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What We Tested This Week: The MIRROR
Who This Is Perfect for: Anyone with a busy schedule who's looking to get fit or stay in shape.
If you're like me, a fitness class gets you much more motivated to work out than a forced trip to the gym. I find every excuse not to go — and when I eventually show up, 3 miles on the treadmill turns into 2 (or sometimes even 1). Then, I'll play around with the weights until I've convinced myself I got a good workout in. When you attend a class, the instructor is there to push you to do your best, you're done in an hour or less, and you know you've actually accomplished something.
The only downfalls are that class prices can add up pretty quickly and can be hard to attend on a daily basis when your schedule is all over the place. All that changed once I experienced the MIRROR.
The MIRROR is a full-length, interactive mirror — you can either hang it up or lean it against the wall — that displays workouts from an instructor right on the actual glass. You can take all sorts of classes (cardio boot camp, barre, boxing, yoga, and more) and even stream live workouts.
TBH, I was a little skeptical at first because it was very unfamiliar and futuristic, but once I started, I was hooked.
Selecting Your Workout
Navigating through the different workouts and settings is super easy. It's all done through the MIRROR app that you're able to download on your smartphone. Each workout tells you which instructor will be teaching, the level, how long the workout is, and what equipment you'll need. You'll receive four levels of resistant bands in the box, along with a heart-rate monitor. Once you've found the workout you want to do, strap on the heart-rate monitor and get to it.
You'll be able to adjust the volume of the instructor's voice along with the volume of the music through the app. If you like top 40, the music provided by the MIRROR that plays during each workout is surprisingly entertaining. But if you're particular about your music (like myself) or a master at curating your own playlists, to give you that extra push, you can link the MIRROR to your Spotify account.
The Workout
Once you begin your exercise, the screen gives you all the information you'll need for the duration of the workout.
The top left shows the countdown for the current exercise you're on, along with the overall remaining time in the workout. Under the instructor, you'll see the number of calories you've burned, your heart rate, and the other MIRROR users who are logged in and joining you, live, during your workout.
I loved being able to follow along with the instructor while looking at my form, making sure my body was in alignment during the different exercises. Depending on your ability, you can go faster or slower than the instructor. In fact, they encourage you to pick up the pace if you can. The instructor isn't just there to show you the proper way to perform each move, but to motivate and push you throughout the entire workout.
Live Classes
One of the crazy things about the MIRROR is the live classes. You can check the app to see what live classes will be available that day or week and log on at the specified time to join the workout. I did a live cardio and a live yoga class and it felt like I was actually in both classes. The instructor — who's teaching from the MIRROR headquarters in NYC — will actually call out your name during the workout. When they mentioned my name at the start, it made me work even harder as if the instructor was standing there IRL. Don't worry, even though the MIRROR comes with a built-in, five-megapixel camera — and a privacy protector to cover it — they aren't really watching you unless you pay for personal training sessions, a feature soon to be released.
I think my favorite part about the MIRROR was the option to filter the workouts by time. There were days when I was in a rush and wanted to do a 15-minute cardio class, while other times I did a 30-minute bootcamp followed by a 15-minute yoga stretch class.
If you miss a live class, it'll be available shortly after, on demand, for you to take whenever. You can also save your favorite workouts so they are easy to find in the app.
Pricing
The MIRROR costs $1,495 and requires an additional $39-per-month subscription to access the on-demand and live classes. There's even an option to make monthly payments as low at $164 per month.
I know it seems pricey at first, but the MIRROR does come with a 30-day guarantee that allows you to return it for a refund if you're not completely satisfied. Based on my experience, I doubt you’ll be looking to return it after your first week of workouts.
Just think about how much you’re already spending on a gym membership. In New York City, gyms can be anywhere from $180 to $250 a month or $30 or more per class. With the MIRROR, you’ll already be saving within the first year. I look at it as an investment in your health for the new year. See you "in" class!
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