I love switching things up and having options, so when I heard about ClassPass, a monthly subscription where you can go to multiple gyms or studios a month for one fee - I immediately signed up.
I've been using ClassPass for one week now and am going to share my first impression on using the app, the limitations of the one-month ClassPass trial, and whether I plan on subscribing as of now.
The one-month ClassPass free trial is new this holiday season. I do not know if this trial will last, so check here if the one-month is still available or if they have moved back to two-week trials. This is my referral link, for full disclosure.
(December 2023 Update: I have now been a member of ClassPass for one year and still use the service.)
In this review I outline whether the trial is more helpful as one-month vs two-weeks, so either way you will find out if the value is worth it for you.
How much is ClassPass?
ClassPass prices depend on the area you are in, as I've seen it quoted at different average prices in other reviews across the US.
For my one-month trial in Miami, I was defaulted into the $89 membership trial - which gave me 43 credits, or about $2.07 a credit. The credits needed per class vary depending on the type of workout and studio, but I noticed most yoga classes in my area were 5 credits and cycling was 7 credits in my area. If I only did yoga classes, that would be 8 full classes a month.
They also have lower-priced subscriptions if you know you are not going to be able to attend as often. Other subscriptions are $19 a month, $49 a month, and a higher option at $139. If you don't use your credits, a few can transfer over, but not all of them. If you run out of credits, you can buy more in chunks during the month without impacting your monthly charge.
What is the benefit of using ClassPass vs going directly to the gym or studio?
Each class shows you how many credits you would have spent if you weren't on ClassPass. I'm noticing most prices vs credits with ClassPass vs not are about 20-40% price difference. If I were to have booked these experiences separately, I would have spent more.
For me and my schedule, having the flexibility to use the ClassPass app to choose a class filtered by my preferred start time gives me more options. I also get bored easily and like variety, so picking multiple services depending on my mood is great rather than being locked into one location that I may eventually not want to attend.
For those that travel, you can use your ClassPass in many other locations. This gives you more workout variety and stability, without you having to subscribe to a bigger gym location chain so that it is available wherever you go.
Limitations of the ClassPass Free Trial
The ClassPass free trial was definitely set up to encourage early sign-ups before the month-close. This is where I feel like the two-weeks vs one-month trial option is a little misleading.
(Note, they do say on their website that the free trial is limited, so they do disclose this. But what feels off to me is the time of the trial and how quickly you can use up available options without actually using all of your credits.)
I've taken two classes so far and have one scheduled for next week. I really liked the first yoga studio I attended, so I tried to set up another session right away. I was blocked from using the studio again with a message that said "upgrade to a paid membership for full access to this business." This limits my use of the trial because there are only a few studios nearby I want to try, and with this limitation I can only visit them once during the trial.
I understand the logistics of this and why it would make business sense to limit how often I visit one studio before I commit, but it was still annoying.
ClassPass also has wellness and beauty options available to subscribers, which surprised me. I thought it was a really cool idea that nail appointments or massages would be included. In months where I have less time, I could take only one or two classes and then a wellness option instead of bulking in as many fitness classes as possible.
In the free trial, I cannot use any wellness experiences, nor can I see how many credits a wellness experience would cost. Instead, it asks me to subscribe to learn more and reserve. If I could see how much these experiences cost in credits, I would feel less frustrated by being locked out, because if I subscribed later rather than sooner, I could accidentally spend the credits I'd need for this experience.
Because of the one visit per studio and wellness lockout, I know I will likely subscribe two weeks in when I try out most of the options near me. While it is frustrating, I'm enjoying the experience enough to want to use it regularly, so it's still a win - even if it means my trial isn't actually a month.
If you know you are going to take things slow and only do one or two classes a week, these drawbacks may not bother you and you can keep going through the one-month trial. For others that joined ClassPass's trail with the intent to use every credit available, you will likely end up driving more to studios farther away to get the full benefit without the one-visit lockouts.
How to Use the App
The ClassPass app is pretty self-explanatory, but I do want to call out that the quiz you take when you sign up will initially limit/filter what options show up to you in the search field. You can remove those filters if you know to look for them to see more studios near you.
When I filter by location, there seems to be a glitch. If I click "Any" location nothing shows up. If I click 10 miles, I can see everything within 30 minutes from me.
Play around with the filters if it seems like there isn't a lot of locations near you.
Will I subscribe after my free trial?
Yes! I could tell pretty quickly that I love the convenience and adventure of picking classes from all over the city without having to sign up at every location. When I arrived at the two classes I went to so far, all I had to do was walk in and say I was Rebecca from ClassPass and I could go straight in. It was so easy!
(Great benefit for people that don't like talking, honestly.)
I think I will start with the $89 membership so I can explore more wellness experiences and then decide from there if I want to stay at that level for month two or if I want to go down to the $49 option.
Image: Pexels Meditation
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