Equinox has announced that it will soon be launching connected fitness equipment that offers streaming classes similar to the likes of Peloton. The unnamed device, as reported by Fast Company, will offer content from Equinox’s portfolio of brands — most notably, SoulCycle.
The platform, which will also come with an accompanying app, will recommend classes based on those you’ve taken and let you browse new content through its digital library. The app pairs with Equinox’s upcoming connected equipment: a bike and a treadmill. Equinox recently opened a standalone running studio called Precision Run, which features proprietary Woodway treadmills with software that is custom designed to work with the instructor’s guidance.
In an interview with Fast Company, Equinox says the new products are not meant to replace the studios and gyms, but to “bleed into an at-home experience” to grow its community. “Our members like to be in a physical space, they love to be in our clubs,” Jason LaRose, CEO of Equinox Media, said. “Digital becomes an ‘and’ answer for them and not an ‘or’ answer ... It’s really the intersection of digital and physical that makes this a very different concept to begin with.”
The Equinox, SoulCycle, and Precision Run experience is also a bit more “clubby” than classes from Peloton. Both feature personable instructors, curated playlists, or live DJs, but Equinox’s brands incorporate the use of interactive light colors in their classes. In a recent class I took to sample Precision Run’s treadmills, runners were instructed to pay attention to the color of the light glowing inside the studio. When the studio room was blue, it was time to cool down and walk, while orange / red meant it was a period to run or sprint. It’s unclear how Equinox plans to translate that experience into the at-home version.
Equinox is also currently investing in an experimental studio that allows them to test different types of classes, such as HIIT, martial arts, or yoga. Its entry into the market adds to a number of devices that have come into the space over the past years. There’s now a connected fitness machine for weight training, rowing, cardio fitness, and boxing, each ranging between $1,500 to $3,000 for the equipment with a monthly $40 to $50 subscription fee to access content.
The unnamed Equinox machines will begin selling in the winter. Prices are not yet available.