At-home fitness is having a moment due to the global pandemic, and connected gym equipment makers are struggling to keep up with demand. While you probably know NordicTrack best for its treadmills, the company is launching one of a smart workout mirrors — sort of like the Lululemon-owned Mirror, but with a slight twist.
The NordicTrack Vault is like if Mirror and JaxJox’s Interactive Studio had a child. Essentially, it’s a connected mirror that displays on-demand iFit workouts, that then opens up to reveal a carbon steel locker that can hold a bunch of dumbbells, kettlebells, yoga blocks, and resistance bands. The Vault itself has a 60- by 22-inch rotating mirror, inside of which is a 32-inch HD touchscreen.
There are two versions of the Vault. The Complete version is a whopping $US3,000 ($3,883) and includes a year of iFit family membership, an exercise mat, two yoga blocks, three loop bands, three super resistance bands, 5- to 14 kg dumbbells, 20- and 14 kg kettlebells, premium shelves, hanging shelves, and a cleaning towel. There’s also a Standalone version, which is slightly cheaper at $US2,000 ($2,589). While it includes the same one-year subscription, it lacks the rest of the equipment, aside from a towel and hanging shelves. Both versions also require a $US200 ($259) delivery fee, and are available for preorder now with an expected shipping date of Feb. 12.
This is definitely a shift for NordicTrack, as it’s most commonly associated with cardio equipment. It’s not the company’s only announcement for CES, however.
iFit, the fitness streaming platform on connected NordicTrack equipment, is also introducing automatic heart rate training. The software is dubbed iFit ActivePulse and will basically adjust the speed and incline on a treadmill based on a user’s heart rate. This is most useful for folks who are into heart rate zone training, and iFit says its algorithms will “gradually learn” a user’s behavioural patterns over time. The feature will come via a software update this month and will work on all iFit-compatible NordicTrack, ProForm, and Freemotion treadmills. The feature is planned to roll out to stationary bikes, rowers, and ellipticals “soon.” Obviously, ActivePulse does require some sort of heart rate monitor. iFit says it’ll be compatible with its own heart rate monitor, the iFit SmartBeat, as well as third-party Bluetooth monitors from Polar, Garmin, Wahoo, and Whoop.
This is an interesting update as it adds a bit more oomph to otherwise fairly basic treadmills. NordicTrack and Echelon are often go-to options for “cheaper” fitness equipment that still come with their own on-demand subscription, while also allowing users the possibility of choosing other on-demand services like Peloton’s app or Fitness+. (After all, who, in this economy, has the $US4,000 ($5,178) to drop on Peloton’s Tread+?)
In any case, it doesn’t look like the at-home fitness trend is going away any time soon.
Editor’s Note: Stay tuned for local Australian pricing and availability.