CIAO Review Submitted by "Mountain Goat"

http://www.ciao.co.uk/HotGym_Home_Or_Travel_Gym__6643618

HotGym - An excellent concept, well designed
 

Author's product rating:   

I recently purchased a HotGym, living in a flat I have very limited space for any exercise equipment. The HotGym collapses down brilliantly for hiding under the bed or behind the sofa when not in use.

The Product

The website (http://www.hotgym.co.uk) shows just how compact this gym goes for storage and the functionality when in use. It's very easy / relatively quick to put together and take apart, the website states 5 minutes, at the moment it takes me around 6 minutes so not too far out, and you could of course leave it up space permitting.

Once assembled the gym feels extremely stable and offers a range of exercises from sit-ups / chin-ups, dips, leg raises and even elevated press ups. For me this is ideal - I much prefer doing exercises that use your own body weight for resistance.

The gym comes with full instructions on how to assemble and also well illustrated recommended exercises.

Price

I came across the HotGym from an advert in Men's Fitness magazine several months ago, the only thing that delayed my purchase was the price (£169 plus p&p), is this too much to pay for a bit of metal? My initial thoughts were yes, on reflection though this isn't actually bad value, the more I use it the more I continue to be impressed by its design and functionality and surprised that there is nothing else on the market that I've found like this. No need to join a gym and pay high membership costs if you have something like this.

Competition

I did quite a bit of research prior to buying the HotGym, similar products available in the UK include the Macy Power Station - cheaper yes but this does not have any of the flexibility of being a portable device like the HotGym. You also have the old favourite chin-up bar which goes onto a door frame, obviously a lot cheaper but not in the same league by any stretch of the imagination (I've still got one of these but don't use it as it was damaging the door frame!).
Other products which as far as I'm aware are only available from the US include TAPS (Tactical Athlete Pull-Up System) but this is more expensive ($425 when I last checked plus p&p), the TAPS gym though doesn't appear to have all the functionality the HotGym possesses.

Disadvantages

As you'll notice, the only disadvantage I can find is that you can't buy this gym online, for me this isn't a major issue but it may put some people off. In this instance I think this disadvantage is turned around in that when you phone through you get to speak to someone who knows about the product and is able to answer any questions you might have, although I didn't pay by credit card I believe you can use this option over the phone.

Summary

Clearly a lot of thought has gone into the design of this product and it does an excellent job of doing the task it was created for. At 13kgs it's probably not something you'd pack into your suitcase for your next flight abroad as it would use most of the weight allowance you get these days, however it's ideal for putting in the back of the car if going away or for the reason I purchased it - to save space.

Although I haven't taken the gym with me yet when going away I'd certainly consider this, if you're away with work or on holiday for example normally you find that exercise regimes go out the window (and are replaced by hotel food!) - having the gym with you would mean there's no longer any excuses!

Is this the gym for you? It really depends on your requirements, if you are looking for the portability it offers, either for saving space when not in use or for taking with you when away then I don't think there's anything that can beat it.

I'd recommend this without any hesitations.