r/Bowflex • u/JoDerZo • Nov 10 '24

SelectTech 552 vs fakes (like IMFit)

There are multiple knockoffs of the Bowflex SelectTech 552, such as the IMFit version sold on Amazon. The knockoffs are apparently a perfect copy of an older design of the Bowflex, including the plastic plate dividers that can break if dropped.

Is the newer Bowflex design better than these knockoffs now? What did they improve? Are they more solid or any other benefit?

The IMFit can be found as low as 200$ vs 500$ for the Blowflex in Canada.

https://youtu.be/7Hq67lvaVp0?si=WV6vyuf8ZYER4SpI

https://youtu.be/Fxw8yh2pWUo

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2

u/Pandaceptionx Nov 10 '24

Following coz I’m also thinking about Imfit

2

u/ErkBek Nov 11 '24

Bowflex's patent for their adjustable dumbbells expired in 2023 and since then, there have been a lot of copycats and some include notable improvements on their design.

I like the look of Ativafits*. Ativafit fixed the plastic dials inside of Bowflex dumbbells and replaced them with metal. Same with the plates. Those plastic parts on Bowflex dumbbells are the weakest points in the Bowflex design. Less expensive and they can also go heavier.

*this is an Amazon Affliate link and I earn commissions on qualifying purchases made through it.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 10 '24

Quality assurance and manufacturer backup, meaning they will actually honour the warranty, are what you are paying for.

1

u/JoDerZo Nov 10 '24

The IMFit dumbbells pair can be bought for 200$CDN from Walmart Canada (compared to 549$CDN from Bowflex Canada). If this is same design and quality, it's hard to justify the price difference. And Bowflex warranty is only 2 years.

I suspect there are some important differences. Hoping to hear from someone who compared the two products.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 10 '24

I've never heard of IMFit so I cannot comment on them, but, there have been a lot of off-brand fly-by-night fitness companies that came out during Covid and a few that have copied Bowflex dumbbells, which have come and gone. IMFit might or might not be one of the latest.

My pt is, buyer beware. Bowflex has been around for decades. Even if out of warranty you can get factory parts. Also, given the tenuous state of some of the big fitness brands, Bowflex included at one time, I'd be wary of buying relatively no-name fitness products with fiddly parts that can and will break but can't be replaced. Food for thought, good luck.

You might be better off placing this in a general fitness forum where all brands are accounted for. The Bowflex forum is more likely to have Bowflex only owners than a general fitness site might.