MX Select MX70R EVO Pair review

The MX70R EVO is the rubber-grip version of MX Select’s 2025 70-pound-per-hand adjustable pair. On the U.S. product page, its option is named “MX70R Evo Rubber Grip with Yellow Dials” (retailer SKU EVO70R); the companion MX70K changes to a knurled steel handle and metal selector dials, not a different base weight range. The seller says the system is sold as a pair, so its 10–70 lb range is per dumbbell, not a 70 lb total for both.

The R handle is the reason to choose this version

MX Select describes the R handle as contoured, textured rubber at approximately 36 mm in diameter, paired with yellow polymer adjustment dials. That is a noticeably different specification from the MX70K’s narrower, roughly 29 mm knurled steel grip and metal dials. If a thicker, softer-feeling contact is what you want, the MX70R is the relevant option. If you prefer a slim, metal, textured handle, compare the K instead. Diameter and a product image cannot settle comfort for every hand, so this is a preference decision rather than proof that one grip is more secure or more comfortable for all lifters.

The manufacturer’s U.S. page lists a steel dumbbell body, powder-coated steel plates, a steel-and-ABS handset mechanism and a polyamide-nylon cradle. That mixed construction matters: “metal weight system” does not mean every component is metal. The seller describes a positive-lock, rack-and-pinion selector, but this is still a mechanism that must be set correctly; it is not a plate-loaded fixed dumbbell.

Seven equal settings, with a useful but asymmetric middle path

The supplied MX70 starts at a nominal 10 lb per hand and tops out at 70 lb. Its ordinary, equal-end dial sequence is 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 lb. If your training depends on a fully balanced pair of end loads at every selected weight, that is the ladder to use—and the 10 lb gap between settings is a real limitation. The MX70 does not document an equal-end 65 lb setting.

Both selector ends can be set independently. MX Select says that moving one end by one selector position adds a 5 lb total increment, so offset loading fills the nominal 5 lb steps between the standard equal settings. That makes a 65 lb selection possible, but it does so with different loads at the two ends of each dumbbell. A shopper who requires equal end weights and 5 lb progression is asking for two conditions that this pair does not meet together. The matcher treats those as separate operating plans rather than disguising an offset as a balanced setting. Printed values are the manufacturer’s selection labels; MX70-specific measured-weight tolerances are not stated on the checked model page, so exact physical mass should not be inferred from the dial alone.

What is included—and what is a later upgrade

The U.S. seller’s FAQ says its MX dumbbells are sold in pairs and that each handset is boxed with its own steel cradle and setup parts. The manufacturer gives an assembled maximum dumbbell length of 14.66 in at 70 lb, a 10.58 in minimum-weight length, and a pair footprint of 18.70 × 16.34 × 8.27 in. The seller page shows the pair sold out when checked; that status can change, and the exact-model link is a search rather than a promise of stock.

Do not count optional hardware as part of that 70 lb supplied range. Separate magnetic increment kits fit EVO dumbbells. A different MXP12-60 conversion kit is described for owners of the MX70: it supplies twelve 5 lb plates, and the instructions on the product page say to remove cradle spacers and add three plates at each cradle end to convert the set toward the 100 lb system. The conversion kit itself is a separate accessory, and its page was also sold out when checked. If your essential need is 85 or 100 lb now, the base MX70 is not the answer; compare the MX100 pair instead of treating future expansion as included capacity.

Use the selector as instructed; do not treat this as a drop set

The official MX Select EVO guide (printed update 080725) describes a straightforward sequence: with the dumbbell seated in its cradle, release the selector, turn the dial to the intended position and push it back in to lock before lifting. Adjust both ends while the handset is supported. The guide warns against pressing the release or turning the dial while the dumbbell is out of the cradle because plates could release. It also says not to drop, throw or strike the system and limits its design and warranty to home use, not commercial gyms. That is a meaningful difference from a conventional iron dumbbell that can be dropped as part of a training style.

Choose the MX70R if 70 lb per hand is enough, you value the contoured rubber grip, and 10 lb balanced steps or 5 lb offset steps fit your routine. If you need lighter balanced 5 lb increments, need a weight below 10 lb, or require the same load on both ends at an intermediate setting such as 65 lb, this is a poor fit. The MX55 EVO is worth comparing when its lower 55 lb ceiling is sufficient; the MX100 EVO is the more relevant step up when heavier base capacity matters. Neither an optional conversion kit nor a micro-plate accessory should be counted as supplied in the ordinary “what can I lift now?” decision.

The seller's separate MX70 B-stock page selects the contoured rubber-grip, yellow-dial pair, so it maps to this MX70R loading plan rather than to the K handle. The seller describes possible minor cosmetic finish blemishes, a functional-manufacturing-defect warranty plus two-year drop coverage, and a final sale with no returns or exchanges; that offer showed sold out on 2026-10-23. Its clean model illustration is not a picture of an individual blemish. See the B-stock terms guide before treating such an offer as a practical alternative.