Updated: May 8, 2024
Rating: 4.3 stars
Peloton is one of the best and most well-known fitness apps. The Peloton trainers are largely responsible for the success of the app. Training with Peloton feels like training with a friend. A lot of other fitness platforms have great coaches, but they keep more professional distance from you. The music and live classes help foster the friendly vibe because they help you get to know the trainer and feel like you are truly working out together. Peloton also has a great social aspect, allowing users to interact on the leaderboard and high-five each other as they train.
Who Peloton Is Best For:
- Athletes of All Abilities: There are so many class options and different coaches. It’s nice to find a trainer that creates classes at your fitness level. Peloton makes content for new exercisers and advanced athletes.
- The Musical and Social Exerciser: If you work harder when you have a killer playlist and a couple (thousand) friends to train with, Peloton’s music-driven classes and leaderboard will appeal to you.
- Anyone Who Needs Guidance or Hates Planning Ahead: Jump into a live class, filter the on-demand selection with your preferences, or adhere to a coach’s training schedule. Let Peloton determine your training plan.
- Endurance Trainers: Peloton classes can be stacked, which creates a playlist of classes to follow consecutively. It’s a great option for exercisers who train in longer blocks.
- Peloton Equipment Owners: The Peloton training content is the only compatible content with the Peloton brand equipment. An All-Access membership is required with Peloton equipment.
Pros And Cons Of Peloton
Pros
- The Peloton platform has 3 membership tiers to fit your budget and training goals.
- Peloton has live and on-demand studio classes set to fun playlists.
- Peloton coaches are great at giving instruction and keeping the classes engaging.
- The app has one of the best user interfaces, allowing you to find the class you want faster.
- Peloton has a wide variety of content from outdoor audio, equipment classes, and mat classes.
- A Peloton All-Access membership has entertainment apps, scenic classes, and the Lane Break game for cycling and running.
Cons
- Some features are only available on Peloton equipment with the $44/month All-Access membership.
- Peloton strength classes mainly use dumbbells and cardio classes tend to be interval workouts, so the structure may not fit all training programs.
Peloton Review – The Perfect Playlist and Workout for Anywhere
Peloton Specs
- Plan Options: $12.99/month App One; $24/month App+; $44/month All-Access
- Free Trial: 30-day free trial; 60-day guest pass
- Profiles: 1 profile for App One and App+; 20 profiles with All-Access
- Brands: Peloton
- Compatible Equipment: Peloton; limited compatibility with third-party equipment
- Class Type: studio, scenic, outdoor audio, gym, outdoor
- Training Type: trainer-led, gamified, programs, challenges, music playlists
- App Integrations: Netflix, Max, Disney+, YouTube TV, NBA, Strava, Fitbit, Apple Health, Spotify
- Platforms: Peloton equipment, Apple, Android, Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, desktop/laptop
Peloton Overview
There are tons of reasons you might feel drawn to Peloton. It has the music, the top trainers, a social aspect, and tons of content options. The Peloton brand started as an exclusive, high-end brand. Peloton saw a boom in interest during the pandemic and faced several controversies over the years. The app-only memberships put Peloton within reach of more budgets. The Peloton platform works with or without Peloton equipment thanks to its multiple membership tiers.
Cost and Plans
Peloton has gone back and forth on offering free content. Sometimes there is nothing available through the app or on equipment for free, and sometimes, there is. At the time of writing this review, it was reported that Peloton’s free app membership had been removed. However, I was able to create a free account and still access a limited number of workouts. That said, you cannot count on Peloton to continue offering free content. Their track record suggests this is not a good option for non-subscribers.
The App One membership is their lowest paid membership tier. It costs $12.99 per month. You get three equipment classes and unlimited non-equipment classes. You can see the leaderboard and track your metrics. The available classes include live and on-demand classes.
The App+ membership includes unlimited equipment and non-equipment classes. Note that equipment classes means classes filmed on and for equipment. The App+ membership does not allow you to take classes through a touchscreen on a Peloton machine. The App+ membership pairs with cadence-tracking monitors on a non-Peloton exercise bike. All of these features are in addition to those available for App One members. The App+ membership costs $24/month.
Finally, the top tier is the All-Access membership. This membership level is designed for Peloton equipment owners and costs $44/month. This is the membership you need to access Peloton content from a Peloton touchscreen. It comes with additional features like access to entertainment apps, the Lanebreak game, scenic classes, and up to 20 profiles for your household.
Navigation
It’s easy to find a class to suit your training style with Peloton’s filtering parameters.
Navigating the Peloton app is fairly easy. The hardest part is learning all of the content options. I currently have an 18-week streak on Peloton, and I am still discovering new types of content. I use Peloton for outdoor runs quite often, and the app is easy enough to navigate that I can pick an appropriate workout as I’m heading out the door.
Peloton provides a lot of options for searching and filtering their content. You can choose a class by equipment or class type, instructor, length, difficulty, music genre, and more.
Brands and Equipment
The Peloton All-Access membership is only for Peloton equipment. So, you can only access some features when using the membership with the brand’s equipment. However, you can also use the App One and App+ membership with third-party equipment. Some of my favorite treadmills to use with Peloton Tread classes include the Horizon 7.8 AT and the Sole F89. For cycling classes, I like the Carol Bike and the Bowflex C6. Lastly, for rowers, I like the Concept2 RowERG (just use headphones!).
I use Peloton strength classes the most. I have three sets of dumbbells: light, medium, and heavy. The exact weight you need will depend on your level of strength. You can also take bodyweight classes that do not require equipment. The second way I like to use Peloton is for outdoor classes. I miss running with a team or a run group, but Peloton’s outdoor audios motivate me in a similar way. These options are great for exercisers with little exercise equipment.
To learn more about Peloton’s equipment, check out our reviews here.
Class Style
Peloton has some of the best studio training content. The classes are live and on-demand. Music is central in Peloton classes. Peloton instructors curate the class playlists to align with the flow of the workout. More often than not, you will find the intensity increasing along with a powerful chorus or really energetic movement in the music.
Despite their dominance in the studio category, Peloton also has classes filmed outside and scenic audios. These content categories are available with an All-Access membership. The outdoor audios are available for all paid Peloton memberships.
App Compatibility
Peloton has entertainment apps that you can access through your Peloton equipment with an All-Access membership. You must have your own subscription to these services. The available apps include Netflix, Max, Disney+, YouTube TV, and NBA. There are also documentary-style videos from Peloton Originals. You can exercise while watching this content.
You can upload your workouts to Strava, Fitbit, and Apple Health from Peloton equipment. You can connect your Facebook account to find friends. Connecting your Spotify account lets you like songs while in Peloton classes and find those songs saved to a Peloton playlist on your Spotify account. This is a great way to discover new music!
Training Options
Peloton continues to expand their training content to suit more and more training scenarios. It started as an at-home solution, but their new gym workouts let you move your strength training pretty much anywhere. There are outdoor audios and sleep meditations, allowing Peloton to infiltrate every area of your life!
Equipment Classes
Equipment classes allow users to bring the studio cycling experience home. You can take these classes on Peloton equipment with an All-Access membership or on your phone and tablet with an App+ subscription. I use these classes whether or not I’m on Peloton-branded equipment when training on the exercise bike, treadmill, or rower.
Peloton has live and on-demand studio classes. The classes show the Peloton trainer as they guide you and in-person exercisers through the workout. You will see a leaderboard along the side of your screen where you can see how you stack up against all-time exercisers and those currently in the class. You can also high-five other Peloton subscribers who are currently in the class.
Studio Mat Classes
Studio mat classes do not require Peloton equipment. These are the classes available to all Peloton membership tiers. These classes are very similar to the equipment classes; however, you do not need a cardio machine. There are also live and on-demand classes. They include dumbbell classes, bodyweight strength, yoga, pilates, stretching, and more.
The Lanebreak Game
The Lanebreak game is only available on Peloton treadmills and bikes. This game involves using resistance or incline to switch lanes and rack up points. The classes are set to music from a particular artist or genre. It’s a really fun way to switch up your training and take a break from the traditional Peloton classes.
Scenic Classes
The scenic classes may be trainer-led as they follow a Peloton coach (or two!) along a route. Peloton has added scenic audios which are outdoor routes without a trainer in frame, but there is trainer audio to guide your workout. These classes add a nice variety to the Peloton class options, but they aren’t as good as iFIT’s outdoor content.
Outdoor Audios
Outdoor content is available for the Peloton app. This class style is kind of like a podcast. You can hear the music and the trainer, but there is no accompanying video. There are classes for walks and runs of all kinds. You can even enable the Peloton app to track your distance and pace while using the outdoor audio.
Gym Workouts
Peloton Gym workouts are perfect for training in a shared space whether it’s a gym, community center, or outside. Because they are designed for the gym, most of the gym classes rely on equipment commonly found in the gym. However, you can preview the workout to see if you have suitable equipment at home or wherever you are training. I use these workouts when I want to listen to my own music or watch TV while lifting weights.
These workouts are designed by Peloton’s coaches but are in a written format. There’s no audio or video (though you can watch a video of how to perform the exercise if necessary). You can record when an exercise is completed and note the weight you used. If the workout is timed, a timer within the app will countdown your set. The gym workouts are very similar to other strength training apps available like Nike Training Club or the Sweat app. The Peloton app feels like it was made by people who are very familiar with these types of apps and knew what features they were lacking.
Entertainment
If you don’t want guidance from a Peloton instructor while you train, you can stream content on Peloton equipment. You can watch Netflix, Max, Disney+, YouTube TV, NBA, or even Peloton’s original content during your workout. You maintain the ability to control your performance settings. This is a great option for users who have a specific workout structure in mind or are following a training program.
Performance
The Peloton app is perfect for exercisers who want or need guidance while training. Personally, I realized that training with Peloton’s outdoor audio helped fill a lonely gap created by not being a part of a run group and having an opposite schedule from my running partner. Trying to make it to a Peloton live class feels a little like meeting up at the gym with a friend and hitting milestones with on-demand classes was rewarding. Both kept me accountable and showing up day after day and week after week.
In comparison to one of its top competitors, iFIT, Peloton transforms the indoor at-home workout experience while iFIT recreates the outdoor experience. Both are good. However, I am fortunate enough to run outside and on the trails regularly. I don’t need to recreate the experience; I just want my indoor experience to measure up in enjoyability to my outdoor training.
For users with a more substantial home gym, Peloton may not be the best fit. Their strength workouts typically are bodyweight or use a few sets of dumbbells. If you have a squat rack and other large equipment, the Peloton app does not really have content that suits your training style.
As for the cardio workouts, a lot of the classes incorporate intervals. It makes sense that the speed or resistance changes frequently to keep you engaged in the class, but it doesn’t work for exercisers who are doing a lot of Zone 2 steady-state training. Peloton is a go-to for my hard cardio workouts. While training guidance isn’t really necessary for steady runs, rides, or rows, I would like the option to train with Peloton during these workouts. The instructors often tell fun stories from their lives and share training advice. The curated playlists are also reason enough for me to check into a class.
Peloton has a lot of training options, and I appreciate its versatility compared to other more niche training apps.
Bottom Line Review of Peloton
The Peloton app has a lot of features. Their membership tiers make joining Peloton a little more budget-friendly. The All-Access membership is great for anyone who owns Peloton equipment. The App One and App+ memberships are ideal for those who want Peloton classes without paying for the high-end equipment. Peloton classes provide structure to your workouts and may fill a social need for some exercisers. The various types of training content let you train almost anywhere.
