With the increased time and effort, people are starting to commit to taking care of themselves.
New and innovative options are flooding the fitness and sports market. But, how do you know what to trust and what to take with a chunk of salt?
Luckily, Bowflex has been around for long enough to have gained a reputation as a high-quality and productive way to get in shape.
Bowflex has been around since 1986. With its first product, the Bowflex 2000X taking the market by storm and quickly earning its place amongst the top fitness equipment manufacturers in the industry.
Bowflex offers a vast range of training and fitness solutions for its health nuts and fitness freaks from all kinds of sporting backgrounds, and they have machines offering workouts to isolate some of the less worked muscles as well as the popular ones.
With such a wide range of fitness products available, customers may be wondering which one offers the best features for the best value. You have come to the perfect place to find out!
Keep reading, and we’ll fill you in on who Bowflex are, and which of their machines is the best option for you!
Who Are Bowflex
Bowflex was founded by Tessema Dosho Shifferaw, an Ethiopian engineer living in the United States.
Their first product released to market was the Bowflex 2000X. It quickly revolutionized how people worked out, and Bowflex subsequently released a line of workout machines and equipment.
Bowflex Inc. was first registered on the Toronto Stock Exchange, and in 1999 they changed their name to Direct Focus Inc.
After subsequent successful product ranges, Direct Focus Inc acquired several companies, including Schwinn Fitness and Stairmaster – the best stair stepper machine.
With their newfound revenue boost, Direct Focus Inc. also purchased the Nautilus Corporation, which prompted them once again to rebrand the company, this time as Nautilus Inc.
Nautilus Inc. is located in Vancouver, Washington, in the United States of America.
They have a vast range of product ranges, which include Bowflex, the field which made them a success in the health and fitness industry.
The Bowflex range includes several cardio machines, home gym set-ups and high-quality dumbbells, and they are prevalent amongst home gym users worldwide.
BowFlex Products and Where To Buy Them
With such a wide range of products available from the Bowflex range, it may be difficult for you to come to a decision on which one is the best.
We have compiled a list to help narrow down the selection and allow you to make an informed decision and what one is best for you.
The Bowflex Max Trainer is one of the most popular and widely acclaimed elliptical training machines available to purchase for home use.
It comes with a smart monitoring feature that can help you keep track of your workout progress right from your phone or tablet.
The Bowflex Max Trainer is straightforward to assemble out of the box, and the instructions are crystal clear.
Pros
- The machine is easy to assemble and comes with clear instructions.
- The smart monitoring system allows you to monitor your workout exceptionally accurately.
- Max Trainer app allows you to set and monitor goals from your mobile phone or tablet.
- The machine can adapt to the user’s workout needs with a smart learning program.
Cons
- Some customers have complained about damaged machines arriving from the manufacturer.
What Do People Say?
The Amazon reviews from previous customers rate this as an extremely innovative and exciting workout machine to use.
With the multiple features available to improve your workout session, this machine has excited many customers, both novice and advanced.
One female customer highly rated the ease in which the machine is assembled, and claimed all it took was ‘girl power.
The only potential drawback is the reports of damaged machines being shipped, which can be easily rectified by contacting Bowflex’s customer support team.
The Bowflex Lateral is a lateral leg training machine.
Where the Max Trainer is great for upper body workouts, the LateralX concentrates mainly on the lower muscles in your legs and lower abdomen.
Although some customers regularly purchase both machines as a package, some critics have stated you can just invest in one and use alternative pieces of equipment to make up the difference.
Pros
- The LateralX mobile app allows you to monitor goals and activity.
- It comes with 30 full-length workout videos.
- This machine comes with a 7.5″ Backlit LCD.
Cons
- A bit pricey compared to other lateral trainers.
What Do People Say?
According to the Amazon reviews, this is an excellent choice of machine for lateral training.
The assistive technology is highly acclaimed for helping you isolate those muscles you want to work out the most, although it does come at a pretty hefty price.
The many useful features more than makeup for it.
The Bowflex Home Gym is one the most sought after home gym machines for people who take their health and fitness very seriously.
Offering over 60 exercises for a full-body workout, this machine is an excellent choice for those who may be limited when it comes to space.
Many customers have chosen this as the single machine in their home gyms, and have quickly discovered it is all they needed.
Pros
- Huge range of workouts available.
- Seven free trainers built workout programs come with the machine.
- Folding bench and tables make it extremely spatially aware.
- Lat bar and squat bar included.
Cons
- It comes with a lot of parts that take some time to set up.
What Do People Say?
Customers who have purchased this home gym have rated it amongst the best value for money they have gotten from an exercise machine.
Many reviewers have stated how their home gyms need less and less equipment as they utilize more and more of the Bowflex Home Gym’s features.
Another excellent home gym set-up from Bowflex, The Bowflex HVT, offers the customer a full-body workout in one compact and versatile machine.
When using the Bowflex HVT, you can avail of the pre-planned workouts by connecting to the HVT mobile app, or you can develop your workout regiment by using one of the 50 manual exercises available from the home gym.
Pros
- Syncs with the free Bowflex HVT application to set and monitor goals and workouts.
- The machine offers a complete body workout, including strength and cardio.
- The Dynamic coaching console gives constant intelligent feedback while you work out.
Cons
- Fewer workout programs are available in comparison to some of the other machines out there.
What Do People Say?
Judging from the Amazon reviews, this machine is a superb addition to any home gym set-up and is a great stand-alone machine to own if limited for space.
Customers acclaim it as an extremely versatile machine that can be used to isolate muscles throughout the whole body.
The device is just a resistance machine, though and does not support more substantial weights.
For fitness enthusiasts who do not have the floor space for a full home gym machine, The Bowflex SelectTech range of adjustable weight is a perfect choice.
With the adjustable resistance setting, the SelectTech can permanently replace up to 6 kettlebells.
The ergonomic and space-efficient design makes this perfect for beginners looking to take their workout home with them.
Pros
- The machine’s space-efficient design takes up minimal floor space in your home gym.
- Change the resistance set by merely turning a dial, which is excellent for incremental sets.
- The comfortable handle fits snug in hand and helps prevent personal injury.
- It can be used to isolate muscles throughout the entire body.
Cons
- Many of these kettlebells are shipped with a safety feature enabled that is difficult to remove, as it does not come with clear instructions.
What Do People Say?
Amazon customers rate this as one of the most versatile weight sets available on the market today. Bowflex alternatives have a hard time competing with them mainly due to the very high quality of the product.
By replacing several dumbbells and weights with the SelecTech, workout enthusiasts can save themselves valuable floor space in their home gyms.
The only drawback is the safety setting that comes enabled on the SelecTech, but with a quick phone call to the Nautilus Support team.
Bowflex, though known mainly for their strength and resistance training machine, also offer a vast range of tools to use in cardio and stamina training.
This treadmill comes with different settings that can combine the motions of the treadmill, a stepper, and an elliptical workout machine.
The heart rate monitor helps you to keep track of your workout progress and can be accessed through the mobile app available with the Bowflex treadmill.
Pros
- Combines the best features of a treadmill, elliptical trainer and a stepper.
- The machine comes with five workout programs that suit people of all levels of fitness.
- This machine has a speed range between .5 to 4.5 miles per hour.
- Max carrying capacity of 300 pounds.
Cons
- A bit pricey considering it can only be used for lower body and leg workouts.
What Do People Say?
Many Amazon customers give this machine some serious compliments as an excellent choice for a low strain workout.
With the limited speed range, the machine can only reach a fast walking speed, and many customers have claimed some severe improvements to their fitness levels from only a few uses.
It has been criticized for its price point by some users since there are more budget treadmills and considering it can only isolate the lower body.
For those looking for a machine to work the lower body at the same time as the arms and legs, the Bowflex Elliptical trainer is the perfect choice of home gym machine.
The most acclaimed feature of this fitness machine is the Explore the World application.
The user can immerse themselves in a virtual environment, full of unique workout trails in exotic locales.
Pros
- This machine offers flawless Bluetooth connectivity.
- It comes with a burned meter, which allows you to record your workout and adjust it for comfortability.
- Explore the World App offers stunning recreations of a vast range of beautiful trails and locations.
Cons
- Some models have begun to malfunction within a week or two of delivery.
What Do People Say?
Customers are absolutely in love with this elliptical training machine.
It is highly rated for its interactive and virtual reality experience, which adds some excitement to your workout and helps you get comfortable when doing long term cardio training.
The Bowflex Bodytower offers its users over 20 workouts to isolate muscles in all parts of the body.
This machine comes with several adjustable steel bars that let you adjust your workout to add more variety and intensity to it.
This machine is seriously compact and has a footprint of only 50″ L x 50″ W.
This is one of the best power tower for those looking for a more intense workout from their home gym machine.
Pros
- This machine is made from seriously sturdy materials and can support up to 300 pounds of user weight.
- The adjustable bars allow you to customize your workout to suit your personal needs.
- This machine offers a full-body workout.
- It comes with a 5-year warranty.
Cons
- Some users have criticized this machine for having faulty parts when delivered.
What Do People Say?
The Bowflex Bodytower has earned its spot as one of the best products in the Bowflex range.
It is acclaimed for its adaptability and can be used to work out the full body by using minimal equipment.
The reviews on Amazon rate this is a favorite amongst strength training equipment users.
The only critical reviews were centered around bad manufacturing, but with the machines’ warranty, this can be easily remedied.
The Bottomline…
This list has gone through a wide range of Bowflex products that are the perfect choice for a variety of workouts.
Bowflex is favored amongst those who want to bring their exercise to a home setting, and their product range has something to suit fitness nuts of all levels.
Bowflex is an ideal choice for exercise equipment, as their years of experience, and accumulation of valuable customer feedback has made them a trusted and popular choice for their customers.
They offer an outstanding value, and their innovative design team is continuously evolving the functionality and spatial awareness of their products.
So if you’re a full-time fitness nut or just looking to get into better shape, Bowflex has a product to suit your needs.
We hope this article has covered all the bases and can help you make an informed decision when looking for the perfect home workout solution.
If you enjoyed our list, don’t forget to check out some of our other equipment and dumbbell reviews, and we wish you good luck in achieving all your fitness goals!
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Article by:
Daniel DeMoss
I’m a personal trainer based in Denver (Matrix Gym) and a true fitness nerd. If I’m not training clients or working out at my home gym, I’m probably skiing, cycling or hiking with my dog Rufus.
Get in touch: daniel@dumbbellsreview.com
