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.

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.

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.

I bought these in January of 2013. Not a week has gone by that these things did not get some use, usually at least 3x per week, often a lot more. If it wasn't me using them, it was one of the many roommates, friends, and family members who have lived with me over the years. I used them back when me and some friends were doing the p90x; they've been a part of pretty much every exercise routine I've ever used in the past 10 years; I often use them in between gaming sessions or while waiting through loading screens; friends often mess around with them casually when they come over; I've lent them out for brief periods for friends who wanted to try them out.Honestly, after 10 years of hard, constant use, they still look and feel brand new to me. It's absolutely ridiculous.When I first got them, I worried that I was making an expensive impulse purchase, and that they would gather dust in the corner or break after a few years. In the years since, I frequently look back and think to myself, "that was probably one of the best purchases I've made."I've never had any issues with the weights, and they've never failed on me. They're extremely easy to use and are indispensable for workouts. Adjusting the weights is still as smooth and as simple as the day I first purchased them, and to me the clicking sound that the adjusting process makes is an oddly satisfying noise.They're small and don't take up much space. They're easy to move if you can lift 55 lbs (a little more than a kitty litter bucket), and the base has what feels like handholds on all four sides. Hell, you can even stack them and carry them two at a time, or store them on top of each other.The biggest con I can think of is that they're a bit bulky when you're using them, so they might be a little unwieldy for some exercises. Never bothered me that much, though. Maybe the fact that you have to adjust both sides of the dumbbell might be a little cumbersome, but honestly that's being very nit-picky.I've recommended these to so many people over the years, and I can't praise them enough. If they were to break on me tomorrow, I would purchase a replacement set the first opportunity I had - though I honestly wouldn't be surprised if these outlast me at the rate they're going.

These are, unlike some Bowflex products, mostly good. However, there are a couple of things you need to keep in mind. First, and probably most importantly, they do have plastic parts, so you definitely do not want to drop them, especially on a hard floor. If you have relatively thick mats, like tumbling mats, it is possible they could be dropped safely, but most definitely not on concrete or some kind of hard flooring. I would be hesitant to even drop them on a carpeted surface. The inner mechanism could easily break in that situation, then you basically have a very heavy paperweight. Also, these are much bulkier than traditional free-weight dumbbells, which can be an issue if you have low ceilings and are doing shoulder-press type exercises standing up. I work out in my basement, which has seven-foot ceilings, and even though I am not extremely tall, I am tall enough that if I do standing shoulder presses with these I will easily hit the ceiling and put a nice gash in it. Finally, when you dial in a weight selection the locking mechanism does not always totally engage the plates so you may have to slightly turn the dial and/or jiggle the weights to get them out of the stack. The first two things are major, the other is relatively minor.Overall, the ability to get 50lbs of dumbbell weight in a compact space is very nice. And for a lot of people, that is probably all the dumbbell weight they will ever need. The handle grip is much better than most dumbbells and they do not get slippery in your hands. I would highly suggest getting the stand that can hold them because constantly bending down to pick them up and put them back may be hard on some people's backs. They are also a lot cheaper than getting 50lbs of regular dumbbells, which is nice. I personally use these in conjunction with regular dumbbells, and for exercises where I am concerned about dropping them if I use max weight I use the regular dumbbells I use those, and for those, I am not concerned about it, I use these.Overall, these are a pretty good option, but you do kind of have to treat them with kid gloves. Much more than you would ever have to with regular iron dumbbells. I have had these for years and never had an issue with them and do recommend them as long as you keep the things I mentioned in mind.