Should I Buy a New or Used Bowflex?
You're considering adding a Bowflex to your home gym, one big question is whether to buy new or used.
I’m a big proponent of buying used. I’ve purchased 5 Bowflexes over the years--all of them used! Buying used isn’t for everyone, let’s check out the Pros and Cons:
Buying a New Bowflex
✅ No Wear & Tear - Some people really enjoy things that are brand new. New means clean, shiny, and no hidden mechanical issues or missing parts.
✅ New Power Rods - Power Rods wear out. Buying new ensures they are in good condition. That said, Power Rods tend to produce about half their advertised resistance. 1 + 2
➖ Delivered To Your Home - This can be a pro or con, as delivery usually takes about a week (even through Amazon).
➖ Product Warranty - Product defects with Bowflex’s Home Gyms are rare. I credit a proven design that really hasn’t changed much over the decades. The 5 year Power Rod warranty included is only for breakages (which is extremely rare).
Buying a Used Bowflex
✅ Lower Cost - You can find great deals on lightly used machines. It’s not uncommon to see a $1,000 Bowflex listed for $400 or less on Facebook Marketplace. I paid $200 or less on 4 of my 5 Bowflexes.
✅ More Budget for Accessories - Money saved can go towards resistance upgrades or extra attachments. My Top 5!
✅ High Build Quality - The XTREME & XCEED are built with 11-gauge steel and the PR1000 has 14-gauge (the lower the number, the stronger). The frame for both feel rock solid, especially on the XTREME & XCEED. If you were buying a house, they’d say it has “strong bones.”
✅ Good for the Planet - Buying used means there’s no industrial manufacturing in your purchase. While the steel frame is great, steel manufacturing emits a lot of carbon.
❌ Facebook Marketplace / Craigslist - Sellers can be unreliable.
❌ Power Rods wear out. They can last several years, but accumulated use or improper storage (connected when not in use) cause them to produce less resistance in time. They can be replaced or supplemented.
❌ Potential Wear & Tear - Outside of the Power Rods, there are 3 areas where things can go wrong.
- The cables are coated steel ropes that are very durable, but they can fray. They also have a ball stopper at one end that can become detached. This is more of an annoyance than a safety issue. Replacement cables are available.
- Technically the pulleys can wear out, but smashed or rusted pulleys are more common. Make sure things are sliding smooth and are rust free. Replacement pulleys are available
- Most Flat Bench Bowflexes have a sliding seat. Personally, I don’t find the “Leg Press” very functional and so I don’t see that as a dealbreaker.
❌ Potential Missing Parts - reviewing an owners manual and making a checklist of key parts can help. For example, some Bowflexes come with a Lat Bar and a Squat Bar. Others like the Blaze have an additional seat for Leg Extensions. Normally these are detached from the machine. (don’t go overboard here, just the stuff you might forget)
➖ Pick-up Required - Most buyers require pick-up from their home. Selection is pretty good in most US metropolitan areas, but if you're in a small town, expect to drive an hour or more.
- With just a little disassembly, all Power Rod models should fit in the back of a small SUV (like a RAV4).
- Mid-Sized and Large Cars will likely require a bit more disassembly, but should suffice.
Other Tips for Buyers & Owners
- ✅ Unhook and Wrap up Power Rods when not in use to prolong their life.
- ✅ There are other ways to Add Resistance than Power Rods. For Flat Bench Style machines, I sell an Upgrade Kit. I also have a recommended upgrade for the XTREME & XCEED using elastic bands.
- ✅ If planning to keep your Bowflex indoors, you may want to limit your search to those. There’s nothing wrong with keeping it in a garage, but unless it’s in pristine condition, moving something from the garage to inside the home can feel out of place.
- ✅ Negotiate Deep Discounts on Machines that are 10+ years old. Ask questions about the age of the machine and refer to product manuals for an idea of when it was in production. While the manuals don’t directly specify production windows, the bottom left corner of the front page indicates when the manual was last updated.
- ✅ If you do replace your Power Rods, I would only replace the 50lbs….and I wouldn’t replace them. There is an additional slot to place an old set of 50lbs and you can continue to use them. See how the upgrade works here.
- ✅ Check out my YouTube channel for free follow-along workouts!
