Smart mirrors are the newest fitness craze. What makes them awesome, you might ask? You have the ability to work out at home with trainers who teach you the right way to exercise… My Top Fitness has compiled a list of everything you need to know about these high-tech mirrors so lets dive right in. For those who need just a traditional Mirror, check out the top 11 best home gym mirrors.

What Are Smart Mirrors (Interactive Mirrors)

Interactive mirrors are considered to be”smart” like high-tech phones and watches. Think of them as a giant, mirror-length tablet that display different workout videos. These mirrors are marketed to give you everything your gym has to offer. In fact, it is a way to get the personalization of a trainer within the confines of your own home.

The really awesome thing about these mirrors is that they track your performance and form, with the assistant of virtual trainers, so that you know you are doing your exercises correctly. If you are still on the fence about letting go of your gym membership in lieu of a home gym, consider weighing the pros and cons.

Pros of Interactive Mirrors

There are many exciting features that interactive mirrors can offer people who want to work out. The smart mirrors are a great way to exercise whether you are a novice to the fitness world or a gym rat. One of the most positive parts of the invention of smart mirror technology is that you can work out in the privacy of your own home in a non-judgmental setting.

In Home Personal Trainer

For those of you who are already familiar with gyms, many of these mirrors can give you the same experience through the usual of A.I. (artificial intelligence). A.I. offers resistance ready work outs for using ropes, kettle bells, and weight lifting. The really amazing part of this technology is that it will suggest to you the amount of resistance needed for your personal exercise regime. It is also tailored specifically to you. Have you always wanted the results that a personal trainer could offer, but could not afford it? With a home gym’s interactive mirror capabilities, you now have the personal trainer you have always wanted.

Tech Savvy Features

Aside from the personalization factor, if you are already tech savvy, this technology will be easy to use. For those of you who have a smart phone or watch, this technology will be easy to use. If you are still behind in terms of technology, you may have trouble setting up your mirror and using many of their features to the full extent.

Many of the interactive mirrors that will be discussed later work with smart devices. These pairings allow the user to track their length of exercise, heart rate, calories, and make you accountable.

No Excuses

There are no excuses. Many of us complain that we are often too busy to visit the gym. We waste tons of money every year for gym memberships, only to frequent them before the holidays or important events. This makes the gym membership you have had not even beneficial. You are not helping yourself or living healthier if you are not hitting the gym multiple times a week. With an interactive mirror in your own home, there is no excuse not to have the results or the body that you have always wanted.

Smart Mirror Cons

Throughout all of the research on home gym smart mirrors, there is very little negative information. As for some of the more negative parts of any home gym mirror, there is little to no contact with actual people. For some of, whether you are single or just enjoy the comradery and competition of group fitness, this can be a drawback.

Cost and Space

Some people are initially surprised by the price of these smart mirrors. While the upfront cost can be staggering, if you look at it in terms of monthly payments, it really is about the same price as a monthly gym membership. Another negative to contemplate before making the plunge into smart fitness is that you will need space. For those of you who live in small apartments, this may not be feasible. You need enough room to do workouts, whether you are into Zumba, Pilates, or kickboxing.

Accessories and Trainer Interference

There are also accessories you can purchase in order to get the full benefits of going to the gym. The actual mirror doesn’t take up much space and if you want, you can forego installation fees and do it yourself. This saves you over $100. Another drawback that some users may have is that the image of the trainer is over their own image. Users may not want to see the image of a perfect looking body layered over their own.

Differing Smart Mirror Brands and Features

There are several different brands of smart mirrors that are on the market. They range in cost, features, and technology.

Forme Smart Mirror

The least well-known of the interactive mirrors, is from the brand Forme. The mirror will officially be launching in 2020, amidst many others. It’s success will be determined on how well it will hold up against home gym mirrors that tout high-intensity workouts with big results. The sticker price of this new mirror is shocking, coming in at almost $6,000. It is also the most expensive of the home gyms.

This mirror is made to be an all-encompassing strength training home gym. It also is a full-length mirror when it isn’t in operation. This mirror was created by Yves Behar, a notable designer and entrepreneur. He designed it so that it would not only be a source of exercise, but would be aesthetically pleasing to add to your home.

Forme differs from other home gyms in that the focus is not on high-intensity workouts. For those of you who love Barre, Pilates, and yoga, this machine would be beneficial. Forme’s niche is that it has a multitude of classes for all fitness levels which include an array of low-impact exercises. This machine is designed to create a lean form.

Forme’s future in the realm of technology, hopes to incorporate virtual health professionals so that people will be healthy in body and mind.

Tonal

Tonal is another brand of smart mirror. It is much better in price than Forme, coming in at $3,700. It also will include a $49 per month subscription fee. Tonal has some amazing features despite not having as many workout routines available. It only has a few hundred compared to Peleton’s thousand. There are also no live classes available.

The A.I. technology allows you to get the burning sensation from resistance workouts. The option to lift weights can add resistance as you become more comfortable and want to increase the intensity of your exercise program. Tonal is a great brand to purchase because of the amount of accessories it offers. It has arm weights that attach to the mirror, benches, mats, and a whole host of other items to provide you with a total body workout.

Mirror

Mirror is the most impressive of the smart mirrors. It is much more reasonably priced, at $1,495, plus the $39 per month subscription for classes. Its’ brand has thousands of workouts, just like Peleton. It has a wide variety of class offerings, ranging from kickboxing, to Pilates, and strength training. One of its most notable features is that it is customizable.

You can choose what level of class you would like to try. Whether you are a novice to exercising or a particular type of class, there are many modifications to its offerings. It has a personal trainer who both motivates you and pushes you. This is one of the best parts of smart technology. You have the access to have a personalized workout just for your goals and your body.

Additional features include weight training and synchronization with smartwatches and phones. It will track your heart rate throughout your workout and your calories burned, just as your watch does. The most interesting part of this is the use of A.I. or artificial intelligence to adapt to your workouts.

Echelon Reflect

The Echelon Reflect is the newest mirror on the market. It is said to rival that of the Mirror. The price of Echelon Reflect is comparable to that of Mirror and you have a few size options that are under the $1000 mark.

The standard size of Echelon Reflect is 50 inches across. It is heavier than a flat screen television, but can be easily mounted to a wall with the proper support. The Reflect shows your reflection as you exercise, just as some of the others do. It also has live classes available.

One of its most unique features is the smart bike. Unlike Mirror and the other smart mirrors, this one was made to easily connect with Echelon and will enhance your fitness goals more so than with Mirror. The accessories that are available with the other smart mirrors don’t necessarily connect and track your workout as easily or accurately as this one.

Echelon’s fitness classes tout more unique options than some of the others. It has meditation classes, Barre, and several others. While there is no exact count as to how many classes are available, their library of fitness is constantly increasing, so you will never be bored. It also encourages users who are traveling to have a FastPass to their workout library. You can access this feature from your phone or laptop if you aren’t near your equipment.

Accessorizing Your Smart Mirror Experience

Adding accessories will help to amp up your interactive fitness experience. When you purchase the mirror, it will not come with the weights, ropes, bikes or other workout accessories. The Mirror does come with the armband, which monitors your heart rate, but you will have to purchase everything else separately.

While these accessories can run around $100, they are worth it so that you get the full impact of rigorous exercise. If you have to choose what accessories are the most important, weights will be very beneficial for resistance training. As previously discussed, the Reflect offers a smart bike. It would be a welcomed addition for strength and endurance training. Some other smart accessories include rowing machines, benches, rollers, and treadmills.

As most of the mirrors are heavily focused towards functional fitness, check out the top 11 best functional fitness equipment for your home gym… Or grab some bestselling equipment from Amazon:

Conclusion

Smart mirrors can be a great addition to your home gym experience. From at home trainers to self paced workout programs, the allure is in the accountability these mirrors offer. If you are an early adopter, jump right in and get an interactive mirror. For those who want to wait, you can rest assured that smart mirrors will become more prevalent. In the meantime, grab some dumbbells and keep working on your fitness core.

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