Soloflex Vs Bowflex – The Battle of Home Gyms

In this article I will break down the differences between Soloflex vs Bowflex

Have you been considering buying a home gym? With all the options available, it can be quite confusing. Two of the most popular options are Soloflex and the Bowflex home gym. While the names may be similar, that’s where it ends.

So let’s take a look at Soloflex vs Bowflex

Soloflex home gym

The Soloflex home gym uses resistance straps unlike the Bowflex which uses Power Rod technology. In essence, endurance is endurance, but there are limitations to either. Soloflex has been around since 1978 and its popularity has waned.

At one point it was the home gym to buy. Today that distinction has passed to Bowflex. The reason I say that is because of the amount of infomercials, advertisements, and annual sales of the Bowflex. You won’t see a Soloflex commercial on TV these days.

Unfortunately, the classic Soloflex is no longer sold. However, you may be able to purchase a used one through Craigslist or your local city newspaper. On their website they still sell parts and weight straps.

The main advantage I saw in the Soloflex system was its ability to add free weights. This is not available with any of the Bowflex home gyms. The main disadvantage of the Soloflex home gym are the weight straps that eventually; Similar to Bowflex stem rods, they weaken and lose their tensile strength.

A recent search on Craigslist produced several results for Soloflex. The price ranges from $ 250 to $ 500. Personally, I had a Soloflex years ago and was disappointed in the range of motion in certain exercises. I like that so many others ended up selling it and looking for a better home gym alternative.

Bowflex Home Gym

Bowflex offers several different models, as well as dumbbells and their latest product, Bowflex Revolution. (Of all Bowflex products, the Bowflex revolution is the most expensive as well as the most revolutionary of all Bowflex systems.)

These are some of the advantages that I see in Bowflex Home Gym

* Easy to assemble

* Light

* Guarantee power rods for life.

* Greater range of motion than Soloflex

* You can perform up to 65 health club quality exercises

* Can be rolled up and stored.

* Comes standard with 210 pounds of resistance. (Although, I must say that the resistance levels listed on the power bars don’t feel like the resistance number on the bar. I mean, 20 pounds doesn’t feel like 20 pounds of weight.)

Here are the downsides to the Bowflex home gym:

* You are responsible for shipping costs both ways. What I mean by that is that if you decide to use their six-week money-back guarantee, they will refund only the purchase price and not the shipping costs, so you will have to pay $ 129.99 twice or $ 259.98 for the privilege to try the Bowflex in your home.

* If you need more resistance or weight, an additional 110 pounds will cost you $ 100. So at around a dollar a pound, this is expensive compared to free weights which will typically cost you around $ .50 or less per pound.

* The Bowflex home gym takes up a considerable amount of space, requiring a training area of ​​… 8 ‘4 “x 6’ 6”.

* You need a head clearance of at least 82 inches

* Pricing is an issue, the cheapest model … the Glow, starts at $ 899 plus $ 129.99 for shipping totaling $ 1028.99

* There are other downsides to the Bowflex, but I’m running out of room here to completely break them down.

The bottom line is not what the home gym looks like, but that you will get the results you want! I hope you enjoyed this Soloflex vs Bowflex Article.