The Best Smart Home Gyms For Free Weights, Small Spaces, And More

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As technology continues to advance, so do home gyms. While you can still opt to build out your own iron paradise with individual pieces of equipment of your liking, many fitness companies have designed smart home gyms that come with weights, storage, and streaming platforms that will guide you and even help make weight and technique adjustments throughout your workout. From mirrors to high-tech bikes, these smart gyms can save you space and keep your workouts versatile.
These pieces of equipment may seem expensive on the surface, but with many of them, you’re receiving a full set of weights and accessories, a bench, and/or a place to store your equipment. Smart home gyms vary widely in form, but with each different form, you’re sure to get some sort of virtual fitness classes (from strength classes to running, HIIT, biking, rowing, yoga, and more) in addition to either weights, a cable machine, or a cardio machine.
If you’re looking for some at-home coaching, a gym for a small space, or just the latest in fitness technology, one of these products could be the solution you’ve been looking for. Here are what we think are the best smart home gyms on the market today.
Best Smart Home Gyms

Best Smart Home Gym
If you’re going to invest in a smart home gym, you’ll want to ensure it’s versatile and caters to the workouts you enjoy doing most. This home gym offers a lot of variety and resistance that adjusts up to 200 pounds.
Tonal
The Tonal offers up to 200 pounds of electromagnetic resistance using its two maneuverable pulleys (and handle attachments). This is a welcome standout to us as many smart home gyms only come with free weights. Since weights take up lots of space, there’s a limit on the poundage you’ll have room for in your home.
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Plus, as you progress, the Tonal adapts the resistance to keep your workouts challenging. All you have to do is set up your profile, enter your fitness goals, and let the AI trainer guide you through a workout in real-time while Tonal tracks your movements to adjust your weight. The Tonal retails for about $3,500, offers a ton of programming options, and will consistently track your progress throughout, which means there’s no need to make note of the weights you’re using yourself. Currently, you can even try the Tonal out in your home for 90 days after purchase, risk-free.




Tonal









The Tonal is an interactive home gym that delivers up to 200 lbs of total electromagnetic resistance with the use of two maneuverable pulleys. What's most impressive is that it adapts as you progresses, which means you'll always be pushing closer to your fitness goals.







Who Should Buy The Tonal

If you’re short on space, Tonal is a great choice. It’s one of the smallest home gyms on the market as it uses weighted resistance instead of physical weights.
Folks who want a product that’s easy to set up. Once the assembly team mounts your Tonal on the wall, you’re ready to go.
Those who are interested in guided classes. Tonal offers virtual coaching from an AI trainer.
Anyone who wants to track their stats and adjust the difficulty of your workouts accordingly will appreciate that this product can do that for you.

Who Shouldn’t Buy The Tonal

Powerlifters, strongmen, and bodybuilders who need specific weights (or lots of weight) to succeed in their sport. This machine could be a great accessory for these folks, but probably wouldn’t be able to meet all of their needs.
Buyers on a budget can find less expensive home gyms and/or equipment on the market to satisfy their needs.

Though expensive, this system offers in-home coaching that is comparable to personal training. Plus, it will save you a lot of space in storage since its pulleys can take the place of up to 200 pounds in weight.
Read our full review of Tonal here.
Best Smart Home Gym with Free Weights
If you’re searching for a smart home gym that emphasizes free weight training, Tempo Studio has you covered — this machine uses free weights and AI technology to provide real-time feedback to correct your form.
Tempo Studio
Since not everyone can afford to visit a personal trainer at a gym, Tempo Studio helps make personal training more accessible. Throughout Tempo Studio’s real-time workouts, the trainee’s results and form feedback are available to the trainer who leads the workout. Since proper form and movement are imperative for free weight workouts, this is a beneficial concept you don’t find with many home gym set-ups.




Tempo Studio









Tempo Studio offers a complete home gym — weight plates, a barbell and dumbbell, and more — plus hundreds of classes led by AI trainers. These trainers can even offer trainees form feedback virtually.







Tempo Studio comes with a 42-inch mirror screen, a storage cabinet, a mat, and up to 190 pounds in weight plates and barbells/dumbbells, plus additional accessories depending on if you purchase the four-, nine- or 13-piece package. Tempo Studio retails from $1,995 to $3,495 and requires a $39 monthly content subscription — a hefty price tag, but if it’s at-home personal training with free weights you’re after, it just might be worth it.
Who Should Buy Tempo Studio

Athletes who are looking for a personal training experience at home. Tempo Studio can sense your movements, and provides feedback to the real-time AI trainers that can help adjust your form.
If you prefer to use free weights over pulley resistance, you’ll appreciate that Tempo Studio comes with weight plates.
Buyers building their home gym from scratch. Since this product comes with weights, you won’t have to track down weights on your own to start building out your gym space.

Who Shouldn’t Buy Tempo Studio

Anyone who is on a tight budget will be able to find less expensive free weight and virtual training options out there.
Folks who prefer cardio machines or pulley resistance training will want to look for a smart home gym that doesn’t center around free weights.

Tempo Studio takes its smart home gym one step further by providing real-time form feedback. If you like the personal training experience, having this free weight option at home will be ideal for your workout style.
Read our full review of Tempo Studio here.
Best Smart Home Gym for Small Spaces
This pick offers electromagnetic resistance training using a pulley system, which significantly reduces the amount of space you need for your smart home gym.
Tonal
This sleek studio gym provides up to 200 pounds of electromagnetic resistance, which — in dumbbell or free weight form — would take up a large amount of storage space if you are trying to build out a home gym. Tonal’s two maneuverable pulleys and their handle attachments take up just 7’ by 7’ 10” by 7’, which means you could easily squeeze it into a corner of a garage.




Tonal









The Tonal is an interactive home gym that delivers up to 200 lbs of total electromagnetic resistance with the use of two maneuverable pulleys. What's most impressive is that it adapts as you progresses, which means you'll always be pushing closer to your fitness goals.







The Tonal also adapts as you get stronger — it can sense your ease or struggle with the resistance and adjust accordingly. As you progress, Tonal records your progress, so you can ditch the notepad or the whiteboard you typically use to record your progress. Though it does cost around $2,995, when you factor in how much dumbbells or free weights ranging up to 200 pounds would cost individually, this price tag, to us, seems very reasonable.
Who Should Buy The Tonal

This smart home gym can save apartment dwellers a lot of space since it uses electromagnetic resistance via pulleys instead of free weights.
Athletes who are looking for a challenge will appreciate that the Tonal can automatically increase your resistance as you get stronger.
Anyone who likes to record their progress. The Tonal software tracks all of your stats for you.

Who Shouldn’t Buy The Tonal

Anyone training for a sport that may need heavier or more specific weights — powerlifters or weightlifters may want to steer clear.
If you’re on a budget, this piece of equipment — though worthwhile and long-lasting — may not be the most financially-conscious purchase as it is quite expensive.

The electromagnetic resistance training offered on Tonal can help save a ton of space in a small home gym, and while this product is pricey, it can take the place of up to 200 pounds of weight.
Read our full review of Tonal here.
Best Smart Home Mirror Gym
Mirror smart gyms are both functional and aesthetic, which is why many athletes turn to them when they use their living room or bedroom as a home gym space.
NordicTrack Vault
The Vault is a mirror that doubles as a gym. Its touchscreen display plays iFit fitness classes, and inside its “vault” (aka the cabinet behind the mirror) you can store all the workout equipment you need to follow along to these classes. You can buy the Vault with equipment for a higher price (which will include a mat, a block, a towel, dumbbells, bands, and kettlebells), or just tuck your own already-purchased equipment inside.




NordicTrack Vault









The NordicTrack Vault is a high-tech smart gym that features iFit classes on a 6-foot mirror display. As you workout, you can watch your form and your trainer in the mirror and gauge your progress with on-screen stats. The Complete option comes with a closet full of dumbbells, kettlebells, bands and a yoga mat, so your gym equipment can all be stored inside the Vault.







The price for the Vault with all the equipment included is comparable to other smart home gyms, but if you opt for the empty Vault, you can pay almost $1,000 less. The NordicTrack Vault is just as functional as any other home gym — it’s biggest plus is that when you’re not using it, it just looks like a mirror, which is great to have in common spaces throughout the house.
Who Should Buy The NordicTrack Vault

Customers who want to put their smart home gym in their living room or bedroom, and need something that looks like a piece of furniture when it’s not in use.
Athletes who are building their home gym from the ground up, and could benefit from buying a “vault” full of different kinds of fitness equipment.
Anyone who prefers to follow along to virtual classes on a large screen instead of streaming them from a handheld device or laptop.
Those who already have their own fitness equipment but may still benefit from the mirror smart gym will appreciate that you can buy the standalone Vault at a cheaper price point.

Who Shouldn’t Buy The NordicTrack Vault

Folks who are perfectly fine streaming iFit classes from their phone or tablet, and don’t need to spend money on a large mirror for streaming.
Anyone who wants to take additional cardio iFit classes on a treadmill, bike, or rower may find it more beneficial to purchase a smart version of those machines instead. You can still stream strength classes on those machines, as well.

If you’re starting from scratch and building out your home gym in the middle of your living room, the NordicTrack Vault is a great option. You can purchase all the equipment you may need in one go, and when the Vault is not in use, it doubles as a mirror.
Read our full review of the NordicTrack Vault here.
Best Smart Home Treadmill
One of the most versatile treadmills out there, this pick not only functions as a smart home gym, but it can also incline up to 40 percent and decline down to -6 percent.
NordicTrack Commercial X22i
Though you may not think of a treadmill as a “smart home gym” right off the bat, hear us out. The NordicTrack X22i comes with a 22-inch touchscreen display that provides iFit virtual training and displays all of your measurable stats. It inclines up to 40 percent, and declines down to -6 percent, and it also offers a sled push option.




NordicTrack X22i Treadmill









The NordicTrack Commercial X22i is built for those who want to climb. The machine inclines up to 40 percent and declines down to -6 percent. It features a Sled Push option where you can power the belt with your own leg drive, and it has a 22-inch touchscreen display where you can follow your workout and take iFit classes.







If you have a couple sets of dumbbells and a mat, the iFit classes on this machine can turn it into a fully functional smart home gym — especially if you take a bootcamp class that alternates between the floor and the treadmill to incorporate both strength and cardio. If you’re a runner and already have a few weights or bands on hand, this pick can act as both a treadmill and a virtual gym space.
Who Should Buy The NordicTrack Commercial X22i

Runners who prefer a combination of running and strength training. NordicTrack is compatible with iFit, which can provide running, strength, and combination classes.
Anyone interested in intense incline or decline training will appreciate the range of this machine.
Folks who already have a handful of weights and training accessories at home and are just looking for the virtual aspect and a cardio machine.

Who Shouldn’t Buy The NordicTrack Commercial X22i

Weightlifters who aren’t interested in having an advanced cardio machine at home, and would rather invest in free weights.
Anyone on a strict budget, as this product retails for around $3,500.

This pick is definitely ideal for athletes who like to incorporate treadmill work into their training. This purchase doesn’t come with weights, but if you already have some or want to purchase some separately, this could create a complete home smart gym for runners.
Read our full review of the NordicTrack X22i here.
Best Smart Home Bike
For those who love a studio spin class, this smart bike can bring that experience into your home.
NordicTrack Commercial S22i
If you like combining your cardio and strength training, you may be looking for more than just a set of free weights and a mirror with a coach. The NordicTrack Commercial S22i can help bring the studio cycling experience into your home — it’s compatible with iFit, which provides not only spin classes, but also strength, yoga, pilates, running, and more. This bike’s magnetic resistance also offers one of the smoothest rides out there.




NordicTrack Commercial S22i









The NordicTrack Commercial S22i is high-tech and high quality, featuring both advancements like a 22” touchscreen display, and solid specs like 24 levels of quiet magnetic resistance.







If you have dumbbells and resistance bands available to you, adding this bike to your home gym can provide a boost of cardio. It has a 22” touchscreen display, plus 22 levels of resistance and incline and decline options that range from -10 to 20 percent, making it one of the more advanced bikes on the market.
Who Should Buy The NordicTrack Commercial S22i

Spin fanatics who are looking to expand their home gyms and bring the studio experience home with them.
Users who want a large display screen they can use for virtual training via iFit.
Bikers looking for a lot of resistance levels, as well as incline and decline options.

Who Shouldn’t Buy The NordicTrack Commercial S22i

Customers who prefer using free weights and want to invest in strength equipment more so than cardio equipment.
Anyone who doesn’t already have weights or strength accessories at home — this product will not be a full home gym unless you already have the accessories to use with the non-biking virtual iFit classes.

For those who love spin and virtual spin classes, the NordicTrack Commercial S22i can be a great smart gym — all you need are a couple sets of dumbbells and a mat, and your home gym can be complete.
Read our full review of the NordicTrack Commercial S22i here.
Best Smart Home Rower
Rowers have hopped into the smart gym market too, and this one is one of the most advanced options available — plus, it will add a sleek look to your gym space.
Hydrow Rower
The Hydrow has a 22” pivoting touchscreen display, so you can take your workouts both on and off the rower. A monthly membership fee of roughly $38 will provide you with access to the rower’s full library of coached virtual classes. As with any cardio machine that has a virtual class aspect, so long as you have some weights, a mat, and/or other accessories on hand, your machine can function as a full smart home gym for both cardio and strength training.




Hydrow Rower









The Hydrow is a high-tech rower with a library full of live and on-demand workouts, a smooth drive and electromagnetic resistance. It’s a quiet machine and provides a great full-body workout for both beginning and advanced rowers.







This machine, in particular, is a solid addition for rowers or anyone who favors a rowing machine (or “erg”) for their cardio work. Hydrow’s streaming service takes you around some of the world’s most beautiful waterways with professional rowing coaches as you follow along on your erg. Plus, Hydrow’s magnetic resistance is one of the quietest types of resistance on the market.
Who Should Buy The Hydrow Rower

Rowers who want to have their own erg at home, and prefer to follow virtually coached classes on a large touchscreen display.
Athletes who already have fitness accessories like weights, bands, or mats at home, and just need a cardio machine with virtual classes for a complete smart home gym.
Anyone who prefers a workout with a mix of both cardio and strength training.

Who Shouldn’t Buy The Hydrow Rower

Athletes who prefer to focus on just strength training and don’t need to spend their money on a piece of cardio equipment.
Folks who just use a rowing machine occasionally for their cardio may be better off opting for a treadmill or bike if they use those pieces of equipment more frequently.

If you’re looking for interactive technology, cardio and strength classes, and a sleek rowing machine to supplement your training, you can’t go wrong with the Hydrow.
Read our full review of the Hydrow Rower.
Before Buying a Smart Home Gym Consider
Since there are so many ways you can use a smart home gym and so many different varieties of this product, it’s important to consider how you plan to use it for your training before deciding which one to buy. For a more in-depth look at what we think are the most important considerations, peep our tips below.
Space
Home gyms can take up a small corner of your bedroom or an entire garage. It’s important to consider how much space you have to dedicate to working out before picking out your smart home gym — if you only have six feet of space, your purchase may look very different from someone’s who has a full room to fill.
Products like the Tonal (which doesn’t use additional weights) are made for small spaces, while the Nordictrack Commercial X22i or NordicTrack Vault will take up a bit more room. While none of these products take up a ton of room on their own, when combined with the floor space you need for your strength work and weights, they may end up taking over a bit more space. If you’re trying to squeeze a smart home gym into a corner, take the proper measurements prior to your search, so you know which products will fit.
Type of Workout
With such a variety of smart home gyms, you’ll want to make sure the one you choose caters to your most frequently preferred type of workout. If you strength train more than you do cardio, opt for the Tonal, Tempo, or Vault, all of which come with either weights or resistance pulleys. If you do more cardio, but still like to incorporate strength work, pick your smart bike, tread, or rower of choice.
Smart home gyms can be pricey. It’s not necessary to purchase multiple different kinds of smart home gyms for each workout you’re doing. Decide which workout you do the most and invest in that variety of a smart home gym. Then, build the rest of your home gym out around that product.
Streaming Service
Most smart gyms come with their own fitness streaming service. If you already have a streaming service you prefer — such as Peloton or Studio SWEAT onDemand — it may be more beneficial to buy a smart product that is compatible with that streaming service. If you’re willing to try a new service, your options are more open.
How Much Do Smart Home Gyms Cost?
Smart home gyms are generally understood to be more costly up-front than traditional home gym equipment with prices of over $2,000 a regular occurrence. Due to the eye-popping price tags of these pieces of technology, most smart home gym retailers have partnered with a credit firm to offer financing to qualified customers — making the purchase sting less with payments that are spread out over time. We’ve made a table to show you the starting price of the base model (if applicable) of each product on this list before any memberships, accessories, or upgrades.



Best Smart Home Gym
Tonal
Starting Price: $3,495 before membership and accessories


Best Smart Home Gym with Free Weights
Tempo Studio
Starting Price: $2,495 for the Starter package


Best Smart Home Gym for Small Spaces
Tonal
Starting Price: $3,495 before membership and accessories


Best Smart Home Gym Mirror
NordicTrack Vault
Starting Price: $1,499 for the standalone model before membership


Best Smart Home Treadmill
NordicTrack Commercial X22i
Starting Price: $3,499 before accessories or membership


Best Smart Home Bike
NordicTrack Commercial S22i
Starting Price: $1,999 before accessories or membership


Best Smart Home Rower
Hydrow Rower
Starting Price: $2,495 before accessories or membership



Many people would rather pay $73 per month for 48 months instead of $3,495 up front. Keep in mind that these prices are separate from memberships that may be required to use the product’s full suite of features — which can easily cost another $30-40 per month or more. When you compare the cost of a smart home gym against that of a high-end fitness club with a personal trainer, these do end up being comparable or even cost-effective.
How We Decide the Best Smart Home Gyms
With so many fitness brands creating their version of a smart gym, we had a lot of digging to do. From size to accessories, here are the aspects we weighed to help us pick out our favorites.
Versatility
It was important to us to pick out equipment that provides a variety of workout options. Most people don’t do the same workout over and over again every single day, so the more workouts you can do with one machine, the better.
All of the products we chose offer options for both cardio and strength training. Whether they include weights or cardio equipment varies, but rest assured that no matter the product you choose on this list, you’ll have a variety of virtual workouts to choose from.
Technology and Training
We wanted to select smart gyms that offered more than racks, or basic treadmills, bikes, or rowers would on their own. All of our picks here have a form of virtual training, as well as different variations of personal feedback, games, classes, workouts, inclines, resistance, adjustments, and more. Smart gyms can help take your home workouts to the next level via this technology and coaching.
Technology can offer options you won’t find with basic equipment. For example, some picks on this list have personal trainers that can adjust your form virtually, while others offer coached classes that are similar to those you may find at fitness studios. To make your smart gym purchase fully worthwhile, we only selected products with technological advancements and virtual training options.
Accessories
All of the products we considered either come with accessories or have them built into the machine — you won’t find a product on here that’s just a screen without the actual “gym” aspect. For example, Tonal has pulleys that offer resistance training and the Vault comes with (optional) weights and accessories, while the NordicTrack S22i is a bike form of a smart gym. If you’re investing in a “gym,” it’s important to us that you are getting a full gym for your money.
Size
Since smart home gyms come in a variety of sizes, and people build home gyms in a variety of spaces, we wanted to ensure there was an equal size variety on this list. No matter the space you’re working with, we have an option for you here.
If you’re squeezing your smart home gym into the corner of your bedroom, a smaller product (like the Tonal) will have you covered. On the contrary, if you have a full room to fill, feel free to opt for a larger option on this list.
Quality
If you’re dropping a significant amount of money on a smart home gym, we wanted to ensure it will last long enough to make your purchase worthwhile. We’ve only selected products with reliable builds, solid manufacturing, and high-quality designs. What that means is that these smart gyms won’t glitch a year into use, their touchscreens won’t scratch with every tap, and their workout programs and available resistance/training options will withstand the test of time.
Final Word
Smart Home Gyms are multifaceted pieces of workout equipment that you can tailor to a variety of workouts. Whether you prefer strength training, running, biking, rowing, yoga, or even pilates, these home gyms and their virtual training options can take your workout tech to the next level.
Some may have coaches that are able to help you adjust your form virtually while others may provide coaching with motivational pep talks. Smart home gyms may come with weights and accessories, or they may come in the form of a cardio machine.
Before you decide which smart home gym is right for you, make sure you know what space you’re working with and what type of workout you’re going to want to hit most in that space. No matter your intended use or level of expertise, we’ve included a pick for you on this list — with the versatility of these products, a smart home gym may just be the last piece of gym equipment you have to buy.
FAQs
What is a smart home gym?A smart home gym can come in many forms, but most smart home gyms at least include a large touchscreen with virtual coaching. Outside of that, these gyms could come with free weights, resistance equipment, cardio training, and/or other workout accessories. The idea is that a smart home gym includes (mostly) everything you need for a solid workout in one place with a virtual coach to guide you through it.
How much are smart home gyms?Smart home gyms can be quite pricey up front. They typically range from $2,000 to $3,000, but they can include a variety of different equipment and class streaming options, which makes the high price tag a little more reasonable.
What is the best smart home gym?This depends on the type of workouts you like to do and will also be heavily influenced by your budget. That said, the best smart home gym for us is Tonal. It combines a solid amount of resistance with top-notch classes for a comprehensive fitness experience.

As technology continues to advance, so do home gyms. While you can still opt to build out your own iron paradise with individual pieces of equipment of your liking, many fitness companies have designed smart home gyms that come with weights, storage, and streaming platforms that will guide you and even help make weight and technique adjustments throughout your workout. From mirrors to high-tech bikes, these smart gyms can save you space and keep your workouts versatile.


These pieces of equipment may seem expensive on the surface, but with many of them, you’re receiving a full set of weights and accessories, a bench, and/or a place to store your equipment. Smart home gyms vary widely in form, but with each different form, you’re sure to get some sort of virtual fitness classes (from strength classes to running, HIIT, biking, rowing, yoga, and more) in addition to either weights, a cable machine, or a cardio machine.


If you’re looking for some at-home coaching, a gym for a small space, or just the latest in fitness technology, one of these products could be the solution you’ve been looking for. Here are what we think are the best smart home gyms on the market today.


Best Smart Home Gyms

Best Smart Home Gym
If you’re going to invest in a smart home gym, you’ll want to ensure it’s versatile and caters to the workouts you enjoy doing most. This home gym offers a lot of variety and resistance that adjusts up to 200 pounds.


Tonal
The Tonal offers up to 200 pounds of electromagnetic resistance using its two maneuverable pulleys (and handle attachments). This is a welcome standout to us as many smart home gyms only come with free weights. Since weights take up lots of space, there’s a limit on the poundage you’ll have room for in your home.






Plus, as you progress, the Tonal adapts the resistance to keep your workouts challenging. All you have to do is set up your profile, enter your fitness goals, and let the AI trainer guide you through a workout in real-time while Tonal tracks your movements to adjust your weight. The Tonal retails for about $3,500, offers a ton of programming options, and will consistently track your progress throughout, which means there’s no need to make note of the weights you’re using yourself. Currently, you can even try the Tonal out in your home for 90 days after purchase, risk-free.






Tonal











The Tonal is an interactive home gym that delivers up to 200 lbs of total electromagnetic resistance with the use of two maneuverable pulleys. What's most impressive is that it adapts as you progresses, which means you'll always be pushing closer to your fitness goals.









Who Should Buy The Tonal
  • If you’re short on space, Tonal is a great choice. It’s one of the smallest home gyms on the market as it uses weighted resistance instead of physical weights.
  • Folks who want a product that’s easy to set up. Once the assembly team mounts your Tonal on the wall, you’re ready to go.
  • Those who are interested in guided classes. Tonal offers virtual coaching from an AI trainer.
  • Anyone who wants to track their stats and adjust the difficulty of your workouts accordingly will appreciate that this product can do that for you.
Who Shouldn’t Buy The Tonal
  • Powerlifters, strongmen, and bodybuilders who need specific weights (or lots of weight) to succeed in their sport. This machine could be a great accessory for these folks, but probably wouldn’t be able to meet all of their needs.
  • Buyers on a budget can find less expensive home gyms and/or equipment on the market to satisfy their needs.
Though expensive, this system offers in-home coaching that is comparable to personal training. Plus, it will save you a lot of space in storage since its pulleys can take the place of up to 200 pounds in weight.


Read our full review of Tonal here.


Best Smart Home Gym with Free Weights
If you’re searching for a smart home gym that emphasizes free weight training, Tempo Studio has you covered — this machine uses free weights and AI technology to provide real-time feedback to correct your form.


Tempo Studio
Since not everyone can afford to visit a personal trainer at a gym, Tempo Studio helps make personal training more accessible. Throughout Tempo Studio’s real-time workouts, the trainee’s results and form feedback are available to the trainer who leads the workout. Since proper form and movement are imperative for free weight workouts, this is a beneficial concept you don’t find with many home gym set-ups.






Tempo Studio





Tempo-275x275-1.jpg






Tempo Studio offers a complete home gym — weight plates, a barbell and dumbbell, and more — plus hundreds of classes led by AI trainers. These trainers can even offer trainees form feedback virtually.









Tempo Studio comes with a 42-inch mirror screen, a storage cabinet, a mat, and up to 190 pounds in weight plates and barbells/dumbbells, plus additional accessories depending on if you purchase the four-, nine- or 13-piece package. Tempo Studio retails from $1,995 to $3,495 and requires a $39 monthly content subscription — a hefty price tag, but if it’s at-home personal training with free weights you’re after, it just might be worth it.


Who Should Buy Tempo Studio
  • Athletes who are looking for a personal training experience at home. Tempo Studio can sense your movements, and provides feedback to the real-time AI trainers that can help adjust your form.
  • If you prefer to use free weights over pulley resistance, you’ll appreciate that Tempo Studio comes with weight plates.
  • Buyers building their home gym from scratch. Since this product comes with weights, you won’t have to track down weights on your own to start building out your gym space.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Tempo Studio
  • Anyone who is on a tight budget will be able to find less expensive free weight and virtual training options out there.
  • Folks who prefer cardio machines or pulley resistance training will want to look for a smart home gym that doesn’t center around free weights.
Tempo Studio takes its smart home gym one step further by providing real-time form feedback. If you like the personal training experience, having this free weight option at home will be ideal for your workout style.


Read our full review of Tempo Studio here.


Best Smart Home Gym for Small Spaces
This pick offers electromagnetic resistance training using a pulley system, which significantly reduces the amount of space you need for your smart home gym.


Tonal
This sleek studio gym provides up to 200 pounds of electromagnetic resistance, which — in dumbbell or free weight form — would take up a large amount of storage space if you are trying to build out a home gym. Tonal’s two maneuverable pulleys and their handle attachments take up just 7’ by 7’ 10” by 7’, which means you could easily squeeze it into a corner of a garage.






Tonal





Coupon-Tonal-Home-Gym-275x275-1.png






The Tonal is an interactive home gym that delivers up to 200 lbs of total electromagnetic resistance with the use of two maneuverable pulleys. What's most impressive is that it adapts as you progresses, which means you'll always be pushing closer to your fitness goals.









The Tonal also adapts as you get stronger — it can sense your ease or struggle with the resistance and adjust accordingly. As you progress, Tonal records your progress, so you can ditch the notepad or the whiteboard you typically use to record your progress. Though it does cost around $2,995, when you factor in how much dumbbells or free weights ranging up to 200 pounds would cost individually, this price tag, to us, seems very reasonable.


Who Should Buy The Tonal
  • This smart home gym can save apartment dwellers a lot of space since it uses electromagnetic resistance via pulleys instead of free weights.
  • Athletes who are looking for a challenge will appreciate that the Tonal can automatically increase your resistance as you get stronger.
  • Anyone who likes to record their progress. The Tonal software tracks all of your stats for you.
Who Shouldn’t Buy The Tonal
  • Anyone training for a sport that may need heavier or more specific weights — powerlifters or weightlifters may want to steer clear.
  • If you’re on a budget, this piece of equipment — though worthwhile and long-lasting — may not be the most financially-conscious purchase as it is quite expensive.
The electromagnetic resistance training offered on Tonal can help save a ton of space in a small home gym, and while this product is pricey, it can take the place of up to 200 pounds of weight.


Read our full review of Tonal here.


Best Smart Home Mirror Gym
Mirror smart gyms are both functional and aesthetic, which is why many athletes turn to them when they use their living room or bedroom as a home gym space.


NordicTrack Vault
The Vault is a mirror that doubles as a gym. Its touchscreen display plays iFit fitness classes, and inside its “vault” (aka the cabinet behind the mirror) you can store all the workout equipment you need to follow along to these classes. You can buy the Vault with equipment for a higher price (which will include a mat, a block, a towel, dumbbells, bands, and kettlebells), or just tuck your own already-purchased equipment inside.






NordicTrack Vault





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The NordicTrack Vault is a high-tech smart gym that features iFit classes on a 6-foot mirror display. As you workout, you can watch your form and your trainer in the mirror and gauge your progress with on-screen stats. The Complete option comes with a closet full of dumbbells, kettlebells, bands and a yoga mat, so your gym equipment can all be stored inside the Vault.









The price for the Vault with all the equipment included is comparable to other smart home gyms, but if you opt for the empty Vault, you can pay almost $1,000 less. The NordicTrack Vault is just as functional as any other home gym — it’s biggest plus is that when you’re not using it, it just looks like a mirror, which is great to have in common spaces throughout the house.


Who Should Buy The NordicTrack Vault
  • Customers who want to put their smart home gym in their living room or bedroom, and need something that looks like a piece of furniture when it’s not in use.
  • Athletes who are building their home gym from the ground up, and could benefit from buying a “vault” full of different kinds of fitness equipment.
  • Anyone who prefers to follow along to virtual classes on a large screen instead of streaming them from a handheld device or laptop.
  • Those who already have their own fitness equipment but may still benefit from the mirror smart gym will appreciate that you can buy the standalone Vault at a cheaper price point.
Who Shouldn’t Buy The NordicTrack Vault
  • Folks who are perfectly fine streaming iFit classes from their phone or tablet, and don’t need to spend money on a large mirror for streaming.
  • Anyone who wants to take additional cardio iFit classes on a treadmill, bike, or rower may find it more beneficial to purchase a smart version of those machines instead. You can still stream strength classes on those machines, as well.
If you’re starting from scratch and building out your home gym in the middle of your living room, the NordicTrack Vault is a great option. You can purchase all the equipment you may need in one go, and when the Vault is not in use, it doubles as a mirror.


Read our full review of the NordicTrack Vault here.


Best Smart Home Treadmill
One of the most versatile treadmills out there, this pick not only functions as a smart home gym, but it can also incline up to 40 percent and decline down to -6 percent.


NordicTrack Commercial X22i
Though you may not think of a treadmill as a “smart home gym” right off the bat, hear us out. The NordicTrack X22i comes with a 22-inch touchscreen display that provides iFit virtual training and displays all of your measurable stats. It inclines up to 40 percent, and declines down to -6 percent, and it also offers a sled push option.






NordicTrack X22i Treadmill





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The NordicTrack Commercial X22i is built for those who want to climb. The machine inclines up to 40 percent and declines down to -6 percent. It features a Sled Push option where you can power the belt with your own leg drive, and it has a 22-inch touchscreen display where you can follow your workout and take iFit classes.









If you have a couple sets of dumbbells and a mat, the iFit classes on this machine can turn it into a fully functional smart home gym — especially if you take a bootcamp class that alternates between the floor and the treadmill to incorporate both strength and cardio. If you’re a runner and already have a few weights or bands on hand, this pick can act as both a treadmill and a virtual gym space.


Who Should Buy The NordicTrack Commercial X22i
  • Runners who prefer a combination of running and strength training. NordicTrack is compatible with iFit, which can provide running, strength, and combination classes.
  • Anyone interested in intense incline or decline training will appreciate the range of this machine.
  • Folks who already have a handful of weights and training accessories at home and are just looking for the virtual aspect and a cardio machine.
Who Shouldn’t Buy The NordicTrack Commercial X22i
  • Weightlifters who aren’t interested in having an advanced cardio machine at home, and would rather invest in free weights.
  • Anyone on a strict budget, as this product retails for around $3,500.
This pick is definitely ideal for athletes who like to incorporate treadmill work into their training. This purchase doesn’t come with weights, but if you already have some or want to purchase some separately, this could create a complete home smart gym for runners.


Read our full review of the NordicTrack X22i here.


Best Smart Home Bike
For those who love a studio spin class, this smart bike can bring that experience into your home.


NordicTrack Commercial S22i
If you like combining your cardio and strength training, you may be looking for more than just a set of free weights and a mirror with a coach. The NordicTrack Commercial S22i can help bring the studio cycling experience into your home — it’s compatible with iFit, which provides not only spin classes, but also strength, yoga, pilates, running, and more. This bike’s magnetic resistance also offers one of the smoothest rides out there.






NordicTrack Commercial S22i





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The NordicTrack Commercial S22i is high-tech and high quality, featuring both advancements like a 22” touchscreen display, and solid specs like 24 levels of quiet magnetic resistance.









If you have dumbbells and resistance bands available to you, adding this bike to your home gym can provide a boost of cardio. It has a 22” touchscreen display, plus 22 levels of resistance and incline and decline options that range from -10 to 20 percent, making it one of the more advanced bikes on the market.


Who Should Buy The NordicTrack Commercial S22i
  • Spin fanatics who are looking to expand their home gyms and bring the studio experience home with them.
  • Users who want a large display screen they can use for virtual training via iFit.
  • Bikers looking for a lot of resistance levels, as well as incline and decline options.
Who Shouldn’t Buy The NordicTrack Commercial S22i
  • Customers who prefer using free weights and want to invest in strength equipment more so than cardio equipment.
  • Anyone who doesn’t already have weights or strength accessories at home — this product will not be a full home gym unless you already have the accessories to use with the non-biking virtual iFit classes.
For those who love spin and virtual spin classes, the NordicTrack Commercial S22i can be a great smart gym — all you need are a couple sets of dumbbells and a mat, and your home gym can be complete.


Read our full review of the NordicTrack Commercial S22i here.


Best Smart Home Rower
Rowers have hopped into the smart gym market too, and this one is one of the most advanced options available — plus, it will add a sleek look to your gym space.


Hydrow Rower
The Hydrow has a 22” pivoting touchscreen display, so you can take your workouts both on and off the rower. A monthly membership fee of roughly $38 will provide you with access to the rower’s full library of coached virtual classes. As with any cardio machine that has a virtual class aspect, so long as you have some weights, a mat, and/or other accessories on hand, your machine can function as a full smart home gym for both cardio and strength training.






Hydrow Rower





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The Hydrow is a high-tech rower with a library full of live and on-demand workouts, a smooth drive and electromagnetic resistance. It’s a quiet machine and provides a great full-body workout for both beginning and advanced rowers.









This machine, in particular, is a solid addition for rowers or anyone who favors a rowing machine (or “erg”) for their cardio work. Hydrow’s streaming service takes you around some of the world’s most beautiful waterways with professional rowing coaches as you follow along on your erg. Plus, Hydrow’s magnetic resistance is one of the quietest types of resistance on the market.


Who Should Buy The Hydrow Rower
  • Rowers who want to have their own erg at home, and prefer to follow virtually coached classes on a large touchscreen display.
  • Athletes who already have fitness accessories like weights, bands, or mats at home, and just need a cardio machine with virtual classes for a complete smart home gym.
  • Anyone who prefers a workout with a mix of both cardio and strength training.
Who Shouldn’t Buy The Hydrow Rower
  • Athletes who prefer to focus on just strength training and don’t need to spend their money on a piece of cardio equipment.
  • Folks who just use a rowing machine occasionally for their cardio may be better off opting for a treadmill or bike if they use those pieces of equipment more frequently.
If you’re looking for interactive technology, cardio and strength classes, and a sleek rowing machine to supplement your training, you can’t go wrong with the Hydrow.


Read our full review of the Hydrow Rower.


Before Buying a Smart Home Gym Consider
Since there are so many ways you can use a smart home gym and so many different varieties of this product, it’s important to consider how you plan to use it for your training before deciding which one to buy. For a more in-depth look at what we think are the most important considerations, peep our tips below.


Space
Home gyms can take up a small corner of your bedroom or an entire garage. It’s important to consider how much space you have to dedicate to working out before picking out your smart home gym — if you only have six feet of space, your purchase may look very different from someone’s who has a full room to fill.


Products like the Tonal (which doesn’t use additional weights) are made for small spaces, while the Nordictrack Commercial X22i or NordicTrack Vault will take up a bit more room. While none of these products take up a ton of room on their own, when combined with the floor space you need for your strength work and weights, they may end up taking over a bit more space. If you’re trying to squeeze a smart home gym into a corner, take the proper measurements prior to your search, so you know which products will fit.


Type of Workout
With such a variety of smart home gyms, you’ll want to make sure the one you choose caters to your most frequently preferred type of workout. If you strength train more than you do cardio, opt for the Tonal, Tempo, or Vault, all of which come with either weights or resistance pulleys. If you do more cardio, but still like to incorporate strength work, pick your smart bike, tread, or rower of choice.


Smart home gyms can be pricey. It’s not necessary to purchase multiple different kinds of smart home gyms for each workout you’re doing. Decide which workout you do the most and invest in that variety of a smart home gym. Then, build the rest of your home gym out around that product.


Streaming Service
Most smart gyms come with their own fitness streaming service. If you already have a streaming service you prefer — such as Peloton or Studio SWEAT onDemand — it may be more beneficial to buy a smart product that is compatible with that streaming service. If you’re willing to try a new service, your options are more open.


How Much Do Smart Home Gyms Cost?
Smart home gyms are generally understood to be more costly up-front than traditional home gym equipment with prices of over $2,000 a regular occurrence. Due to the eye-popping price tags of these pieces of technology, most smart home gym retailers have partnered with a credit firm to offer financing to qualified customers — making the purchase sting less with payments that are spread out over time. We’ve made a table to show you the starting price of the base model (if applicable) of each product on this list before any memberships, accessories, or upgrades.





Best Smart Home Gym
Tonal
Starting Price: $3,495 before membership and accessories


Best Smart Home Gym with Free Weights
Tempo Studio
Starting Price: $2,495 for the Starter package


Best Smart Home Gym for Small Spaces
Tonal
Starting Price: $3,495 before membership and accessories


Best Smart Home Gym Mirror
NordicTrack Vault
Starting Price: $1,499 for the standalone model before membership


Best Smart Home Treadmill
NordicTrack Commercial X22i
Starting Price: $3,499 before accessories or membership


Best Smart Home Bike
NordicTrack Commercial S22i
Starting Price: $1,999 before accessories or membership


Best Smart Home Rower
Hydrow Rower
Starting Price: $2,495 before accessories or membership



Many people would rather pay $73 per month for 48 months instead of $3,495 up front. Keep in mind that these prices are separate from memberships that may be required to use the product’s full suite of features — which can easily cost another $30-40 per month or more. When you compare the cost of a smart home gym against that of a high-end fitness club with a personal trainer, these do end up being comparable or even cost-effective.


How We Decide the Best Smart Home Gyms
With so many fitness brands creating their version of a smart gym, we had a lot of digging to do. From size to accessories, here are the aspects we weighed to help us pick out our favorites.


Versatility
It was important to us to pick out equipment that provides a variety of workout options. Most people don’t do the same workout over and over again every single day, so the more workouts you can do with one machine, the better.


All of the products we chose offer options for both cardio and strength training. Whether they include weights or cardio equipment varies, but rest assured that no matter the product you choose on this list, you’ll have a variety of virtual workouts to choose from.


Technology and Training
We wanted to select smart gyms that offered more than racks, or basic treadmills, bikes, or rowers would on their own. All of our picks here have a form of virtual training, as well as different variations of personal feedback, games, classes, workouts, inclines, resistance, adjustments, and more. Smart gyms can help take your home workouts to the next level via this technology and coaching.


Technology can offer options you won’t find with basic equipment. For example, some picks on this list have personal trainers that can adjust your form virtually, while others offer coached classes that are similar to those you may find at fitness studios. To make your smart gym purchase fully worthwhile, we only selected products with technological advancements and virtual training options.


Accessories
All of the products we considered either come with accessories or have them built into the machine — you won’t find a product on here that’s just a screen without the actual “gym” aspect. For example, Tonal has pulleys that offer resistance training and the Vault comes with (optional) weights and accessories, while the NordicTrack S22i is a bike form of a smart gym. If you’re investing in a “gym,” it’s important to us that you are getting a full gym for your money.


Size
Since smart home gyms come in a variety of sizes, and people build home gyms in a variety of spaces, we wanted to ensure there was an equal size variety on this list. No matter the space you’re working with, we have an option for you here.


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