There’s no better feeling than that post-workout high. You feel good, you look great, and you know you’ve done something good for yourself. But getting there is not always easy. While some people just need a pair of running shoes to train, some of us need a little more guidance, support or inspiration.
The right equipment can help. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have resorted to building home gyms and outfitting them with everything from full gyms to smart fitness mirrors and even smart boxing equipment. The market has responded with high-tech equipment that measures performance, interacts with the user and is built to last. The worst of the pandemic may be behind us, but the availability of luxury fitness equipment is still strong.
So which gadgets are worth it? Here are some of our favorite items you can have fun on to get your workout to its peak.
peloton bike
Table of Contents
The Original Home Workout Program
Advantages
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Energetic instructors
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A multitude of courses to meet your needs
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Superb musical selection
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Solid material
The inconvenients
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I can’t do much without a subscription
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Awesome ergonomics
If you’re looking for a smart bike, Peloton has become the standard for its easy setup, access to enthusiastic trainers, and great metrics. It’s phenomenal hardware, but as we found when we reviewed it, you’re really paying for top-notch instructors who will motivate you to show up, push harder, and come back.
peloton bike
The Original Home Workout Program
Hydrow Connected Rower
An immersive experience
Advantages
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Convenient vertical storage
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Videos Improve Rowing Form
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Diversity of workouts
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Suitable for beginners
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Can row with friends
The inconvenients
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Dear
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Limited workouts without subscription
If you’re looking for a rower, consider the Hydrow, a solidly built rower with a screen to stream workouts and tutorials to master the form if you’re new to rowing. We also liked its quiet operation, live lessons, and the ability to store it vertically when not in use.
Hydrow Connected Rower
An immersive experience
John Velasco / Digital Trends
The mirror
barely there
Advantages
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Stunning design
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Diverse range of workouts
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Offers 1-on-1 personal training
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Simplified installation
The inconvenients
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Heart rate monitor disconnects
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You will need to provide your own workout props
If you don’t want a steel juggernaut sitting in your spare bedroom when not in use, consider The Mirror, one of the most discreet home workout devices we’ve ever had. tested. It looks exactly like its shiny namesake, but comes to life with a display and speakers to guide you through workouts, from weightlifting to dancing, yoga and even barre.
Yoona Wagener / Digital Trends
Fitbit Charge 5
Better Metrics
Advantages
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Sleek and comfortable design
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Solid battery life
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Loaded with advanced health metrics
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Embedded GPS with multiple modes
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Supports Fitbit Pay
The inconvenients
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Sometimes slow to scan entries
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Lack of basic fitness/wellness tools
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Some features require Fitbit Premium
A smartwatch is the best way to measure your training or running and get lots of great stats and metrics. Watches like the Fitbit Charge 5 (or the Pixel Watch with Fitbit built-in) can measure so many different aspects of your health that it’s almost wrong not to wear one while exercising. Likewise, the Apple Watch has become the go-to for Apple users, and while it’s great for delivering that seamless Apple experience, it’s not a dedicated fitness device. We found Fitbit to be more accurate in tracking, and for that reason we like the Fitbit or Google Watch experience.
Fitbit Charge 5
Better Metrics
Bose
Bose SoundLink Flex
Boom to fill any room
Advantages
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very wearable
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Great audio quality
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Space-filling acoustics
A Bluetooth speaker is the perfect way to bring your music with you to a workout if you’re not at a public gym or on a hiking trail. Investing in a high-quality version like the Bose Soundlink Flex or the Bose Revolve II will not only mean great sound quality, but it will have the space-filling ability even outdoors. Plus, a good Bluetooth speaker can be easily carried around with you and set up where you need it to provide that 80s edit (chariots of fireanyone?) while you sweat.
Bose SoundLink Flex
Boom to fill any room
Joe Maring/Digital Trends
Apple iPad Pro (2022)
The Mac-daddy of tablets
Advantages
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Sleek and modern design
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Bright, vivid and beautiful display
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Crazy performance of the M2 chip
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Apple Pencil hover function
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iPadOS 16 is super rugged
The inconvenients
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The manager needs more work
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Dull and clunky front camera
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Cost prohibitive
If you do long stretches on a piece of fitness equipment or want access to video guides to perfecting your form, using a tablet is a great idea. It can connect to any number of fitness apps or YouTube for guided workouts and trainer-centric assistance. Or just set up something like the new 10th generation Apple iPad and stream your favorite show or movie (you can send the audio to your Bluetooth speaker or headphones).
Apple iPad Pro (2022)
The Mac-daddy of tablets
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
Google Pixel Buds Pro
Our favorite headphones
Advantages
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Compact and comfortable
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Very good sound quality
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Highly effective CPN/transparency
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Wireless charging
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Bluetooth multipoint
The inconvenients
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No real EQ adjustments
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No high quality/low latency codecs
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Still no Pixel Buds iOS app
If you’re the type of person who likes to have feedback all the time, consider investing in some great headphones that are water and sweat resistant. Gone are the days of bulky earbuds and wires clinging to a machine. These days you can buy a set of quality headphones like the Pixel Buds Pro or Jabra’s Elite Sport headphones, which are designed for the athlete, meaning they’re sweat resistant and stay in place.
Google Pixel Buds Pro
Our favorite headphones
LARQ bottle
Banish big water bottles forever!
Advantages
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Keep the water cold
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Uses UV light to keep the bottle clean
The inconvenients
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UV technology needs to be recharged regularly
Remember to stay hydrated! A smart water bottle, like the LarQ bottle, does more than just hold H2O. It neutralizes up to 99% of bacteria and cleans itself every two hours to keep your water and its bottle fresh and odor free. Just plug it in to let those UV rays shine into your bottle. Adding a carry pouch also makes the bottle more portable.
LARQ bottle
Banish big water bottles forever!
There are many great products designed to help you improve your workouts and measure your progress. We hope we’ve inspired you today to splurge on some of them. Good luck, keep moving and don’t forget to hydrate.
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