I enjoy using Nuobells and Bowflex weights, but mostly I gravitate towards Nuobells. The steel handle with knurled tips, ease of use and sleek design are better than bulky Bowflex weights. What’s more, the Nuobell plates are firmly connected to each other and do not move or rattle during use.

Bowflex weight plates have gaps between them, which increases their length and can sometimes feel unbalanced. Note. This usually only happens when they are set up for heavier weights or during exercises that require careful balancing to get them into the starting position, such as bench presses and shoulder presses. When performing these exercises, the length of the Bowflex weight can prevent full range of motion, especially if you have a narrow chest and shoulders.

However, there are times when Bowflex weights are a much better choice. For example, the edges of the Nuobell plate are relatively sharp, which makes them uncomfortable for goblet squats where you need to hold your weight on the plates. Most importantly, the 2.5 pound gain is very beneficial. It’s great to be able to increase the weight a bit, especially when I’m trying to increase the weight in an exercise that uses small muscle groups.