Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells

I purchased my first set of Bowflex 552 dumbbells about 12 yrs ago and recently broke one of them by slamming the dumbbell down on its base too hard and damaged one of the clips that hold the plates in place. These are built exceptionally well and the design is very efficient and durable enough to last me 12 yrs. The adjustability is a fantastic feature that makes them very functional for a full range of exercises for everyone in my family. Adjustable from 5 to 52 lbs and the space saving design keeps my excercize equipment nice and consolidated.

Man, I was excited to try out these Bowflex SelectTech 552 dumbbells! So let’s get down to it...-These dumbbells were packaged well. They are encased in very thick styrofoam blocks which is inside of a very thick cardboard box. The dumbbells themselves have a plastic bag around them and they are fastened to the dumbbell base with a strap. Overall, very pleased with how they are shipped. Nothing was broken so A+ to Bowflex, Amazon, and UPS.-Easy to operate right out of the box. It’s all fairly self explanatory. There are two knobs, one on each end of the dumbbell. You turn the knobs to the desired weight setting and lift straight up on the dumbbell. That’s it. You don’t need to try to figure out any weight plate combinations in your head. You just turn the knobs on each end to the desired weight. As an added bonus you can do an “offset” dumbbell. You simply set one knob for a specific weight (20lbs for example) and set the opposite knob for a different weight (7.5lbs for example). Using the dumbbells in “offset” mode can be beneficial in certain exercises. Bowflex goes into greater detail about “offset” in the owners manual. This is not something you can do with traditional dumbbells.-Operation is smooth. The knobs turn very easily and give a distinct/solid “click” when the knob is in the correct position. Lifting the dumbbells out of the base and putting them back in is easy.-The handles are great! They have a grippy section that makes them feel very secure in your hands. And there is plenty of room to grab the handle. It doesn’t feel cramped (I mention this because some of the pictures I’ve seen make it look like there’s not a lot of room)-The plates are the only area where I have a couple of very, very small complaints. First, they do shift slightly as you are using them during exercises. I’ve never felt like they were going to disengage from the handle but there is a slight movement of the weight plates during curls/presses/etc. I’m used to using solid, old school dumbbells so the movement of the plates is just something I will need to get used to. The second small complaint is the overall width of the dumbbells. In order to accommodate all of the weight plates the dumbbells have to be wide. I understand that. And I HAVE NOT whacked myself in the head while using these BUT it feels like they get very close to my head on certain exercises (shoulder press, shoulder flies) and on other exercises (upright rows for example) they almost... almost... get in the way of themselves. Again, this is just a small complaint and wouldn’t stop me from recommending them.-The weight range is phenomenal. I mean, come on. To be able to have the equivalent of 30 dumbbells ranging from 5-52.5 lbs and be able to tuck them neatly away in the corner somewhere?? Yeah. That’s a HUGE advantage of these dumbbells, which leads me to...-A GREAT VALUE! You are getting the equivalent of 30 dumbbells with this set. $350 divided by 30 dumbbells equals $11.67 per dumbbell. With dumbbell prices currently hovering somewhere near $2 per pound you would have to spend over $1500. Even if prices go back down to $1 per pound these are still an amazing bargain.-Extra stuff... they come with a 2 year warranty (make sure you keep your proof of purchase), a really nice, well written owners manual that explains the previously mentioned “offsetting” and gives you instructions on several exercises to try. They come with a nice, solid base that has hand holds at each end so they are very easy to move. They’re made by Bowflex so you know you’re going to get a quality product AND quality support should you ever need it.-Overall I’m very happy with these dumbbells. Would highly recommend. Thanks for reading this review! I hope you found it helpful!**Edit - I had a dumbbell “freeze” during my second workout. It wouldn’t release from the base. Panicked a bit until I looked it up on YouTube and found out how to fix it. This has only happened once and I’ve removed/replaced them from the base multiple times during the two workouts in which I’ve used them. At this point I’m still very pleased with them and my rating won’t change unless this freezing issue keeps recurring. Also, I added a photo of the dumbbell on a scale to show the accuracy of the weight.Edit (9-8-2021): These continue to be my go to dumbbells after several months of use. It’s just very convenient to twist a knob and have a weight range from 5-52.5 lbs. They are still a little tricky to remove from the base occasionally but it’s something I’ve gotten used to. No major problems at all. I’ve been using them 5 days a week for several months now and would still recommend them to anyone looking for a solid set of adjustable dumbbells.

This Bowflex Dumbbell is an ideal, space-saving, cost-effective solution for those who desire a variety of weight selections in their workout. It provides a wide selection of weights with a straightforward selection method. It is solidly built with a robust mechanism that will give many years of problem-free performance. You won't be disappointed! The Bowflex name and reputation speak for itself.

Quality. I've used tons of equipment over the years. Adjustable dumbbells of all sorts. These, to date, are the best I've used. They are also hands down the most expensive. You get what you pay for.They are packaged up in such a way that nothing shakes loose or could get damaged (aside from personal injury lifting/dropping them).They look nice, which I suppose isn't something you would care much about initially--until you have a set of the PowerBlock dumbbells sitting in the corner of your workout space looking like some type of tie-dye experiment gone wrong. They look like they belong, and they look like some consideration was taken to ensure you wouldn't say "They are nice, but they look like a my little pony's nightmare."Joking aside these have a great feel. The plastic stands in the photo do come with the dumbbells, and make a nice place to set them since they hold the weights you aren't using at the time. If you select, say, 35lbs the remaining weights from the dumbbell sit nicely in the base as you perform your exercise--then it all clicks right back into place when you set it down. Super handy, not clumsy, and easy to use. Speaking of the ease of use I should mention the grips. The grip of these is a nice semi-soft rubber material and it generally feels like an average sized dumbbell grip if not slightly larger. Having used the PowerBlocks (which I found to "work" but be pretty clumsy) I really appreciate the simple feel of these. I don't like having to sacrifice the feel simply because it's an adjustable dummbbell, and these don't force you into that tradeoff.The adjustments are simple: there is a rotary knob with weight labels on each end of each dummbell. Simply click the selector to the amount of weight you want, then lift the dummbell. So easy, a former meathead (myself) can do it!If you're looking for something that will get the job done, you can buy any weights. If you want something that makes you feel like you got what you paid for, but will also be a superior piece of equipment, get these. They cost more than the others, and the reasons why are extremely easy to see as soon as they are unboxed.

I’ve had these dumbbells for a month now, and I absolutely love them! They’re super versatile and easy to adjust, which makes switching up my workouts a breeze. The quality feels solid, and they’re comfortable to use. Overall, they’ve been a great addition to my home gym! Highly recommend if you're looking for space-saving, adjustable dumbbells.