How much weight do I actually need in a fixed dumbbell set?

Across the reviewers we read, a 5–50 lb pair set (roughly 550 lb total) covers nearly every home lifter's needs, while beginners often do fine with a 100–200 lb set ranging from 5–25 lb. Specialist-community threads on r/homegym repeatedly note that most home lifters under-buy on the heavy end and end up needing 40s and 50s sooner than expected.