Bowflex: Where to Buy
Bowflex is a home gym brand that built its reputation through late-night infomercials and as-seen-on-TV spots promising a full-body workout without a gym membership. The brand launched in 1986, and millions of units have shipped to garages and spare bedrooms across the United States. Its 2024 bankruptcy filing and acquisition by Johnson Health Tech left buyers asking what’s still for sale and whether the equipment is worth it. Here’s where the brand stands and where to actually buy Bowflex gear today.
Is Bowflex Still Selling Equipment After the Bankruptcy?
Yes. BowFlex, Inc., the manufacturer formerly known as Nautilus, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2024, and the company never stopped shipping. Chapter 11 is the section of U.S. bankruptcy law that lets a business restructure its debts while it keeps operating. The buyer that came out of the court process was a Taiwan-based fitness conglomerate that also owns Schwinn Fitness and Matrix.
Under the new owner, warranties are being honored, the JRNY app still runs, and replacement parts and rods are still shipping. The filing was driven by declining post-pandemic demand for home workout machines, a slump that hit Peloton Interactive and NordicTrack just as hard, combined with high inventory costs. It wasn’t a product quality issue.
The Bowflex Lineup: Which Machine Fits Your Space
The brand started with a patented system of flexible composite rods attached to a pulley network instead of weight plates. Power rod resistance is still the core of its cable gyms, but the catalog now spans treadmills, exercise bikes, ellipticals, the Max Trainer, and the SelectTech dumbbell line. Here’s how the three best sellers compare.
| Model | Resistance or weight | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Xtreme 2 SE Home Gym | 210 lb power rods (up to 410 lb) | 70+ strength exercises in one station |
| SelectTech 552 Dumbbells | 5 to 52.5 lb per hand | Small-space strength training |
| Max Trainer | Body-weight plus magnetic resistance | 14-minute HIIT cardio |
Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE Home Gym
The flagship cable machine uses 210 pounds of rod resistance, upgradable to 310 or 410 pounds, and covers over 70 exercises through a lat tower, squat station, and multiple cable positions. Plan on a footprint of about 4.5 by 6.5 feet, plus clearance behind the rods so they can flex without hitting a wall. No separate weight bench is needed, since the seat and backrest handle presses and the curl station handles arm work. Shoppers on a tighter budget usually land on the Bowflex PR1000, an entry-level rod gym with a smaller exercise menu.
SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells
The 552 model adjusts from 5 to 52.5 pounds per hand with a dial on each end. One pair replaces 30 individual dumbbells, and the 1090 version goes up to 90 pounds for heavier lifters. Dialing between sets is faster than loading plates. The trade-off is the plastic cradle and selector parts: drop a loaded dumbbell and the mechanism can crack or jam, so controlled reps matter. They’ve ranked among the best adjustable dumbbells for home workouts for over a decade.
Treadmills, Bikes, and the Max Trainer
The treadmills offer motorized incline and decline. The VeloCore series tilts side to side to mimic outdoor riding, and the IC Bike SE connects to cycling apps for structured training. Elliptical models use moving handlebars and adjustable stride length. This stepper and elliptical hybrid is built for short, high-intensity sessions designed to challenge your muscles in 14 minutes.
Where to Buy Bowflex, Channel by Channel
Buying direct usually wins on bundles and financing, Amazon wins on shipping speed, and retail stores win on the chance to try a machine first. Prices swing more between these channels than most shoppers expect.
| Channel | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Official website | Full catalog, bundles, financing | Paying full price outside sale windows |
| Amazon | Fast Prime shipping on dumbbells and gyms | Third-party sellers with old stock |
| Dick’s, Best Buy, Johnson Fitness | Testing before you buy | Limited floor models |
| Costco | Occasional dumbbell discounts | Inconsistent stock |
The official Bowflex website carries accessories and bundles that third-party retailers don’t always stock. Seasonal sales, especially around Black Friday and New Year, can knock 20 to 40 percent off retail, and a JRNY membership is often bundled free for the first year with qualifying purchases.
Amazon stocks the SelectTech dumbbells, the flagship rod gym, and select treadmill and bike models. Check the seller before you check out. Third-party listings sometimes ship older inventory or charge inflated prices during shortages, so the brand’s official storefront is the safest choice.
If you’re weighing this brand against NordicTrack or Peloton Interactive equipment, seeing them side by side in a showroom tells you more than spec sheets. For a lower-tech classic from the same infomercial era, the Total Gym uses your body weight instead of rods.
Buying Used or Clearance Bowflex Weights and Machines
Secondhand rod gyms and dumbbells are everywhere, since they often outlast the owner’s motivation. Four checks separate a bargain from a garage ornament:
- Hang a known load on each rod. Composite rods can take a set after years of use and feel lighter than their printed rating, which quietly caps your progress.
- Inspect the cables and pulleys for fraying or flat spots. Cables are cheap to replace, but a frayed one can snap mid-rep.
- Turn every dial on SelectTech dumbbells through the full range. A selector that skips or a plate that stays in the cradle means worn parts.
- Get the model number and confirm parts availability before paying. Older units may not be JRNY compatible, and warranty coverage usually stays with the original buyer.
Power Rods vs. Free Weights: How Much Muscle Can You Build?
Enough for most people. Rod and cable resistance gives beginner and intermediate lifters a real strength training stimulus, and progressive overload is possible by upgrading rod packs or dialing up the dumbbells over time.
The limits show up at the top end. Lifters who train above 300 pounds on compound movements will hit the ceiling on most models. The resistance curve also differs from free weights: a rod is light at the start of a rep and heavier at full extension, while gravity stays constant through the range of motion. Some trainees like that for joint comfort; others find it blunts explosive work. For general fitness, fat loss, and moderate strength goals, the system delivers. For competitive weight lifting or bodybuilding, a barbell setup or a program like P90X paired with heavier gear works better.
Do You Need a JRNY Membership?
No. Every machine works for manual workouts without a subscription. JRNY, the brand’s subscription platform on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, adds adaptive workouts that increase the load as your conditioning improves, coach-led video on compatible screens, and progress tracking. A cheaper mobile-only plan drops the machine integration. If you train with your own routine, skip it.
Bowflex is one of the few infomercial brands, alongside the ThighMaster and the Flex Shot, whose name still means something decades after the ads stopped running, and it has earned a spot among the best infomercials of all time. If you’re curious whether as-seen-on-TV products actually work, this is a solid case of one that did.
Start by measuring your floor space and deciding between a cable gym and a pair of dumbbells. Then compare the official site’s sale price against Amazon and local retail stock. If you buy used, test the rods and dials before money changes hands, and the right Bowflex will cost far less than it did a few years ago.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bowflex still in business?
Bowflex is still operating. Johnson Health Tech acquired the brand after BowFlex, Inc. filed Chapter 11 in 2024. Products continue to ship, warranties are honored, and the JRNY app remains active.
Where is the cheapest place to buy Bowflex?
The lowest prices usually show up on the official website during Black Friday and New Year sales, in Amazon Prime deals, and at Costco for the dumbbells. Post-bankruptcy clearance pricing has created the lowest prices on this equipment in years.
Are the SelectTech dumbbells worth the price?
For most home lifters, yes. One pair replaces 30 individual dumbbells, so the cost per pound of adjustable weight is lower than a full rack, and it takes a fraction of the floor space. They’ve held up well in long-term reviews spanning 10 or more years, as long as they aren’t dropped.
How long does it take to see results from Bowflex?
Most users notice improved muscle tone and endurance within four to six weeks of consistent training three to four times per week. That matches any resistance-based exercise program.
Can you use Bowflex equipment without a subscription?
Yes. All machines work without a subscription for manual workouts. The subscription adds guided programs, adaptive difficulty, and workout tracking, but it isn’t required to operate the equipment.