What we like about it: The Tempo Studio is a smart home gym that resembles an armoire, meant to blend in with your home. It’s an ideal smart home gym to own, whether you’re new or experienced with strength training. The Tempo Studio’s basic package comes well-equipped with two dumbbell bars, weight collars and five sets of weight plates from 1.25 to 25 pounds.
The Tempo Studio is designed to hold all of its equipment neatly, so you won’t need to worry about it being spread across your living room floor. The top part of the studio consists of the touchscreen, while the bottom part has a cabinet that stows the weight plates out of sight. The back of the Tempo Studio has slot-like compartments that hold the barbell and dumbbell bars securely and safely in place. I recommend making sure you have room for the Tempo Studio before purchasing because the stand itself is large, and you also need an additional 6 feet of space in front of the screen so your body can be detected during a workout.
What makes the Tempo Studio stand out as ideal for strength training is that it uses artificial intelligence with 3D sensors to provide feedback on your form and movement during class. It can also count your reps and detect the dumbbell weights you’re using. I was impressed by the feedback it gave me while doing a leg workout. Although it can be challenging to stay within the 6-foot parameters of the screen, the device can detect your movement and tell you if your form needs improvement or if it’s on par. It can also read the weights you’re using and recommend whether you should go heavier or lighter next time. It functions like a personal trainer and is helpful if you’re new to strength training or want reinforcement on your form with certain exercises.
There are various live and on-demand classes you can choose from, including HIIT, bodyweight strength, bodyweight cardio, weightlifting, yoga, boxing, stretching and meditation. Additionally, you can customize your workout experience by creating a program based on how many days a week you want to work out and for how long, and you can split them up by body part and rest days. If you want to exercise without personalization, you can still filter the collection of workouts by activity, modifications needed (for example: lower-back friendly, pregnancy-safe), the coach and equipment.
Who it’s best for: The Tempo is best for someone who wants to strength train at home and wants a personal trainer feel to their workouts. If you have the room for it, it makes a great addition to an existing or new home gym. It comes with all the equipment you could need and stores away easily and neatly.
Compared to some other smart home gyms, the Tempo personalizes your experience and gives you a taste of group fitness classes so you never get bored. The Tempo Studio memberships start at $139 (including a $100 equipment fee) a month with a 12-month commitment. After 12 months, the equipment is yours to keep, and the monthly cost is $39 for the training subscription. It lets you create up to six profiles, so everyone in your home can use it. Tempo also has an app that you can download (available for iOS and Android) and use while you’re traveling.
Who should avoid it: I would not recommend this smart home gym if you have limited space because it is 6 feet x 2 feet 2 inches x 1 foot 4 inches and weighs 100 pounds without the weights or accessories. Instead, if you really want to try the Tempo and have a small area to work with, I’d opt for the Tempo Move (the smaller version of the Studio). The Tempo Studio is an investment, so it’s not worth buying if strength training isn’t your preferred form of exercise.
