Bowflex SelectTech 552 Review: Still the Default Adjustable?
The 552 is the fastest adjusting set in the category and the reason most people have heard of adjustable dumbbells at all: one dial turn covers 5 to 52.5 lb per hand and the trays come in the box. Buy it if dumbbells are an accessory to barbell training and you want the whole range in one twist. Skip it if you already press above 50 lb per hand, or if you cannot commit to returning them to the tray every time.
The dial that made adjustable dumbbells mainstream, and the two things that decide whether it lasts.
Bowflex Results Series 552 SelectTech Dumbbells (Pair)
Under $500
A dial adjustable pair covering 5 to 52.5 lb per dumbbell, replacing 15 separate weights, with metal plates, a locking system and storage trays included.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Range per hand | 5 to 52.5 lb |
|---|---|
| Adjustment | Quick twist of the dials at each end |
| Replaces | 15 separate weights |
| Plates | Metal, with a locking system |
| Handle | Ergonomic non-slip grip |
| Included | Storage trays |
| Software | Two months of JRNY included |
| Sold as | Pair |
Specifications above come from Bowflex's published product information for the Results Series 552. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- One dial turn at each end covers the whole range, which is the fastest weight change of any adjustable design and the reason the format took off.
- Storage trays are included rather than an accessory, and the tray is not optional equipment on a dial system, it is part of how the dumbbell works.
- Metal plates rather than the plastic-shelled weights on cheap imitations.
- 52.5 lb per hand covers essentially all accessory work and most pressing for a lifter whose main volume is on a barbell.
- It is the most widely owned adjustable dumbbell in existence, so parts, trays and secondhand units are easy to find.
Where it falls short
- The dial system depends on the dumbbell being in the tray. You cannot change weight standing up, and any plate not fully engaged when you lift is a plate that can come off the handle. Seat the dial and check it every time.
- 52.5 lb per hand is a real ceiling. On rows, heavy presses and goblet squats, a lifter with a couple of years of training reaches it, and there is no expansion kit.
- A fully loaded 552 is physically long. At the top of the range the length makes some movements awkward, particularly getting into position for a heavy flat press.
- It is a mechanism with plastic components in the selector path, and dropping it or setting it down hard is what breaks it. Impact damage is excluded from coverage on every adjustable set.
- The included JRNY period is a two month trial, so treat it as a trial and not as software you own.
What owners report
Owner reports on the 552 are the deepest dataset in the category, and the pattern is clear. Owners who use the trays, adjust carefully and do not drop them describe years of trouble-free use. Owners who set them down on concrete, adjusted them off the tray, or dropped a set describe rattles, stuck dials and plates that no longer seat. The design is not fragile so much as unforgiving of one specific habit.
The other consistent report is the ceiling. A large share of owners who moved on from the 552 did so because they got stronger rather than because it failed, which is worth reading as a compliment to the product and a warning about the purchase. Length at heavy weights comes up regularly too, mostly from people benching.
Where it fits in a build
These are an accessory purchase, and they make most sense in a gym where a barbell is already doing the heavy work. If they are meant to be the whole gym, read adjustable vs fixed dumbbells and then kettlebells vs adjustable dumbbells, because a pair of kettlebells covers swings and carries for a fraction of the money and dumbbells do not.
One more comparison worth reading before you spend similar money on recovery-adjacent gear instead: massage gun vs adjustable dumbbells takes the honest position on which of those actually changes your training. The wider adjustable field, including the sets that solve the 52.5 lb ceiling, is in best adjustable dumbbells and our NUOBELL 580 review.
Who it suits
- Lifters whose heavy work is on a barbell and who want dumbbells for accessory volume.
- Anyone who supersets and changes weight constantly, where a dial beats a pin or a switch.
- Small rooms replacing 15 pairs of fixed dumbbells with one pair and two trays.
- First adjustable dumbbell buyers, since this is the most supported product in the category.
Who should skip it
- Anyone already rowing or pressing above 50 lb per hand, since there is no expansion path.
- Gyms with a bare concrete floor and a habit of setting weights down hard.
- Lifters who need increments under 2.5 lb for small muscle progression.
Alternatives worth considering
PowerBlock Elite EXP Adjustable Dumbbells, Stage 1, 5-50 lb
Under $500
The same money with 2.5 lb adder weights and documented kits to 70 or 90 lb per hand, which solves the 552's ceiling before you hit it.
Check price on AmazonNUOBELL Adjustable Dumbbell Set for Home, 5-80 LB, Twist Lock, Black (Pair)
Under $1,000
80 lb per hand, a knurled aluminium handle and a shape much closer to a fixed dumbbell, for lifters who outgrew a dial system rather than broke one.
Check price on AmazonYes4All Kettlebell Set, Pair 20 and 25 lb Cast Iron
Under $100
If what you actually want is swings, carries and goblet squats rather than a full dumbbell range, cast iron kettlebells do that job for a fraction of the price and cannot break.
Check price on AmazonKeep reading
- Adjustable vs fixed dumbbells
- Massage gun vs adjustable dumbbells
- Best adjustable dumbbells
- PowerBlock Elite EXP review
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Can Bowflex 552 dumbbells be dropped?
No. The plates are held on the handle by a dial and locking system, and impact is what damages that path. Dropping also risks plates separating from the handle. Every adjustable dumbbell brand excludes impact damage from coverage, so this is a category rule rather than a Bowflex weakness. Use rubber flooring, set them down under control, and always return them to the tray to change weight.
Is 52.5 lb enough for a home gym?
For accessory work, usually yes. For anything you would call a main lift, it depends on how long you have been training. Single arm rows, heavy flat presses and goblet squats are the movements that outrun 52.5 lb first, and a lifter with a couple of years behind them tends to get there. If your barbell handles the heavy work and dumbbells fill in around it, 52.5 lb is plenty. If dumbbells are the gym, buy something with an 80 lb top end.
Bowflex 552 vs PowerBlock: which is better?
The Bowflex is faster to adjust and shaped more like a conventional dumbbell. The PowerBlock has 2.5 lb adder weights, a much smaller footprint, a longer residential warranty and expansion kits that take it to 90 lb per hand. At the same price the PowerBlock is the better long term purchase and the Bowflex is the more pleasant daily one. The block shape is what you are really choosing between.
Do you need the storage trays?
Yes, and they come in the box for a reason. The dial mechanism releases plates into the tray, so the tray is not optional storage, it is part of how the dumbbell changes weight. Adjusting away from the tray is where damage and dropped plates happen. Plan floor or shelf space for both trays where you train, not in a cupboard on the other side of the room.
Are adjustable dumbbells or a barbell the better first purchase?
The barbell, without much argument. A bar and plates let you load squats, deadlifts and presses far past what any dumbbell holds, and they cost less per pound of usable weight. Dumbbells are the addition that fills the accessory gap afterwards. Our buying order guide sets out the sequence and what breaks if you reorder it, and the home gym cost calculator will price your version of it.
How we choose: we compare published manufacturer specifications, stated load ratings, and verified owner reviews. We do not test equipment in person. Rack anchoring, floor loading and spotting carry real injury and property risk, so treat everything here as researched guidance rather than coaching or structural engineering advice, follow the manufacturer's rated capacity and installation instructions, and get a licensed professional involved before you drill into concrete or load a floor you are unsure about.
