Seriously. I get this question all the time. People get all excited to get a modern, connected fitness treadmill or something, and then find out all the options seem to be poorly made, poorly warrantied, residential-quality, pieces.
Now, not every client needs or wants to purchase commercial quality gym equipment.
Now, not every client needs or wants to purchase commercial quality gym equipment.
Commercial fitness equipment that's actually used in major gym chains, YMCA's, JCC's, or by professional sports teams is built very differently and with different requirements than residential equipment. And very few of us really *need* equipment at home that can handle 24-hour a day use or elite athletes or The full spectrum of different-sized people.
And as an aside, it's funny how many brands of equipment like to put the word "commercial" on their low-end, residential products. A quick hit here, if some department store brand or online brand puts the word "commercial" in the name of their product, 99% of the time they're just trying to convince you that their plastic piece of junk is something it is not.
But one thing you do find out often, in this industry, is that a lot of people actually prefer to spend the extra money and get commercial equipment when it really matters to them. While their usage may not require it, commercial equipment certainly feels different, more rugged, more stable, and built with better performance in mind. A commercial treadmill can weigh twice as much as a residential model, and as a result, feels completely different.
Also, there are some patents and specs that are only found on commercial pieces of equipment. For example, you can't buy a residential quality Cybex Arc trainer. That patent is only available on the commercial side. And as it is shown in study after study to be a better workout and easier on the knees, a lot of people do stretch up to that unit.
However, most connected content brands of equipment have been aimed at the residential market, especially the first generation of connected content brands. So this presents a problem when a client wants to get higher quality or commercial level equipment. And a lot of those first-generation connected content brands aren't even great residential quality products, as any little search to the Better Business Bureau will show.
This is why I focused very heavily on the Freemotion 22 series. They are a division of iFit, and as such they have access to the full spectrum of iFit content. It's not just an app that's being borrowed for a year or two to sell a product, it's an actual iFit brand so you'll always have access to their content. (And there's a quick aside, never buy a product that is licensing somebody else's content as these licenses are not permanent.)
The cool thing about the Freemotion 22 series is they are the commercial brand of iFit, so they are a rare combination of actual heavy-duty commercial equipment and a top connected content platform.
I've delivered quite a few of their 500 lb plus incline trainers in the homes, with their 15 mile an hour max speed, and 30° maximum elevation.
We also carry the commercial Echelon Series product which is also made specifically for facilities and also boasts full connected content. And the Hydrow was the original commercial-quality connected cardio piece.
So if you've been designing a home gym but we're stuck with the issue of wanting high-quality equipment but could only find those first-generation brands of connected content, let's have a talk about the superior commercial offerings from Freemotion and Echelon. You'll have a gym that will feel and work like a commercial space, but with cutting-edge technology.
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