Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The Best Smart Home Gym Equipment

There’s average gym equipment, and then there’s smart home gym equipment that takes your workouts to the next level, often by injecting virtual elements. Imagine a virtual fitness coach, guiding you and holding you accountable, and always right there with you, every step of the way. That’s the idea behind a smart home gym, which is something we’re seeing a lot more of these days. If you want a top-notch virtual workout experience, that allows you to participate from the comfort of your home, see the list below.

Tonal

Tonal smart home gym and pulleys in use.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Billed as an interactive home gym, Tonal offers an electromagnetic resistance system with up to 200 pounds of total weight resistance. At the top are two pulleys, which you can use in various ways to get in a balanced workout. It saves a lot of space, especially in an apartment, because the whole system mounts to the wall. Tonal tracks all of your stats, and you can interact with the unit through a large touchscreen display on the front. It adapts to your habits and your progress, helping you to achieve your fitness goals.

Tonal does offer a 90-day home trial if you want to give the system a try before committing. It’s $2,995 total for the system, not including smart accessories, shipping, installation, or a membership.

Tempo Studio

Tempo Studio Starter Package set up in a family room.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Tempo Studio is a complete smart home gym and comes with a 42-inch mirror display, an under-storage cabinet with weights, and an interactive AI trainer. The weights include weight plates of various sizes, along with a barbell and dumbbells. As you work out, the system tracks your progress and provides personalized guidance. Moreover, you can access hundreds of virtual classes. It comes with absolutely everything you need, except maybe some motivation — you’ll have to supply that!

All told, Tempo Studio is $2,495 for the Starter package which includes the smart home gym, a workout mat, two dumbbells, 75-pounds of weight plates, and four collars. There are bigger bundles available, of course.

Mirror

MIRROR by Lululemon in use in living room.
Lululemon

Mirror from Lululemon is a smart home gym that takes up minimal space.  It’s a tall, sleek and interactive mirror display that “gets to know you” and provides real-time optimizations based on your habits and profile. It tracks a bevy of important insights, including heart rate, fitness progress, and more. With Mirror, you can access thousands of virtual and interactive classes, featuring skills levels from beginner to expert. You can even add Mirror’s new, fully-integrated weights that pair seamlessly with the gym.

Buy Now

Future

Future virtual personal trainer service used on mobile with bottle nearby.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Taking a different approach to the virtual fitness game, Future pairs you with a virtual and personal trainer, regardless of where you are. There’s no gym equipment to buy — unless you want some separately — as it’s all done through a mobile app. The coaches get to know you, they learn what you have available or what kind of workouts you want to do, and they guide you through a personal fitness journey. They offer constant contact, one-on-one coaching, and a fully custom training plan. Before you dive in, you can find a coach, and say hello to see if they’re a good fit.

Future operates on a membership basis, but you can sign-up and find a coach right now, and try risk-free for up to 30 days. If you don’t like it you can cancel anytime.

NordicTrack Vault

NordicTrack Vault in use by trainer.
Icon Fitness

NordicTrack’s high-tech smart gym, Vault, is equipped with a 6-foot mirror display. It slides open to reveal a gear storage closet. You can pay a little more to get a fully-stocked edition with a bevy of weights tucked inside, including dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, a towel, and a yoga mat. If you choose not to get the gear-stocked version you can store your own equipment inside. Via the display and system, you can participate in virtual iFit classes. When it’s not in use it looks like a vanity mirror or piece of furniture.

Vault: Complete, with the equipment, is $1,999 plus free shipping. Vault: Standalone, without equipment inside, is $1,499 plus free shipping.

Each system offers a tailored and interactive workout experience, so, you can’t go wrong with any of them. If you’re at a crossroads, consider each and choose based on what matches your interests and personal workout goals. From a mobile app to a complete home gym, with weights and more, there’s bound to be something on this list for you!

Briley Kenney

The Manual's resident cigar enthusiast and expert. Branded content writer. Purveyor of all things tech and magical.

Nighttime snack cravings: The reasoning behind it and healthier options
What is your late-night craving? Sweet or salty?
A person on their couch watching TV with popcorn

Whether you’re trying to lose weight, maintain it, or just spend less on junk food, nighttime snack cravings are your worst enemy. They come at the end of a long day, when your willpower is used up, and urge you to go eat every bit of unhealthy food in your pantry. As a nutritionist, this is a common issue many of my clients experience — but if you relate, know that cravings don’t have to own you. 

In this article, we’ll talk about how to diagnose the cause of your nighttime cravings and how to give your body what it needs and be firm with it when it doesn’t need anything at all. We’ll also look at healthier substitutes for salt and sugar cravings. Nighttime cravings don’t have to sabotage your health, and we’ll show you why not. 

Read more
What dumbbell weight should I use based on my fitness goal?
How to lift for weight loss and building muscle
Close-up of hand holding a dumbbell

Beginners in the fitness space, or even people who have been working out for a few years, are sometimes unsure what weight they should be using. As a trainer, while I supply my clients with workout plans, they are sometimes not so confident when it comes to knowing what weight is the most effective for them. The dumbbell rack at the gym can be dizzying in its size and variety. It’s easy to wonder, “What dumbbell weight should I use?” This is especially true if you’ve never used dumbbells before at all.

There are a few simple ways to determine the best dumbbell weight, so let’s start by exploring good starter weights for beginners and a simple test to find the right weight for you specifically. Then, we can talk about the things that affect what weight is right, like your goals and what muscle groups you’re targeting, plus when you should increase the weight. Let’s get started!
What is a good starting weight for beginners?

Read more
What does pre-workout do? 5 benefits of the supplement you need to know
Should you add it to your routine?
Man drinking pre-workout

Embarking on a fitness journey often leads people to explore various supplements for enhancing workout recovery and performance. Among these, pre-workout supplements are significantly popular for their ability to boost energy and endurance. As a personal trainer and fitness enthusiast, I personally love using pre-workout before intense training sessions.

But what does pre-workout do exactly? Should you even use pre-workout? Is pre-workout safe? To help you make the best choices on your fitness journey, we’ve answered these questions and more in this detailed guide. Continue reading to learn everything you need to know before buying a pre-workout supplement.
What is pre-workout?

Read more