Bowflex 552 vs PowerBlock Elite EXP The 90 lb Claim, Read Properly
The PowerBlock is sold as going to 90 lb. It ships at 50 lb. The Stage 2 and 3 kits that take it to 90 are sold separately, and nobody puts that in the headline. Once you know it, the comparison is straightforward.
| Dumbbell | Range per hand | Increment | Adjustment | Warranty | Speed | Shape |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowflex SelectTech 552 | 5–52.5 lb | 2.5 lb | Dial | 3 years | One dial per end, about 3 seconds | Round plates, wider footprint |
| PowerBlock Elite EXP | 5–50 lb as shipped | 2.5–5 lb | Pin | Lifetime | Pin through the stack, about 3 seconds | Square block, smallest footprint |
Figures as published by each manufacturer and on the Amazon listings, August 2026.
Which one, in one paragraph
Buy the Bowflex if you want the decision to be over. It goes to 52.5 lb in the box, adjusts with one dial, and covers every exercise most people will ever do with a dumbbell. Nothing to buy later.
Buy the PowerBlock if your floor space is the constraint, or if you already know you will outgrow 52.5 lb. The square block takes up markedly less room than the Bowflex's round plates, and it is the one that can reach 90 lb — once you have paid for the kits.
Both are the versions this page compares, at the weights stated: the Bowflex at 52.5 lb per hand, the PowerBlock as Stage 1 at 50 lb before any expansion kit.
The three things that actually differ
Top weight. 52.5 lb against 50 lb as they arrive. Effectively identical. The difference only appears if you buy the expansion kits, and at that point you are comparing prices for a different product.
Footprint. The block shape is the PowerBlock's real advantage and it is the reason to choose it in a flat or a spare room. The Bowflex needs its cradle and the plates fan outward.
Feel. The Bowflex handles like a dumbbell. The PowerBlock handles like a block with a handle through it, which some people never get used to and others stop noticing in a week. Nobody can tell you which you will be.
What neither of them fixes
Both are slow to change under a drop set, both are longer than a fixed dumbbell at the same weight, and both will eventually be outgrown by anyone training seriously for years. That is the honest ceiling of the category, not a fault of either product.
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