Considering getting a Tempo or ProForm Vue smart gym? Our experts review these two players to help you decide which is best for you.
If you’re looking for a new convenient way of working out without having to travel to a gym or fork out the expenses of a personal trainer, then you might want to consider getting an at-home smart gym.
At-home smart gyms have completely transformed the fitness industry and have allowed users to engage in HIIT, strength training to yoga workouts guided by a professional instructor directly from the comfort of their own home.
Today we’ll be comparing just two of the competing candidates in the at-home gym industry – Tempo and the ProForm Vue. Both come equipped with weights and are pretty similar in how you use them, but there are still some key differences that set them apart.
We’ll be going over the key specifications, more detailed overviews of the two systems, and comparisons between them both so you can decide which one would be best suited for you.
Tempo Specifications
- Height: 72”
- Width: 26”
- Depth: 16”
- Weight: 100lbs
- Display: 42” HD touchscreen
- Motion sensor: 3D time of flight
- 10th gen i5 processor
- 60w stereo speakers with Bluetooth connection
- Internet or WiFi Connectivity
What equipment is included in a Tempo?
- 10lb plates x4
- 5lb plates x4
- 2.5lb plates x4
- 1.25lb plates x4
- 7.5lb dumbbells x2
- Workout mat x1
- Recovery roller x1
Tempo Review
Price — How much doe the Tempo Studio Cost?
The Tempo machine comes in at a cost of $1995 which we think is very reasonable considering what you get included with the machine.
There are a handful of other smart home gyms which are double the price of the Tempo who also have similar functions.
You can buy the Tempo using their “financing” system for $69 a month with no down payment.
If you’re not convinced about the Tempo home studio then you have the freedom of a 30-day risk-free trial to test it out before you make a permanent decision.
The price of the Tempo does not include the membership fee which is an additional $39 a month, about the same as what you’d pay for a good monthly gym membership.
Delivery & Installation
The cost of delivery is not included in the initial purchase price of the Tempo and will cost you an extra $250.
The delivery cost does come with a complimentary white-glove service that will install the Tempo in your home wherever you like and also discard any packaging that comes with the product.
Design
The design of the Tempo is pretty different than other players like the Proform Vue.
It’s constructed as a screen built onto a stand with all the equipment stored underneath in a cabinet and built-in to the back of the screen as well, where as others (like the Vue) are more “mirror” like.
The storage solution is very convenient as it keeps everything hidden when you’re not using it.
The Tempo is available in both dark or light color/version, so you can choose what color would suit your home best.
The Tempo screen is permanently attached to the stand so it’s not able to convert to be attached to a wall or for free standing purposes, so you’ll need to make sure you’ve got room for the entire device. You’ll need about 3 square feet of space for the device itself, so that’s pretty small (about the size of a chair). However, make sure you give yourself enough room to do the workouts!
How much space do you need for a Tempo Studio?
The Tempo comes on an A-style stand which will take up a bit of space within your room, luckily all the weights and bars are built into the design so you won’t need to take up additional space to store them. It’s a pretty nifty design solution to all those weights and whatnot – if you clean up, your room will NOT look like a gym!
You will need 6-feet of space in front of the screen so the 3D sensor can recognize your entire body when performing workouts. That’s pretty standard for interactive home gyms like the Tempo.
You’ll need to make sure that you’ve got enough space around you to execute all styles of workouts properly.
Once your Tempo is assembled, it’ll prove more difficult to move it around your home, so make sure you’re happy with where you’ve placed it and ensure you’ve got room for big body movements without hitting anything.
Connectivity
The Tempo requires an internet connection, either via WiFi or ethernet. Not surprising; all smart gyms like the Tempo or ProForm Vue require you to get the device online!
You’ll need to make sure you’ve got a connection of at least 10 mbps for your Tempo otherwise the workouts will pause and buffer while you’re exercising.
You also have the freedom to connect your own Bluetooth headphones to the Tempo if you’re trying to keep the noise down in your home.
What workouts does Tempo offer?
Tempo’s workouts are truly something to talk about. There is a wide range of high-intensity, recovery, dance classes, and thorough weight training workouts for you to engage in.
You’ll be able to do a new workout every day with either the live or on-demand workout classes.
Tempo provides users with daily recommended workouts throughout the week based on your individualized workout goals through a feature called “My Plan.” They also have a selection of week-long programs aimed at specific goals – so if you want to work on your tummy, legs, etc. there is a plan that you can follow. We really like this aspect of their exercise programming.
My Plan is great as it won’t have you overwork certain muscle groups and will switch up routines so you don’t struggle with burnout. It’s a lot like having a fitness instructor who comes up with a program just for you.
Tempo also tells you when you should be increasing your weight during your sessions which pushes you to progress rather than staying in your comfort zone.
This function allows users to push through their fitness barrier and see results they’ve never managed to achieve before.
If you’re super competitive then you’ll love the leaderboard feature on the Tempo, you’ll be able to see where you’re placing on the board for both on-demand and live workouts and you can even challenge your friends who also have a Tempo.
Through the use of AI and the 3D sensor, the Tempo will be able to monitor your form whilst working out and provide you with on-screen feedback to improve your positioning and movement so you don’t injure yourself.
There’ll also be a summary after each workout of what you need to work on next time as well as an overview of your heart rate levels and calories burned.
Tempo workouts can also be streamed to your phones/tablets, so if you are on the go, you can do many of the exercises without your actual machine! In particular, a lot of the cardio, bodyweight workouts and yoga are ideal for you to do when you are on vacation or traveling.
We really love the workouts, how you can do quite a few of the programs on the go without your device, and the My Plan feature – all of this combines to help you hit your fitness targets.
Instructors
All of the Tempo instructors are motivational and encouraging and provide you with little tips and tricks when you’re performing certain movements.
The instructors engage in the workouts with you so you can copy what they’re doing. During the live workouts, instructors can also give shout-outs to users who are partaking in the sessions.
Accessories
The accessories included with the Tempo are pretty impressive and will set you up for success for your healthy lifestyle.
You’ll get a good selection of high-quality weights, a yoga mat, and a recovery roller all included in the one price. You can also spend more for the higher-priced Tempo packages, which have a heart rate monitor, additional weights, and exercise benches – they even have optional squat racks!
The accessories included in the Tempo are worth around $1000 alone, so you are getting some bang for your buck with this smart home gym.
Music
Tempo has a selection of mainstream music that you can listen to whilst working out, or you have the option to turn them off without losing the audio from the coach.
There is not yet a function where you can choose to listen to your own music through Apple or Spotify yet.
Does Tempo offer a warranty?
The cabinet system of the Tempo comes with a 3-year manufacturing warranty, followed by a 12-month warranty of the interactive screen and heart rate monitor (if you purchase a package with the heart monitor). The weights have a warranty of 3 years. The company itself just raised $200,000,000 to meet surging demand, so it’s well capitalized.
Privacy
Even though Tempo can monitor your movement and give you feedback when you’re working out, it doesn’t capture any photos or videos of you.
All the Tempo system can see of you is a skeleton and not an actual image of yourself.
Pros:
- Shows your position in the leaderboards for motivation
- Huge selection of awesome on-demand and live workouts
- AI gives you feedback to correct your form
- Keeps track of your sets and reps
- Different amounts of accessories are available depending on the package you choose
- Some of the bundles have a heart rate monitor, so you can check how hard you’ve worked
- Large touch screen is easy to see and use when working out
- Provides daily workout recommendations to remove any guesswork
- Constantly recommends weights to challenge you and to help you reach your goals
Cons:
- Can only use the mirror to work out on your own
- Membership is not included in the price of the mirror
- Can’t listen to your music through the mirror whilst working out
- It’s a different form factor than many of the other devices – some people will love it, since it provides a great place to keep the workout gear hidden
ProForm Vue’s Specifications
- Height: 72.65”
- Width: 24/25”
- Depth: 14”
- Display: 22” Smart HD Touchscreen with 24” x 60” Reflective Surface
- Dual 3” Audio Speakers
- Bluetooth Connectivity
- WiFi or Internet Required
What’s included with a ProForm Vue?
- 1-year iFit Membership
- 10lb Bar
- 5lb Dumbbells x2
- 2.5lb Weight Plates x4
ProForm Vue Review
ProForm Vue’s Price
What does a Vue cost? The ProForm Vue is priced at $1499 or you can also choose to buy the Vue on finance with payments starting from $39 a month. This price seems about average amongst competitor mirrors who all function very much alike. One item that makes this price seem less amazing vs the Tempo is the small weight set – you don’t get a lot of equipment, beyond the mirror. We’ll dive into that in a moment.
With the ProForm Vue, you’ll also get a 1-year free iFit membership included, which then will automatically resubscribe when your free membership runs out.
Delivery & Installation
There is free shipping included with the $1499 price of the ProForm Vue and normally takes around 10-14 business days depending on your location.
ProForm offers a white glove delivery service that will deliver the product to your house, assemble it for you and show you how to use it. They’ll also take away all the packaging once they’re done arranging it.
If you don’t want this service then you can just opt for typical delivery and you can assemble the Vue following the instruction manual included.
Design – What Does the ProForm Vue look like?
The design of the ProForm Vue is very much like most conventional smart workout mirrors and is extremely sleek and modern in appearance. The design would blend seamlessly into any home and looks just like a traditional reflective mirror when it’s not switched on.
Despite the mirror being touchscreen activated, it’s still reflective during your workouts so you can see yourself and if you’re following the workout correctly.
The weights included with the mirror are built-in to the back of the design for convenience when working out, but they also remain hidden when you’re not using the mirror. We like this feature a lot – it will help keep your house more tidy vs. some of the competitors. However, like the ProForm, the Tempo has space to hide away the weights as well.
The mirror itself comes on a solid base stand so it’ll stay upright securely without having to be attached to a wall or balanced up against a wall, perfect for those who are renting properties and can’t hook anything onto the walls.
The screen on the base also pivots for easy viewing wherever you’re working out and also making it easier to access the weights stored on the back of the mirror.
How Much Space does the ProForm Vue Needed?
If you’re restricted on space in your home then the ProForm Vue will be pretty much ideal for you.
The design of the mirror which comes on a stand can be placed anywhere you like and you’ll only need a small amount of space in front of the Vue to perform your workouts.
Connectivity
You’ll need a WiFi or Internet connection in your home for your Vue to work and to connect to the workouts on the database.
If you’d rather not play workout out loud on the speakers of the Vue, you have the option to connect it to Bluetooth headphones so you can be the only one to hear the instructors.
Workouts
iFit
One of the most attractive features about the ProForm Vue is their inclusive iFit membership that you’ll get when you buy the mirror.
The iFit membership gives you unlimited access to live and on-demand global and studio workouts that are all led by a trainer. The iFit membership is the equivalent of having your personal trainer around all the time in your home.
You’re not just limited to the mirror when it comes to the iFit membership as you can also download the iFit app to your mobile or tablet device to use whenever you want.
However, a healthy lifestyle doesn’t just start and finish with the Vue mirror. With iFit, you even have the opportunity to tell your trainer you’re eating and training habits so it can create a personalized plan based on your calorie intake and your daily energy expenditure.
They’ll give you easy-to-follow recipes and video tutorials to help you get cooking delicious and healthy meals as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, this iFit membership is only included for the first year that you own the ProForm Vue, and once the membership expires the monthly cost for your subscription to iFit will be $39, which is a lot cheaper in comparison to other fitness mirror subscriptions out there at the moment.
The monthly subscription is pretty justifiable when you consider you’d spend around a similar cost for a membership to a good gym.
ProForm Vue Workouts
ProForm Vue offers an expansive library of workouts ranging from yoga to HIIT workouts. As the screen is reflective, you’ll be able to mirror the instructor’s movements to make sure you’re doing it right.
However, the Vue does not offer feedback on your form whilst you’re working out, so there could be times where you’re doing certain exercises wrong and putting yourself at risk of injury without you knowing.
If you connect a heart rate monitor, the ProForm Vue will tell you how many calories you’ve burned throughout your workout and also how hard you worked as well.
Instructors
The instructors leading the workouts are qualified and specialized in certain fitness areas from strength training to pilates to help you achieve the best workout you can.
There is a good variety in trainers and you’ll come to grasp who motivates you the best and what style of workout makes you the most motivated.
ProForm Vue’s Accessories
The Vue mirror does not come with a fitness mat or heart rate monitor like many other competitor mirrors do and you’ll be required to purchase an additional SmartBeat heart rate monitor to use the ActivePulse Technology. ProForm’s SmartBeat monitor will cost you an additional $79 on top of the cost of the mirror.
You’ll also get an included total of 30lbs of weights, which is a positive, but it also isn’t very much if you’re into heavier lifting.
The weights included are more focused on toning exercises for users rather than building muscle, so those who are more advanced in this area will not be satisfied and might want to invest in some heavier weights.
ProForm does offer a heavier pair of weights that are 12.5lb adjustable dumbbells priced at an additional $199. However, this isn’t much weight at all – so if you are into weight lifting, you’ll probably prefer the Tempo, since it has such a deeper set of weights.
Music
At the moment the ProForm Vue does not offer any music along with their workouts, so users are having to play their music through another device.
They are currently working on releasing two radio stations that will play music through the speakers on the Vue mirror whilst you workout. There will be one station for high-intensity cardio and another station for yoga workouts.
Warranty
ProForm Vue comes with a giant 10-year warranty on the frame of the mirror, a 2-year warranty on parts, and then a 1-year warranty on labor which will cover the costs of a technician or repairman to come out to fix any problems you may have with the mirror.
Pros:
- Sleek design
- 1-year iFit membership included with the mirror
- Weights included for workouts
- Good variety of workout options available
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Touchscreen display for easy and convenient usability
- Built-in speakers to hear the instructions and music that they play during the workouts
- Works well in restricted areas of your home
Cons:
- Weights that come with it are not very heavy/much, so you’ll have to buy a lot more if you like lifting at all
- Workout mat and heart rate monitor are not included in the price
- More advanced fitness users will find the workouts too basic
- No feedback on form given during workouts
Tempo vs ProForm Vue - Which one is better?
When you put the two smart mirrors side by side and compare them, there is no competition as the Tempo outranks the ProForm Vue in pretty much every aspect.
The Tempo is $500 more expensive than the ProForm Vue, but in our eyes, it’s worth every penny. The Tempo not only provides exceptional versatility in workouts but also provides important feedback on your form whilst you’re doing your workout, something that the ProForm does not.
Whilst the ProForm Vue does include a series of weights, they are very limited in their weight and would only be more suited to beginners or users who are not overly muscle. The Tempo offers a better range of weights, all of which could be used more for lightweight training or even heavy weight lifting.
The Tempo also included a handful of free accessories with the smart system, whilst ProForm Vue does not provide any and any accessories come at an additional cost.
The one thing that the ProForm Vue mirror does outrank Tempo in is the availability of a free membership included in the cost of the mirror, albeit only a 1-year subscription but still one nonetheless.
If you’re considering buying yourself an at-home smart gym, then we’d recommend the Tempo for its versatile functionality, impressive free accessories, and also the AI technology included in the price.
Connected fitness isn’t just for exercise bikes like Peloton anymore – now, those of us who want the best home gym have a new “smart” category to choose from connected smart home gyms like Tonal, Mirror and Tempo. But can you really get a good workout with a TV screen thingy hanging on your wall? And how do the workouts compare between Tonal, Mirror and Tempo? Which one is the best value for the price?
And is a smart mirror / home gym even the right call for your workout styles and fitness goals? We’ll review the different types of connected home fitness devices to help you figure out which category is going to help you the most.
Smart Home Gyms – what’s right for your goals?
Everybody knows about the smart home exercise bike thanks to Peloton, a fitness industry pioneer. But beyond bikes – and mirrors – what else is there and who are they right for? Here are the current categories of smart home gym equipment, the types of workouts you can do with them, and rough price ranges.
