Bowflex dumbbells review – get the lowdown on these adjustable weights

You’re thinking of buying a set of Bowflex adjustable dumbbells, but before you commit your hard-earned cash, you need to be sure they’re right for you. If that’s the case, read on!

If you want to go straight through to the official Bowflex SelectTech website, you can get there by clicking on the image to the right.

In this Bowflex dumbbells review…

…I’ve brought together the features, the benefits and the drawbacks, as well as
real customer feedback. And the best places to purchase, if you decide that’s what you want to do. I hope the following information will answer any questions you may have.

The main advantage of adjustable dumbbells, Bowflex in particular,  is that they pack a lot of dumbbell into a little space. Regular dumbbells are great – but a whole set costs a whole lot, and will clutter up your workout area. For those
of us with limited space, a pair of
Bowflex adjustable dumbbells could
be an excellent compromise.

So how do Bowflex adjustable dumbbells actually work?

You adjust the weight of each dumbbell by turning a dial at each end. Simply turn each dial to the number showing the desired weight. You should feel the dial settle into a notch and hear a click. That means the locking tabs are securely engaged.

The dials must be set securely in order to pick up the dumbbell. If you haven’t fully selected the weight, you won’t be able to remove the dumbbell from its base.

The handle only picks up those weight plates that add up to the selected weight. The leftover weight plates remain in the base.

 

Bowflex® SelectTech® dumbbells – specs and main features

Bowflex adjustable dumbbells come in two sizes: SelectTech 552 and 1090. Check out the differences between the two SelectTech models at a glance:

	Bowflex SelectTech 552 adjustable dumbbells	Bowflex SelectTech 1090 adjustable dumbbells
Equivalent (per pair)	Replaces 15 pairs of free weights	Replaces 17 pairs of free weights
Weight Range (each dumbbell)	from 5 lb (2.3 kg) to 52.5 lb (23.8 kg)	from 10 lb (4.5 kg) to 90 lb (40.8 kg)
Weight Increments	2.5 lb up to 25 lb; then 5 lb	5 lb
No of Weight Settings	15	17
Weight Settings (in lb)	5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 52.5	10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90
Dimensions	(L) 15.75 in x (W) 8 in x (H) 9 in	(L) 17.5 in x (W) 10 in x (H) 10 in
Handle/Grip	Rubberized grip	Textured metal grip
Construction	The weight plates are cold rolled sheet steel covered with an injection-molded ABS plastic cover. This allows a smoother lift-off and avoids metallic clattering in use. The plastic coating also stops the weights from scratching surfaces.
Manufacturer's Warranty	Two-year limited warranty on all parts, five-year warranty on weight plates, one-year warranty on labor
Workout DVD	Workout DVD "Secrets of the 4 Step Rep" included with every purchase. More than 30 exercises with over 80 variations.

(A bit further down, there’s a video that shows the differences between the Bowflex 552 and 1090 very clearly.)

What are customers saying about Bowflex weights?

Lots of customers have written their own Bowflex dumbbells review on fitness forums and Amazon.com, as well as on the company website. The vast majority are positive (though there are some negative comments – as one might expect, these dumbbells do not suit everyone). Here are excerpts from a selection of typical comments from real users.

 

If you’d like to read more customer reviews of SelectTech dumbbells, you can find hundreds of them here at Bowflex® SelectTech® (click the Reviews tab for each model), and here at Amazon.

Bowflex all-in-one dumbbell set – the advantages

• Take up far less space than the equivalent set of standard dumbbells
• Weigh far less than the equivalent standard set…
• … so they’re much more portable
• Cost less than buying an equivalent set of standard dumbbells
• Adjust quickly and easily, with dial at each end
• Look good / elegant design
• Versatile
• Great for sharing!
• Quiet operation
• Option of offset weight selection on a single dumbbell. So you could have a dumbbell weighing more at one end than the other. This is great for certain wrist and arm exercises.

Any common complaints?

The main user complaint that I’ve come across has been to do with weight plates falling. But this was a problem with earlier models and seems to have been fixed with the 2009 versions.

The locking tabs on the weight plates used to be plastic and there was a problem with them breaking, and the plates falling out. Bowflex dealt with this by replacing the plastic tabs with metal ones in the 552 and 1090 models released in 2009.

(Customer reviews of different models in places such as Amazon can be mixed up together and it may read misleadingly as if this is a current issue rather than a resolved one.)

Things to bear in mind before you take the plunge

• Bulky compared with standard weights and the length remains constant regardless of the weight (so the 5 lb-er is the same length as the 52.5 lb-er)

• The size of the Bowflex dumbbells means you may need to modify some of your exercises. (Most people say they soon get used to this.)

• Some people don’t like the metal grip on the Bowflex 1090 all-in-one dumbbell set.
  One way around that is to wear fitness gloves, particularly on the heavier weights. Or you could use thick athletic tape to pad the handles. The grip on the 552 is generally very well liked.

• Not to be thrown around with abandon – need to be treated with care.

If you think about it, you can’t expect any equipment with multiple parts to be able to take the same battering as something completely solid. So Bowflex adjustable dumbbells do need to be treated with more care than regular dumbbells at the gym.

It seems to be a matter of getting used to using the right technique – then it becomes second nature. Just like learning to drive, I guess!

 

See the SelectTech 552 and 1090 in action

This detailed Bowflex dumbbells review video shows the Select Tech 1090 and 552 side by side and gives a good idea of what they’re like to work out with. I think it’s worth a look (you can always skip bits if you don’t feel like sitting through the whole 7.33 minutes!)

So are these dumbbells right for you?

If you’re heavy on your equipment and you’re likely to chuck your weights around indiscriminately (probably not a good idea for your floors and carpets at home!), then they may not be ideal for you.

If on the other hand, that downside is outweighed by all the advantages listed above, then Bowflex weights could be just the ticket!

Where’s the best place to buy Bowflex adjustable dumbbells?

There are advantages to buying direct from Bowflex:

• You know you’re getting the genuine product.

• You get a six-week money back guarantee, in addition to the normal warranty. Check the Bowflex website for full details. This means you can try them out for six weeks, and if you’re not happy, send them back. (It may well be worth doing, but bear in mind that refunds do not include S&H etc – and dumbbells are heavy!)

• There’s a financing option, so you can pay in interest-free instalments. Check the Bowflex website for details. (Make sure, if you do this, that you’ve paid in full before the due date -  you don’t want to find yourself liable for huge penalties.)

• Free S&H for the 552 (though not for the 1090 when they were last in stock).

• Click below to see the current prices on the Bowflex site – they offer special deals from time to time.

 

Another good place to consider is Amazon, which has great prices – and (as I write) offers free shipping for both the 552 and 1090.

If you’ve decided on the Bowflex dumbbells 1090:
At the time of writing this Bowflex dumbbells review, they’re out of stock on the Bowflex website (click here for Bowflex 1090 to see if things have changed).  But they are in stock on Amazon.

Note: If you purchase from the Bowflex website, the 1090 dumbbells are sold as a pair. But on Amazon, they are sold singly. Also note that S&H on Amazon is FREE.

Click below to check out the current Amazon prices for
Bowflex adjustable dumbbells:

Bowflex SelectTech 552 dumbbells (price shown is per pair)

Bowflex SelectTech 1090 dumbbells (price shown is for a single 1090 dumbbell)