For chest growth
For chest growth, Smith machine bench press rates higher on our research criteria: easier to progress, easier on the joints.
Dumbbell bench press gives more stretch.
Both are good choices that train the chest the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Dumbbell Bench Press. Dumbbells go deeper than a barbell, giving the chest a bigger stretch.
Smith Machine Bench Press. The bench press without the balance or a spotter: easy to push hard safely.
For chest growth, Smith machine bench press rates higher on our research criteria: easier to progress, easier on the joints. Dumbbell bench press gives more stretch. Both are good choices that train the chest the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.
About the same: both are easy to learn.
Dumbbell bench press needs dumbbells and a bench, so a home gym covers it. Smith machine bench press needs a Smith machine and a bench, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
Smith machine bench press: it rates Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Strong for dumbbell bench press.