FitReserve vs ClassPass

• April 2, 2017

FitReserve gave me no incentives or compensation for writing this post…I just thought others would find it interesting!

When ClassPass got rid of their unlimited class option, I knew I was going to have to make a switch. The maximum amount of classes offered per month is now ten (for $120/month), and if I wanted to go with that option, I would have had to buy another studio membership elsewhere. This was not something I was willing to do. And before you ask…no, I did not consider just getting a gym membership. My gym days are far behind me in the sense that I now recognize just how much better the workouts I get in classes are than doing weights, the StairMaster, etc, on my own. And I’m willing to pay a premium price to get those better workouts.

But I was NOT willing to pay over $200/month for fitness classes, so I decided to give FitReserve a try. The fact that the first month was 20% off gave me the extra push I needed to take the plunge, and I’m glad I did. FitReserve is currently active in Boston and NYC, and unlike ClassPass, they offer a 20 class package. It costs $185/month, but if you use all 20 classes, that comes out to less than $10/class…a steal when you think about the price of a membership at some studios. But ClassPass’ unlimited option was a steal too, so what makes FitReserve different from ClassPass? What are the pros, and cons, to making a switch?

Pros

FitReserve partners with some studios that aren’t on ClassPass. The most notable of those studios, for me, is the spinning studio B/SPOKE. The instructors and music are really motivating, the locker room amenities are fantastic, and the downtown location is super convenient for me because I can get there from work or home, and get back home, easily via bus.

You can go to a studio 4x/month…and that limit doesn’t even apply to some studios. ClassPass will only allow a member to go to each studio 3x/month. It sounds small, but that extra monthly class can really make a difference, especially because it allows FitReserve members to find a favorite class and go to it each week. Certain studios, like Turnstyle, don’t even have a limit. If I wanted to, I could use all 20 of my classes at Turnstyle. (I’m not saying I would, but just an example.) And that brings me to my next pro…

A lot of the studios I was visiting on ClassPass are on FitReserve. My routine hasn’t changed too much. Yes, I do miss being able to sign up for classes at Recycle Studio, Exhale, and Barry’s Bootcamp (which is on FitReserve in NYC…so I hope Boston is soon to come). But I also can still visit some studios that I was already frequenting, like Charlestown Cycling Club, Ride North End, and the aforementioned Turnstyle.

The cancellation policy is true to each studio. ClassPass has a blanket twelve hour policy that ignores the cancellation window at an individual studio. For example, Charlestown Cycling Club requires that a rider cancel class at least six hours in advance to avoid a penalty. ClassPass ignored that window, so if I cancelled say, eight hours before class, I was still charged a $15 cancellation fee. FitReserve has that same fee, but members are not charged as long as they follow the cancellation policy of the studio itself. That definitely comes in handy because if I go to bed not feeling too well or, I’ll be honest, stay out too late on a weeknight, I can sign up for one of those studios with a six hour cancellation window and know that I can cancel my after-work class if I wake up in the morning feeling like junk.

Cons

There is no FitReserve app, and the mobile experience isn’t too great. The ClassPass app was super nice and really convenient. I know FitReserve is in the process of developing one, but in the meantime I’d love to see them make their mobile site more user-friendly. The “slider” that selects a time window when searching for classes is not functional when I’m on my phone, and the text is so small that I need to zoom in.

That red circle is surrounding the time window slider that does NOT work on my phone.

I do miss some of my favorite studios. As I mentioned above, some spots I loved going to aren’t on FitReserve. I can only hope that the selection of studios offered expands as (hopefully) more people make the switch from ClassPass.

As you can see, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. As long as FitReserve’s pricing and class packages don’t change, I can see myself sticking with this membership for the foreseeable future.

Have you ever tried a membership like ClassPass or FitReserve?

What kind of changes to your fitness membership would make you consider a switch?