The best fitness mirrors have had quite the heyday this year. These reflective slabs can easily be mistaken for high-end bedroom furniture at first glance, but for anyone looking to consolidate their weight-training gear – or replace an overpriced gym membership – fitness mirrors are an eye-catching complement to any home gym setup.
The multiverse of fitness tech is downright saturated with all-in-one multi gyms right now, and at this point, competing brands like Peloton, NordicTrack, Fiture, and Tonal have been around long enough to drop their original prices for the masses. Subscription-based fitness is here to stay, and it’s no longer a matter of asking can you replace your old gym membership, but should you? (And how?)
For the uninitiated, interactive fitness mirrors house a large touchscreen display with which you can stream on-demand and live workouts, all while checking your own form in the reflective surface of the mirror. Your image is essentially superimposed over the instructors (depending on your position in front of the mirror). It's a consolidated combination of form and function, and every platform offers a different flavor of personal training on the backend.
Depending on your goals, lifestyle, and living space, the best fitness mirrors can handily replace much of your old weight-training gear, making them a sound investment for apartment dwellers and city folk. Still, anyone building their own home gym should check out our best adjustable dumbbells, best kettlebells, best weights bench, best barbell and best weight plates guides. The future of fitness is right now.
The best fitness mirror deals – What to expect for Black Friday
Why you can trust T3 Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
‘Tis the season for Black Friday deals from most major sports manufacturers, and the best fitness mirror brands are no exception. Here’s what we’ve found on sale so far for Black Friday and Cyber Monday week:
NordicTrack Vault (Standalone) – Now $999 @ NordicTrack
NordicTrack Vault (Complete) – Now $1,499 @ NordicTrack
Fiture Core – Now $1,195 @ Amazon
Fiture Core – Now $1,195 @ Fiture
Fiture Mini – Now $750 @ Fiture
lululemon Mirror – Now $795 @ Mirror
lululemon Mirror Plus – Now $995 @ Mirror
lululemon Mirror Pro – Now $1,245 @ Mirror
lululemon Mirror Family – Now $1,695 @ Mirror
Best fitness mirrors to buy right now
If you’ve been on the fence about renewing your monthly gym membership, check out our NordicTrack Vault review, which builds a solid argument for moving your fitness routine to the homefront. For both casual weight training and laser-targeted fitness routines, there’s a lot to like about iFit’s ever-evolving ecosystem of virtual coaching, no matter where you are in your fitness journey.
The Vault resembles a Space Odyssey-esque monolith at first glance, but the mirror swings out to reveal all of your dumbbells and gym gear, hidden neatly out of sight until you’re ready to sweat. The 71 x 23 x 9-inch tower sits on a thin-yet-heavy steel plate to keep it from tipping, and with all the weights in place, the whole thing clocks in at a hefty 518 pounds (235kg). To quote every American man who’s ever packed for a road trip: “That thing ain’t goin’ anywhere.”
The dumbbells feature an excellent inner grip with rubberized ends that don’t make nearly the same racket as the clunkier adjustable dumbbells we’ve tested lately. (They’re easier on your floors, too.) The best part of the Vault’s front-and-center mirror, however, is the built-in 32-inch HD touchscreen, equipped with 60W stereo speakers on the bottom, making the whole thing look like a giant iPhone when in use.
The Vault’s obligatory iFit membership offers a unique value since you can access certain content on your phone, smart TV, and other iFit-equipped devices. In short, the more iFit-friendly gadgets you own, the more dynamic your membership becomes. The NordicTrack Vault might be a bit bulky, but as an all-in-one fitness solution for athletes of all ages, you can’t do much better.
See our NordicTrack Vault review for full impressions!
Fiture touts itself as the “most advanced interactive fitness mirror” on the market, and as you’ll find in our Fiture Interactive Smart Fitness Mirror review, it certainly possesses the futuristic fitness features and finely focused functionality you might expect from such a lofty claim. Boasting an ever-expanding library of on-demand workout classes, Fiture uses AI-powered Motion Engine tracking technology to enhance your workout experience in a variety of ways, which includes real-time form correction, rep counting, and a 43-inch high-resolution portal of pure productivity.
Inner tech aside, this is quite simply a gorgeous mirror, and it comes in five different colors (and two different sizes). The giant tablet is sleek and slim — 68 inches tall, 23 inches wide and just 1.6 inches thick for the larger model — and it’ll *ahem* fit right in with any surrounding furniture, no matter the style.
If you have more specific workout goals — or the sheer variety of Fiture’s classes just gives you analysis paralysis — there are pre-designed routines to choose from as well. These include varied programs (eg, Fiture Power, Fiture Sculpt, Fiture Restore) and more targeted series, such as Get In The Ring, which focuses on boxing.
Check out our Fiture Interactive Smart Fitness Mirror review for the full deets.
The Tonal fitness mirror is a state-of-the-art smart gym designed with one purpose in mind: rebuild your whole body from the ground up. Whereas competitors like the Tempo Studio and NordicTrack Vault utilize standalone towers to house the weights you’ll need for each workout, Tonal’s platform resembles the lululemon Mirror when not in use.
Like other fitness mirrors you'll find on this list, the 135-pound Tonal requires professional installation, which requires access to the proper wall studs. (The company recommends a 7 x 7-foot area in front of the machine, and ceilings at least 7 feet, 10 inches high.) Tonal’s complex system of digital mechanisms uses magnets and electricity to quickly adjust resistance as you go. So instead of swapping out dumbbells or weight plates between exercises, you swap out Tonal’s “smart” accessories — via the built-in T-lock adapters — that attach to the swingable arms.
Once each workout begins, weight resistance changes automatically; the machine utilizes 17 different sensors to provide real-time guidance customized to your personal movements and technique. Tonal’s tip-top team of trainers are refreshingly helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. This is important, because personal training is all about the genuine exchange of energy, even from afar.
What really makes Tonal stand out is its adaptive weight feature, which can provide graduated resistance (ie, time under tension) throughout the entirety of each and every rep, allowing for maximum efficiency on the machine’s part — and maximum effort on yours. If you’ve ever done negative rep bicep curls at the gym before, that’s the best way I can describe the burnout effect from Tonal’s adaptive resistance.
The lululemon Studio Mirror features a vast selection of classes and programs to try out. From cardio-based workouts to weight lifting and more, lululemon has partnered with eight dynamic studios to bring over 10,000 on-demand classes and workouts from over 60 fitness genres.
Mirror is sleek as hell, and nothing about it screams technology — or even fitness, for that matter. There's just no hiding a Peloton or Bowflex machine, but the Mirror is an under-the-radar piece of home decor that’s as fancy as it is functional. (The mirror itself measures 52 x 22 x 1.4 inches and weighs 70 pounds; it can be installed with a leaning stand, or mounted on the wall.)
If you prefer to work out from home, the Mirror lets you see what your form is supposed to look like on screen and then replicate it exactly. Mirror offers oodles of classes, ranging from 15-minute stretching sessions to quick ab circuits to hour-long cardio boot camps. As long as your fitness goals aren’t too hardcore, there's virtually something for everyone.
The monthly Mirror membership includes savings on lululemon gear, 20% off partnering studio locations, and early access to lululemon special events. It's important to note, however, that the benefits of the membership are subject to change at any time.
There are two versions of the Vaha Interactive Fitness Mirror: the VAHA X and the slightly smaller VAHA S, a more compact version with the same features, classes and trainers. Our first thought after powering up the Vaha Interactive Fitness Mirror was how svelte it looked. Even those who aren't interested in cutting-edge technology will be impressed by the Vaha X mirror: it has a commanding presence in the room, even when powered off.
The Vaha X has an integrated 43-inch full-HD touchscreen, four 64W speakers and a built-in 120-degree IMX Sony camera, which is powered off during live sessions. The mirror itself is made of glass in the front, and the eye-catching frame has a brushed aluminum bezel.
One of the most unique things about the Vaha Interactive Fitness Mirror is that the basic package includes a monthly 1-2-1 personal trainer session. Personal trainers are picked at the beginning when you set up the Vaha App and you can select from different specializations. (The Vaha App recommends trainers based on your fitness goals and personal stats.)
Watching workout videos on the Vaha Interactive Fitness Mirror is an interesting experience: you can't see anything else but the digital instructor hovering in the middle of the mirror. This is great for checking your own form during workouts since there are less distractions to look at. If you’ve ever used a smartphone, you’ll figure out how to operate the Vaha Interactive Fitness Mirror straight away.
Compared to its main American rivals – the Tonal and NordicTrack Vault – the Vaha Interactive Fitness Mirror offers plenty of functionality at a reasonable price.
How we test the best fitness mirrors
Before testing out a new fitness mirror, the first question we ask ourselves is, “Who was this device built for?” From that general perspective, we then evaluate the overall construction of each machine, taking into account any unique design choices or especially ergonomic features. (Such as wider viewing angles and larger touchscreen displays.)
Mobility is also a consideration. Some fitness mirrors (like Fiture) are easy enough to lean against any wall and relocate as you see fit, while others are completely immobile once assembled (like Tonal and the NordicTrack Vault). Once we’re done evaluating the overall aesthetics, it’s time to see what’s under the hood for each individual platform. After all, the best fitness mirror on the planet is nothing but a giant paperweight without the proper software implementation, not to mention a solid developer team on the backend to take care of firmware updates. The more extensive – and comprehensive – the workout selection, the better.
Once we have a full grasp of what each fitness mirror has to offer – both inside and out – it’s time to look at the cost of entry. Since the best fitness mirrors often cost north of $2K, such an investment better be backed by a decent warranty and plenty of extra features to justify the investment. (Not to mention those obligatory monthly memberships.)
How to buy the best fitness mirror for you
As a fat-burning platform, fitness mirrors are markedly less equipped than premium smart gyms like the Speediance Gym Monster or OxeFit XS1, but that’s because they’re also a fashion statement. If you’re already in the market for a full-length mirror, why not get one that doubles as a home gym?
Before pulling the trigger on your first fitness mirror, however, make a list of all of your favorite workouts, exercises and gym routines, then make a list of the gym gear you usually need to complete them. Next, ask yourself whether or not the fitness mirror in question – and its accompanying accessories – can replicate these exercises in some way.
For example, if the cable machine is your absolute favorite piece of old-school gym equipment, you might favor the wall-mounted Tonal over the dumbbell-based Vault, even though both machines are technically capable of overlapping training routines. (And similar Snow White-ish vanities.) If you feel most at home with a dumbbell or kettlebell in hand, however, the Vault might be a more suitable choice.
But that’s not all. Every fitness mirror on our shortlist is backed by its own unique team of professional coaches to help you achieve your daily, weekly and monthly goals; you should be just as picky when choosing the right fitness mirror to match your lifestyle as you would be hiring a human coach in real life. (It makes a difference on the motivational side of things to work out – virtually, that is – with other humans of similar body types.)
Are fitness mirrors just for yoga and stretching routines?
Not by a long shot! While weight training is often the focus for bulkier smart gyms like the Tempo Studio or OxeFit XS1, fitness mirrors tend to offer more content in the way of yoga, ab workouts, stretching, cardio, and other low-impact exercises to get the blood pumping. Every device on the list above offers on-demand classes with their memberships, but the best fitness mirrors also have live classes to boot (camp), and a good balance of strength training content to complement everything else.
Looking for the best running headphones to give your body and brain a bass boost? We've already beat you to the punch. And when you're ready to get your butt outside, we've got you covered for the best trail running shoes, too.
What is the best brand for fitness mirrors?
The market is become downright saturated with top-notch fitness mirrors, but Fiture, Tonal, lululemon, and Nordictrack have been dominating the American markets of late. Meanwhile, brands like Echelon, Vaha, and Pro-Form have been popular across the pond, with new competitors springing up all the time.
