Soloflex Vs Bowflex – The Battle of the Home Gyms
In this article I will breakdown the differences between the Soloflex vs Bowflex
Have you been considering purchasing a home gym? With all the choices around it can be rather confusing. Two of the more popular choices are the 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 utilizes resistance straps as opposed to the Bowflex that uses power Rod technology. In essence, resistance is resistance but there are limitations to either one. Soloflex has been around since 1978 and its popularity has faded.
At one time it was the home gym to buy. Today that distinction has been passed on to Bowflex. The reason I say that is because of the amount of infomercials, advertising and annual sales of the Bowflex. You won’t see a Soloflex commercial on television these days.
Unfortunately, the classic Soloflex is no longer being sold. Although, you may be able to purchase a used one through Craigslist or in your local town paper. On their website they still sell parts and weight straps.
The major advantage that I saw to the Soloflex system was its ability to add free weights. This is not available with any of the Bowflex Home Gyms. The major disadvantage to the Soloflex Home Gym is the weight straps which will eventually; similar to the Bowflex power rods, weaken and lose their tensile strength.
A recent search on Craigslist, produced several results for the Soloflex. Ranging in price from $250-$500. Personally, I owned a Soloflex years ago and was disappointed with the range of motion in certain exercises. I like 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 the Bowflex Revolution. (Of all the Bowflex products the Bowflex revolution is the most expensive at the same time the most revolutionary of all the Bowflex systems.)
Here are some of the advantages I see in the Bowflex Home Gym
* Easy to assemble
* Lightweight
* They guarantee the power rods for life
* A greater range of motion than Soloflex
* You can perform up to 65 health club quality type exercises
* It can be rolled up and stored away
* Comes standard with 210 pounds of resistance. (Although, I must say that the resistance levels indicated on the power rods don’t feel like the resistance number on the Rod. I.e. 20 lbs doesn’t feel like 20 lbs of weight.)
Here are the disadvantages of the Bowflex home gym:
* You are responsible for the shipping charges both ways. What I mean by that is if you decide to use their six week money back guarantee they will refund only the purchase price and not the shipping charges so you would have to pay $129.99 twice or $259.98 for the privilege of trying the Bowflex in your home.
* If you need more resistance or weight, an additional 110 pounds will cost you 100 bucks. So about a dollar a pound, this is expensive as compared to free weights which typically will cost you about $.50 or less per pound.
* The Bowflex home gym does take a considerable amount of space it requires a workout area of… 8′ 4″ x 6′ 6″.
* You need head clearance of at least 82 inches
* Price is a problem, the cheapest model… the blaze, begins at $899 plus $129.99 for shipping for a total of $1028.99
* There are other disadvantages to the Bowflex but I’m running out of space here to break them down completely.
The bottom line is not what the home gym looks like, but rather will it get you the results you want! I hope you enjoyed this Soloflex vs Bowflex article.
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#Soloflex #Bowflex #Battle #Home #Gyms
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