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DOCUMENTED BUYING GUIDE

PowerBlock Elite EXP vs Bowflex SelectTech 552

Two adjustable dumbbell systems compared by weight range, settings, adjustment and expansion, using only what we could document. Where a figure is unverified, we say so.

Read the PowerBlock guide

Explore the equipment and guides

Choose the question that matches your next decision. Each guide links to the evidence and explains what remains unverified.

Compare the pairsExpansion, adjustment and the exact model.How we documentSources, editorial judgments and limitations.Plan the complete setupConnect the equipment choice with the room and your needs.

The short answer

Choose by the load you will actually need and by how you prefer to change it. PowerBlock Elite EXP Stage 1 starts at 5–50 lb per hand and has documented separate expansion kits to 70 and 90 lb. The Bowflex SelectTech 552 is described by the reviews we checked as 5–52.5 lb per dumbbell in 15 settings. If your plan stays below about 50 lb, expansion may not matter. If it might grow beyond that, the expansion path is the main difference to weigh.

This is an editorial reading of the documents, not a measured result. We have not tested either product.

Weight range and settings

  • PowerBlock Elite EXP Stage 1: 5–50 lb per hand. Separate Elite EXP kits are documented to 70 and then 90 lb per hand. The initial pair does not include the kits. Source checked: manufacturer manual and compatibility guide.
  • Bowflex SelectTech 552: 5–52.5 lb per dumbbell in 15 settings: 5 to 25 lb in 2.5 lb steps, 30 to 50 lb in 5 lb steps, then 52.5 lb. Source: third-party reviews and a Bowflex product page for a related model. The 5–52.5 lb range is confirmed by an owner's manual copy on the Internet Archive (edition undated); the 15 settings and step sizes are not verified against it.

A claim that a set replaces a number of dumbbells describes available settings, not what you need. Write your required settings next to each chart and look for gaps.

How the weight is changed

On the Elite EXP, the pin selects the weight stack, and removable handle weights provide some intermediate settings. It is not a continuous series of every 2.5 lb weight; refer to the chart for the exact handle and kit.

Review sources describe the SelectTech 552 as using a selection dial at each end of the dumbbell, set to the same number on both ends, with the number aligned to an arrow on the nameplate. Matsfit has not timed or compared the two routines, so which feels easier is your preference, not a measured result.

Size and storage

Do not rely on a single dimension figure. The sources we found for Bowflex do not agree: one review lists 16.9 x 8.3 x 9 in per dumbbell for the SelectTech 552, while a Bowflex product page for a related Results Series model lists 17.4 x 8.3 x 8.1 in. An owner's manual copy on the Internet Archive lists 15 3/4 in for the length of the dumbbell assembly, a third figure. Confirm the exact model and measure the tray and the space where you will adjust and return the dumbbells.

Elite EXP dimensions and hand clearance for the delivered variant are not verified. See space and setup for how to plan the full area.

What neither source settles

We have not measured durability, noise, handle feel, hand clearance, adjustment time or accuracy of each setting. A manufacturing tolerance note on a Bowflex page says individual settings may vary from stated values. No current price or stock claim is made here.

A simple way to decide

  1. Write the heaviest load per hand you expect to need in the next year, and say whether it is a requirement or a possibility.
  2. If it is above about 50 lb, check the matching expansion kit, its availability and its separate cost before buying a system.
  3. If it is below about 52.5 lb, compare the exact settings you will use and the adjustment routine you prefer.

Then use the buying checklist to confirm what is in the box. For the other candidate we document, see PowerBlock vs Core Home Fitness.

Frequently asked questions

What is the weight range of the PowerBlock Elite EXP Stage 1 and the Bowflex SelectTech 552?

PowerBlock Elite EXP Stage 1 starts at 5–50 lb per hand, with separate Elite EXP kits documented to extend it to 70 and 90 lb. The SelectTech 552 is described by the reviews we checked as 5–52.5 lb per dumbbell in 15 settings.

Does the Bowflex SelectTech 552 have an expansion option?

The sources we reviewed describe a fixed 5–52.5 lb range and we did not find an expansion kit described for it. Check the manufacturer before assuming either way.

How do you change the weight on each system?

On the Elite EXP a pin selects the weight stack and removable handle weights give some intermediate settings. Review sources describe the SelectTech 552 as using a dial at each end of the dumbbell, set to the same number on both ends.

Which one should I buy?

Neither is a universal winner. If you may need loads above about 50 lb, a documented expansion path matters, and that favors Elite EXP. If your plan stays within roughly 5–52.5 lb and you want a dial routine, the SelectTech 552 may fit. Confirm the exact model and current offer first.

Has Matsfit tested either product?

No. This guide is documentary. The Bowflex figures come from third-party reviews and a manufacturer product page for a related model, and we could not read the current official SelectTech 552 owner's manual.

Evidence and limits

Reviewed on October 1, 2026. We have not physically tested these products. PowerBlock facts come from the manufacturer's Elite EXP manual (a 2019 edition) and compatibility guide, as documented in our PowerBlock guide. Bowflex facts come from third-party reviews and a manufacturer page for a related model; the current official SelectTech 552 owner's manual PDF could not be read, so we checked an undated owner's manual copy on the Internet Archive, which confirms the 5–52.5 lb range and the dial at each end. Other Bowflex figures remain unverified.

Related guides

See also Core Home Fitness vs Bowflex SelectTech 552.

Sources and further reading