Peloton bike review

Peloton is one of the biggest names in exercise equipment, with its high-end exercise bikes grabbing the attention of fitness fanatics.

The company was founded in 2012, and it quickly became a household name by complementing the standard exercise bike experience with livestreamed and on-demand classes, app interactivity, and statistical monitoring for users. Peloton's ambition was to bring the gym class to your home, customised for every user.

Until now, Peloton's main focus has been exercise bikes, and it's one of the most premium brands in this area – although it's now venturing into treadmills with the Peloton Tread (more on this below). 

If you're interested in buying an exercise bike but Peloton prices are a bit steep, we've looked at models to suit all budgets in our guide on how to buy the best exercise bike.

Peloton satisfaction survey results

Which? members can log in to reveal how Peloton scored in our exercise equipment brand satisfaction survey. If you're not yet a Which? member, try Which? to access the results. 

Table notes: Scores are based on an online survey of 3,548 members of the public in October 2020. Sample size for brand shown in brackets. Customer score: based on satisfaction with the brand and likelihood to recommend. Ease of use: the brands that scored highly in our survey had products that were rated as easy to use on a day-to-day basis. Build quality: brands that scored highly in this area had products that were rated as well made and designed. Value for money: high-scoring brands had products that were rated as worth the money they cost to buy.

You can see how Peloton's scores compared with those of more than 20 other exercise bike brands in our full guide on how to buy the best exercise bike. 

What is a Peloton exercise bike?

Peloton offers two models of exercise bike. 

The Peloton Bike 

This the classic upright exercise bike with a 22-inch HD monitor for streaming classes on-demand. Classes range from beginners' tutorials to high-intensity sessions filmed at Peloton's New York City studio.  

The bike has an adjustable seat, handlebar and screen, along with a 'near-silent' belt drive. 

Head over to Peloton's website to find out more and buy the Peloton Bike.

The Peloton Bike+ 

This is an even more premium product that expands on the standard Peloton's features. 

It has a 24-inch touchscreen that can fully rotate so you can get off the bike and complete strength and flexibility exercises from the floor while watching the screen. 

The Bike+ also works with an Apple Watch to transmit live data to it, and it has an automatic resistance adjustor that co-ordinates with the class you're streaming to vary exercise according to the instructor's callout. 

Find out more and buy the Peloton Bike+ on Peloton's website.

How much is a Peloton Bike?

The Peloton Bike costs from £1,350, and the Peloton Bike+ costs from £2,295. Both can be paid for on a monthly basis, over 12, 24 or 39 months with 0% APR. 

You'll also need to buy Peloton's 'All-Access' membership (required with bike purchases), which costs £39 per month. This lets you access Peloton's classes and its on-the-go app for working out remotely. If several people in a household use the Peloton, every member can set up their own profile with their own preferences. 

Peloton recalls Peloton Treads in UK due to safety issues

7 May 2021: UK owners of Peloton Treads have been advised to stop using their treadmills and all Peloton Treads sold in the UK have been recalled.

In a statement on Peloton’s website, the company urges owners of the Peloton Tread not to use their equipment because ‘the touchscreen may become loose and fall off, posing a risk of injury.’ Twelve injuries have been reported in the UK. 

Peloton Tread customers in the UK should stop using the treadmill immediately and get in touch with Peloton. We expect the company to act swiftly to resolve this issue for any affected customers.

Peloton Treads have also been recalled in the US, along with the Peloton Tread+, which is not sold in the UK and has been recalled for different reasons (for more information about the Tread+ recall, scroll down to 'Peloton US treadmill recall').

Existing Peloton Tread owners can choose between refund or repair

In its statement, Peloton has said that existing owners should stop using their Tread and ensure that no one else uses it.

Customers can choose from one of the following redress options 

• Full refund: anyone that wishes to return their Tread for a full refund can do so by using its Tread refund request link
• Wait for free repair: Peloton says it is working to make a repair available in the coming weeks, free of charge. Until this repair is applied to your Tread, it should not be used.

To request a refund or a repair, you can also call Peloton’s customer services team on 0808 169 6469.

It is not currently possible to purchase the Peloton Tread from Peloton’s website.

If you need help, our advice on your rights if there’s a safety warning or product recall can help you to navigate a product recall.

Peloton US treadmill recall

On 17 April 2021, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a warning about the use of the Peloton Tread+ treadmill in homes with small children or pets. 

The CPSC warning was due to reports of ‘one death and dozens of incidents of children being sucked beneath the Tread+’. Full details are available in the CPSC press release.

However, Peloton did not recall the Tread+ in the US until May. In a statement on 5 May, Peloton acknowledged that it made a mistake in its initial response to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s request that it recall the Tread+. 

Peloton has also recalled the Peloton Tread in the US, under a separate safety recall relating to the risk of the touchscreen on the treadmill detaching and fall, posing a risk of injury to consumers. 

The company’s full response in relation to both recalls is available in Peloton’s press release. 

Staying safe when you use treadmills

All treadmills can pose a safety risk to children and pets when safety precautions aren't followed. 

With any treadmill, it’s important to remove and secure the safety key out of reach of children when it’s not in use, stay vigilant of others’ safety when it’s in use, and follow manufacturer instructions at all times.

Treadmill belts are usually raised from the floor, and the underside of a treadmill belt travels in a forward direction. This means that small items can become trapped and forcefully pulled underneath. 

Manufacturers have a legal duty to follow minimum safety standards when they make treadmills. 

Our advice on the Consumer Protection Act 1987 tells you about your legal rights if a defective product causes bodily harm.

Peloton memberships

Peloton offers two forms of membership; both are pay-monthly subscriptions. The subscription plan that best suits you depends on whether or not you own any Peloton home gym equipment. If you want access to the Peloton app but you don't want a Bike or Tread, then the Digital Membership is aimed at you.

Peloton All-Access membership

Peloton's All-Access membership costs £39 a month and it needs to be purchased with a Peloton Bike or Tread. It's required to access Peloton classes and performance metrics through your Peloton exercise equipment. If you're paying for an All-Access membership, then you get a Digital Membership (see below) as part of the package. 

Peloton Digital membership

You can sign up to the Peloton Digital Membership on the Peloton website. There's a 30-day free trial, and after that you can subscribe for £12.99 a month. You don't need to have a Peloton bike or treadmill – it can be used independently of any Peloton exercise equipment. 

Digital membership lets you stream Peloton classes live or on-demand to your phone, tablet or television via the Peloton app. There are both Apple and Android versions of the Peloton app, and it can also be used through Fire tablets and TVs, plus Roku TVs.

Peloton app: what features does it offer? 

Among the app's features are classes for running, cycling, yoga and high-intensity interval training.

• Guided programs take place over several months to help you achieve fitness goals.
• Metrics allow you to track your performance by monitoring speed and pace, distance travelled, heart rate, elevation and more. 
• Mapping functions let you see your journey on a map to help you plan routes and visualise your routine after you've finished. 
• Achievements help you to track and celebrate your progress with badges.
• Social functions let you follow, and be followed by, other app users, and you can share fitness updates and interact through hashtags. 

The app interacts with compatible heart rate monitors and cadence sensors via Bluetooth connectivity, so you can feed it information from your fitness hardware in real time. The app also offers integration with Apple Health.

Free alternatives to Peloton's app

The Peloton app is one among many when it comes to fitness help. It's also on the pricier side. Unlike some other apps, it doesn't offer a mix of free and premium features. After the trial, you need to pay for membership to access any of its features.

Below, we've highlighted s selection of popular fitness apps that offer some or all of their functionality free of charge. Bear in mind that with free fitness apps, as with most free apps, you'll probably have to put up with ads for in-app purchases; some also offer a premium version with no ads. 

• Gymshark caters for strength trainers with a range of bodyweight and weight-assisted routines, as well as high-intensity interval training workouts.
• MyFitnessPal focuses on diet. It lets you create a food diary by scanning barcodes and adding meals manually, so you can track nutritional information. Its premium option, for £7.99 a month, is ad-free and includes deeper insights, such as macronutrient tracking and exercise classes for cardio and strength training.
• Strava offers metric tracking, mapping and social features free of charge. It has premium features, such as recommended routes based on other Strava users, goal setting and a training dashboard for £4 a month (when paid for annually). 

For satisfaction results for all equipment types, plus a selection of home gym equipment to suit different budgets, read our how to set up a home gym guide.

Product prices last checked in December 2021.