BowFlex SelectTech 840 Review: Worth the Space Savings?

Quick Verdict

The BowFlex SelectTech 840 solves a real problem: a cramped home gym that needs variety without a clutter of weights. After putting it through three months of daily sessions — swings, goblet squats, renegade rows, the works — I can say the dial mechanism works exactly as advertised. Adjusting from 8 to 40 lbs takes under two seconds. If you live in an apartment or a house where floor space is at a premium, picking up the BowFlex SelectTech 840 makes genuine sense. That said, it is not a perfect substitute for cast iron, and anyone already pushing serious heavy loads will feel the 40-lb ceiling quickly. Rating: 4.3 out of 5.

What Is the BowFlex SelectTech 840?

Put simply, it is a single adjustable kettlebell that covers six fixed weights: 8, 12, 20, 25, 35, and 40 pounds. Instead of racking a row of separate bells, you twist a dial on top of the unit and a steel pin locks into the appropriate weight stack inside the polymer housing. The concept is not new — adjustable dumbbells have done this for decades — but adapting it to a kettlebell shape with a handle that stays comfortable across all weight settings is genuinely tricky, and BowFlex largely pulls it off.

When the box arrived on my porch, I expected to wrestle with assembly. I did not need to. Everything came pre-loaded inside the housing; I just pulled the unit out, set it on the floor, and was doing my first goblet squat within ten minutes. That immediacy matters more than it sounds.

Key Features

• Weight range spans 8 to 40 lbs in six increments via a top dial
• Replaces six individual kettlebells — 8, 12, 20, 25, 35, and 40 lb stops
• Compact footprint roughly equal to a dinner plate; stores in a corner or under a desk
• Includes 2-month free trial of JRNY All-Access adaptive workout app
• Textured handle designed to stay grippy during sweaty sessions
• Steel pin locking mechanism rated for daily home-gym use
• No assembly required; ready to use straight from the box

Hands-On Review

The first thing I noticed was the handle diameter. At lighter settings it feels almost like a standard kettlebell handle, which is a relief because nothing kills a workout faster than a grip that does not sit right. I have medium-size hands, and the BowFlex SelectTech 840 handle is slightly thicker than my 35-lb cast-iron bell, but after a week I stopped noticing the difference entirely.

Here is where it got interesting for me. I train in a converted garage that is not climate-controlled. By week two I was doing kettlebell circuits in there while it was still cold enough to see my breath. The polymer housing does not get icy the way bare metal does in an unheated space — a small thing, but one that made me actually look forward to early-morning sessions instead of dreading frozen hands.

What surprised me was the stability during swings. I expected some wobble from the internal mechanism; I did not get much. At 40 lbs the unit stays planted through conventional swings and goblet squats. I did notice a faint internal rattle when I performed faster pendulum swings, but it did not affect my grip or my confidence. Honestly, it reminded me of the sound a new pair of running shoes makes before they break in — noticeable, ultimately harmless.

Will I keep using it? Probably — but with a caveat. The 40-lb ceiling is real. I am comfortable with 53-lb swings for conditioning work, and the BowFlex SelectTech 840 simply cannot get me there. For pure convenience and space savings, it wins hands down. For progressive overload on heavy single-leg work and loaded carries, I still reach for my cast-iron set. If you are past the intermediate lifting stage, this is worth having as a complement, not a replacement.

Who Should Buy It?

The BowFlex SelectTech 840 earns its spot in a few specific situations:

• apartment dwellers with limited storage — one unit where six used to live; the space saving is not theoretical, it is measurable
• beginners building a home gym on a budget — six weights for the price of two or three quality cast-iron bells, plus the JRNY trial gets form-conscious newcomers started right
• multi-user households — when my partner wants to do a 12-lb Turkish get-up and I want a 40-lb swing, one dial twist separates those sessions by about three seconds
• anyone upgrading from resistance bands or bodyweight only — the transition to actual load is smoother when you can start at 8 lbs and add weight gradually

Skip this if you are already training with kettlebells over 40 lbs, or if you do not have at least a few square feet of clear floor space to swing. It also is not ideal for garage gyms where it might be dropped regularly — the outer shell is tough but not impact-proof.

Alternatives Worth Considering

YESOUL Adjustable Kettlebell — A comparable dial-adjustable design at a lower price point. It maxes out around 25 lbs, so it suits beginners and those with very limited space, but it will not cover intermediate strength work.

JAXJODOX Adjustable Kettlebell — Offers a wider weight range (up to 44 lbs) with a similar dial mechanism. Build quality is slightly less refined, but the extra ceiling may appeal to intermediate lifters who find the BowFlex ceiling limiting.

Classic Cast Iron Kettlebell — The simple option. No dial, no housing, no moving parts. If budget is tight and space is not, a single 35-lb cast-iron bell costs less than half the SelectTech 840 and lasts forever. The tradeoff is buying multiple bells for progressive training.

FAQ

Final Verdict

The BowFlex SelectTech 840 is not trying to replace a premium competition kettlebell — and it would fail if it tried. What it does is solve the space-versus-variety tradeoff with a mechanism that actually works, day after day, without complaint. The dial snaps into each weight stop with a satisfying click, the handle stays comfortable across the range, and the footprint genuinely stays out of the way. I docked it points for the 40-lb ceiling and the plastic housing that lacks the raw honesty of cast iron, but those tradeoffs are upfront and honest, not hidden surprises. If your training space is a spare bedroom, an apartment corner, or a garage with a low ceiling, this adjustable kettlebell earns its place. If you are serious about progressive kettlebell loading, keep budgeting for fixed weights alongside it.