We tried the new $4,000 treadmill from the billion-dollar startup that could be 'the Apple of fitness' - here's the verdict
When we show up at Peloton’s spacious Chelsea offices, spread over four floors, we’re reminded that the company has quickly grown out of its startup phase.
It's the second time we've come face to face with the Peloton Tread, thanks to a few technical difficulties the product, which is still in the testing phase, was experiencing earlier on in the week. Still, the size of it is shocking. It's vast — about 73 inches long and 33 inches wide — which makes us wonder how city dwellers would have the space to store it.
We hop aboard the machine. There are three categories of classes to choose from: Run/Walk, Total Body, and Floor, which includes yoga workouts. The product comes with thousands of on-demand classes, and an additional 10 classes will be live streamed from the studio each day.
For our trial, we try a 20-minute, full-body bootcamp workout hosted by one of its master trainers.
From the outset, it's easy to follow. The first screen lays out exactly what you’ll be doing, how long each exercise is, how hard it is overall, and what extra equipment you'll need. You can also view the playlist in advance, so if you don't like the music, you can switch immediately.
The workout kicks off with a three-minute walk to get you warmed up. Peloton said it has lots of classes for people who have never worked out before.
Then it's straight into an eight-minute run, the main part of the treadmill-based workout. The first thing we notice is the comfort of the running belt — it's definitely easy on the knees.
The running belt has 59 slats, which look like caterpillar tracks on a tank. These are extremely comfortable compared to what you might find in your local gym, but they’re just as noisy, which makes us wonder once more just how suited this is to urban living.
It has a massive, 32-inch screen, which makes it easy to see exactly what's going on and follow the instructor.
At times, you're face-to-face with the instructor, which is a bit off-putting. You'll find yourself bobbing up and down at the same time, so it makes it feel like the machine is moving a lot. We preferred the side-on angle of filming.
The instructor asks us to crank up the pace. That’s when we find the real attention to detail: the speed and incline wheels. With just a casual roll of a wheel, you can zoom your way up to top speed without having to lurch forward and reach for an awkward button.
In the center of each wheel, there's also a button that pushes the speed or incline up by one notch. The top speed is 12.5 mph, and the maximum incline is 15% or 8 degrees.
The instructor is engaging and motivating. It feels exactly like a boutique fitness class, which could set you back around $35 in New York.
In both the live and on-demand classes there's a leaderboard system to rank your performance. If you're participating in a live class, you'll be able to log in and compete live. It also means the instructor conducting the class can give you a shoutout.
In on-demand classes, you'll be competing against people who have done the workout in the past.
The sound quality is great, thanks to a large soundbar that runs across the bottom of the screen. Unfortunately, there's no rolling wheel to adjust the sound, but there's a small button at the front of the screen.
"We spent a lot of time really getting the sound right, so when you're on and off the treadmill you can still get that high-quality sound," Maureen Coiro, senior product manager of hardware at Peloton, told Business Insider.
There's a USB jack at the bottom of the screen, which is designed for charging wireless headphones. The machine is not designed to be used with standard headphones, given that some of the exercises are off the treadmill.
"One of the worst things about wireless headphones is the battery life," Coiro said. "You charge them here while you're not using the machine and every time you come back to the machine your headphones are charged."
For the second half of the class, we head down to the mat. You'll need to have it ready in place, as there's no time to dawdle.
Peloton sells the mat and five-, 10-, 15-, 20-, and 30-pound weights separately. It's assuming lots of people will already have this equipment. Peloton will confirm the cost of the additional accessories in the fall.
The mat work is where the class becomes harder to follow. We're advised to put the mat alongside the treadmill so we can see the screen. While the sound is still great here, it's harder to see what's going on.
We do a series of squats and lunges using the weights and then finish off with some abdominal crunches.
All the while, the instructor is egging us on.
The class winds down with a few minutes of stretching.
The verdict: Peloton has made home fitness more convenient and high-tech than ever before. The Tread is no exception – it's easy and fun to use, and I stayed motivated throughout the workout.
But space is definitely an issue. This isn't going to make the squeeze into a boxy New York apartment, but it is definitely a good solution for anyone who doesn't have a boutique fitness class on their doorstep.
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