Everyone comes for your home gym. And want to take market share from Peloton.
The trend continues as Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE: NLS) announced a pair of Bowflex “attached” cardio machines aimed for us to live in the new, eternal reality of work from home.
First a treadmill. The T22 is priced at $ 2,699 and has a large built-in 22-inch HD touchscreen. It supports speeds of up to 19 km / h. In addition, there is a motorized incline and a folding system with wheels that make it easy to move around your training room. You can purchase the T22 directly from Bowflex. According to the company, it will also be available in retail outlets soon (no details yet).
Bowflex T22 treadmill
- Built-in 22-inch HD touchscreen for streaming endless entertainment.
- Speeds of up to 19 km / h with Comfort Tech ™ deck damping for a supportive landing.
- Motorized decrease / incline (-5 to 20%) for a variety of workouts.
- Features a 22 “x 60” walkway for longer strides.
- Carry the wheels to move the machine and a SoftDrop folding system for easy storage around the house.
- Built-in media shelf with accessory compartment, USB charging port and two water bottle holders.
- Includes heart rate handgrips and a Bluetooth® heart rate wristband for easy tracking.
- MSRP: $ 2,699
Next comes a combined elliptical stepper. For those who aren’t fans of a spin bike or treadmill, this could be an interesting option.
The Bowflex Max Trainer M9 has a compact design, a 10-inch HD touchscreen and 20 resistance levels. The M9 arrives later this month and costs $ 1,999.
Bowflex Max Trainer M9 cardio machine
- Built-in 10 “HD touchscreen.
- Combines the movements of an elliptical trainer and a stepper into a unique workout.
- Variety of positioned handlebars for versatility.
- Steel resistance dial for easy starting of the resistance levels (20) for training difficulties.
- Transport the bikes for easy storage around the house.
- Built-in media shelf with accessory compartment, USB charging port and two water bottle holders.
- The compact footprint allows easy storage around the home.
- MSRP: $ 1,999
In terms of content, both the T22 and the M9 are integrated into the JRNY fitness platform. In addition to trainer-led workouts, you can also access media content from providers like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Disney +. So, if you enjoy exercising while watching a show, you should be ready.
Subscriptions to JRNY are $ 19.99 per month or $ 149 per year.
Bowflex T22 treadmill touch screen and controls.
Strong insider take
Always good to see, more competition and more choice for consumers looking to stay in shape will endure COVID.
While spinbikes like those from Peloton, Echelon and NordicTrack make most of the headlines these days – and Peloton especially, of course – it’s easy to forget that there are other ways to exercise without a bike. Treadmills and ellipticals are the mainstays in gyms, so it’s not surprising that companies like Nautilus / Blowflex are expanding their home presence with more options.
Given the unique Bowflex M9 combination of elliptical trainer and stepper, there is no direct competition from Peloton here. This is a cardio option that is clearly aimed at those who enjoy climbing.
However, the Bowflex T22 is aimed at the entry-level peloton treadmill. Interestingly, it’s actually more expensive. The T22 is priced at $ 2,699 while the Peloton Tread is priced at $ 2,495.
So this is an interesting decision.
Bowflex sure has a brand name.
But Peloton is currently the front runner – at least in terms of PR and buzz.
And let’s not forget: Peloton also has very compelling content. Some of his instructors have become media treasure kids and Instagram breakout stars for a reason.
So that’s the big question here. Are JRNY courses as good, motivating and varied as Peloton? (Note: With a rating of 4.6 / 5.0 in the iOS App Store, the JRNY app appears to be excellent.)
If a buyer is going to be paying a premium, why not choose the most popular and best-rated option?
For now, at least, it seems that Nautilus, Inc. is positioning the Bowflex in the premium home fitness category. I think this decision is a smart move. There are apparently an infinite number of inexpensive Chinese competitors for bicycles, treadmills, and various other machines (Just search Amazon and discover an exploding market). To differentiate yourself, you sometimes have to move (or stay) in the market and hope that premium content will attract enough buyers rather than opting for a volume game.
In the meantime, another plot follows in this area: Will Apple eventually introduce its own fitness hardware (spin bike …) with its new Fitness + subscription model?
