The first time I picked up a NordicTrack Select-a-Weight, it wasn’t in my own gym. A friend had bought a pair on a holiday sale, texted me a week later asking whether he’d made a mistake, and I drove over to find out. He had them sitting on his kitchen counter still half in the box, next to a Bowflex 552 set his brother-in-law had left behind after a move. Two dial-adjust dumbbells, same rough price bracket, sitting side by side on a granite countertop like a controlled experiment nobody had planned. I stayed for the next hour, dialing both up and down, dropping them into their trays, checking how they balanced in a curl, and by the time I left I’d stopped answering his question with “they’re basically the same” — because they’re not.
That kitchen-counter comparison is the one I keep coming back to, because it’s the exact situation most people are in. You’ve decided a dial-style adjustable dumbbell is the move — one hand movement to change weight, no plates to slide, no collars to lose. Good call for a home setup. But then you hit the two names that dominate the category at this price, and every listing reads like it was written by the same marketing department. Fifteen sets in one, saves space, quick to adjust. The differences that actually matter on rep three of your last set don’t show up in a bullet list.
I’ve written full standalone breakdowns of each — the Bowflex SelectTech 552 review and the NordicTrack Select-a-Weight review — and both earn their spot in the best adjustable dumbbells guide. This piece puts them head to head so you can stop guessing and pick the one that fits how you actually train. Both are good. One is probably better for you, and by the end you’ll know which.
Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, Iron Home Fitness may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t change what I recommend or the caveats I flag.
How to Choose a Dial-Adjust Dumbbell: The Criteria That Matter
Before the head-to-head, it helps to know what separates a dial dumbbell you’ll still love in three years from one you’ll quietly resent. Across published specs and owner feedback, the same handful of factors decide it, and they matter in roughly this order for most home lifters.
Weight range and the size of each jump. The top-end number gets all the attention, but the increment between settings matters just as much. A dumbbell that only jumps in five-pound steps forces awkward gaps on isolation work, where the difference between 12.5 and 15 pounds on a lateral raise is the difference between clean reps and cheated ones. Small increments at the low end are worth more than most people realize, especially if you press, curl, or do a lot of single-joint accessory work.
The adjustment mechanism. This is the entire reason you’re buying a dial dumbbell instead of a spin-lock or a plate set. Both of these use a dial you twist to select weight, and both pick up their plates from a base tray. What varies is how positive the selection feels, whether the dial can land between settings, and how the plates lock in when you lift. A mechanism that engages with a clear, confident click inspires trust; one that feels vague makes you double-check before every set.
Build and how it survives a bump. Dial dumbbells are more mechanically complex than a solid hex, and that complexity is where they can fail. The plates are held by a selector rod, and the whole assembly relies on those plates seating cleanly in the tray every time you rack it. Set one down crooked, or drop it from height, and you risk jamming or damaging the mechanism. Housing material, plate coating, and how forgiving the tray is all feed into long-term reliability.
Footprint and the handle feel. A big selling point is replacing a rack of fixed dumbbells with one compact pair. But the loaded dumbbell is long — the plates you’re not using still ride along the handle — so at low weights you’re swinging a bar much longer than a fixed dumbbell of the same load. Handle diameter, knurl or grip texture, and overall length change how natural the tool feels, particularly for pressing and any movement where the ends can clip your forearms.
Warranty, support, and price. These sit in similar territory, but the details differ, and with a mechanical product the warranty is not a throwaway line. Coverage length, what it actually covers, and how easy the company is to reach when something sticks all belong in the decision. Pair that against the real street price, which moves around a lot on both of these during sale seasons.
The Head-to-Head
Weight Range and Increments
The Bowflex SelectTech 552 runs from 5 to 52.5 pounds per dumbbell, adjusting in 2.5-pound increments through the lower range and moving to 5-pound jumps higher up. Fifteen weight settings in total. That 5-pound floor and 2.5-pound stepping is genuinely useful — it means you can start light on a rear-delt fly and nudge up in small doses as you progress, which is exactly what accessory work asks for.
The NordicTrack Select-a-Weight covers 10 to 55 pounds per dumbbell, also across fifteen settings, with a 2.5-pound increment available in the middle of its range and 5-pound jumps elsewhere. The headline is that slightly higher 55-pound ceiling versus the Bowflex’s 52.5. On paper NordicTrack wins the top end by 2.5 pounds a hand.
But look at the floor. The NordicTrack starts at 10 pounds; the Bowflex starts at 5. For anyone doing a lot of light isolation work — smaller lifters, beginners, or anyone rehabbing a shoulder — that 5-pound starting weight is more valuable than the extra 2.5 at the top. Two and a half pounds at the heavy end rarely changes a program; a true 5-pound setting at the light end genuinely does. Call this one a split: NordicTrack for the higher ceiling, Bowflex for the more useful floor.
The Dial and Adjustment Mechanism
Both select weight by twisting a dial on each end while the dumbbell rests in its tray, and both are quick — you’re changing weight in a second or two, which is the whole point. The feel differs, though.
The Bowflex uses a single dial on each end, and the design has been in the market long enough that the mechanism is well understood. Owner feedback consistently describes the selection as positive once you seat the dumbbell fully in the base. The most common complaint across years of owner reports isn’t the dial itself but user error — lifting before the dial has fully clicked into a setting, or trying to change weight while the dumbbell is out of its tray, which you can’t do.
The NordicTrack also uses an end dial and behaves similarly in daily use. One practical difference owners point to is the on-tool weight display and the way the selector reads, which some find easier to confirm at a glance. Both share the category’s fundamental rule: you must return the dumbbell fully to its cradle to change weight, and you must not let the dial rest between numbers. Neither mechanism is clearly superior here; both do the job, and both punish the same careless habits.
Build Quality and Durability
This is where the two separate, and it’s the most important section if you plan to keep these for years.
Both use a plastic housing over metal plates, which is standard for the price bracket — the fully-metal-cased dumbbells cost considerably more. The vulnerable moment for either is the same: setting the dumbbell down. Because the plates are picked up and dropped off in the tray, both tools demand that you rack them relatively square and gentle. Owner reports for both brands include the same category-wide failure story — a dumbbell dropped or racked hard, a plate or the selector knocked out of alignment, and a subsequent jam. Neither is built to be dropped from height. If you train explosively or expect to bail reps and let dumbbells hit the floor, dial dumbbells of either brand are the wrong tool, and you’d be better served by rubber hex dumbbells.
Between the two, the Bowflex 552 has the longer track record simply because it has been on the market longer, which means a deeper well of long-term owner feedback and a mature parts-and-support pipeline. The NordicTrack is the newer design and benefits from some refinement, but has a shorter public history to judge multi-year reliability against. If proven longevity and easy access to replacement parts weigh heavily for you, that track record tilts toward Bowflex. If you value a slightly more recent design and don’t mind a shorter reliability record, NordicTrack is a fair bet.
Footprint, Handle, and In-Hand Feel
Both replace fifteen pairs of fixed dumbbells with a single pair plus a base, and both bases have a modest footprint that fits on a shelf or the floor of a closet. The space savings are real and roughly comparable.
Handle feel is where personal preference takes over. Both have a knurled or textured metal grip of similar diameter, comfortable for most hands. The recurring note for dial dumbbells generally — and it applies to both here — is length at low weights. When you dial down to, say, 15 pounds, you’re still holding a handle flanked by the full-length plate housing, so the dumbbell is longer than a 15-pound fixed dumbbell. On pressing movements the ends can feel close to your forearms until you get used to them. This is a category trait, not a knock on either specific model, and owners of both adapt to it within a few sessions.
If you want to pair either set with a bench for pressing, it’s worth reading the best adjustable weight benches guide — the extra length of any dial dumbbell makes a stable, well-sized bench more important than it would be with compact fixed dumbbells.
Warranty, Support, and Price
Both companies back their dumbbells with warranty coverage, and with a mechanical product that coverage matters more than with a solid chunk of iron. Terms shift over time and by retailer, so the single most useful thing you can do before buying either is confirm the current warranty length and what it covers directly on the product page at checkout, rather than trusting a number in any review — mine included.
On price, these two trade blows constantly. Both see heavy discounting around major sale windows, and the “better value” answer genuinely flips depending on the week you shop. Rather than quote a figure that’ll be stale by the time you read this, the smart move is to check both current prices side by side and factor in whatever warranty and bundle each is offering at that moment.
You can check the current price and availability of the [Bowflex SelectTech 552 here]View on Amazon and the [NordicTrack Select-a-Weight here]View on Amazon.
The Recommendation
If I had to hand one set to a specific person, here’s how I’d split it.
Buy the Bowflex SelectTech 552 if you do a lot of light and isolation work and want that true 5-pound starting weight, or if a long, proven track record and mature replacement-parts support matter to you. It’s the safer, more established pick, and the low-end range makes it especially friendly for smaller lifters, beginners, and anyone whose program leans on accessory volume. It’s the one I pointed my friend toward for his wife, who does more shoulder and arm work than heavy pressing.
Buy the NordicTrack Select-a-Weight if you want the slightly higher 55-pound ceiling, prefer its at-a-glance weight readout, and don’t mind trading a bit of track record for a more recent design. If your accessory work already starts at 10 pounds or above and you’d rather have the extra headroom at the top, it’s the better fit.
For most home lifters the honest answer is that both are good, and the deciding factor is usually whichever one is meaningfully cheaper or better-bundled the week you’re buying. Neither is a mistake. Match the range to your training — low-end reach versus top-end ceiling — check the current prices and warranties side by side, and buy the one that lines up. And if you’re still deciding whether dial dumbbells are even the right style for you versus other adjustables, the fuller adjustable dumbbell buying guide lays out every mechanism type.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you drop either of these dumbbells?
No. Both the Bowflex 552 and the NordicTrack Select-a-Weight are dial-adjust dumbbells with plates held by an internal selector, and dropping them risks knocking plates out of alignment and jamming the mechanism. Owner feedback for both brands includes the same drop-related failures. Set them down square and gentle in their trays. If your training involves bailing reps or letting dumbbells hit the floor, choose fixed rubber hex dumbbells instead.
Which has the better weight range?
It depends on your training. The NordicTrack reaches a slightly higher 55 pounds per hand versus the Bowflex’s 52.5. But the Bowflex starts lower, at 5 pounds versus NordicTrack’s 10, which is more valuable for light isolation work. Both offer fifteen settings with 2.5-pound increments available in part of the range. Pick based on whether you need a lower floor or a higher ceiling.
Are dial dumbbells worth it over cheaper plate-loaded adjustables?
For most home lifters who value speed and space, yes. Changing weight in a second by twisting a dial is a real quality-of-life upgrade over sliding plates and fumbling with collars, and it keeps you moving between sets. The trade-offs are higher cost, more mechanical complexity, and the need to handle them carefully. If budget is tight or you train explosively, a plate-loaded or fixed set can make more sense.
Do these feel like real dumbbells?
Mostly, with one caveat. At heavier settings they balance and handle much like fixed dumbbells. At light settings both are longer than a fixed dumbbell of the same weight, because the unused plates still ride along the handle, so the ends sit closer to your forearms on pressing movements. Owners of both brands report adapting to this within a few sessions.
How much space do they actually save?
A lot. Each pair replaces roughly fifteen pairs of fixed dumbbells, and both bases fit on a shelf or the floor of a closet with a modest footprint. The space savings between the two are broadly comparable, so storage size shouldn’t be your deciding factor.
Which should a complete beginner buy?
For a beginner leaning on lighter weights and accessory work, the Bowflex SelectTech 552 edges it thanks to that 5-pound starting weight and its longer, well-documented track record. A beginner who already presses and rows with 10-plus-pound dumbbells and wants more top-end room would be equally well served by the NordicTrack. Either way, buy whichever is better priced and bundled when you’re ready, and handle it carefully from day one.