Mirror Review: Connected Fitness for Any Experience Level
"Mirror's beautiful design offers exciting workouts for all skill levels."
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Stunning looking design
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Diverse training options
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Provides 1-to-1 personal training
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easy installation
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The heart rate monitor is disconnected
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You need to provide your own exercise accessories
It's been a minute since I took on a real fitness challenge. Having had foot issues for the past few years and being quarantined this year, I am far from the peak of my super-fit days. Despite all the setbacks, adjustment is key to overcoming the adversity we all face when trying to stay fit and active.
This is exactly what fascinates me about Mirror, a $ 1,500 home fitness solution that offers a wide range of on-demand and live workout classes. As the name suggests, it looks just like an ordinary full length mirror. It is one of the many connected fitness displays for the age that want to revolutionize the fitness experience. But is it enough to convince people that it is standard fitness membership?
Absolutely beautiful design
Mirror looks amazing! That's partly because it looks like a mirror you might already have. The reflective plate measures 52.6 x 21.1 x 1.7 inches, which is a little misleading on paper as it weighs a whopping 70 pounds. It's pretty heavy in any case, so I would recommend getting help if, like me, you choose to do it yourself – but every Mirror purchase comes with a white glove delivery service.
John Velasco / Digital Trends
Installation was actually a breeze than I originally thought. The entire process took about 45 minutes from start to finish. I installed the mirror with the "wall anchor and stand" option because straight wall mounting requires a lot more drilling. Instead, all you have to do is drill two holes in the wall, insert the anchors and secure the mirror with a hook.
Back to the design, it is hard to believe that it is a technical device if you stand idly against the wall. I placed it in my living room right next to the front door – so it's the perfect thing to check myself out before leaving. It is interesting that this reflective plate has a 40-inch 1080p display with a viewing angle of 178 degrees, a 5-megapixel camera, two 10-watt speakers, a quad-core processor, Bluetooth and dual band 802.11 A / B / G / N has Wi-Fi. All of this is crammed into a seamless chalkboard with hard lines that blends beautifully with any decor.
John Velasco / Digital Trends
The two speakers are a delight as they provide clear directions from the trainers – while producing some suitable melodies at the same time. You can use the Spiegel app to adjust the volume of the music and the teacher to suit your needs. And finally, with a 5 megapixel camera embedded in the top of the mirror, trainers can see you during the live class (if you log in). The mirror comes with a cover that extends over the camera if you have privacy concerns.
Diverse training variety
It's difficult to get into a solid workout routine. Ask an expert about the best training exercise. The answers can be very different. However, I know that what matters is what results you want to get. Living in quarantine has added a few extra pounds since the beginning, but I focused on micro-workouts. Despite my weight gain, constant strength training resulted in more muscle mass.
I thought I was in some shape before I used Mirror, but boy was I wrong – it kept kicking my butt! That's an understatement because now I see the benefit of doing these group classes at home: I'm just ashamed instead of people seeing me buzzing around while I struggle with some workouts. But that's understandable for anyone starting a new exercise routine.
Mirror offers a wide range of workouts, from full-body strength training that covers broad muscle groups to more specific classes like yoga and pilates. There is something for everyone, and I appreciate how you can customize workouts the way you want through the Mirror app. Don't have much time? You can filter classes by 15-, 30-, 45-, and 60-minute sessions. The lessons are entertaining and informative, which is only complemented by the helpful, motivating instructors.
It's convenient to watch them do exercises, but I wish there was a way to look at them side by side (front and profile) to better distinguish which shape is the right one. Though some instructors switch to a profile view to give me a better picture of the exercise. While some classes require equipment, like free weights, a chair, or yoga blocks, you can filter to leave them out.
If you are not shy, you can keep your camera active during live training. This gives the trainers a brief insight into you. Conversely, you can leave the camera switched off and even cover it with the supplied attachment to ensure that nobody can see you.
A couple of nuances
Long before I did more research on Mirror, I always thought it was a giant touchscreen – it isn't. A smartphone is required to interact with Mirror. You need it to start classes, send notes or emojis in real time during training, take selfies after training and rate classes. Luckily, it's minimal interaction during training, which I like because it is more important for me to focus on training, but instructors occasionally ask to hit that 100% or fire emoji in the app when you do that Feel the burning.
John Velasco / Digital Trends
I ran into a few minor nuisances with Mirror. First, you need to be connected to the same wireless network in order to start Mirror. In one case, I didn't realize I was connected to my secondary wireless network and couldn't connect. It's strange in my opinion, but something to remember when you find yourself in this dire straits.
Second, I noticed Mirror randomly stop showing my heart rate on the screen while I was exercising. I later found that this was related to my smartphone's timeout, which is strange as you think the bluetooth connection will stay intact when my phone's display is turned off – but it is not. Finally, I set my Android smartphone to timeout after 30 minutes to prevent the heart rate monitor from disconnecting.
These are two problems that I would like to see solved. Because the last thing you want to do before jumping into a live class is messing around with the mirror.
Who is Mirror for?
I think this is the most basic question to ask yourself while looking for the best solution for your needs with in-home workouts. Mirror does a fantastic job appealing to a wide audience thanks in part to its diverse classes and the ability to tailor classes to suit your needs.
Since most of the classes are mostly about strength and cardio exercises, it's the type of workout that will make you sweat, burn yourself off, and burn off some calories. For most of the 45 minute classes I've taken, I generally burn around 550 calories. This is because the workout involves a mix of routines done in three to four sets that focus on different muscle groups. Full body training is a prime example of this. Of course, if you've never tried this type of workout, regardless of how physically fit you feel, they'll be challenging. I know this firsthand from a yoga session as I must have broken muscles and joints that I rarely test with my usual workouts.
John Velasco / Digital Trends
While Mirror's workout can be supplemented with additional equipment like dumbbells, a skipping rope, kettlebells, and more, I love that without them you can still get a solid workout and make improvements. Sure, it would be nice if Mirror could somehow track the progress with these accessories, e.g. For example, if you know you will improve every week by adding more weight to your bench press exercises, but I hope this is a prospect to be considered in the future.
The best thing about Mirror is that it doesn't take much to get started, have fun, and feel comfortable while exercising.
Our opinion
Mirror has the foundation to offer a well-rounded training experience for every level of experience. You don't have to be a fitness junkie to enjoy this at home. The combination of beautiful design, various training courses and a proactive community make it one of the connected home gyms that should be on your radar.
I thought I was in a bit of shape, but Mirror's workouts kept kicking my butt!
It's priced at $ 1,495, which seems like a lot on paper, but the gear itself is on the lower end of the spectrum when compared to the alternatives – like the $ 3,000 tonal or the $ 2,300 carbon Trainer. The other cost involved in owning ownership is the $ 39 monthly membership cost, impressively enough to cover up to six household members in total. All in all, it's one of the cheaper options out there right now.
How long it will take?
Mirror's design deserves recognition; it looks beautiful and is pretty well done. Since it is stationary and doesn't necessarily contain moving components, it should hold up as it is wall mounted or anchored.
If something goes wrong internally, there is a one-year limited warranty that covers the mirror for defects and labor costs related to repairs.
Is there a better alternative?
Yes and no. There are other networked home fitness solutions that are similar to Mirror and can target a specific person. For example, if you are looking to gain muscle mass, you should try Tonal or Tempo, which is focused on lifting weights to increase muscle mass. Mirror does include weight training to some extent with some of its workouts, but it doesn't do it on the same level and focus as the alternatives above.
Should you buy it?
Yes, especially if you enjoy group classes in a traditional gym.
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