Choosing commercial fitness equipment for your fitness center can be a daunting task. With so many different products, models, and features to consider, it can quickly get confusing. We recommend that customers start by defining what their goal is for the equipment – what is it intended for? Perhaps you want to attract new members by offering a new type of functional training class. Or improve retention by addressing some gaps in your equipment range. Whatever your reason for sourcing commercial fitness equipment, it’s important not to lose sight of it when faced with hundreds of options. By staying focused on your goal, it will be much easier to find the equipment that best meets your needs.
The next aspect to consider is durability. How often will the equipment be used and at what level of intensity? Do you need machines that’ll endure 24-hour usage or just a few hours per day? Are your free weights likely to be dropped on hard surfaces or do you have cushioned flooring? Understanding the type of usage will help you to know how durable it needs to be. After all, there’s nothing worse than members reporting broken or damaged equipment that’s then out-of-use until an engineer is able to visit. Knowing an approximate level of durability will help you decide which brand of equipment to choose. Some premium brands such as Life Fitness and Precor are renowned for manufacturing high-quality equipment that can withstand the knocks of rough usage. Although you may pay more upfront, these machines will last much longer. If you’re unsure about what you need, then our friendly team can always advise you on the best brands for your facility.
Price is another important factor when purchasing commercial fitness equipment. You’ll often find that price is closely tied to quality and durability, but certain features can also be influential. For example, when looking at cardio equipment one of the biggest price differentiators will be the type of screen. Units that come with wifi-enabled touch screens and app connectivity will usually be the most expensive. But if you don’t need that level of interactivity, then simple LED consoles that don’t have built-in TVs will be a much cheaper option. Many still come with all the pre-programmed workouts and fitness programs that you’d expect, such as intervals, fat-burning, and hill climbs.