ClassPass Review: is it Worth the Money?

What is ClassPass?

ClassPass is a tool that allows you to explore workout studios in your area. They partner with studios in your across the US and bring you classes at more reasonable prices and entry fees. Users pay between $29-$79 a month to have access to all of the workout places that collaborate with ClassPass. Studios partnering with CP agree to let users into their classes at a discounted rate (points: read on for more information) than traditional booking would cost. The incentive for boutique workout studios to work with ClassPass is that it brings in new customers through promotion on the app. After attending a class, users are also prompted to review the studio and instructor in the app, giving the owners a way to receive feedback. Spencer and I try and maintain a healthy lifestyle, even while we are busy, and ClassPass is one way we do that!

The Positives/Pros of ClassPass

Cheaper Than Workout Studio Fees

Let’s face it, working out at a studio is expensive! Even paying for a gym membership is enough to break the bank for some! If you are into pilates, yoga, spin, boxing, or other group focused workouts, you know the pain of paying high fees. Most classes in the Salt Lake City Metro area range from $10-30 A CLASS (off the app). That’s enough to go broke and max out your credit card in a month! ClassPass offers a way to attend workout studios without really breaking the bank (although, it is still more than a Planet Fitness membership). Most classes through the app end up costing between $5-15 dollars– about half the regular price!

Flexibility of Studio Membership

Sign up for classes through studio and you may feel committed. EW! NOT COMMITMENT! ClassPass has solved every Millennials’ commitment issues by allowing them to pick and choose which fitness arena they would like to go to and how often. You’re no longer signing your name in blood to attend a workout. You have the ability to attend any of the studios on the app that you can pay for with your points (keep reading on for what I am talking about). The real cherry on top for ClassPass is that you can use it city to city! If you are a traveler, CP allows you to book classes in whatever city you like, making fitness while out of town a piece of cake.

Chance to Give Studios a Trial Run

Honestly, most boutique workout studios understand the need to do a trial run of their place and offer discount passes to do so. I’ll be the first to tell you though: sometimes 2 rounds of classes isn’t enough to get a feel for an instructor or studio! With ClassPass, you can attend a studio as many times as you want, without committing to a long-term relationship or hurting anyone’s feelings. Sometimes it takes you five workouts to realize you LOVE or HATE a place *shrugging emoji*.

Excellent Customer Service

Unfortunately, I have booked a spin class though ClassPass before and had the studio cancel all CP members the day before in order to make room for studio-paying customers. I was livid; this is against ClassPass terms of service! Being me, I would not stand for it, so I immediately logged onto ClassPass and started a chat with a CP team member. I told them the situation, sent screenshots of the studio admitting to canceling ClassPass sign-ups only, and after a pleasant and prompt back and forth, was not only credited my canceled points back, but also extra points to make up the trouble. I felt seen and heard and like the issue would never happen again.

The Negatives/Cons of ClassPass

Runs on a Point System

Finally, the explanation you have all been waiting for.  Spencer and I are both signed up for the $79 a month ClassPass plan. That means that once a month on the 8th, we are billed and then also credited 45 points. If we have any left over points from the previous month, only 10 of those points can roll over to this billing cycle. This makes it imperative to spend almost all of your points in a month. With those points, I can book classes. If you do the math, each point is worth about $1.75. Classes are listed on the point system based on your metropolitan area, popularity of the studio in the area, the amount of attendees in the class, your promptness of booking, and the amount of times you have visited a studio. After mixing all of those into an algorithm, the class you would like to attend can be anywhere between 3-30 points to book. Obviously, more math again, if you are booking a 6 point class, you are spending about $12 to attend. This is a psychological trick to make you feel like you are spending less than you are a.k.a a token system.

ClassPass Points Increase as You Attend Same Studios

Furthermore, the point system varies (as discussed above). Most popular studios have a “cap” on the amount of times you can visit in a billing cycle before the point rate begins to go up. For instance, there is a spin studio in our area that we love to go to frequently. Originally, it was 5 points ($8.75) per class. After attending the studio 3 times in one billing cycle, we were charged a “premium rate” meaning that each of the classes at that studio went up to 10 points per class ($17.50). After that initial billing cycle, the points went back down to 5 credits a class, but as we started attending the studio each month, after 4 months, our classes there BEGIN at 7 points/credits at when our billing cycle starts. The classes are still cheaper than if we go through the studio to buy the passes, but once our credits get to 8 each billing cycle, it’ll be cheaper to book through the studio themselves.

This also poses a problem if you develop a love for a studio and don’t want to go anywhere else. The studio listed above is our favorite because of the location, amenities, instructors, and consistency. When ClassPass gets to be 8+ points a class, we have to stop attending until the billing cycle starts over, often going to less satisfactory studios.

Attitude from Studio Owners

Contrary to how you may think owners will treat new attendees to their studio, ClassPass members can often be met with a stigma. Since ClassPass is giving its members a discount for each studio, owners can sometimes be snide or snarky when you arrive to attend a workout. While this isn’t true for all studios (see also: professional studios), be prepared to have the owners/front desk notice that you are getting the class at a cheaper rate and not give A+ customer service.

Hard to Cancel Membership

Let it be known: I have not experienced this myself. I’ve yet to cancel my membership. However, I am a researcher and peruser of The Internet and I found several forums stating that canceling your membership is a pain in the butt. Many people state that when you try to cancel a membership through the portal on the website/app, it doesn’t work and it continues to bill you. Keep in mind that when you cancel, you should talk to a customer service rep to make sure it has cleared.

Less Autonomy of Choices from Regular Studio Membership

Unlike booking through a studio’s website, booking through ClassPass means less individual choices. Want to sit near a fan or in the front of a class? Hopefully the studio places you there! Have to rent shoes or equipment? There may be extra fees at the studio. As always, make sure that you are willing to be flexible since you are getting a discount on the studio price, and always remember to do your research and see what is required for each class, as it should be listed in the app.

In the end, Spencer and I still choose to use ClassPass because of the flexibility, the customer service, and ultimately the discounted prices on studio workouts! Working out as a couple is cheaper than therapy 🙂 Have you experienced ClassPass? What are your thoughts?