On TV, YouTube, and hell, even your mailbox, you’ve been bombarded by what’s coming ’round the bend in the fitness hardware space: The Mirror gym. Similar to a Frisbee, only one model from a handful of makers is actually called Mirror, but like the flying disc itself, there’s already plenty of diversity within the fresh-faced fitness mirrors category. If you’ve been looking for an alternative to the workout class due to COVID, bored with your dusty home workout equipment, or are just looking for a primer on what’s new, we’ve got you covered. From newcomers to the workout space like Lululemon to stalwart NordicTrack, our list handicaps the fastest-growing area in the workout market so you can make the best choice for yourself.
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Best Overall: Mirror by Lululemon
While Mirror began as an independent company, successfully securing funding, Lululemon knew a good thing when it saw it and scooped the firm up this past June. Unlike others on this list (and very much like Lulu’s clothes), this device is sleek and minimalistic, with a 40-inch full HD display set in a carbon steel frame. Because it’s less than two inches thick, while it can use a stand, this is one that many elect to mount (although at 70 pounds, you’ll need to do it right). There’s no touchscreen here; instead, you’ll select from one of 50 different genres of workouts that range from five to 60 minutes through a companion app. Due to its slim size, you’ll also need to stash your weights in a separate location.
Most Versatile: Echelon Reflect
The leanest on the list, Echelon’s Reflect is noteworthy for a few points. The first is its availability in two sizes: The 40-inch model (pictured here) and a larger 50-inch model. This option allows you to truly pick the device that best complements your space. The other point is the weight: At 26 pounds, it’s the lightest on the list by far. Both models are wall-mounted and provide access to myriad workouts both live and on-demand, including exclusive content from Billy Banks, the creator of Tae Bo and BoomBoxing. Finally, we’ll laud its affordability, as it’s the cheapest on this list, and coming out of 2020, that’s nothing to scoff at.
More Fitness Mirrors We Love
Tempo Studio
Combining a mirror product with a store-away gym, Tempo’s Studio may just be the most tidy solution on the market. Its massive 42-inch touchscreen leads the field, while its pyramid-like design is incredibly solid despite towering over many due to its six-foot height. Even though it weighs a solid 100 pounds, it could have been even heavier, but it reduced weight by sourcing aluminum for its frame rather than the steel of others on this list. This is one of our few concerns long-term, since it holds a large number of plates, barbells, collars, a yoga mat, heart-rate monitor, recovery roller, and kitchen sink. Should you wish to max out its weights, the company has recently released a step-up kit to pile on the pounds. As a new company, the classes aren’t as robust as others on this list, but they still number in the hundreds, which will keep you plenty busy as they continue to churn them out. One final thing we liked: Included in the price of the unit is expert setup in your home by the company itself.
NordicTrack Vault
NordicTrack, no stranger to gyms and homes around the world, has an impressive range of digital classes at its fingertips, thanks in part to its sister company, iFit, which has been cranking out interactive online workouts through traditional machines like rowers, bikes, and treadmills for years. It’s no surprise, then, that when it comes to a mirror-like machine, it’s got the trainers and know-how to bust your butt. HIIT, mobility, stretching, and a cornucopia of other workouts are at your fingertips. Featuring a 60-by-22-inch mirror and 32-inch HD touchscreen display, your iFit trainer goads you into a better workout. Slide the mirror aside and reveal six pairs of branded dumbbells on carbon steel shelves, along with two kettlebells, three loop resistance bands, three superbands, two yoga blocks, and an exercise mat. Not a handyman? You won’t be searching for a stud, because this perfectly balances on your floor rather than mounting to the wall.
ProForm Vue
While the ProForm Vue is powered by the same training videos as NordicTrack (the iFit platform), it’s more akin to the Lululemon option: Sleek, slim, and out-of-the-way. Its 22-inch touchscreen is surrounded by a 24-by-60-inch mirror for you to check your form as you run through the expansive catalog of fitness classes that, as the company says, run from “abs to zen.” It also includes a starter workout kit, which includes a 10-pound barbell, two five-pound dumbbell handles, four 2.5-pound square weight plates, a yoga mat, and three resistance bands, which all tuck neatly behind it in an integrated compartment. While this looks like it might be mounted, its inches-thick profile mounts on an included stand.
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