BowFlex - 5.1S Stowable Bench - Black

This bench is great for the price. It stores easily and is very stable. Many people complain about the gap between cushions, and depending on your body is justifiable. It's not hard for me to position myself so that the arch of my back is over the gap and avoid the uncomfortableness. For this reason, I'm not dinging the 5 stars.

Good looking sturdy product. Had to hammer a couple spots that were bent to the point where the bench couldn't be assembled. Not sure if it was from factory or shipping. I assume factory because the edges were gnarled but still painted. On the bottom so it's not visible now. So minor I'll still keep the recommendation.

This product is very sturdy and easy to store. My only knock is the seat portion of the bench feels a little short on exercises where the back of the bench is in a decline position. During those exercises the gap between the seat and incline/decline portion is larger. This is particularly true if you are doing things like sit ups or decline bench presses. The solution seems to be to bring my feet up onto the metal base this raising my knees or also tilt the seat to match the decline.

I use the bench with dumbbells. The different settings means I can hit each muscle group. I find adjusting the bench to be both easy to perform as well as quiet. I would recommend using some sort of mat or ground covering. I began using the bench on a painted concrete floor and quickly had to get a mat for the ground to prevent the bench from slipping/moving while exercising.

OVERALL: This is a very solid piece of equipment that is worth the investment for your home gym if you frequently use a bench in your workout routine. The overall quality makes me think that I will have this bench for quite some time. A few tweaks would make this bench perfect. PROS: - The packaging the bench was shipped in was excellent. Everything felt secure and arrived undamaged. - Assembly was super quick, the instructions were easy to follow. - The bench itself is absolutely solid. There is *the slightest* lateral movement in the seat due to the pin and bore sizes for the seat hinge, but you won't notice once you are sitting on the bench. I bring this up because anyone who has done arm rows knows what a pain wobbly seats are, and this is a non-issue with the 5.1S. - The materials the bench was made from are heavy duty, and make it feel like the commercial benches I would use at the gym. - The different locking positions (including the decline!) are great. CONS: - My biggest problem with this bench, and the reason I only gave 4 stars, is that the "pin" for locking the back position is a screw. I would have loved a spring-loaded pin like some of the higher-end commercial benches have. It's a minor problem, but sometimes it can be difficult to get the screw to line up while holding the bench back in place. Nit picky/ trivial things: - The leg bar is a little annoying to work with. For anyone who has used heavier weights, you want your legs free to be able to "kick back" the weights. Ultimately, I took the leg rest off (only takes about 2 minutes) because of the way I use the bench, but it would be great if there was an easier way to add/remove it, like a lynch pin system. - The pleather doesn't cover the entire back of the seat/backrest and so there is a bit of exposed wood on the underside. It's a small issue, but I suppose if you were trying to do a deep clean of your equipment, it could be hard to clean that part properly. #sweepstakes

Once dedicated exercise enthusiast, been away since COVID and injuries. Now out of shape and overweight...getting back to it. I'd give the bench 4.5 stars, if I could. -0.5 due to the well maligned gap between the pads. Other than that, only praises. Love the bench. Gonna wear it out, if I can...but not likely.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Well built, relatively easy to set up, good value. The pin that secures the angle of the bench back is locked in by hand screwing with a large knob...it's not hard to do but takes longer than it should when you are cycling through a routine...maybe better long term than a spring loaded pin that wears out over time. It would be good if it came with an exercise suggestion document...maybe online?

The knob for adjusting the height of the back (flat, incline) is not easy to use. It's hard to tell when the holes are aligned and that is when you have to screw in the knob. Additionally the plastic that goes on the outside of the foam pieces for your ankles doesnt stay on. Lastly its not as easy to "roll away" as one might think. With that said it looks nice and appears to be very sturdy.

I have purchased and own several Bowflex Products that I am quite pleased with, as for this product I can't say enough horrible things about. From the base being too wide for foot placement, to the large gap between the seat and back rest, this is just a very poorly designed weight bench. I literally have been using it as a place to set things on top of because it is not useable as its intended functionality.

I've been working out with weights since I was 11 years old. The foot piece for the bench is simply stupid!! It is impossible to get your legs in position to lift the weights. Also, the empty space between the seat & back piece is absurd! It needs to be filled in. Also the selectech dumbbells are awkward as heck to manipulate. You can't rest them on your body or the bench.