6 days ago
Is home gym equipment worth the price tag? I put two to the test
Journalist Glenn Kelly puts two pieces of home workout equipment to the test to see if they are worth the hefty price tags.
The gym - it's a funny old place, and while it offers a "catch-all" of everything from running machines to weights, it is not for everybody.
I used to be a regular gym user myself, but with the arrival of kids and an intensification of work commitments, I found it was getting less and less the place for me.
In the age of working from home, and people's demands for specific training (and work) schedules, investing in some state-of-the-art equipment is proving to be a godsend for current generations of would-be gym rats.
This gear doesn't come cheap, but rather than a one-off payment, many are viewing it as something akin to a gym membership.
I was, of course, intrigued about what I could get out of today's premium offerings, and if they were really worth their executive price tags.
Step forward, market leaders Wattbike and Echelon, who offered their respective bikes and rowing machines for testing. Needless to say, I was only too happy to give my independent verdict.
Time to read on to see if these machines are really good enough to replace that gym membership...
Wattbike Proton
€1,899 (includes free delivery offer)
Score: 8.5 out of 10
Pros
Easy to assemble
Huge sizing adjustability
Can be used by a range of age groups
Smooth operation
Relatively compact
Great challenges on app and compatible with some of the largest cycling apps
Cons
Quite noisy if used at night
App controls take a bit of getting used to
The saddle could be more comfortable
Artificial feel to gear changes
I would be the first to admit that I am not the king of DIY, so when Wattbike explained that the bike would come unassembled, I was struggling to clear half a day in my diary. However, I should not have worried.
Upon delivery, the box simply gets pulled up and cleared to unveil the bike, almost fully assembled. Some simple attachment of the wheels and legs was all that was required, and within half an hour, I was ready to go.
The Proton is aimed at cyclists of all abilities and sizes. The bike has height and reach adjustments coming out of its ears, which means it is suitable for users from 137-198cm. This means almost all the family can take part in activities on the bike, something that my young family found particularly fun.
The adjustability is child's play and offers something very niche in this market.
The bike itself is on the heavy side at almost 50kg, but it has a relatively small footprint, so it doesn't look too out of place within the house.
When I was eventually ready to go, it did take me a little while to get the hang of the app. Some simple instructions, such as to end the workout, require an extra click on the screen that isn't very obvious when it really should just be a big red button.
However, apart from this, the app was relatively straightforward and showed me the basics I needed. If you need more, it is compatible with, amongst others, the Zwift app, which will help you push yourself to your limits and race in real-time with fellow cyclists around the world.
The actual mechanics of the bike were solid. The bike is well put together, and the operation is smooth, although there is a fair degree of whooshing during use.
The noise travels through the house, which may be an issue when you want to keep the kids asleep, but this is not unexpected.
During my cycling, it was possible to exert a high degree of force through the bike, and I don't think I was in any danger of overloading it! The gear changes are operated by buttons on the handles, and they seem a little artificial to use, but they do the trick.
Overall, I found it very easy to jump on and off the bike during my lunch break and blast out 45 minutes to an hour while enjoying listening to my favourite podcast or watching a show on TV. Although my kids are just off the size chart for the bike, they couldn't wait until they could ride it for real, and I think that is the point of the Proton.
It is not aimed only at the cycling supremo, but at the individual or family who are breaking into the cycling habit, and this can only be a good thing as we head towards a more sustainable future, where hopefully, kids will have better road infrastructure outside to test their cycling skills on. Fair play, Wattbike.
Echelon Row-7s Smart Rowing Machine
€2,380
Score: 9 out of 10
Pros
Smooth and quiet operation
Superb interface with endless interactive and live workouts
22-inch screen included
Foldable
Comfortable seat
Instant resistance changes at the touch of a fingertip
Full-length bench allows full rowing movement
Cons
Expensive
Setting up the on-screen app was plagued by connectivity issues until updated
Takes up quite a bit of room
Having suffered from some Achilles issues over the past year, I was particularly intrigued about trying out the Row-7s due to rowing's low-impact nature as I seek ways to fill the intense cardio void of football, and I was not disappointed by the machine.
Let's get the negatives out of the way first. Out of the box, it wasn't quite as easy as the Proton to put together, taking most of an afternoon, but there are more parts involved. Then, it was onto the setup. Despite trying for over an hour, the machine just would not connect to the internet.
This was extremely frustrating until I eventually read that due to software issues, I had to connect to my phone's hotspot connection, which allowed it to update, which then cured the connection issues.
Thankfully, this worked and, to be honest, was the last negative I had of my time with the machine.
The equipment is not cheap, coming in at over €2,000, but it feels every bit the premium piece of gym equipment, with an option to pay about €75 a month. Operation of the pulley is smooth and eerily quiet.
Unlike the bike, I could use the machine next door to where my kids sleep and knew I wouldn't wake them.
The fittings are superbly tight, and there have been no corners cut in the design or construction phase. The seat is superbly comfortable and padded, and you could spend over an hour on the machine with no ailments whatsoever.
Getting a 22-inch touchscreen with the machine is a huge bonus, and being able to connect to this to follow live workouts is a godsend - much better than using your phone.
I also found that having the resistance buttons on the handle worked really well, rather than reaching beyond to the front of the machine, so I could flick through the levels instantaneously as the workout progressed.
The Row-7s does take up quite a bit of room in our spare bedroom, but it is foldable, which is superb, allowing it to slide alongside the bed and out of the way. Echelon has hit the jackpot on this machine, with only a point taken off for the connectivity issues.
If they can sort this in the long term, this could be a perfect 10.
