Top Smart Exercise Equipment for 2022
Updated: Feb. 15, 2023Make your home gym smarter with these top picks.
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Buying Smart Exercise Equipment
An astonishing array of smart exercise equipment can be had on the market these days. Here are some important things to consider before you start your search.
Decide first if you want live and on-demand classes to be part of your workout experience. If not, you may find gear without this feature that is more affordable. Also, check to see if the device has any membership fees to access different features, such as fitness tracking, multiple profiles and access to live classes.
Best Smart Exercise Bike
Undoubtedly, you’ve seen the TV commercials for The Peloton Bike ($2,245). It’s widely regarded as the world’s best smart exercise bike by professional reviewers and customers, as well as one of the priciest. The almost 7,000 reviews on its web site collectively rate it 4.8 stars out of five.
Besides a range of features that include live workouts, a large screen and music playlists, the Peloton offers financing and a money-back guarantee. All bikes must have a Peloton All-Access Membership which costs $39 per month.
“Bike is well made, definitely gym or ‘commercial’ grade, if not better,” wrote one reviewer. “Classes and instructors are awesome! Seems expensive, but it’s worth every penny. The instructors and classes are tough and diverse. I like being able to choose what genre of music too! I don’t have to be stuck listening to some 40 bpm songs someone thinks is inspirational.”
Best Smart Treadmill
The Peloton Treadmill ($4,295) has more features than any other treadmill on the market and is built to last. Standout features include live and on-demand classes, a 32-in. 1080p HD touchscreen, adjustable incline, online support community, 20-watt soundbar, USB charging port for headphones and much more. As with Peloton’s bikes, an All-Access Membership, which costs $39 per month, is required.
“The best thing about this tread is the well constructed belt that you run on,” wrote one reviewer. “I have used top line treads that have continuous belts. As the age they stretch and slip. I sustained injuries that way. The Peloton tread is constructed to avoid that stretching and slipping. One run and I was sold. Easy to use and great classes. As a former Marathon runner I appreciate how much fun it is to use.” If you’re someone that struggles to get in extra steps during the work day, you can consider these under-desk treadmills, too.
Best Personal Trainer
The Mirror ($1,495) is the most innovative smart exercise device on the market. This smart mirror is basically a smart screen that you work out in front of.
A personal trainer appears on the screen, guiding you through the workout in live or on-demand classes ranging from aerobics to yoga. The device analyzes your form and encourages you when you need it. The mirror can also track your heart rate and other stats, take selfies that can be shared with friends, and customize your workout to meet your goals and health needs. You can even get one-on-one classes with trainers for $40 per session.
“Set up was easy, I started using it within 10 minutes of delivery,” wrote one happy customer in a review. “The classes are so effective and I’ve enjoyed every instructor. I can work out whenever I want and as often as I want. This has just been my favorite way to work out! I’ve since referred five friends who have bought it and loved it!”
Best Smart Exercise Device for Small Kids
Most Amazon reviewers love the Fisher-Price Think & Learn Smart Cycle ($220), giving it 4.5 stars. This tiny stationary bike interacts with a mounted tablet or your television screen, similar to a big game controller. Kids can pedal and steer the bike to play games on the screen or just drive through the fun Fisher-Price city. This bike is recommended for children three to six years old.
“Seriously, this is the BEST!! I wish I could give it more stars,” said an Amazon reviewer. “For the parents: easy-assembly, sturdy and well-constructed, and worth EVERY PENNY!! Yes, of course we want our kids to enjoy the outdoors but not many of us live in areas where the weather is warm and sunny year-round. Bring on the rain, bring on the snow and ice, bring on night-time! Screen time is going to happen, especially for learning. That’s exactly what I love….all the fun & learning.”
Best Smart Home Gym
There are several home exercise devices, but Tonal ($2,995) is the only one combining a personal trainer mirror with resistance features. The screen provides coaching, workouts, goal tracking and more. The resistance arms can be configured to do more than 170 moves and can give up to 200 pounds (90.72 kilograms) of resistance. Its required membership costs $49 per month.
“I love Tonal! The coaches are great and I love that the work out programs are planned and Tonal automatically adjusts the weights for each movement,” wrote one reviewer on the Tonal website.
Best Smart Rowing Machine
The NordicTrack RW900 ($1,699) has more features and better reviews than any other. The 22-in. touchscreen allows you to follow along with on-demand classes and live training sessions. It also has Google Maps so you can pick a location and see it on the screen as you row.
One particularly cool feature: The machine automatically adjusts its resistance level according to the class you’re taking. One free year of iFit Family Membership is included. After that, membership is around $468 per year.
Best Smart Foam Roller
Foam rollers are part of many people’s home workout routine, though they typically lack smart features. The JaxJox Foam RollerConnect ($99) includes vibration intensity levels and uses duration timers to match your roller session to whatever exercises you did that day, for faster recovery. An app controls the roller, and you can also use it to track your progress.
“I have been working out regularly for about nine years now and this is the best foam roller I have used yet,” wrote a reviewer on the JaxJox site. “I really appreciate the firmness of this foam roller and the five different vibration settings help to keep it my go to roller regardless of how sore I am.”
Best Smart Boxing Gear
Most smart boxing gear kits have hand sensors in your gloves to record information about your punches. The FightCamp ($1,219) system includes a bag, workout mat and in-app workouts as well. The FightCamp sensors can record real-time punch speeds and punch count, then send a workout summary to the app. The required FightCamp Membership is $39 per month.
All prices and links were accurate at publication.
