These days, many people who previously went to the gym to get a good workout have opted for at-home alternatives. Sounds like an easy enough solution—until you start shopping for gym equipment and realise that, no matter what exercise bike or rowing machine you buy, it’ll take up way too much space, and look pretty unappealing while doing it. Hence why most opt to turn their basement into a fitness room. That way, all of the bulky equipment can be kept in one place, and it won’t disrupt a living room or lounge’s aesthetic flow.
It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Some fitness gear incorporates luxe materials like leather, oak and crystal. Others are distinctly minimalist, so they’re smartly designed to take up less space in a larger room. Here, a closer look at five of our favourite workout machines that prioritise both style and substance.
Ciclotte Teckell, Ciclotte
Photo: Ezio Manciucca
It looks like a souped-up unicycle, but hey, that’s more than most spin bikes can say in terms of aesthetics. Ciclotte’s latest edition is the only exercise bicycle made of crystal, so it resembles a seemingly infusible ice sculpture (with what looks like dino horns attached) when not in use. Naturally, such a unique piece is the result of two Italian design houses, not just one: Ciclotte teamed up with foosball-table maker Teckell for the project. Starting at about approx. $19,100; ciclotte.com
The Studio Lift, Forme Life
Photo: Dillon Padgette
Much can be said for the specs of this sleek piece of tech as well as its style pedigree. It has a touchscreen, a 4K display, voice control and a bevy of virtual trainers at your beck and call who will instruct in everything from yoga to boxing. But what you’ll appreciate most is that it all comes in one straightforward, elegant package (with two cable arms attached), the brainchild of Swiss industrial designer Yves Béhar, who has lent his creative talent to projects as diverse as a juicer and an underwater research station. The Studio Lift is multipurpose, too. Shut the thing off, and it looks like any other full-length mirror where you can admire those toned guns. Approx. $5,785; formelife.com/
Raxa, Pent
Photo: Courtesy of Pent
Kickboxing is hard-core, fitness-wise, but it requires some heavy duty equipment. The Pent punching bag resembles a svelte leather midcentury- modern floor lamp, one you can beat to a pulp whenever you want. Even the bag’s filling—castaway leather scraps—is suitably upscale (as well as sustainable). Blowing off steam doesn’t get much better-looking than this. $1760; pentfitness.com
SlimBeam, NOHrD
Photo: Courtesy of NOHrD
This is, as they say, a very slim beam. As a cable machine, it measures about a foot wide, though it packs a lot of functionality into that small space. The apparatus is handsome enough to leave the home-fitness studio for the home office (with personalised options in ash, oak and other woods). It can be set to any height, plus the 5kg weight plates are encased in rubber, so they won’t make a racket during a workout, especially valuable if you’re simultaneously on a long Zoom call. Starting at around $2,445; nohrd.com/
Rower, Hydrow
At home rowing machines are a tall order, namely because, well, how to put this: Your house isn’t a lake. Some ergs emulate the on-the-water experience better than the others, though. Hydrow has a touchscreen that displays whatever vista you’re virtually slicing through and an electromagnetic drag mechanism that works all your muscles. Plus its sleek L-shaped profile serves as a welcome antithesis to the many other bulkier models out there. $2860; hydrow.com