18 Best Smart Home Gyms of 2021: Peloton, NordicTrack, Bowflex, Hydrow, The Mirror, Tonal, Tempo

This top-of-the-line smart treadmill from Peloton boasts an extensive video library of classes from experts (its perhaps best-known feature, though it will cost $39 per month for access), a rubber slatted running surface, and new safety features like Tread Lock (so no one but you can use it) and a removable safety key. The deluxe treadmill has a 23.8-inch HD touchscreen for easy visibility, front-facing speakers (and ability to link to your Spotify or Apple Music account), and knobs that let you seamlessly change speed and incline. The Peloton Tread tracks metrics like your mileage and heart rate, as well as lets you view your data over time so you can see when you’ve hit a milestone and how you compare to your classmates.

Coaches find running on this treadmill an enjoyable experience, especially Jess Movold, a certified running coach and a strength coach at The Fort NYC. “The equipment is quiet, the run feels smooth, and my favorite part is the iFit tech feature, which has virtual coaching and global running paths,” she says. “The incline and decline are also great features as it goes up to 15% and even -3% to simulate rolling hills.” The NordicTrack 2950 folds up neatly and features a powerful built-in fan, 22-inch HD smart touchscreen, live incline control, and a free 30-day iFit personal training membership for access to live workouts with trainers (who you can text in real-time for tips).

As a space-saving treadmill option, running coaches recommend the easy-to-store, budget-friendly ProForm Carbon T7. The fold-up treadmill (which includes a built-in fan) has iFit trainers who automatically adjust the treadmill for you, changing the speed and incline while you work out. Your purchase includes a 30-day iFit Family membership, which provides access on your seven-inch smart HD touchscreen to live-streaming classes and on-demand classes from professional trainers.

This treadmill (which comes with a 30-day iFit subscription) is good for the average runner on a budget. According to Corinne Fitzgerald, head coach at Mile High Run Club, the on-demand running and bootcamp-style classes allow folks to switch up their routine with a variety of exercises and workouts, and for those who find themselves fumbling with the console buttons mid-run, she explains that “this model has the convenience of instant speed and incline with one tap.” Should you need more space to move around, she also likes that the wide belt is spacious enough for interval training. The NordicTrack 1750’s features include a 10-inch HD smart touchscreen, live incline control, fast WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth, and tracks your workout stats.

Peloton recently released a new bike model, the Peloton Bike+, that features a large, rotating HD touchscreen, auto-resistance mode, and the ability to quickly and easily integrate stats through third-party apps like Apple Health Kit. You can also download playlists from instructors through Apple Music. Avid indoor cyclist Rozalynn Frazier reviewed the model for SELF and came away really impressed with its features, especially its auto-resistance mode, which syncs resistance levels with whatever on-screen classes you’re following. She also appreciated the speaker system and front-facing camera for taking video calls during a bike ride. “It’s nice and sleek, and is not an eyesore in my compact apartment,” Frazier says, adding that it makes for “a really comfortable and stable ride.” 

If you can’t get enough of the energy and intensity of SoulCycle classes, consider investing in the brand’s SELF Certified bike that allows you to attend a high-energy packed class right in your living room. The steel-frame bike is extra sturdy thanks to its wider-than-usual designed base, and the high-res touchscreen is crystal clear. Our associate director of special projects Hannah Pasternak—who tested it earlier this year—says that all of the many perks justify the bike’s cost. “You can take a cycling class led by an excellent instructor, with beautiful visuals and sound, without leaving your apartment,” she says, adding that Equinox+ gives you access to several other boutique fitness virtual experiences with a bike purchase (including Rumble boxing, Headstrong guided meditation classes, Precision Run treadmill classes, and Pure Yoga).

Here’s a bike that falls around $500 for beginner cyclists. The Echelon Connect Sport bike is ergonomically built, with aero handlebars and toe cage pedals to keep you in top Spin form. “I recommend the Echelon Connect Sport because it is very affordable, sturdy, and has 32 levels of resistance,” says Nicole Murray, a cycling instructor for Moxie based in Miami. Murray is also a fan of the Echelon app itself, which she says helps you conveniently monitor your metrics and goals (and as of October, your purchase includes a 90-day trial of Echelon Premier, which gives access to thousands of on-demand and live cycling and fitness classes).

This lightweight 40-pound bike is one of the best home exercise bikes for cyclists on a budget who still want a performance monitor to glance at their stats. The one on this bike will track your time, speed, distance, calories, RPM, and pulse. Extra perks include a dumbbell holder for your weights, floor stabilizers to keep the bike level, and a tablet stand so you can watch Netflix while you cycle. “This bike is going to ride smoothly and is easy to set up,” says Bianca Matamoros Koonce, a Spin instructor at CycleBar Chandler and Paradise in Arizona.

The mega-popular Mirror home gym functions as a smart streaming platform and a stylish piece of decor. The sleek device brings expert-led yoga, Pilates, barre, cardio, and boxing classes into your living room or bedroom with its library of live and recorded workouts that feature certified trainers and teachers, range from beginner to expert skill levels, and can be as short as five minutes or as long as an hour. You can check your fitness in the Mirror’s reflection or your outfit when you’re on the way out the door.

Our reviewer awarded the sleek, wall-mounted A.I.-based Tonal machine SELF Certification for its all-in-one home gym experience: “Tonal delivers on the ultimate promise of smart home fitness devices, using sophisticated technology to offer a seamless, intuitive user experience. Having Tonal feels like having a full home gym, as well as a suite of personal trainers on call, but in a fraction of the space and at a fraction of the cost.” Among Tonal’s many lauded features: Form correction offered throughout each workout, digital weights in lieu of dumbbells, a touchscreen that allows you to see your instructor and your reflection simultaneously, all sorts of classes, and it even tracks your Strength Score to help you choose a specific strength training program (and adjusts resistance over time automatically). 

Here’s another SELF Certified fitness mirror review from NordicTrack. Our associate social director used the Vault to strength train for the New York Marathon in lieu of a gym membership and says “the Vault is perfect for anyone who’s trying to challenge their muscles with progressive, strength-based workout programs.” Use the fitness mirror to access a huge bank of high-quality iFit programs and workouts. Behind the mirror, you’ll find a cleverly organized closet full of equipment to aid your workouts (for an additional cost), including dumbbells, resistance bands, and kettlebells.

Talk about smart: The Tempo Studio uses A.I. technology and 3D sensors within its touchscreen mirror to guide you on how much weight to lift, count your reps, and to provide personalized feedback about form. The free-standing Tempo is Bluetooth-enabled and its Tempo Fit app has a range of classes, including weight training, HIIT, yoga, and recovery. Like the Vault, the Tempo has storage for additional fitness equipment like dumbbells, weight collars, and weight plates (which are included as part of the Tempo Studio starter package; for more, check out the Tempo Plus and Tempo Pro packages).

If motivating yourself to work out is tough, guidance comes in handy. That’s why founding trainer for online fitness site Kuudose Zabrina Briggs appreciates the Hydrow, a smart rower that includes a ton of features for an immersive experience that aims to make you feel like you’re actually out there on the water. “It has a ton of guided classes, both live and on demand, with excellent instructors,” she says. “They also have scenic workouts, and rowing through places like California and London. It feels like I’m traveling while stuck in quarantine.” The machine includes a 22-inch touchscreen, front-facing speakers, and an electromagnetic drag mechanism to mimic the pull of oars.

For avid at-home rowing enthusiast Robert Johnson, founder of a woodworking business called Sawinery, the RW900 is his favorite by far. With a tech package that involves a rotating, interactive touchscreen, he finds it enables easy viewing of digital content during a workout. Plus, the air and magnetic resistance makes him feel like he’s upgraded his workout routine. Want options in terms of progress? Not a problem; the RW900 offers 26 levels of resistance.

Editor’s note: This NordicTrack rower is slated to ship out January 10.

Get in a HIIT workout on your Bowflex Max Total 16, which has 20 resistance levels, milestone tracking, six different handlebars for various levels of grip, an adjustable 16-inch interactive console that provides access to JRNY expert-led classes as well as virtual destinations so you feel like you’re running on a beach or in the mountains (a one-year JRNY membership is included with your purchase). Its Bluetooth connectivity means you can sync up with any smart device, as well as a heart rate monitor.

The NordicTrack FS14i has a 14-inch smart HD touchscreen which streams invigorating iFit studio classes with personal trainers from around the world who can control your elliptical’s incline, decline, and resistance in real-time throughout the ride.

If you want further insight into your performance as a jumper, consider this app-integrated smart jump rope, which tracks the number of jumps, your workout time, and other helpful metrics. It also provides you with guided workouts if you aren’t sure where you want to start. 

In addition to this smart jump rope’s advanced tracking options (you can monitor your jump count and heart rate via NextGen’s app), it doesn’t skimp when it comes to its hardware: We love the fact that the anti-slip handles are designed to resist sweat buildup.