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Who could have predicted that combining the modern technology of an LCD screen with the traditional functionality of a mirror would create one of the best fitness devices of all time?
We did!
We’ve been following the at-home fitness industry for years and we knew that fitness mirrors were going to make it big from day one. Of course, it’s about more than just combining a mirror and a TV screen. It’s the opportunity to live stream a fitness class right in your living room. The ability to view live feedback of your motions alongside the flawless movements of an instructor. And the tech needed to communicate with a host of fitness apps, devices, and machines.
We never questioned whether the fitness mirror was going to be a big deal. But have always questioned which fitness mirror is going to be the best. A few different manufacturers have already hit the market and we are honestly blown away by every one of them. That’s why we always enjoy reviewing these devices and sharing our insight before our readers make a purchase of their own.
Today is no different. We are going to look at one of the leading fitness mirrors on the market today: The ProForm Vue. Hopefully, you can use what you learn here to make a more informed purchase when you decide to take the plunge and add a fitness mirror to your home gym.
What Is The ProForm Vue?
This is one of the newest fitness mirrors to hit the market, but it’s coming from a manufacturer that’s been around for a long time. The ProForm company has been in business since the 1970s, though the name itself wasn’t seen until the 1980s. They have built a strong reputation selling high-quality exercise bikes, rowing machines, treadmills, and HIT trainers.
In terms of functionality, the Vue is on par with all of the big competitors. It is capable of streaming live and on-demand fitness courses, can communicate with other ProForm equipment, and constantly provides visual feedback to the user. The Vue can easily become the heart and soul of any smart home gym and ProForm will undoubtedly release more connected equipment that will work alongside the Vue in the future.
The Vue is lightweight, compact, and incredibly sleek. Simply put: it looks good. You might even be tempted to leave it on display in the living room despite having a dedicated home gym. And if you don’t have a dedicated home gym, then you can easily set up the Vue in just about any room in the house.
The ProForm Vue is the perfect starting point for any home gym collection. The mirror doesn’t require any additional equipment to function, yet its usefulness increases as your collection of equipment increases.
It can be used to enhance nearly any workout routine. Whether you’re on an intensive cardio routine to burn fat or trying to gain muscle with strength training; the Vue has a program for you.
Perhaps one of the most important advantages of the Vue is that it reflects your movements alongside the instructor’s. Poor form can significantly decrease the effectiveness of an exercise and even pose a safety risk when weights are involved.
Being able to see your reflection as you exercise helps you to catch mistakes in real-time and make adjustments. Chances are, you’ll notice a significant improvement in form over time that will stick with you even when you’re not using the Vue. And an improvement in form ultimately means an improvement in the efficiency of the exercise and thus faster, more noticeable results.
How Do The iFit Workouts Work?
Each fitness mirror works with a companion software program capable of streaming classes or videos. Without the program, the mirror would essentially just be a mirror. The differences in these apps are generally some of the biggest differences from one mirror to the next. Some companies choose to use their own dedicated apps while others work with a third-party provider.
ProForm is one of the companies that work with a third-party app. In particular, they rely on the iFit app. Working with a third-party app actually has a few important benefits. First, it means that ProForm can focus entirely on designing quality equipment while the software company can focus on designing and maintaining the app.
It also means they have access to a much larger library of videos than they otherwise would. Remember, this mirror hasn’t been out for long. If they had launched their own companion app alongside the mirror it would likely have a very minimal course selection.
Instead, anyone who purchases a ProForm with iFit will immediately have access to more than 14,000 on-demand training videos. And there are more than 100 new videos added each month. Some of the available categories include event training, strength training, cycling, running, yoga, and general fitness.
Overall, we think that the iFit app is one of the best fitness training programs on the market. As we’ve already mentioned, the selection of content is massive and constantly expanding. But it has a lot more to offer than just pre-recorded videos.
There are also dozens of live instructor-led courses going on throughout the day. All that you need to do is navigate to the live schedule, find a trainer or workout type that you like, and join the workout. If the workout hasn’t gone live yet you can simply set a reminder and return later.
Another interesting feature of iFit that we really enjoyed was their destination workouts. We’ve certainly felt a bit claustrophobic over the last year as we’ve been encouraged to stay indoors more and more. These destination workouts gave us a chance to run a treadmill in New Zealand and then relax with some yoga in New York. It was a much-needed change of pace and helped us to stay motivated during some particularly tough sessions.
What Are The Various Workout Options?
Between the functionality of the mirror and the workout programs included with iFit, there are hardly any limitations on what is possible. We were able to find a workout program that we liked in just about every category. This means you can focus entirely on reaching your specific goals without feeling limited by the mirror’s capabilities.
However, you will be limited by the equipment you have available to work alongside the mirror. Without any additional equipment, you will be limited entirely to bodyweight exercises. Luckily, the iFit catalog has hundreds of videos that don’t require any additional equipment at all. A few of the available workout options that won’t require additional equipment include:
- Dance cardio
- Yoga
- Tai Chi
- Boxing
- Bodyweight strength training
Another piece of good news that we found reassuring was that the ProForm Vue actually ships with a few small weights included. It’s a fairly limited selection and will hardly be enough for someone used to lifting a significant amount of weight, but it will provide a perfect start for someone new to weightlifting. In either case, we would advise investing in additional weights and bars if you are serious about adding muscle mass.
Is Their Extra Equipment Needed?
Additional equipment isn’t necessary at all, but it’s highly recommended if you want to fully take advantage of the mirror’s capabilities. The ProForm can communicate with your phone or tablet using Bluetooth and with the iFit app, you’ll be able to combine data from all of your connected smart equipment.
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ProForm has already released a few additional pieces of equipment designed to work with the iFit app. One of their best-selling products is the ProForm studio bike. With a little help from iFit, you can take full advantage of all that the Vue and Studio Bike have to offer. And you won’t have to rely on the smaller LCD screen on the bike when you have a 60″ fitness mirror streaming the program instead.
The same logic applies to each of the main categories of equipment provided by ProForm. Using iFit and the ProForm Vue you can improve your exercise routine with:
- ProForm Pro 2000 Treadmill
- ProForm Carbon E7 Elliptical
- ProForm Carbon HIIT H7 HIT Trainer
- ProForm Pro R10 Rower
Of course, you don’t actually need connected smart equipment to train in conjunction with the ProForm Vue. We’ve heard of many people who use it simply to stream the on-demand workout that they perform on their more traditional elliptical or rowing machine. The mirror still works perfectly fine for streaming the program and still provides helpful visual feedback as you exercise.
And many people choose not to use any of these heavy devices in front of the mirror. After all, it requires moving either the equipment or the mirror if you want to change. They instead use the mirror for weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, resistance exercises, and other workouts that don’t require additional equipment.
This flexibility is what makes a fitness mirror such an exceptional workout tool. Anyone can find a way to use it in whatever way best suits them. What’s most important is that it helps you stay motivated and stay in form. Whether you want to use it with weights, with a smart bike, or with nothing at all; that’s entirely up to you.
Why I Love The ProForm Vue
There are clearly a lot of reasons to love the Vue. And I’m confident that you’ll end up loving the Vue too if you give it a chance. Let me highlight the top three reasons why I think this is currently the best fitness mirror available.
- Affordable And Functional
The ProForm isn’t the cheapest fitness mirror out there, but it’s close to it. What surprised me more than its low price was the depth of its functionality. In general, cheaper gym equipment tends to lack the sophisticated features of the more expensive competition. It’s a great way to cut costs.
The Vue has all of the same advanced features as the competition and, in some cases, a bit more. For example, it has touch screen capabilities, which is something not all of its competitors can
claim.
- Some Weights Included
This is great if you’re investing in the Vue as the start of your home gym. It ships with a 10-pound bar, two dumbbells weighing 5 pounds each, and a set of 2.5-pound weights for the bar. It’s only a small collection but it’s still a great start.
- iFit App is Awesome
This quickly became my favorite fitness app and I have tried a few of them. It’s not only the size of their on-demand catalog but the fact that it’s growing at an incredible rate. There are roughly 100 new videos added to the library every month. You’ll never have to worry about your routine growing stale or repetitive because you’ll have something new to try every month.
RELATED READING: ProForm Vue vs Echelon Reflect
Any Cons?
As much as we love the ProForm Vue we understand that no product is without its flaws. Luckily, the flaws of the Vue are easy to overlook when considering all of the amazing advantages that it has. Here are what we consider to be the main disadvantages of the Vue.
- Mat and heart rate monitor are not included.
We would consider these essential pieces of equipment that most mirrors include with the purchase. Most people probably have their own mat and smartwatch that they prefer to use but it would still be nice to see some basic variations ship with the Vue for those who don’t.
- Fewer options for advanced users.
The ProForm Vue is clearly designed for the beginner. It ships with only 30 pounds of weight and it focuses primarily on introductory courses. There are plenty of advanced courses hidden in the iFit app but it will take some digging to find them. Joining online discussion boards does make finding these courses somewhat easier.
How Much Space Do You Need?
The Vue does not take up much space at all. If you are operating it without equipment then you’ll only need the space for the mirror and a few feet in front where you can perform your exercises. The mirror is 24″x60″ and is very thin.
We advise putting a safe distance between yourself and the mirror especially if you’re exercising with weights. Superstition claims that breaking a normal mirror can lead to seven years of bad luck. We’d hate to think of how much longer it would last if you broke an advanced fitness mirror.
Is It Hard To Set Up And Use?
Not at all. However, it is considered a two-person job. The most difficult part of the assembly is placing the mirror onto the base, which is fairly heavy. The base is sturdy enough to prevent the mirror from shaking or falling even during an intense workout session.
ProForm makes assembly easier with the help of the BILT app. They use this app for most of their fitness equipment. You download the app, scan the QR code on the VUE, and you’ll be guided through a 3D assembly tutorial.
How Much Does It Cost?
Despite its advanced nature, the Vue is actually cheaper than some of the other fitness equipment sold by ProForm. Currently, it’s priced at $1,499. That’s the same price as the ProForm Studio Bike Pro 22, which would also make a great addition to your home gym when you’re ready.
That price also includes a full year’s membership to the iFit app. The app regularly costs $39/month or $180/year. The single app membership will work with all of your connected devices and is even great for exercising when you’re out of town and can’t bring the mirror along.
We consider this a great price overall. We know of one major brand that beats the price of the Vue, but only by $5 and it doesn’t have touchscreen technology. It also doesn’t ship with any additional equipment like the Vue. In comparison, other major brands price their fitness mirrors between $1,800 and $2,400.
Reasons You Should Consider Buying A ProForm Vue
We’ve covered a lot of great benefits for the Vue as well as a couple of its problem areas. Let’s take a second to look back at the major reasons for purchasing this fitness mirror.
- You want to improve your form and get the best possible results from your workouts.
- You want to participate in live, instructor-led classes with personal trainers around the world.
- You want to enjoy working out in Paris, Hawaii, or New Zealand without ever actually leaving your home.
- You want a single smart device to serve as the hub for other connected workout equipment.
Summary
The ProForm Vue may be new to the market, but we firmly believe it will set itself apart from the competitors in no time at all. The ProForm brand is already well known for building affordable, long-lasting equipment.
The Vue seems to follow this familiar formula and that’s great news. The Vue may not be the ideal investment for professional athletes or bodybuilders with advanced workout routines.
But for everyone else who is stuck at home and eager to get in shape, we highly recommend the ProForm Vue.
Is Vue our Top-Rated fitness mirror? Find out below:
