Bowflex recalls nearly 4 million adjustable dumbbells over injury risk

Johnson Health Tech Trading has recalled approximately 3.84 million BowFlex SelectTech adjustable dumbbells after reports that weight plates could detach from the handle during use — an impact hazard that has already caused more than 100 injuries in the United States. The recall, announced on 6 June 2025 in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), covers the SelectTech 552 (52.5 lb) and SelectTech 1090 (90 lb) models sold any time between 2004 and May 2025.

For UK gym-goers, there is an important caveat: no equivalent notice has been issued by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) at the time of writing. Both models have been available through Amazon.co.uk and UK third-party retailers for years, and both continue to surface on secondhand marketplaces. The hazard — weight plates dislodging under load — is a function of the product's design, not the country it was bought in.

What went wrong

The CPSC's announcement recorded nearly 350 reports of weight plates dislodging during use, of which 111 resulted in injuries including broken toes, concussions, abrasions and contusions. The overwhelming majority of those complaints — 337 incidents and all 111 injuries — were accumulated during the period when Nautilus Inc. (later rebranded BowFlex Inc.) owned the product, covering roughly 3.7 million units sold between 2004 and April 2024.

Johnson Health Tech Trading acquired BowFlex's assets out of bankruptcy for $37.5 million in April 2024, after the brand filed for Chapter 11 protection in March of that year. In the roughly 13 months between that acquisition and the recall, Johnson Health Tech received a further 12 reports of plate detachment, none resulting in injury.

This is not the first time these dumbbells have attracted regulatory attention. The 1090 model was subject to a separate recall in 2012 over a fault with the weight selector dial, and in 2021 BowFlex recalled its SelectTech barbells. Safety complaints against both the 552 and 1090 continued to accumulate on the CPSC's SaferProducts.gov database throughout the 2010s and into the 2020s.

What Johnson Health Tech says

The company has been at pains to distance itself from its predecessor's liability. In a statement published on bowflex.com, it said:

"We were not involved in any aspect of the products Nautilus made and sold prior to April 23, 2024. Our company acquired some of that bankrupt company's assets last April through the bankruptcy process — but we did not buy the company or its liabilities."

On the question of why it took until June 2025 to act, the company told Consumer Reports that "the recall process is not an overnight decision," adding that after becoming aware of the reported incidents, it began discussions with the CPSC and conducted its own research and testing before determining the appropriate steps. The company also confirmed it has since updated the design of both the 552 and 1090 models.

What US consumers are being offered — and why critics say it isn't enough

Buyers who purchased from Johnson Health Tech between April 2024 and May 2025 are eligible for a full replacement dumbbell or a voucher equal to their original purchase price, plus a free one-year subscription to the JRNY Fitness App. Those who bought from Nautilus before April 2024 — the vast majority of those affected — are offered only a prorated voucher redeemable at bowflex.com, reportedly worth between $20 and $95, at a time when a replacement set costs between $429 and $799.

Consumer Reports safety policy analyst Gabe Knight was blunt in his assessment, telling the publication:

"Consumers should be able to receive their money back in full, no strings attached."

Knight nonetheless urged all owners to act:

"Even if you haven't experienced any issues with these products so far, it's still possible you could in the future."

Consumer Reports, which had previously recommended the 552 model following a 2021 test, has now withdrawn that recommendation and labelled it a "Do Not Buy." A class action lawsuit filed in the wake of the recall alleges that the products were advertised as safe and durable while posing an unreasonable safety hazard, and that no warning about plate detachment appeared on packaging or in marketing materials.

What UK owners should do right now

UK owners of either the SelectTech 552 (sold in Britain as the 552i) or the 1090 (sold as the 1090i) should stop using their dumbbells immediately. The model and serial number can be found on a sticker on the underside of the moulded plastic base tray. While the formal recall remedy applies to the United States and its territories only, UK consumers who purchased via Amazon.co.uk may have grounds to seek a remedy under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

• Check bowflex.com/recalls for the latest information from Johnson Health Tech
• Contact the company directly at recall@bowflex.com
• Amazon.co.uk customers should contact Amazon UK to discuss their options under UK consumer law
• Monitor the OPSS product safety database at gov.uk for any future UK-specific notice

The BowFlex SelectTech 552 was listed as currently unavailable on Amazon.co.uk at the time of writing. UK pricing via PriceSpy had shown the 552i at approximately £166.99 and the 1090i at around £289.00 per single dumbbell before availability was affected.