BowFlex SelectTech 52 Review: New Model, Recall Check First

Quick decision card

The model-name check comes before the workout

BowFlex’s current US page calls this product the Results Series 52 SelectTech Dumbbells. It describes a pair with white handles, rounded styling, metal components, non-slip grips, two adjustment dials, storage trays, and a two-year parts warranty. The exact 52 owner manual carries its own current product identity and revision.

The CPSC recall is narrower and more serious than a generic warning about every SelectTech product. It names Model 552 52.5-pound dumbbells and Model 1090 90-pound dumbbells, provides serial ranges on the base label, identifies a plate-dislodgement impact hazard, and instructs owners of affected units to stop use and obtain the stated remedy. Do not use an article, color, purchase date, or seller description as a substitute for that label-and-serial check.

For a new direct purchase, save the receipt and photograph both base labels. For used or marketplace equipment, require clear label, serial, tray, plate, handle, and selector photos before arranging collection. If the seller cannot establish exact identity, the rational answer is not to guess.

What 15 settings actually give you

The lower half uses 2.5-pound steps from 5 through 25 pounds, then moves in 5-pound steps to 50, with a final 52.5-pound setting. That progression suits shoulder raises, curls, rehabilitation-directed light work, rows, presses, split squats, and other controlled dumbbell movements when the exercise and user are appropriately matched.

It does not create fractional progression above 25 pounds, and it does not grow beyond 52.5. A buyer who already presses or rows near that ceiling has little runway. The REP x PÉPIN FAST Series review covers a much heavier 65–125-pound system, while the best adjustable-dumbbell guide compares compact systems around the 50-pound class.

The dumbbell stays long at five pounds

BowFlex lists each current 52 dumbbell at 18.5 inches long, 8 inches wide, and 9 inches high. Unlike systems that become shorter when fewer plates are selected, the handle assembly retains its full span. That can be useful for consistent setup, but it can also bring the ends into the torso during curls, rows, goblet positions, or the bottom of a press.

Use a tape measure before buying. Mark 18.5 inches across a dowel or cardboard strip, then rehearse the intended bench width, starting position, and range without loading it. This is only a clearance check; it is not a substitute for qualified coaching, medical advice, or a safe exercise assessment.

The two trays need a clean, level station with room to approach and return both handles. Include the user’s stance, a bend or stand height, the route to the bench, and clearance from walls and other equipment. “Replaces 15 sets” describes load selections, not a zero-footprint product.

Two dials make selection clear—but add a check

Each end dial chooses plates on that side. Both must display the same intended setting before the dumbbell leaves the tray. If a dial does not rotate normally, the handle does not lift cleanly, a plate is not seated, or the selected load looks asymmetric, stop. Do not force, shake, strike, improvise a repair, or begin a set to see whether it settles.

A clean pre-set routine is short:

1. Confirm the exact product and that it is not subject to an unresolved recall or support instruction.
2. Inspect the handle, dials, plates, locking parts, and tray for damage, debris, incorrect seating, or missing components.
3. Seat the handle fully in the correct tray on a level surface.
4. Set both end dials to the same intended number and confirm each reaches its detent.
5. Lift vertically and slowly. Stop if unselected plates rise, a selected plate remains, or anything feels abnormal.
6. Make the first repetition controlled and keep people, pets, feet, and fragile objects outside the fall area.
7. Return the dumbbell squarely to the tray before changing the load.

The owner manual controls inspection, lock testing, cleaning, and service. Adjustable weights should not be dropped. A mat can protect a finished surface and reduce contact noise; it cannot make a drop safe for the selector or for someone nearby.

New 52 versus Results Series 552

Current BowFlex pages show both a 52 and a Results Series 552 option. The names are close enough to invite checkout errors. BowFlex describes the current 52 as a different look with the same performance concept as the Results Series 552. The 52 page lists an 18.5-inch length; BowFlex’s comparison material lists the current Results Series 552 at 16.9 inches. Both cover 5–52.5 pounds with 15 settings, but visual design, dimensions, product identity, and labeling differ.

Independent current coverage is also nuanced. T3 describes the newly released 52 as a redesign with premium metal plates, a revised locking mechanism, and non-slip handle. Tom’s Guide says the 52 and current Results Series 552 are very similar and recommends deciding largely on current fit and value. BIKE’s August 2026 account supports the fast tray-and-dial concept while questioning the cost in its market. None of those reports replaces the exact US label, manual, warranty, seller, or recall check.

Do not buy the 52 merely because the number is lower or newer. Buy it if its longer current dimensions, visual design, documented pair contents, and current support route are the better match. If a current 552 is being considered, verify its exact current identity separately rather than assuming every “552” result refers to the recalled population or the same modern package.

Fixed dumbbells and heavier selectors remain real alternatives

Fixed rubber hex dumbbells win when several loads must remain available, multiple people train together, or the workout uses quick circuits. They also remove selector and tray mechanics, though a useful collection consumes more floor and rack space. The adjustable-versus-rubber-hex comparison maps that pace-versus-footprint decision.

Higher-capacity adjustable systems fit lifters whose logs already show frequent work above 50 pounds per hand. They cost more, occupy a different station, and often add length or proprietary expansion pieces, but they avoid buying a system already at its ceiling. A few fixed heavy pairs can also complement a moderate adjustable set without replacing the whole rack.

What to verify before buying

• The product name is BowFlex Results Series 52 SelectTech Dumbbells, not an older 552 listing or an ambiguous “5–52” description.
• The listing explicitly includes a pair and two correct storage trays.
• Product/base labels, serials, seller, warranty route, returns, and manual identity are visible and consistent.
• The 18.5 × 8 × 9-inch per-dumbbell dimensions fit the storage station and every planned movement.
• A 52.5-pound ceiling supports the next phase of the actual training log.
• Both end-dial operation and controlled reracking fit the intended session pace.
• The CPSC and BowFlex recall channels show no unresolved instruction for the exact unit.

The Amazon link here is an honestly labelled exact-model search fallback. A stable direct ASIN uniquely proving the current US Results Series 52 pair was not retained. Search results can mix the 52, 552, single units, pairs, old stock, accessories, and unrelated replacements, so the final listing needs its own identity check.

Methodology and limits

This is a researched buyer analysis, not a hands-on test. Current range, settings, pair contents, dimensions, construction claims, warranty, and operating identity came from BowFlex’s US product page and the exact 52 owner manual. The CPSC’s current recall record supplied the affected product names, serial ranges, hazard, and official action. T3, Tom’s Guide, and BIKE supplied current launch and use context with different perspectives.

No dumbbell was purchased, lifted, dropped, measured, opened, lock-tested, or durability-tested for this article. No price, discount, stock, plate-retention guarantee, comfort guarantee, training result, injury-prevention claim, rating, review count, or customer consensus is asserted. Current 52 lifecycle does not prove that a particular unit is outside every safety action; exact label, serial, condition, and official guidance decide that.

Verdict

Buy the BowFlex Results Series 52 if a 5–52.5-pound range covers the planned program, small increments below 25 pounds matter, and a clear dial system is worth accepting an 18.5-inch fixed length. It is most coherent for one careful user in a compact room who can give both trays a permanent, clean, level station.

Skip it if the training log already reaches the ceiling, if short handles are essential, if several loads must stay ready, or if weights are routinely set down hard. Most importantly, skip any listing whose exact model, pair contents, serial identity, or recall status cannot be established. The new product name is not permission to blur it with an old 552.

Sources

• BowFlex Results Series 52 SelectTech product page
• BowFlex SelectTech 52 owner manual
• US CPSC BowFlex 552 and 1090 recall record
• T3 SelectTech 52 launch analysis
• Tom’s Guide adjustable-dumbbell comparison
• BIKE SelectTech 52 review