The Best Smart Home Gyms to Take Your Workouts to The Next Level

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Once upon a time, owning a “home gym” meant giving up space in your living room for equipment. Perhaps an assortment of dumbbells and a barbell, maybe a treadmill or stationary bike, a pile of yoga equipment or any other assortment of gear. But times have changed. High-tech capabilities made possible with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and AI have resulted in the home gym receiving the smartphone makeover. Thus, smart workout equipment can provide all the body-toning, calorie-burning benefits of a traditional membership gym packed inside a wall-mount HD touchscreen mirror or LCD panel.

Some smart home gym models are geared a bit more toward those looking for an intense and heart-pumping cardio workout. Others are designed to provide relaxing yoga or resistance training sessions. Others still are all-encompassing, making a total body workout possible thanks to a variety of workouts, live fitness classes and equipment. So, if you’re wondering whether a smart home gym can be a good investment, the answer is a resounding yes. But what’s the best smart home gym equipment that will get you the most bang for your buck?

Like anything with “smart” in its name, a smart home gym isn’t always the most budget-friendly piece of equipment. You’ll want to invest your money wisely and make sure you’re getting a product best suited to help you reach your specific home workout goals. These are the options that we believe rise above the rest.

The Best Smart Home Gyms to Take Your Workouts to the Next Level:

• Best Virtual Personal Training App: Future
• Best All-In-One Smart Gym: Tonal
• Best Smart Rower for Interactive Classes: Aviron Strong Series Rower
• Best Smart Treadmill: NordicTrack Commercial 2450
• Best Smart Home Gym for Beginners: Tempo Studio
• Best Smart Elliptical: ProForm Carbon EL
• Best Smart Rower: Hydrow Rower Rowing Machine
• Best Portable Smart Home Gym: MaxPRO SmartConnect Portable Cable Machine  

Best Virtual Personal Training App: Future

Get 50% off your first month

Key features and specs

• Subscription cost: $149/month
• Types of workouts offered: Your coach will work with you to build a custom, individualized training plan suited to your fitness level and goals
• Accessories: An iPhone or Android device; and an Apple Watch is also handy because it helps to streamline your workouts

Imagine personalized, one-on-one fitness instruction from your Apple smartphone or Apple Watch. That’s exactly what the Future personal training app delivers. If you need that little extra accountability that comes from a personal trainer, the Future app matches you with a certified fitness instructor who can help you stay on track to meet your fitness goals. You also have the option to pick your own coach. You're matched or chosen trainer creates your personalized workout program according to areas of importance like your fitness level, health goals, schedule and types of workout gear you own.

Future requires a $149 monthly membership fee, and if you don’t pay for the subscription, you don’t get live, real-time coaching sessions from your trainer (aside from the initial FaceTime call to discuss your goals and help develop a fitness strategy). For comparison, the average one-hour personal training session will run you between $40 and $70, so if you use Future at least a couple times a month, it’s likely worth it. Future is not only incredibly user-friendly and well-designed, but it also has impressive functionality and metric tracking features that other fitness apps available on the market lack. You can also message your instructor at any time, which can be a nice compromise for the lack of live coaching sessions.

While the Future virtual personal training program works on all Apple products, it works the best on the Apple Watch. Future sends you an Apple Watch as part of its welcome kit if you don’t have one. There’s also an Android version of the app, but the app is not compatible with an additional Android accessories. 

Pros

• You get a completely individualized training regimen
• One-on-one coaching sessions included with membership

Cons

• Pricey

Best All-In-One Smart Gym: Tonal

Key features and specs

• Dimensions: 21.5 inches W x 50.9 inches H x 5.25 inches D
• Subscription cost: $59.95/month
• Types of classes offered: Strength training, cardio, dance, barre, HIIT, yoga and more
• Accessories: Tonal offers several accessories to boost your workouts including smart handles, a smart bar, a Bluetooth enabled bar control module, rope, a bench, a mat and a roller

The Tonal workout mirror set a bar that none of the other digital home gyms could quite reach (though many of them did come close). With the Tonal, you can ditch the dumbbells. Instead, work on muscle-building and toning using the mirror’s 200 pounds of digital weight resistance for a full-body workout that rivals the benefits of weightlifting. That’s 100 pounds on either side you can manually adjust to match your fitness level. You can also lower and raise its arms to target muscle groups. Tonal comes with thousands of live classes and on-demand workout sessions spanning 16 exercise categories, and many of its workouts use AI to automatically adjust resistance. This ensures you’re exerting just the right amount of effort without overdoing it or selling yourself short.

Tonal collects your fitness data to analyze and build personalized programs and offer weight resistance suggestions that can help you reach your fitness goals faster. It also gives you real-time feedback during your sessions and charts your progress over time to keep you motivated. Additional accessories like ropes, bars and handles are also available, and it comes with a three-year limited warranty. To install and use the Tonal, you do need floor space that’s roughly seven feet wide and deep. Additionally, you’ll also need seven feet of wall space and a ceiling height of around eight feet. If you’re working with limited space, this may give you pause. But if you have the space to make the Tonal work, we guarantee it’ll give you the kind of workout you’d expect from an all-in-one smart home gym. A Tonal membership costs $59.95 a month and gives you access to unlimited individual profiles.

Read our full Tonal Home Gym Review for more information on this smart gym!

Pros

• Users get a full body workout
• Tonal builds personalized programs based on your fitness level and goals
• Digital weight resistance means no dumbbells and weights taking up extra space in your workout area

Cons

• Not ideal for heavy lifters

Best Smart Rower for Interactive Classes: Aviron Strong Series Rower

Key features and specs

• Dimensions: 84 inches L x 27 inches W x 48 inches H
• Subscription cost: $29/month
• Types of workouts offered: Games with guided programs, coached classes and programs, live competition races, scenic rowing, full body workouts for on and off the machine
• Accessories: Quick-adjust resistance remote ($99), Aviron floor mat ($89), hook and loop straps ($29), Cloud seat ($99), lumbar support ($129)

The Aviron Strong Series Rower offers a variety of interactive classes to make working out fun and to keep you motivated. The 22-inch HD touchscreen has built-in speakers, or you can follow along using Bluetooth headphones. There’s also a two megapixel camera for submitting an optional victory photo at the end of a workout. On the Aviron homepage, you can use the filterable search function to find a workout or choose from the eight categories which include:

• Streaming: During your workout, you can use your existing streaming account to watch Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, YouTube or Spotify while your metrics are tracked on the bottom of the screen
• Games: Interactive games with different graphics and gameplay where objectives are achieved by rowing. You can choose the difficulty level and host a private game or play against other members
• Competition: Compete in races against other members or with yourself to beat your best lap time
• Power Play: A combination of playing a game and following a structured rowing workout. You can customize the background and other features using your experience coins, which are earned by completing workouts
• Pros vs. Joes: Choose from a variety of professional athletes to see how you stack up in a race. As you row, you can compare your metrics to the pro's metrics
• Coached Programs: This option is great for beginners or for those who want to achieve a goal. It features a video library with tips on form and technique, and the multiple coach-led series help you work towards a goal over a set number of weeks. There are also guided classes for off the rower such as flexibility and mobility, weight training and bodyweight training
• Guided Programs: Workouts in this category are for on and off the rower, and can be filtered by how much time you have, the type of workout you want (strength, cardio, HIIT, toning), and the level of difficulty
• Virtual: Row in beautiful, scenic destinations from around the world

Your profile contains every workout you’ve completed and the specific metrics and achievements. You can also see your friends list and who’s online. The Group Workout Lobby is where you can join group workouts that are in progress or find scheduled group workouts. There is also a monthly challenge to see how you rank against other members or friends. An Aviron membership is needed to access the workout categories and costs $29 per month. If you choose not to subscribe, you'll still have access to your profile. There are no built-in programs available, but you can still earn achievements and view your metrics while you row.

The steel and aluminum construction is sturdy and the weight capacity is 507 pounds. The high seat and low rail make it easy to get on and off, and the seat has a wide, ergonomic cushion. If you have wide hips or aren’t very flexible, the foot pedal width can be adjusted to a comfortable position. The Strong Series Rower has a dual air and magnetic resistance system. The air resistance helps each stroke feel smooth and the magnetic resistance offers up to 100 pounds of resistance. When not in use, this rower can be stored upright and does not require any wall mounts.

Pros

• Various interactive and fun workout options
• Max user capacity of 507 pounds and can accommodate those up to 6' 8" eight inches tall
• Accessible seat and frame height

Cons

• Beneficial accessories are an additional cost
• Expensive

Best Smart Treadmill: NordicTrack Commercial 2450

Key features and specs

• Dimensions: 78.5 inches L x 35.6 inches W x 65 inches H
• Subscription cost: starting at $15/month + tax for individual plan, $39/month for family plan
• Types of classes offered: Live and on-demand classes offered via iFIT include virtual scenic treadmill workouts in exotic destinations all over the world, yoga and rowing among others
• Accessories: SmartBeat forearm heart rate monitor (sold separately, $99)

As far as professional-quality workout equipment goes, this is a commercial-grade treadmill that helps you conserve square footage. It may not be the smallest best treadmill on the market, but this is for serious runners who want an intense cardio workout from the comfort of their own home without losing too much space or having to venture out to the gym or in nasty weather.

As you can guess, the NordicTrack Commercial 2450 comes packed with smart features. It includes iFIT interactive programming and a 22-inch adjustable HD smart touchscreen. Its motor is responsive enough that your iFIT instructor can adjust your speed (from 0 to 12 miles per hour) and incline (up to 12 percent) during your running class using the Automatic Trainer Control function. This means you’ll never fall out of step or lag while the treadmill makes its adjustments. The motor is also fast enough for intense interval training.

For more information about this NordicTrack treadmill, check out our in-depth NordicTrack 2450 Treadmill review.

Like any smart treadmill worth its salt, the NordicTrack Commercial 2450 comes with Bluetooth for speaker connectivity and to provide speed, distance, calorie burn and heart rate data to your preferred fitness tracker. It even has Google Maps integration to visualize your distance against real-world locations. NordicTrack also stands by the fact that this is a commercial-grade treadmill, with a 10-year frame warranty, a two-year parts warranty and a one-year labor warranty.

If you're in the market for a NordicTrack treadmill, but aren't sold on the Commercial 2450, check out our NordicTrack treadmill guide!

Pros

• The Commercial 2450 is intuitive and easy to maneuver
• Several speeds and inclines available for every type of fitness level

Cons

• Expensive

Best Smart Home Gym for Beginners: Tempo Studio

Key features and specs

• Dimensions: 72 inches H x 26 inches W X 16 inches D
• Subscription cost: $39/month
• Types of classes offered: Strength training, boxing, yoga, HIIT, cardio, meditation
• Accessories: Three different equipment packages offered that include items like weight plates (prices vary), a workout mat ($70), dumbbells ($245 for a set of 2), weight collars ($30 for a set of two quick lock collars, $40 for a set of two pro grip collars), a barbell ($250), a heart rate monitor ($39), a folding bench ($295) among others

Tempo Studio is an all-in-one smart home gym that's a great choice for beginners because it gives users real-time feedback about their form. We like that equipment is included with the Tempo purchase. While competitors, like Tonal, also include equipment, Tempo's equipment isn’t permanently connected to the frame, so it can be used apart from the mirror. 

Tempo’s starter package comes with a workout mat, four collars, two dumbbells (7.5 pounds each) and 75 pounds of weight plates, which can be conveniently stored in the Studio’s free-standing, sturdy aluminum A-frame. There’s also plenty of storage left over for post-workout gear like a foam roller. Bigger equipment packages are available, but the starter set is solid for people who fall into the beginner and intermediate categories. Attend live Tempo classes and on-demand workout sessions on the Studio’s 42-inch HD touchscreen display and connect the Studio to your Apple Watch or ANT+ for heart monitoring.

A one-year Tempo Membership is required at purchase. This gives you access to thousands of classes, tailored training programs, real-time feedback on your form and rep counting and a community of Tempo members and experts. The membership is $39 per month but comes with six accounts.

Check out our Tonal vs. Tempo review to see which smart gym is right for you!

Pros

• Versatile
• Intuitive
• Because Tempo tracks specs like how much weight you're lifting (if you use Tempo weights), you don't have to manually input that number

Cons

• Accessories are pricey

Best Smart Elliptical: ProForm Carbon EL

Key features and specs

• Dimensions: 25 inches W x 68.5 inches D x 67.75 inches H
• Subscription cost: $39/month
• Types of classes offered: Strength training, yoga and more
• Accessories: Equipment mat ($40), heart rate monitor ($99)

The Proform Carbon EL is a smart elliptical that comes out of the box and ready to go with a free 30-day iFIT Family membership. So, not only can you get a great workout with the Carbon’s 19-inch adjustable stride and 18 resistance levels; you can also access on-demand workouts and live classes for running, yoga, Pilates and more. If you attend a live elliptical session, you can opt to let the instructor adjust the Carbon’s resistance during the class. While its five-inch touchscreen is a tad on the small side, the ProForm Carbon EL has more than enough technology cred to land it on this list as the best smart fitness elliptical. 

The ProForm Carbon EL has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can project your workout to your smart TV while your elliptical console continues to display distance, calorie burn and other standardized exercise metrics. It also connects to your favorite fitness app so you can track your progress. The ProForm Carbon EL also uses the data it collects to recommend personalized workouts. It comes with a 10-year frame warranty, two-year parts warranty and a one-year labor warranty.

Pros

• Under $1,000
• Interactive training sessions offered through iFIT
• Provides a low-impact, high-intensity workout session

Cons

• Bulky, takes up a lot of floor space

Best Smart Rower: Hydrow Rower

Key features and specs

• Dimensions: 86 inches L x 25 inches W x 47 inches H
• Subscription cost: Personal coaching for $79/month or live classes for $38/month
• Types of classes offered: Rowing, yoga, stretching, pilates and more
• Accessories: Machine mat ($90), vertical wall anchor ($190), heart rate monitor ($90), foam roller ($40), yoga blocks ($30) and more

With its electromagnetic resistance drag mechanism and frame composed of lightweight aluminum and steel, the Hydrow Rower delivers smooth and virtually silent stroking that will get you into the rowing rhythm—to the point you may even forget you’re not actually on the water. For its $38-per-month membership, you can access daily live workouts and thousands of on-demand sessions for rowing, yoga, strength training and more—all led by Hydrow trainers. Its large 22-inch HD touchscreen is dust-resistant and can tilt and swivel like the screens you’d find on a Peloton bike. This came in handy when our reviewers tried out the Hydrow yoga and strength training sessions.

The Hydrow Rower has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. It also comes with a five-year structural frame warranty and a one-year warranty for its electronics and labor.

If you're interested in purchasing the Hydrow and want more in-depth information, check out our Hydrow review!

Pros

• Virtually silent machine
• Large HD touchscreen
• Users can access additional workouts such as yoga

Cons

• Pricey
• Takes up some floor space

Best Portable Smart Home Gym: MaxPRO SmartConnect Portable Cable Machine

Key features and specs

• Dimensions: N/A
• Subscription cost: The SmartConnect app is free but users can opt to upgrade to a premium subscription for an additional $19.99/month
• Types of classes offered: Strength training, HIIT, cardio and more
• Accessories: Users can opt to purchase additional equipment like a wall track ($318), a foldable bench ($218) and a backpack ($115)

The word “smart” doesn’t always have to mean a gigantic HD touchscreen or Wi-Fi. A well-designed, foldable and compact frame is just as smart in its own way—and that’s exactly what we found the MaxPRO portable gym to be. This portable home gym is surprisingly lightweight, checking in at less than 10 pounds. And its cables are stronger than steel and can withstand up to 300 pounds of resistance. You secure it with your own body and then turn a dial to adjust its 50 different resistance settings with no additional weights required. The MaxPRO doesn’t even budge at its 300-pound limit. The MaxPRO SmartConnect is the ultimate space-saving, self-contained gym for your home. If you have limited space or you’re someone who frequently travels and wants reliable fitness equipment that’s easy to take along for the ride, this is it.

And lest you think the MaxPRO SmartConnect is missing any modern-day perks, it comes with access to its MaxPRO coaching app for your Android or Apple devices. The app connects to the MaxPRO via Bluetooth so you can track your performance, follow along with on-demand training sessions or customize your own resistance training workouts.

For more information on this portable smart gym, check out our MaxPRO review!

Pros

• MAXPRO SmartConnect app is free and offers starter workouts
• Users can participate in global challenges and see their scores on leaderboards
• This gym is more budget-friendly than many other smart home gyms
• Portable

Cons

• Useful accessories are an additional cost

What to Look for in the Best Smart Home Gym Equipment

First and foremost, take stock of your fitness goals. Put all the bells and whistles of smart home gym equipment on the back burner for a second and ask yourself: “What do I hope to achieve by working out?” It can be anything from losing body weight and becoming more active to training for a marathon.

Make the goal tangible and attainable. In other words, be more specific than “I want to lose weight.” How many pounds do you want to lose? Why do you want to lose weight? With specific health goals and good reasoning behind them, you’ll be better prepared to invest in the right smart gym equipment for your home. It’s only after you know what you’re trying to achieve and why, that you should move on to the other considerations that come with purchasing a smart home gym.

Space

If you have a space allocated to your future smart home gym, that’s great! Just make sure you take the time to measure it as well. Don’t eyeball it. Break out the measuring tape and jot down the width, depth and height of the space. When you start to narrow down your choices in smart home gym equipment, compare its measurements to your future home gym space. The last thing you want is a piece of equipment that either doesn’t fit or creates an awkward space that’s hard to navigate and use for workouts. 

Budget

Smart home gyms aren’t necessarily cheap, but there are several on this list that prove you don’t have to spend beyond your means for a quality workout. Typically, purchasing home equipment enables you to ditch the traditional gym membership. So even if a treadmill or elliptical is costly up front, you normally recoup that cost over time because you’re not paying that monthly gym fee. But remember that a lot of smart home gyms are about interactivity and access to on-demand workouts and live sessions—which likely means a monthly membership. These on-demand workouts and live sessions are powerful ways to stay motivated, reach your fitness goals and become part of a larger fitness community. But you’ll want to factor the initial cost of the equipment along with its monthly membership fee into your budget.

Another note to consider: Not all smart gyms require you to sign up for a membership. If you fall head over heels in love with a smart home gym but don’t want to pay the monthly fee, make sure you like the equipment for its physical features and “free” technology, like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and heart monitoring, and not any of the features you only get with a membership. Also, check to see if a membership is required.

Warranty

The warranty is something to never skip over on any piece of workout equipment, let alone a smart home gym. That’s because smart home gyms incorporate the latest technologies like graphic cards, HD screens, highly responsive motors (for treadmills), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, AI, two-way cameras and much more. It’s all in the name of providing the best home fitness experience possible. And as fantastic as that can be, there is a tradeoff: There’s a greater opportunity for parts to fail. Give that warranty a thorough review and make sure the equipment’s manufacturer stands by the quality of its product.

Smart Home Gym FAQs

Do all smart home gyms require a subscription?

No, you can use certain smart home gyms without a subscription but your experience may be limited due to the inability to access any live or on-demand classes. Typically, smart home gyms provide the most optimal workouts when used in conjunction with their respective memberships.

Can you really build muscle with a smart home gym?

Yes. Most smart gyms offer workouts and resistance levels designed to help you maintain or build muscle. The only caveat is that some smart gyms have limitations (like Tonal which has a max weight resistance of 200 pounds — 100 per side).

Are Smart Home Gyms Worth It?

Whether or not a smart workout machine is worth the investment depends on how often you truly plan to use it. If you know in your gut that a smart gym in your home will get as much action as your neglected New Year's resolution gym membership, then skip it. But if you have the drive to improve your fitness level or tackle weight and muscle goals, a smart home gym can offer you on-demand workouts, personal training, real-time feedback on form and data tracking—all without leaving the comfort of home.

Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.