Bowflex 1090 Dumbbell
Bowflex makes a number of physical fitness products out of which the 552 is their freestanding dumbbells. There is one major problem with the 552 however and that is that you can get a maximum of 52.5 lbs each.
For some of us who are really serious this weight limit is really insufficient for what we need.
This means that we will pass it on just because we want something that has a larger weight limit. The Bowflex 1090 was made specifically for such people. It gives a top weight of 90 lbs with the same dial option to choose your weight.
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Yet at $300 per set you will have to shell out $600 just for a set of dumbbells. Then comes the cost of the stand because there’s no way you are going to bend or squat with these weights. When you are shelling so much money you will definitely want to explore all your options and find out if it is worth this much which is why we are doing this review.
Description
The 1090 is built along the same lines as the 552 with the same dial system to choose your weight. You just dial in the weight you want, and the dumbbell picks up exactly the weight you specified. The product is very sturdily built and even repeated use does not cause clanking.
It is longer than the 552, but that is to accommodate the extra 40 lbs in weight. If you imagine a bigger version of the 552 that is a sexy black – red combination, you will get an idea of what the 1090 looks like.
The Good
Just like the 552 it is the dial system that is really cool about this. When you are repping up you really don’t want to sit and change weights all the time. The dial system makes this very convenient with you just having to twist the dial to the weight you need and pick the dumbbells up.
It also gives you the option of choosing different weights for both sides of the same dumbbells, and although this is not advised, there are a few exercises where this ability will come in really handy.
There’s no clanking even if you use it really roughly, and although you may not want to do this often, dropping it by mistake will not damage anything but the floor.
The Bad
Once again it is the price that is the problem. With the dumbbells alone costing nearly $600 and the stand another $145, you’ll be shelling out nearly $750 for the entire set. There are a number of other options you have that are not as expensive, and will serve the purpose.
The only other bad thing about the 552 is magnified here in the sense that if you felt that the 552 was long, this is longer. There is however nothing that can be done about this, and it is actually much more compact that many other similar systems. The accompanying DVD however gives you very good work arounds though.
The Verdict
It is very difficult to say anything about the Bowflex 1090. It is insanely expensive and with the cost of the stand too it just becomes too expensive. Yet if you are someone who works out with weights regularly, this is not too much to pay especially if you don’t have the space for larger gym equipment. The 1090 then makes very good value for money. It looks great, works even better and does everything that you would want of it.
