EDIT: Hey everyone, PLEASE read this if you're buying these. I thought mine were broken out of the box like so many others. For whatever reason I decided to actually call the manufacturer or in my case the distributor Nautilus (Amazon has a button that says get product support). I was frustrated and ABOUT to just return them, but they actually taught me that them locking up out of the box is a safety feature. They don't tell you this, they should, I have no idea why, but I went through a few minute unlocking process and now they seem to work great. I'm actually happy now. Essentially you turn them upside down with all parts attached to the base, smack the base with your hand and turn them to 5lbs, after smacking upside down they should release. Take the plates out after pressing a hidden release button on the bottom of the dumbbell, inspect, and place the plates back in the base. Place the handle back in the base and test each weight. It worked for me. Yes, it's plastic inside but that is some sturdy plastic I honestly suspect it should work for a good amount of time and apparently they come with a 2 year parts warranty.
If you wouldn't mind, upvote this to save time and frustration from all the others who thought it was broken out of the box. The distributors number is 1-800-605-3369, they answered after about a 4 minute hold with me.
Below is my old review that is no longer relevant. They really need some unlock instructions in the box. I've adjusted to 3 stars because of the lack of instructions lol.
OLD REVIEW: I'm a smart user and a gym user, so this isn't user error. I've never owned weights like these, I'll probably still buy some just to save space but unfortunately these ones don't work, straight out of the box which surprised me because I assume Bowflex is a good reputable name. I'm just getting on now to contact Amazon on fixing this. I've had probably 6-7 friends come over who thought they could get it to work but nope, they all realized it's actually not working either. Only one of the dumbbells doesn't work, the other one does like half the time. We lined the numbers up correctly and everything. Come to think of it, the fact that both of these are either partly faulty or completely faulty makes me think it's a bad batch or this isn't a good brand for these.
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From the manufacturer
Connectivity
Download the free Bowflex SelectTech App to follow trainer lead workouts, journal your workouts and build custom workouts.
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| Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells | Bowflex SelectTech 1090 Dumbbells | |
| Bluetooth Connectivity | ||
| Built-In Customizable Workouts | ||
| Weight Selection Dials | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weight Settings | 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 and 52.5 lbs | 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, and 90 lbs |
| Weight Range | 5 - 52.5 lbs per Dumbbell 2.5 Increments up to 25 lbs | 10 - 90 lbs per Dumbbell |
| No. of Settings | 15 | 17 |
| Compatible Stand | Bowflex SelectTech Stand with Media Rack | Bowflex SelectTech Stand with Media Rack |
Customer Questions & Answers
Customer reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2019
Style: Bowflex ST 552 Dumbbell (pair)Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2018
Style: Bowflex ST 552 Dumbbell (pair)Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2018
Style: Bowflex ST 552 Dumbbell (pair)Verified Purchase
Barely used but broke anyway
By BBD on December 22, 2018
I only used this a few times. One of the two dumbbells is stuck with one of the “disks”/ weights on it. It doesn’t twist so I can not remove or add any weights. So unusable. If anyone has any tricks to get it twisting again let me know. I don’t want to spend tons of money on shipping to use the warranty
By BBD on December 22, 2018
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Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2017
Do NOT, I repeat do NOT but these dumbbells, even if you are impressed with the 552s. Total was of money.
Style: Bowflex ST 1090 Dumbbell (single)Verified Purchase
Huge design flaw - nothing like the 552
By EricTX on February 3, 2017
I've had these for about a year bought from Amazon. I also have the lighter 552 set. With the 552s, I've never had a problem with them. However the 1090 have a very important design difference. If you look at my first picture, you will see that the 552 plate has an actual metal tab that the handle locks into to secure the weight. The other two pictures show the molded tabs on the plates of the 1090s. You can see in my year of personal use, that the tabs on these two plates have worn down, and the handle will no longer pick them up. Meaning those plates are useless. I have bought one replacement plate (high cost) already, but now that I have examined the other tabs I see they are wearing down as well. So basically I spent over $600 on dumbbells that are completely unsafe. I did call Bowflex customer service and was told this is part of normal wear and tear.By EricTX on February 3, 2017
Do NOT, I repeat do NOT but these dumbbells, even if you are impressed with the 552s. Total was of money.
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Top reviews from other countries
Ekta
I got this for CAD 433 including taxes October 2019, why are the prices so high now?
Reviewed in Canada on October 7, 2020Style: Bowflex ST 552 Dumbbell (pair)Verified Purchase
Andrew
Scam
Reviewed in Canada on October 29, 2020Style: Bowflex ST 552 Dumbbell (pair)Verified Purchase
Ruben Fuentes
¡Excelente compra!
Reviewed in Mexico on September 29, 2020Style: Bowflex ST 552 Dumbbell (pair)Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Wish they were a bit narrower
Reviewed in Canada on November 3, 2018Style: Bowflex ST 552 Dumbbell (pair)Verified Purchase
Jero_Amazon
Exactly what I was looking for
Reviewed in Canada on December 5, 2019Style: Bowflex ST 552 Dumbbell (pair)Verified Purchase
Exactly what I was looking for
Reviewed in Canada on December 5, 2019
I read a lot of reviews for adjustable dumbells before deciding to get the pair of them. I had them in my cart for a while and when I saw that the price went down from $400 to $299 including delivery, I immediately bought them. I am just building up my home gym and this is a definite space saver with a small footprint.Reviewed in Canada on December 5, 2019
They came both in a box, stacked on top of one another. For those of you who don't read the manual, it is easiest to lay the box on its side and then remove the styrofoam and weight.
The weight plates/dumbells are fastened to a 'baseplate' which allows the adjusting mechanism to work. To note, there are cutouts under the plate on the each end of the dumbells which make it easier if you want to move the whole thing.
I have to mostly agree with the other reviewers, which is that they are of a fixed length, which some may judge to be a bit too long at lower weights for some exercises (see pic for scale). For me, I am not a big guy (5 ft 4 in), but this wasn't really too big an issue, although sometimes I have to be careful not to bang the ends of the dumbells against each other. Also, while the dumbbells are not delicate, dropping them wouldn't be advised as the adjustment mechanism might be damaged.
The mechanism for adjusting the weights is well designed although one has to be careful when reinserting the dumbells into the base. I have had a plate stick and needed to wiggle it around to loosen it again, but it was not an issue. The mechanism is designed for safety so that there is a 'click' when the adjustment is properly done, and if the adjustment dial has not clicked, the dumbbell will not come out of the base.
Overall, I am very satisfied with this purchase, and would make it again, especially when they are on sale for a good price!
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