In this review, we’ll compare the Tempo Studio with the NordicTrack Vault, two of the most popular, connected home gyms. You can skip down to the comparison table, or read on for our in-depth analysis.
In the United States, 36.5 percent of adults are obese, and another 32.5 percent of American adults are overweight. Those are pretty damning statistics.
Even if you’re not overweight, working out is important for your general health and wellbeing – it keeps your muscles strong, your heart healthy, and can even have benefits for your mental health.
However, finding time to work out, or even the right environment to workout in, can present problems in itself.
Working out at your local gym seems all well and good until you realize the equipment you want to use is always in use by someone else.
Not only this, but you’ve got the time aspect to factor in – by the time you get there, workout, take a shower, and get home, it’s eaten into a big chunk of your morning, evening, or weekend.
Plus you’ve got the cost to consider – are you really working out enough to justify that premium membership which includes the pool you never use?
Thankfully, the way we work out is being revolutionized through technology, and more and more people are choosing to work out at home, whether it’s yoga classes on YouTube or live streaming classes from their smart exercise bike.
Plus the presence of Covid-19 means many of us have had no choice but to work out at home – so we may as well embrace it, right?
If you’re looking for an all-around fitness option for your home workouts, you’re in luck.
In this article, we’ll be comparing two of the most popular smart studios available on the market: Tempo’s studio, and NordicTrack’s vault. We’ll breakdown the key features of each of these, and discuss aspects such as the price and the value for money. (We also have a review where we compare Tempo vs Mirror vs Tonal, which are some of the other leading, smart home gym providers.)
Tempo Studio is a home gym that comes with a premium weight set to help you perfect your technique with AI guidance.
Feedback on your form
Your form can impact everything, from how much you get out of an exercise, to the likelihood of you sustaining an injury, and Tempo’s 3D mapping technology is designed to help you optimize your form.
Tempo will give you instant personalized feedback on your form so you can get the most out of your workout. It does this by using pulses of infrared light, which allows Tempo to create a detailed 3D model to capture every nuance of your form, improving your technique and increasing the efficiency and safety of your workouts.
If you’re worried about the privacy aspect of this technology – fear not. Tempo’s motion capture system is designed with your privacy in mind, and to maximize this, it only models your form, never capturing or storing any other information about you or your home.
Personalized programming
Everything about Tempo is personalized to your progress. Not only does it give tailored feedback on your form, but it also remembers exactly how much you’ve been lifting and knows when you’re ready to increase your weight. This reduces the risk of you upping the weight too soon and sustaining an injury.
It also tracks your reps so you don’t have to, allowing you to focus on your technique rather than on the numbers.
Tempo will also give you class recommendations based on the goals you’ve set for yourself, so you can achieve your goals with maximum efficiency while also adding some versatility to your workouts.
If you’re someone who’s motivated by competition, you can push yourself even further with Tempo’s friendly community of members and live leaderboard to give you some extrinsic motivation and healthy competition.
What classes are available on Tempo?
Tempo offers hundreds of different classes, all of which are based on Strength, Cardio, HIIT, Mobility, or Recovery.
Tempo is the only home gym that combines instant feedback with powerful tracking to tailor every workout to your specific goals, plus you’ll have access to the expert knowledge of Tempo’s coaches, who will guide you through each class.
With a wide range of different classes on offer and a mixture of both on-demand and live classes, Tempo coaches can bring some spice to your daily workout routine all from the comfort of your own home.
The great thing about the Tempo studio is that you have access to a myriad of personalized classes at your fingertips and you don’t need to purchase any additional apps or equipment.
Pricing and what’s included
Tempo comes as a full package, so you pay for the unit itself, the programming, and all the equipment.
It works out around $500 cheaper than the full NordicTrack package, so it’s a lot more affordable. It also has a lower monthly pricing plan than NordicTrack.
Delivery is $250, but this covers delivery and handling, as well as a complimentary White Glove Service of unboxing, studio placement, and removal of debris.
Benefits of Tempo
- Everything you need is included with the Tempo system
- Olympic-grade weights provided – they’re super durable and are built-to-last
- Infrared technology and 3D mapping provides cues and corrections so you can perfect your form
- Tempo keeps track of your reps and when you should increase your weights
- Provides personalized workouts tailored to your goals as well as suggested classes
- Convenient storage to keep your equipment safely and neatly stored
- Motivational instruction and community leaderboard
- Good range of classes available
- No need to mount to your wall
- Lightweight enough that it can be moved around
Drawbacks of Tempo
- Sensors sometimes miscount your reps if they don’t pick up on your movement (but this usually only happens when you’re too far away from the screen)
- Most of the classes are based around strength training – so if that’s not your thing, the Tempo may not be suited to your workout preferences.
Vault is Nordictrack’s premier home gym that intimately pairs iFit interactive training with innovative reflective technology.
Reflective training
Vault is installed directly into your wall: open the door and find all the equipment you need, as well as a crisp 61.5” oversized mirror.
Vault’s reflective training provides immediate visual feedback, allowing you to match the form of your iFit trainer to achieve a better technique and meet your goals.
Not only can you watch your instructor on the 32” HD screen, but you can see yourself too, offering 2-in-1 functionality.
With 360-degree rotation, you’ll be able to see your instructor from any angle – whether the sun is glaring, you’re squatting, or doing an explosive set of high-knees.
Behind the 61.5” mirror lies more than 400 square inches of integrated interactive touchscreen which makes navigating i-Fit easy and provides effortless responsiveness whether you’re scrolling through the iFit library, selecting a workout, or accessing reflective training – it’s all available at your fingertips (literally).
Distinguished Design
While the Vault came after Tempo, we have to admit its design is extremely sleek and modern, and can seamlessly blend into any home.
Not only this, but it’s designed with a carbon steel frame for combined lightness and durability, and provides vertical storage for all of your fitness equipment. This way you can get maximum storage while taking up minimal space.
If you purchase the full vault package you’ll receive premium dumbbells and kettlebells, as well as a range of yoga, pilates, and strength training accessories, which fit perfectly in Vault’s specially-designed vertical storage.
Alternatively, add extras to your collection or store your own accessories inside.
What classes are available on the Nordictrack vault?
The vault connects to iFit – which your purchase includes a 1-year subscription to.
Not only does the vertical storage store all of your custom training accessories, but through iFit you can access a range of different exercises, from strength training to HIIT, and even yoga and mindfulness.
This is great if you’re looking for a variety of exercises and don’t want to be limited to strength-building activities alone.
iFit offers both on-demand fitness and live classes, and all classes are led by engaging and interactive instructors who will bring excitement to your home workouts.
iFit is also extremely popular because it takes home fitness to a whole new level by allowing you to enjoy workouts that are filmed all over the world – from New Zealand to Egypt, to Easter Island. This is a guaranteed way to add some variety to your workout – and enjoy some culture at the same time!
Pricing and what’s included
When it comes to the Vault, you’ve got two options:
You can purchase the full package, which includes the Vault as well as the following:
- 1-Year iFit® Membership Included ($468 Value)
- Exercise Mat6
- 2 Yoga Blocks
- 3 Loop Bands
- 3 Super Resistance Bands4
- 5-30 Lb Dumbbells
- 20 Lb & 30 Lb Kettlebells
- Premium Shelves
- Hanging Shelves
- Cleaning Towel
However, this will set you back quite a lot.
Alternatively, you can purchase the Vault without the equipment, which is $1000 cheaper than the full package, but this will only include the stand-alone Vault along with:
- 1-Year iFit® Membership Included ($468 Value)
- Hanging Shelves
- Cleaning Towel
Benefits of the Vault
- Sleek modern design
- Vault-style vertical storage saves space and keeps equipment discretely stowed away
- Giant, 60” mirror for reflective training
- Carbon steel design for ultimate durability
- 32” HD rotating touchscreen that can be seen from all angles and positions
- Access to the iFit app which offers an extensive range of classes
Drawbacks of the Vault
- It’s large and could be overbearing in small spaces
- It costs more to purchase the equipment and the price is pretty high
- Workouts aren’t personalized and there’s no feedback on your form
What are the key similarities and differences between the Tempo and NordicTrack Vault?
On the surface, these two products are both all-in-one studios offering live and on-demand fitness classes that can be tailored to your personal goals.
However, when you take a closer look you’ll also find that there are a few distinct differences between these two.
We’ve broken it down to make it a bit easier to understand:
Here’s how they compare:
- Both offer integrated storage options that neatly store your equipment
- Both offer extremely high quality and durable weight equipment
- Training classes offered in both suites can be streamed on-demand or live
- Both feature intuitive and responsive touch-screen displays
Here’s how they’re different:
- Vault offers a built-in 360-degree rotatable mirror, whereas the Tempo is a display only.
- The Tempo is quite a bit smaller and lighter than the Vault.
- Tempo offers live feedback, cues, and instruction via 3D mapping and infrared technology to help you improve your form, while Vault doesn’t offer this.
- Vault’s screen rotates so you can always see the screen regardless of the glare or position you’re in. Tempo’s screen is fixed.
- Vault costs over $500 more for the complete package, Tempo’s price is lower and includes all the equipment you need.
- Vault offers iFit – and includes a 1-year family subscription. Tempo has its own programming and this is included.
The Verdict: Which is better, the Tempo or NordicTrack Vault?
Both of these home gyms offer their own unique benefits.
The NordicTrack Vault, the newer of the two, offers a completely unique and innovative mirror design boasting reflective training, so you can follow your iFit instructor on the screen and check your form at the same time.
However, it comes with a very hefty price tag, and, being new, it’s still very much in its early stages.
This is why Tempo is the better option of the two in our opinion.
The Tempo offers one-of-a-kind 3D mapping technology and infrared lighting to continually check and correct your form, as well as personalized feedback and classes.
It still offers storage options for the Olympic-grade equipment, and it also has a much lighter design than the NordicTrack Vault, which makes it easier to move around and enables it to blend in with your room more naturally.
Tempo features a variety of classes focusing mainly on strength, and the classes are run by fun and interactive expert coaches that keep you focused throughout your workout so you can reach your goals.
The Tempo will also let you know when you need to up your weights to the next level, and it’ll even keep track of your reps so you can focus on maintaining good form.
We love the fact that you can interact with Tempo’s community and the leaderboard adds that extra level of extrinsic motivation to make you push yourself just that little bit harder.
Best of all, you get all of this for a lower price than the NordicTrack Vault, and, while it still seems like quite a lot to invest, we guarantee that you’ll save the amount it cost (and more) because you’ll never spend another penny on the gym again.
The Vault is freestanding so does NOT need to be wall mounted. It’s also much closer in price to the Tempo: Vault Complete is $2999; Tempo is now $2495. Vault hand weights are simpler and less time consuming to use since they do not need to be mounted to (or unmounted from) a barbell. The Vault has a truly reflective mirror whereas the Tempo screen does not seem to be reflective.