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Bowflex SelectTech 552 vs Bowflex Results Series 1090
Quick verdict
Winner on Gym Score: Bowflex SelectTech 552 (77)
Same dial-selector system, two different ceilings. The SelectTech 552 runs 5 to 52.5 lb in 2.5 lb steps; Bowflex lists the Results Series 1090 at 10 to 90 lb in 5 lb steps, with 17 weight settings and a 3-year parts warranty. The deciding question is simple: will your working weight on rows, presses and goblet squats pass 50 lb? If not, the 552 is the better tool — finer steps and a shorter, easier-handling dumbbell. If yes, only the 1090 gets you there.
Choose the SelectTech 552 if your working weights stay under about 50 lb per hand, you want 2.5 lb jumps for small-muscle work like curls and raises, and you value a proven design with a large aftermarket.
Read the full review →Choose the Results Series 1090 if you already row or press more than 50 lb per hand, or will soon, and want one pair that replaces a full rack of heavy dumbbells.
Read the full review →
- · Apartment lifters who can't fit a rack of fixed dumbbells
- · Intermediate lifters working in the 10 to 50 lb dumbbell range
- · Hybrid home gyms that need one tool covering curls through goblet squats
- · Lifters needing 70+ lb working weights
- · Owners with limited floor space
Spec-by-spec
| Spec | Bowflex SelectTech 552 | Bowflex Results Series 1090 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight Range | 5-52.5 lb | — |
| Increments | 2.5 lb | 5 lb |
| Mechanism | Dial selector | Dial-and-pin select |
| Sold as | Single dumbbell on Amazon | Single dumbbell on Amazon (BowFlex.com sells a pair) |
| Weight range | — | 10-90 lb (single) |
| Dimensions | — | 17.5" L x 9.5" W x 10" H (per unit) |
| Warranty | — | 3 years parts (BowFlex) |
Bowflex SelectTech 552
$199.99checked Oct 30, 2026Bowflex Results Series 1090
$399.99checked Oct 30, 2026Bowflex SelectTech 552
- +5-52.5 lb in 2.5 lb increments
- +2-year warranty
- +Proven 20+ year track record
- +Global aftermarket
- −Handle diameter feels bulky
- −Drop damage voids warranty
- −Plastic shell looks cheap
- −Amazon listing is a single dumbbell — a pair means buying two
Bowflex Results Series 1090
- +10-90 lb in 5 lb increments — covers most adult home-gym strength work
- +Single dial swap, ~3 seconds between weights
- +Replaces ~17 fixed dumbbell pairs in one footprint
- +Genuinely durable plate stack — the failure point on dial dumbbells is the locking pin, not the plates
- +JHTNA continues sales + warranty post-acquisition
- −Amazon listing is a single dumbbell — a pair means buying two
- −Heavy single unit (~95 lb each) is not move-around-the-house friendly
- −Wider handle than 552 may feel awkward for smaller hands at light weights
- −Plastic plate skins can crack on hard drops — these are not bumpers
- −Warranty covers parts only (3 years, per BowFlex)
Before you buy: where each one falls short
Bowflex SelectTech 552
- ·You drop weights regularly (drop damage voids warranty)
- ·You need over 52.5 lb per hand for rows or shrugs
- ·You want fast 2-second swaps between sets during conditioning circuits
- ·You have wide hands that find the 1.5 inch handle uncomfortable
- ·Handle diameter of 1.5 inch and 8 inch handle length feels chunky compared to a 32mm fixed dumbbell, particularly for women or smaller-handed lifters
- ·Plastic shroud rattles when racking and can crack on the corner if the dumbbell tips off the cradle
- ·Dial occasionally lands between weight notches and won't engage until rotated past and back
Model note: Relaunched as the BowFlex Results Series SelectTech 552 after Bowflex moved to Johnson Health Tech. Re-pointed 2026-09-23 from B0G6Z84TQM, whose bare /dp/ URL now lands on this listing, B0G1V685WC, Style '552 Single': one dumbbell, 5 to 52.5 lb, ships from and sold by Amazon.com (Firecrawl --country US, 2026-09-24T02:14Z). Same product and variant family, so this is a re-point, not a re-pick.
Bowflex Results Series 1090
- ·You drop dumbbells regularly (plastic plates crack)
Model note: Relaunched as the Results Series 1090 after Bowflex moved to Johnson Health Tech. Same single dumbbell, 10-90 lb. The Amazon listing is new, so its review count (3) reflects the relaunched listing rather than the product's longer history.
The real tradeoff
Size and step size are the tradeoff. Bowflex lists the 1090 at 17.5 inches long per dumbbell, so it is a big, heavy unit that feels awkward at light weights, and its 5 lb steps are coarse for curls and lateral raises. The 552 is shorter and finer-grained but stops at 52.5 lb. Both use plastic-housed plates on a dial mechanism, so neither is built to be dropped.
Skip both if you drop your dumbbells or train explosively — dial mechanisms are not built for it. PowerBlock Pro 50 Adjustable Dumbbells uses a selector pin in a compact block instead of a dial, though it tops out at 50 lb per hand and does not expand.
Buyer questions
Is the 1090 just a heavier 552?
Largely, yes — the same dial-select idea scaled up. The differences are the range (10 to 90 lb versus 5 to 52.5 lb), the step size (5 lb versus 2.5 lb) and the size of the dumbbell itself, which is longer and bulkier on the 1090.
Why is the 1090 now called the Results Series 1090?
Bowflex relaunched it under the Results Series name after the brand moved to Johnson Health Tech. It is the same 10 to 90 lb dial dumbbell; the new listing's review count reflects the relaunch rather than the product's longer history.
Which one should a beginner buy?
The 552, for most people. Beginners spend their first year well inside 5 to 52.5 lb on dumbbell lifts, and the 2.5 lb steps make steady progression easier. Buy the 1090 only if you already know you need the heavier range.
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