What is Peloton, how much does it cost, and are there alternatives?

Peloton is probably best known for its original Peloton Bike, an at-home exercise bike that features a large screen on the front and rear speakers, allowing you to workout to one of the thousands of classes available through the Peloton All-Access membership.

The American company doesn't just offer one bike now though. There's multiple at-home gym equipment options, as well as a separate app you can use on your mobile or tablet. Those of you who want to know more about Peloton should look no further. We've done the leg work for you (pun intended).

Here is everything you need to know about Peloton.

What is Peloton and what products does it offer?

Bike, Bike+, Tread, Tread+ equipment
All-Access Membership
Peloton Digital app
Peloton accessories

Peloton makes at-home gym equipment, has an exercise app, and produces workout videos that customers can live-stream through Peloton products.

There are two exercise bikes available - Bike and Bike+ - and there are also two treadmill options (though both aren't available in all regins) - Peloton Tread and Peloton Tread+.

Peloton also offers bike accessories, which include Peloton shoes, weights, headphones, a heart rate monitor and a bike mat. There are also resistance bands and Peloton apparel if you're really keen.

Alongside the at-home gym equipment and accessories, Peloton also offers a mobile app that you can sign up for even if you don't have the Peloton gym equipment. You can read more about the app a little further down.

What can the Peloton Bike and Bike+ do?

21.5 or 23.8-inch HD touchscreen
Live and on-demand workouts
All-Access Membership required

Peloton's indoor exercise bikes are a stationary piece of at-home gym equipment with a large touchscreen attached. They run a custom version of Android, but you wouldn't recognise it because the screens will only let you view live or on-demand cycling classes.

There are thousands of video sessions available through the Peloton All-Access Membership - more on that below - including short clips for people with more limited schedules.

There are multiple fitness instructors to choose from for classes, recorded classes and music - Peloton offers a robust music library. It's packed with plenty of other social features too, like the ability to virtually ride with friends, as well as leaderboards with achievement badges.

The bikes require cleats, which are sold separately. And their handlebars only move up and down, not fore and aft. The screen on the original Bike is fixed in front of the handlebars, and it can't be used for other purposes, such as watching YouTube videos or accessing Android apps. The screen on the Bike+ rotates, but you still won't be able to access Android apps.

What's the difference between the Peloton Bike and Bike+?

Bike+ has bigger rotating screen
Bike+ has more speakers
Bike+ has automatic resistance changing

As we've mentioned, Peloton has two exercise bikes in its range: the Peloton Bike and the Bike+.

Both bikes have the same 1200 x 600mm footprint, both come with Peloton app access and both have individual profiles for household access. They also both have delivery and assembly included in their prices and they both have access to thousands of Peloton classes.

The two bikes also have adjustable seats, handlebars and screens and they both have the same user requirements.

The main difference is the original Peloton Bike has a height adjustable 21.5-inch HD touchscreen, while the Bike+ has a rotating 23.8-inch HD touchscreen with 360-degrees of movement. The rotating screen means you can turn the display for when you are doing strength workouts, rather than bike workouts.

The Bike+ also comes with four-channel audio with two 3-watt tweeters and two 10-watt woofers, while the Bike offers just two 10-watt speakers. Additionally, the Bike+ has Apple GymKit integration and a Resistance Knob with Auto Follow, which means the bike automatically adjusts the resistance to the instructors recommendation, while the original Bike requires you to do this manually.

In terms of specs, the Bike+ has a slightly faster processor than the Bike, double the RAM and a slightly higher resolution front camera. It also has Bluetooth 5.0 instead of Bluetooth 4.0 and it has a USB-C port for charging devices rather than a USB microport.

What can the Peloton Tread and Tread+ do?

23.8-inch or 32-inch HD screen
0-20mph speed
All-Access Membership required

The Peloton Tread features a traditional running belt with 1500mm of running space, while the Peloton Tread+ has a shock-absorbing slat belt and a running space of 1700mm.

The Tread has a 23.8-inch HD touchscreen, like the Bike+, while the Tread+ has a larger 32-inch HD touchscreen, and delivery and assembly are both included in the price. Both the Peloton Tread and Tread+ offer speeds between 0 and 20mph, with 0.1mph increments.

There are adjustable knob controls, a jump button to increase the speed and incline by 1mph and 1 per cent, individual profiles for household access and they come with Peloton app access, like the Bike and Bike+. You'll also find speakers, port for charging devices, a front-facing camera, 3.5mm headphone jack and Bluetooth.

The classes - which are part of the All Access membership - include speed, fun runs, HIIT and bootcamp, among others. There are live and on-demand classes, and there is a variety of locations and scenary to choose from to keep things different. There's also a live Leaderboard to keep you motivated, along with metrics including distance, speed, elevation and calories.

What's the difference between the Peloton Tread and Tread+?

There are a few differences between the Peloton Tread and the Tread+. The Tread is the cheaper of the two options, and available in the UK and US, while the Tread+ is only available in the US.

Both have the same processor, RAM and internal storage and they both offer the same features, including access to the live classes and on-demand classes, in-workout metrics, indvidual profiles for household access, training programs and challenges and workout history.

The Tread is newer than the Tread+, has a USB-C port for charging devices, Bluetooth 5.0, an 8-megapixel front facing camera, built-in four digital microphone array and front facing stereo speakers with rear-facing woofers. It has a smaller screen compared to the Tread+ and it doesn't have a Free Mode for pushing the slat belt on its own. As mentioned above, it also has a different belt to the Tread+ and it's slightly smaller.

The Tread+ has a larger screen, Free Mode and a larger running space, as well as a shock-absorbing belt, but it offers a standard USB port for charging devices, Bluetooth 4.0 and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It also has a soundbar instead of front and rear speakers.

Other differences between the Tread and Tread+ are the Tread has a 3 HP DC motor and a screen adjustment between 0 and 50-degrees, while the Tread+ has a 2 HP DC motor and screen adjustment between 0 and 30-degrees. The Tread also has incline of 0 to 12.5 per cent, while the Tread+ offers 0 to 15 per cent.

The Tread is smaller and lighter, measuring 1727 x 838 x 1575mm and weighing 131.5kg. It has a step up height of 203mm. The Tread+ meanwhile, measures 1842 x 927 x 1829mm and weighing 206kg. It has a step up height of 292mm.

What is the Peloton Digital app and what does it offer?

£12.99/$12.99 a month
Over 10 workout types
Doesn't require Peloton products

Peloton Digital is an app for mobile devices and some streaming media devices. It works with Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Android TV, Chromecast and Apple Airplay.

It doesn't require Peloton products and you can try it out for two months before you have to pay a monthly subscription. After the two-month trial period, the Peloton Digital app costs £12.99/month in the UK or $12.99/month in the US. If you have the Peloton Bike, Bike+ or Tread, the Peloton Digital app is included within the Peloton All-Access Membership, which is required for the Peloton products.

The Peloton Digital app has over 10 workout types, including strength, stretching, bootcamp, cycling, outdoor running, yoga and meditation. You can work out alongside others, track your progress with metrics and you can challenge yourself and earn achievements.

The Peloton Digital app is available to download on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Amazon App Store and Roku.

How much is Peloton?

There are several packages available for the Peloton products, some of which include accessories, such as shoes and weights for the Bike and Bike+. Keep in mind that you will need the Peloton All-Access Membership on top of the products themselves.

The Peloton All-Access Membership costs £39/month in the UK and $39/month in the US. It includes access to the Peloton Digital app too.

Peloton Bike costs

The Peloton Bike starts at £1750/$1895 for the Bike Basics package. This includes the Peloton Bike, home delivery and a 12-month warranty.

The Bike Essentials package is £1895/$2045. This includes the Peloton Bike, delivery, warranty, one pair of headphones, one pair of shoes and a set of weights.

The Bike Works package is £1995/$2145. This adds a heart rate monitor and bike mat to the Essentials package.

The Bike Family package is £2195/$2345. This is the top package with the Peloton Bike, delivery, warranty, two pairs of shoes, a set of Bike Weights, two pairs of headphones, two heart rate monitors, a Bike Mat and two water bottles.

Peloton Bike+ costs

The Peloton Bike+ Basics package is £2295/$2495. This includes the Peloton Bike+, home delivery and warranty.

The Peloton Bike+ Essentials package is £2495/$2695. This includes the Peloton Bike+, home delivery, warranty, one pair of shoes, a set of Bike Weights and a Reversible Workout Mat.

The Peloton Bike+ Works package is £2595/$2795. This adds a Bike Mat and a set of Resistance Bands to the Essentials package.

The Peloton Bike+ Family package is £2745/$2945. This includes the Pelton Bike+, delivery, warranty, two pairs of shoes, a set of Bike Weights, a Reversible Workout Mat, Bike Mat, a set of Resistant Bands, Yoga Blocks, Yoga Strap and two water bottles.

Peloton Tread costs

The Peloton Tread Basics costs £2295/$2495. This includes the Peloton Tread, delivery and warranty.

The Peloton Tread Essentials package is £2570/$2765. This incudes the Peloton Tread, delivery, warranty, a set of Resistance Bands, two sets of Weights, a Special Edition Workout Mat and a Heart Rate Monitor.

The Peloton Tread Works package is £2670/$2865. This adds a pair of wireless earbuds and a glass water bottle to the Essentials package.

The Peloton Tread Family package is £2870/$3065. It adds another set of weights, another heart rate monitor, another pair of wireless earbuds and another glass water bottle to the Works package.

Peloton Tread+ costs

The Peloton Tread+ Basics costs $4295. This includes the Peloton Tread+, delivery and warranty.

The Peloton Tread+ Essentials package is $4565. This incudes the Peloton Tread+, delivery, warranty, a set of Resistance Bands, two sets of Weights, a reversible Workout Mat and a Heart Rate Monitor.

The Peloton Tread+ Works package is $4665. This adds a pair of wireless earbuds and a glass water bottle to the Essentials package.

The Peloton Tread+ Family package is $4865. It adds another set of weights, another heart rate monitor, another pair of wireless earbuds and another glass water bottle to the Works package.

What else is in the Peloton pipeline?

Bloomberg claimed Peloton was working on a cheaper treadmill for 2020. Of course, 2020 has been and gone and no rowing machine has appeared yet, but that doesn't mean it won't. We will keep you posted if we hear anything else regarding a Peloton rower.

In the meantime, Echelon do a smart rower called the Echelon Row.

Best alternatives to the Peloton bike

You can use the Peloton Digital app with any indoor exercise bike or treadmill. It comes with a two month trial, as we mentioned above.

However, if you subscribe to Peloton's subscription service through the app and don't own the Peloton Bike, Bike+ or Peloton Tread, then keep in mind you won't get access to the leaderboard and on-screen stats like cadence, resistance, and other metrics measured by Peloton's equipment.

You can use accessories to achieve a more Peloton-like experience, too. Buy yourself a media device holder (like this tablet mount) or a cadence sensor (like Wahoo's) or even a pair of cycling shoes. As for alternatives to the bikes themselves, here are some well-rated options:

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