Bowflex Reviews and Ratings
Bowflex as everyone knows makes a number of physical fitness machines. Starting from the humble dumbbells, to sophisticated home trainers they have everything that anyone could want. The one common thread running through all their products is their unique design.
Whether it is the single dial system that allows you to add and subtract weights in the dumbbells with a single turn of a dial, or their treadclimbers that are more efficient than a treadmill or an elliptical trainer, they make very good machines.
When it comes to home fitness equipment, most of us want something that does not cost the earth, but is able to give us what we need, something that we can actually use and which will work. This is why many of us go with the dumbbells because they are very simple, but there is no questions as to their effectiveness, even professionals use it.
Bowflex however have a line of home trainers that are not only very good, it has been designed around the user, an average Joe who wants to shed some pounds and get fit. It should be simple enough that anyone can use, and light enough that people in the 10th floor can set it up without complaints.
Their solution was the power rod which is basically a rod made of an alloy that gives it tensile strength. You therefore add or subtract rods depending on the amount of resistance you want, you can start with 30 lbs and go all the way up to 410 lbs.
Of course the nitpickers will say that this is not the same as using weights, but then everyone realizes it, but also realizes that it is a very good compromise solution. You get roughly the same kind of resistance, but in a more lightweight and compact package.
Bowflex Dumbbells
The cheapest of their products will have to be their 552 and 1090 dumbbells. They are however unlike any other dumbbells you would ever have seen. Dumbbells that have different weight plates are not new, what is new is the system to add and remove them with just the turn of a dial.
They may be expensive, but they really work, and they are so robust that there is absolutely no clanking, and although you may not want to do this, even dropping them by mistake does not screw their dial system. You can check them out here.
Bowflex Home Gyms
Their line of home trainers starts off at the lowly PR1000 which costs only $450, and is meant for the rank beginner, or someone who is training because they are compelled to do so. Most people would rather go with the PR3000 which is a much better package as it gives you more exercise options and is better built. You can go here for a full review of the PR3000.
Two other models, the Xtreme SE and the Xtreme 2 SE are a step up from the PR3000. Functionally there is not much of a difference between them, but then function alone is not everything. If it were, we’d still be wearing hide.
The Xtreme 2 SE has replaced the Xtreme SE although the latter is still available if you want to buy it. This machine is for those who want a better looking machine, not only a better working one. You don’t find cables everywhere, the seat is more ergonomic, the design is much better. Basically the whole package is a couple of steps up from the bare basic PR3000. A full review of both can be found here and here.
The Ultimate 2 is the ultimate when it comes to home fitness. All the previous ones are compromise buys because there are some exercises that you just cannot do on them. While people who just want to burn off the extra calories would really not need it, others who are really serious about their fitness may not want to go with the lower models because they want full body fitness. The Ultimate 2 is for them.
There is nothing really negative about the Ultimate 2 as it is one of the best designed machines around. Imagine having a full trainer fold down to less than 1.5 sq ft of floor space, and you can imagine how well designed it is. And this is with the integrated seats and everything.
The only thing though is that the Revolution series is only a couple of hundred more than the Ultimate, and as machines go, this is one sexy machine. It looks really cool, and actually has arms that can rotate around 170 degrees.
It uses a different kind of resistance system that Bowflex calls SpiraFlex that gives you consistent resistance through the motion of your exercise.
In terms of sheer looks alone the Revolution will win hands down, and when you find that it actually works as well as the Ultimate, it makes a very good statement for itself. If you want to compare them you can check out their reviews here and here.
Bowflex Treadmills and Treadclimbers
The only weak link in the whole of the Bowflex line has to be their treadclimbers. The design is so innovative that almost everyone who has used it has complemented them. It is very effective, much more so that other machines, but their build quality is really bad.
Although Boflex has great customer service, and take care of all your issues, TC 1000, TC 5000 and TC5500 which are the three models of treadclimbers that Bowflex have, do not compare favorably with their other products.
The TC5500 is probably the best of the lot, not only because it is the latest in line, but also because it comes with a much better warranty. In many cases the motor that conked off within a couple of years has been replaced without question by Blowflex which is testament to their customer service, but not for the quality of their product. You can check out the full reviews of these products here, here and here.
We have tried to give as impartial a review of all Bowflex’s products as possible, but we welcome your suggestions on what you thought about them. If we have helped to make up your mind, do let us know, and it will only motivate us to ensure that our Bowflex reviews are of the highest standard.
