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When I say Bowflex, what do you think of? Maybe it’s ellipticals, but I know for me it’s the Bowflex home gyms. They have introduced a number of home gyms over the years with varying levels of resistance, exercises, and functions. However, each model is portable and gives you all the exercises you need to lose weight and build muscle. Today we’re going to compare three Bowflex home gyms to see which is best. We’re going to look at Bowflex Blaze Home Gym vs Bowflex PR1000 vs Bowflex PR3000.
We’re going to compare these based on exercises, resistance, ease of use, storage, and accessories. The Blaze gym is my personal favorite with its great price and many features, but let’s see which one is right for you.
If you want to see all the other models, we just made an updated article: Which Bowflex Home Gym is Best? EVERY Model Ranked.
| Bowflex PR1000 | Bowflex Blaze Home Gym | Bowflex PR3000 |
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Blaze Home Gym vs PR3000 vs PR1000: Exercises
How many exercises can you do with a Bowflex home gym? Each model is different in this regard. All of them feature common exercises like pulldowns, bench press, bicep curl, and tricep extensions. However, only some allow for specific leg exercises like squats and leg extensions.
All three gyms here allow for many different exercises, but how do they rank? Let’s compare the numbers. Here’s how many exercises each model can do:
- Bowflex PR1000: 26+
- Bowflex PR3000: 50+
- Bowflex Blaze Home Gym: 60+
Not only does Blaze Home Gym allow the most exercises, but it has features you won’t see with the other two. For example, it has a squat bar, which is uncommon among Bowflex gyms. Surprisingly enough, even though the PR3000 has twice as many exercises as PR1000, the PR1000 has rowing and folding, neither of which are included with the PR3000.
I’d say that Blaze wins this battle. The Bowflex PR3000 home gym is a close second and while Bowflex PR1000 home gym is in last, it has some surprising features and is the most affordable of the three.
Resistance
Most gym equipment uses plates for weight. Bowflex is a little different because they use flexible bars that add resistance to your workout. Not only does these flexible bars have a unique aesthetic, but they also make the gym more portable without reducing effectiveness.
Most Bowflex home gyms come with a default weight and you can upgrade to a higher weight. When it comes to PR100 vs Bowflex Blaze Home Gym vs PR 3000, all three of these have the same default weight of 210lbs. That should be enough for many people, but what if you need more?
There are upgrade packs available for Blaze Gym and PR3000. Unfortunately the PR1000 cannot be upgraded. PR3000 can be upgraded up to 310lbs and Blaze allows for 410lbs.
To be completely honest, most people will probably be happy with the default resistance. But if you need more, then Blaze is the best of the three. The PR3000’s 310lbs limit is great as well, but it’s firmly in second place here.
Ease of Use
We’re going to be upfront here and say that every Bowflex model is easy to use. You select the exercise you want to do, pull or push the right accessory, and complete your workout. It’s very easy and many of them come with graphics and manuals to show you how everything works.
But, that doesn’t mean that every Bowflex gym is made exactly the same. Some are easier to use than others. So, is there any difference between these three models?
One thing you’ll notice is that both the PR3000 and Bowflex Blaze come with instructional placards. These are placed right on the gym and you can reference them to see how to do a certain exercise. This doesn’t come with the PR1000.
However, both the PR1000 and Blaze gym come with sliding seats. They also allow you to perform a horizontal bench press. PR3000 lacks a sliding seat and allows you to perform a vertical bench press.
One thing the PR1000 has exclusively is a media rack. This can hold your tablet so that you can view it while working out. You can only see it if you’re facing the portable home gym, but it’s still nice to have.
A major benefit only found with the Bowflex PR3000 home gym is the Quick Change System. Normally you have to change cables to switch weights, but not with PR3000. This makes it faster than ever to select your target resistance.
Once again, all three are easy to use. Blaze comes with the most features overall, PR1000 has a media rack, and PR3000 has the very handy Quick Change System. Considering how useful that feature is, I would say this is a tie between Blaze and PR3000. However, if you find yourself frequently changing weights, then PR3000 wins this category.
Storage
One of the best things about Bowflex portable gyms is that they are relatively small and easy to store. Not only do they require little room when you’re using them, but many models fold up to save even more space.
So, which Bowflex gyms offer the best storage? Both PR1000 and Blaze Home Gym have fold seats. You can fold them up and tuck the gym into a corner so that it doesn’t need much room. The seat locks into place, so you shouldn’t have to worry about it falling down.
While the PR3000 has a slim profile, as with many other Bowflex models, you can’t fold the seat when you’re done. This might be a problem for some people, but once again, it’s a fairly small system and shouldn’t get in the way.
It’s a tie between both Blaze and PR1000, but the PR3000 should be fine in most rooms.
Accessories
Some home gyms come with lots of accessories. However, Bowflex gym aren’t really known for accessories and you don’t get too much with these three models. But, what you do get is versatile and useful.
All three of these portable gyms come with multi-use hand/ankle straps. You simply connect them to the Bowflex cable and do your exercise movement. It may not sound like much, but this is all you need for every exercise. Whether you’re rowing, bench pressing, working your legs, or even training your triceps, all you need are these straps.
The accessories are simple, but useful. All three are tied since you get exactly the same thing.
| Bowflex PR1000 | Bowflex Blaze Home Gym | Bowflex PR3000 |
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Final Thoughts
So, who wins the battle of Bowflex Blaze Home Gym vs PR3000 vs PR1000? I would say that Blaze Home Gym is the winner, it’s in the middle with price (more than PR1000, less than PR3000), has the most exercises, the most features, and won nearly every category above.
I would place PR3000 in second place. It’s the most expensive of the three, but the Quick Change System is truly fantastic and makes it simple to switch between weights. While PR1000 ranks lowest here, it has a lot of exercises, good resistance, and is the most affordable of the three. It might be in third place here, but it’s better than many other portable home gyms.
Do you agree that Blaze is the best Bowflex home gym? Let us know!