Bowflex and NordicTrack are home fitness equipment companies that do not compete in many areas of the market. Bowflex is known for its various home gyms that utilize bendable rods for resistance, and NordicTrack largely sells cardiovascular equipment like treadmills and elliptical trainers. However, two products that the companies do directly compete over are adjustable weight dumbbells and inclined walking treadmills.
Types
Adjustable dumbbells allow you to select a specific weight before you train, giving you the variety of an entire rack of dumbbells with only two pieces of equipment. Bowflex offers two different sets of dumbbells that max out at 52.5 or 90 lbs. of weight. NordicTrack sells only one kind of dumbbell set, which is adjustable up to 50 lbs. NordicTrack is more competitive in the inclined treadmill market, offering three different incline trainers to compete against Bowflex's three different TreadClimber models.
Features
One advantage that NordicTrack adjustable dumbbells have over their Bowflex counterparts is that they come standard with a workout stand to hold them. While the Bowflex dumbbells have greater weight adjustability, a holding stand for them must be purchased separately.
NordicTrack incline trainers are different from Bowflex TreadClimbers in that they use a single walking belt instead of an independent treadle for each foot. NordicTrack machines have a wide incline range -- from 6 to 40 percent grade -- and include access to the iFit interactive training website. One advantage of the Bowflex TreadClimbers is the treadclimber mode which allows you to perform treadmill walking and stair stepper exercise simultaneously to greatly increase your calorie burn.
Price
As of December 2010, the Bowflex SelectTech dumbbells range in price from around $400 to $600, while the NordicTrack dumbbells cost about $400 direct from the company. NordicTrack incline trainers are significantly cheaper than Bowflex TreadClimbers, ranging in price from about $1,200 to $2,000. The lowest priced TreadClimber is available from Bowflex for around $1,300, while the most expensive model, the TC5500, costs $3,300.
Considerations
According to the Diets in Review website, using a NordicTrack incline trainer at its full incline allows you to burn as much as five times the calories you would from walking alone. One drawback of the machine, however, is that its motor has a 2 continuous horsepower limit. Though the company claims that the incline trainer can reach speeds of 10 mph, the motor is not likely to be able to sustain this speed while you are exercising.
Warranty
The maximum warranty available for the Bowflex SelectTech dumbbells is two years on all parts, five years on the weight plates and one year of free labor. This is more extensive than the one year of labor included with the NordicTrack ProQuick 100 dumbbells. NordicTrack's incline trainers have a lifetime warranty on the motor and frame, while the best warranty you can get for a Bowflex TreadClimber is five years on the motor and three years on all other parts.
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