How does it work? Cost, features, and differences

Peloton is probably best known for its original Peloton Bike, an at-home exercise bike that features a large screen on the front and rear speakers, allowing you to workout to one of the thousands of classes available through the Peloton All-Access membership.

The American company doesn’t just offer one bike now though. There are multiple at-home gym equipment options, as well as a separate app you can use on your mobile or tablet. Those of you who want to know more about Peloton should look no further. We’ve done the leg work for you (pun intended).

Here is everything you need to know about Peloton.

What is Peloton and what products does it offer?

• Bike, Bike+, Tread, Tread+, Row equipment
• Peloton Guide
• All-Access Membership
• Peloton Digital app
• Peloton accessories

Peloton makes at-home gym equipment, has an exercise app, and produces workout videos that customers can live-stream through Peloton products.

There are two exercise bikes available – Bike and Bike+ – and there were also two treadmill options – Peloton Tread and Peloton Tread+ – though the latter has been discontinued following some safety issues. There is also the Peloton Guide, which is a TV-connected camera that focuses on strength workouts and there is the Peloton Row too, though this is currently US only and not available in the UK or other regions currently.

Peloton also offers bike accessories, which include Peloton shoes, weights, headphones, a heart rate monitor and a bike mat. There are also resistance bands and Peloton apparel if you’re really keen. We have a couple of bits of apparel (yes we know, we are those people) and it’s actually remarkably comfortable.

Alongside the at-home gym equipment and accessories, Peloton also offers a mobile app that you can sign up for even if you don’t have the Peloton gym equipment. You can read more about the app a little further down.

What can the Peloton Bike and Bike+ do?

• 21.5 or 23.8-inch HD touchscreen
• Live and on-demand workouts
• All-Access Membership required

Peloton’s indoor exercise bikes are a stationary piece of at-home gym equipment with a large touchscreen attached. There are thousands of video sessions available through the Peloton All-Access Membership – more on that below – including short workouts for people with more limited schedules.

There are multiple fitness instructors to choose from for classes, recorded classes and music. It’s packed with plenty of other social features too, like the ability to virtually ride with friends, high five other members, as well as leaderboards with achievement badges.

The bikes require cleats, which are sold separately. And their handlebars only move up and down, not fore and aft – though the saddle moves forward and back. The screen on the original Bike is fixed in front of the handlebars, and it can’t be used for other purposes, such as watching YouTube videos or Netflix. The screen on the Bike+ rotates, but it is still only for the Peloton interface and not third party apps. For everything the Peloton Bike and Bike+ can do, we have a Bike tips and tricks feature.

What’s the difference between the Peloton Bike and Bike+?

• Bike+ has bigger rotating screen
• Bike+ has more speakers
• Bike+ has automatic resistance changing

As we’ve mentioned, Peloton has two exercise bikes in its range: the Peloton Bike and the Bike+.

Both bikes have the same 1200 x 600mm footprint, both come with Peloton app access and both have individual profiles for household access (up to six profiles can be added). They also both have delivery and assembly included in their prices and they both have access to thousands of Peloton classes.

The two bikes also have adjustable seats, handlebars and screens and they both have the same user requirements.

The main difference is the original Peloton Bike has a height adjustable 21.5-inch HD touchscreen, while the Bike+ has a rotating 23.8-inch HD touchscreen with 360-degrees of movement. The rotating screen means you can turn the display for when you are doing strength workouts or yoga or pilates for example, rather than bike workouts.

The Bike+ also comes with four-channel audio with two 3-watt tweeters and two 10-watt woofers, while the Bike offers just two 10-watt speakers. Additionally, the Bike+ has Apple GymKit integration – which is excellent in our experience – and a Resistance Knob with Auto Follow, which means the bike automatically adjusts the resistance to the instructors recommendation, while the original Bike requires you to do this manually.

In terms of specs, the Bike+ has a slightly faster processor than the Bike, double the RAM and a slightly higher resolution front camera. It also has Bluetooth 5.0 instead of Bluetooth 4.0 and it has a USB-C port for charging devices rather than a USB microport.

What can the Peloton Tread and Tread+ do?

• 23.8-inch or 32-inch HD screen
• 0-20mph speed
• All-Access Membership required

The Peloton Tread features a traditional running belt with 1500mm of running space, while the Peloton Tread+ has a shock-absorbing slat belt and a running space of 1700mm, though as we mentioned, the Tread+ has been discontinued.

The Tread has a 23.8-inch HD touchscreen, like the Bike+, while the Tread+ had a larger 32-inch HD touchscreen, and delivery and assembly are both included in the price. The Peloton Tread offers speeds between 0 and 20mph, with 0.1mph increments, which the Tread+ also offered.

There are adjustable knob controls, a jump button to increase the speed and incline by 1mph and 1 per cent, individual profiles for household access and Peloton app access, like the Bike and Bike+. You’ll also find speakers, port for charging devices, a front-facing camera, 3.5mm headphone jack and Bluetooth.

The classes – which are part of the All Access membership – include speed, fun runs, HIIT and bootcamp, among others. There are live and on-demand classes, and there is a variety of locations and scenery to choose from to keep things different. There’s also a live Leaderboard to keep you motivated, along with metrics including distance, speed, elevation and calories.

For everything the Peloton Tread can do, we have a Tread tips and tricks feature.

What’s the difference between the Peloton Tread and Tread+?

There are a few differences between the Peloton Tread and the Tread+. The Tread is the cheaper of the two options, and available in the UK and US, while the Tread+ was only available in the US, though as we’ve said, it is no longer available following some safety concerns.

Both have the same processor, RAM and internal storage and they both offer the same features, including access to the live classes and on-demand classes, in-workout metrics, individual profiles for household access, training programs and challenges and workout history.

The Tread is newer than the Tread+, has a USB-C port for charging devices, Bluetooth 5.0, an 8-megapixel front facing camera, built-in four digital microphone array and front facing stereo speakers with rear-facing woofers. It has a smaller screen compared to the Tread+ and it doesn’t have a Free Mode for pushing the slat belt on its own. As mentioned above, it also has a different belt to the Tread+ and it’s slightly smaller.

The Tread+ had a larger screen, Free Mode and a larger running space, as well as a shock-absorbing belt, but it offered a standard USB port for charging devices, Bluetooth 4.0 and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It also had a soundbar instead of front and rear speakers.

Other differences between the Tread and Tread+ are the Tread has a 3 HP DC motor and a screen adjustment between 0 and 50-degrees, while the Tread+ had a 2 HP DC motor and screen adjustment between 0 and 30-degrees. The Tread also has incline of 0 to 12.5 per cent, while the Tread+ offered 0 to 15 per cent.

The Tread is smaller and lighter, measuring 1727 x 838 x 1575mm and weighing 131.5kg. It has a step up height of 203mm. The Tread+ meanwhile, measured 1842 x 927 x 1829mm and weighed 206kg. It had a step up height of 292mm.

What is Peloton Row?

• 23.8-inch HD rotating screen
• Form Assist and Form Rating features
• All-Access Membership required

The Peloton Row is the company’s first rowing machine and it follows a similar design to the Bike, Bike+ and Tread offerings. There’s a 23.8-inch swiveling touchscreen like the Bike+ and it offers front and rear-facing speakers so you can hear the instructor and music loud and clear.

The Peloton Row has a footprint of 2440mm (8-foot) by 610mm (2-foot) so it’s relatively compact and it also has a folding arm for compact and upright storage.

Like other Peloton products, it requires a Peloton All-Access Membership which will deliver access to thousands of classes. The Peloton Row also has features like Form Assist to highlight ways to improve your form and Form Rating and Insights to track your progress and view your performance.

What about the Peloton Guide?

• £275/$295 one-off cost
• £24/$24 a month for All-Access Guide-only membership

We’ve got a separate feature on the Peloton Guide, but in a nutshell, the Guide is a TV-connected camera that can track your movements, rewarding you when you complete your reps. It is designed for strength training and there are numerous classes available with an interface similar to the other Peloton products.

It offers several features, such as Self Mode that allows you to see yourself on the screen alongside the Peloton instructor to check your form, while Body Activity shows the muscles you have worked and recommends other workouts to try to retain the balance. It’s worth mentioning that Body Activity is also available on the Peloton Bike, Bike+, Tread and Row equipment.

For everything the Peloton Guide can do, we have a Guide tips and tricks feature.

What is the Peloton Digital app and what does it offer?

• £12.99/$12.99 a month
• Over 10 workout types
• Doesn’t require Peloton products

Peloton Digital is an app for mobile devices and some streaming media devices. It works with Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Android TV, Chromecast and Apple Airplay.

It doesn’t require Peloton products and you can try it out for a month before you have to pay a monthly subscription. After the 30-day trial period, the Peloton Digital app costs £12.99/month in the UK or $12.99/month in the US. If you have the Peloton Bike, Bike+, Tread or Row, the Peloton Digital app is included within the Peloton All-Access Membership, which is required for the Peloton products.

The Peloton Digital app has over 10 workout types, including strength, stretching, bootcamp, cycling, outdoor running, yoga and meditation. You can work out alongside others, track your progress with metrics and you can challenge yourself and earn achievements.

The Peloton Digital app is available to download on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Amazon App Store and Roku.

How much do Peloton products and the Peloton subscription cost?

There are several packages available for the Peloton products, some of which include accessories, such as shoes and weights for the Bike and Bike+. Keep in mind that you will need the Peloton All-Access Membership on top of the products themselves.

The Peloton All-Access Membership costs £39/month in the UK and $39/month in the US. It includes access to the Peloton Digital app too.

Peloton Bike costs

The Peloton Bike starts at £1345/$1445 for the Bike Basics package. This includes the Peloton Bike, home delivery and a 12-month warranty.

The Bike Starter package is £1530/$1645. This includes the Peloton Bike, delivery, warranty, one pair of shoes, a set of light weights and a bike mat.

The Bike Select package is £1600 in the UK, but not an option in the US. It adds a heart rate monitor and CamelBak water bottle to the Starter package.

The Bike Ultimate package is £1680/$1825. This is the top package with the Peloton Bike, delivery, warranty, two pairs of shoes, a set of light weights, a heart rate monitor, a bike mat, a reversible workout mat and a set of dumbbells between 2.3kg to 13.6kg.

For those in the US, there is also the option of a Refurbished Bike that costs $1145. There is no trial though, with all sales final, but you do get home delivery, setup and a 12-month warranty.

Peloton Bike+ costs

The Peloton Bike+ Basics package is £1995/$2495. This includes the Peloton Bike+, home delivery and warranty.

The Peloton Bike+ Starter package is £2180/$2695. This includes the Peloton Bike+, home delivery, warranty, one pair of shoes, a set of light weights and a bike mat.

The Peloton Bike+ Select package is £2250 in the UK, though not an option in the US. This adds a heart rate band and Peloton CamelBak bottle to the Starter package.

The Peloton Bike+ Ultimate package is £2330/$2895. This includes the Pelton Bike+, delivery, warranty, two pairs of shoes, a set of light weights, a reversible workout mat, bike mat, heart rate strap and a choice of one set of dumbbells from 2.3kg to 13.6kg.

In the US, it’s also possible to buy a refurbished Peloton Bike+ for $1995. This includes home delivery and a 12-month warranty but you don’t have 30-days to decide if you like it.

Peloton Tread costs

The Peloton Tread Basics costs £3345/$3495. This includes the Peloton Tread, delivery and warranty.

The Peloton Tread Starters package is £3460/$3625. This includes the Peloton Tread, delivery, warranty, a set of dumbbells from 2.3kg to 13.6kg, a Peloton CamelBak water bottle and a reversible workout mat.

The Peloton Tread Select package is £3570/$3740. This adds another pair of dumbbells and a heart rate monitor to the Starters package.

The Peloton Tread Ultimate package is £3620/$3820. It adds another set of dumbbells, yoga blocks and a yoga strap to the Select package.

Peloton Row costs

As we mentioned, the Peloton Row is exclusive to the US currently so there is no pricing for the UK as yet.

The Peloton Row Basics package costs $3195 and it includes the Peloton Row, delivery and setup, as well as a 12-month warranty.

The Peloton Row Starter package costs $3270 and adds a row mat and a sport water bottle to the Basics package.

The Peloton Row Select package costs $3520 and adds a reversible workout mat, set of dumbbells and a heart rate band to the Starter package.

The Peloton Row Ultimate package costs $3570 and adds yoga blocks and a yoga strap to the Select package.

Peloton Guide costs

The Peloton Guide starts at £225/$195 for the device only, along with a 12-month warranty. This is cheaper than when it first launched with initial prices at £275 in the UK and $295 in the US.

The Guide Starter package that includes the Guide, along with a reversible workout mat and two sets of dumbbells costs £380/$370.

The Guide Select package costs £440/$445 and adds a third set of dumbbells along with a Peloton CamelBak water bottle.

The Guide Ultimate package costs £660/$695 and adds three more sets of dumbbells – making it six sets in total – along with a heart rate band.

You also need the Peloton All-Access Membership like the Bike, Tread and Row options. For Guide-only users, this costs £24/$24 a month.

If you are already an All-Access Member and have another piece of Peloton equipment, you don’t pay anymore for Guide access.