These SquEqu Handle Wraps are definitely useful to counter hard, rough, and overly grippy/skin-tearing textures and also to keep your handles cooler to the touch, if baking in the sun. They do have an ideal size range that you’ll undoubtedly like them better for, which is really between 1.25″ to 1.5″ for them to be wrapped snugly and maximally secured via the hook and loop fastening strips being properly aligned. They do stretch just a tad and could be wrapped on about a 1.75″ maximum diameter handle, however they will barely be hooked and most of the loop side (preferably the one you want facing outward, as you can put them on either way) will be exposed, posing some potential issues that may not work well for your scenario. Note the low end of the ideal handle size is 1.25″ diameter, which a standard Olympic Barbell is about 1.18″ so that means the wrap won’t be snug unless you overlap the hook and loop as far as possible while still making contact. That will leave you with a flap of the fastening strip, which in that case I’d put the hook side facing up so the flap would be the softer loop side, and as with the maximum 1.75″ wrap the minimum wrap may be easier to detach than you’d prefer.Depending on how you plan to use what you are wrapping, it is feasible that the wrap being loose would not be a problem and could even be an asset, though the smaller the diameter, the more bunching you have when you grab it. As for dumbbells, you’ll likely have some bunching for two reasons, one being the handle is likely just under the 1.25″ diameter, like with the Olympic Barbell, and it is also likely to be shorter than the 6″ wrap. I have the common cast iron hexagon-style, which have handles the same diameter as the Olympic Barbell that are only 5″ long, as an example of the double-bunching problem. To top it off, I really don’t find an ideal place for the stiffer hook and loop portion within my grip.I actually ordered these wraps with the dumbbells in mind, but more uniquely, for slightly thickening the handles for a better pinch to prevent sliding inside the end clamps on a barbell made to work with dumbbells. (I’ve included some pics.) The bunching issue might have been less of a problem since the clamps are foam-lined and have some give, but as it turns out, the extra give of the foam and the bunched wraps combined causes the weight to be wobbly, which isn’t all that desirable. The wraps did stop the dumbbells from sliding, though. Still, I had better results by simply wrapping a wash cloth around each dumbbell handle before clamping them in. That prevented the sliding and didn’t add to the wobbliness of the weights. (Ultimately, I’ll probably improve that particular solution by slicing some 5″ lengths of thin rubber hose the long way to make quick on and off sleeves, similar to thick grips but smaller in diameter, which will then be pinched firmly inside the barbell clamps.)One place I did find these handle wraps fitting perfectly and probably where they are going to stay, is on the handles of my cast iron kettlebells, which do have 1.5″ handles that are pretty rough in texture. I’ve simply lived with the rough handles, never really causing too much problem, and wasn’t sure I’d like the wraps, but they actually work really well. They do spin around the handle when in use, but that is arguably a good thing with the various kettlebell motions, so I think my wraps have found a home, after all. (I’d say the best place for the stiffer hook and loop portion is right on top of the handle, with kettlebells, which will position it pretty comfortably under your thumb when you grab it.)As for other potential uses for these handle wraps, no doubt there are many where they will work great, just as there are many where they won’t, so hopefully with the dimensions and issues I’ve discussed so far, you’ll be able to make an educated guess on if they’ll work for what you have in mind. Again, they can be loosely wrapped on a smaller diameter handle and could still be a real asset, depending on the scenario. The good news is, they aren’t too hard on the wallet, so even if they don’t work well for what you are planning, as with in my case, there’s likely someplace else where they may come in handy.I actually think these handle wraps would be far more versatile if the entire outer fabric was of the loop-style so that the hook strip could securely fasten wherever it needed to for a tight wrap, and frankly they should probably be about four inches wide, rather than six, though the length could stay at six or maybe even it bit longer. Given what their promoted uses are on the product page, the width definitely should be less, and although they do list the dimensions in one of the pics, you really still have to guess on what the ideal diameter range is for the hook and loop fastening. Because of this, I’m inclined to deduct one star.
