Neoprene Coated Dumbbell Set

I bought this weight set to use at home for physical therapy excecises after a rotator cuff injury. After reading other reviews about each of the varying weights, I conducted a very unscientific test of weighing myself while holding each weight. In my set, the 3 lb and 8 lb weights each weighed exactly 3 lbs and 8 lbs. The 5 lb weights, however, each weighed 5.4 lbs. Certainly not a major discrepancy and nothing that warrants any complaints from me. They are comfortably solid and fully covered in color-coordinated neoprene coating with no discernible defects. Each weight was individually packaged in bubble wrap, and each set of weights was packaged snugly in their own box. The other complaint I saw in many of the reviews had to do with the plastic stand. Yes, it's true that the stand is plastic and not of the absolute highest quality. All hardware (including a cheap screwdriver) is included. I attempted to assemble the stand as is, but I can understand all the frustration involved with somewhat crooked screw holes and an unstable finished product. My solution was to first glue the plastic dowels to each half of the stand using Gorilla Glue and let it cure for 24 hours and THEN reinforce it with the included screws. I used 2 pieces of cardboard that came in the package and placed one on the bottom and one on the top because I knew some of the glue would leak through the screw holes. Essentially, the stand was lying flat on its side, sandwiched between the pieces of cardboard. I placed several of the weights on top to act as a clamp and keep pressure on the whole thing while the glue cured overnight. After I pulled the cardboard off, I used a pick to remove any excess glue from the screw holes. I tried using the included screwdriver but I quickly gave up on that and used a ratcheting screwdriver instead for more torque and was able to tightly fasten all 6 of the included screws. The assembled stand is now sturdy and stable with no fear of falling apart or toppling over on its own. I tested the movement of the stand while all the weights were on it and it wobbles slightly when you push on it (I mean, it IS plastic after all) but it's definitely sturdy and you'd have to push with some force to actually cause it to topple over. There should be no reason for this stand to be knocked over under normal use WITH ALL THE WEIGHTS in place. If you remove both of the 8 lb weights from the bottom, then yes, the stand could topple when pushed since it's top heavy. That goes for most top heavy items though. However, the stand is certainly stable while removing the weights and replacing them back on the stand. I suppose if you place the stand in the center of the room and are using both of the 8 lb weights at the same time, then it's conceivable that your child/dog/clumsy roommate or whatever could accidentally bump into it and knock it over. But really though? Who's placing their weights somewhere where people or animals are knocking into it? Just use common sense and place it near or against a wall or furniture and not in the path of others. I have mine against a wall and there's really no chance for it to fall over with normal use. Also, there's not an actual carry handle to transport the stand with the weights on it, but the notches at the bottom create handholds and you can CAREFULLY lift the stand straight up and move the entire set as necessary. I do agree that I should not have HAD to take the steps I took to ensure that my stand would be solid and sturdy. We should be able to assemble the stand directly out of the box without having to resort to using glue or struggle with wonky screw holes. But, it is what it is and I was able to use my available resources to make sure the stand was not going to fall apart. Personally, I purchased the set of weights specifically for the actual weights, not for the stand itself. As far as the weights are concerned, they're a great basic set of weights. If I could, I'd probably knock a half-star off for the issue with the stand, but otherwise it's a 5-star deal.