David Lloyd

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I have a visit booked to explore David Lloyd membership this weekend. I need a healthier lifestyle and the child clubs/family sports aspects appeal. That’s the only thing that’s going to make a gym membership sustainable for me.

But they won’t go into cost with me yet - does anyone here have membership or experience? Is it likely to be crazy expensive? It’s just for me and my boy.

There are a few different types of membership as well as tiers based on the club you join. At our DL we pay ~£140 for a family of four (2 parents, 2 kids). We have a peak time platinum membership. I loved it as a place to go for free kids activities when I was a single parent of two, and though it came with a small additional charge their crèche was great when they were pre-school age, it gave me much needed respite to work or exercise! Depending on what you're in to its a great spot for socializing, I found I quickly made friends with some regulars and there are always events happening.
For it to make sense financially to us I find I have to go 3 x a week to justify the price; I do a mix of classes, swims (we have an outdoor pool which I love), some family tennis and gym stuff.
If you google 'David lloyd membership prices' there should be some indication of what you might pay for your local club. I've been a member for the last 10 years so happy to answer any specific Qs you have

depends on your area and which tier of membership you go for, but yes it’s prob the most expensive of the big gym companies.

For my local site, with a corporate discount it was £74ish a month. I think full price was around £90 but admittedly my memory is rubbish.

This was from about a month ago, but I've heard prices vary by location.

Thanks everyone, that’s not outside the realms of what I thought it might be. Sounds like it will be ideal for me as it’s so difficult to find things that suit both me and my boy and meet people.

thanks @veluxwindows
I googled and found this list which gives rough ideas. Have you used the holiday clubs there and do you have an idea of the costs/hours they might offer? Hoping it might cover 9-5pm working hours!

https://gympricelist.com/david-lloyd-prices/

Just be aware, if it matters to you, that DL have mixed sex changing rooms. If a male club member feels it matches his gender identity to use the women’s facilities, they allow it and won’t let you out of your contract if you weren’t expecting that

Was a member, £250 for 2 adults/2 kids, total swizz

I'm a member and it costs me £127 a month for just me - I live in the south east It IS eye wateringly expensive - but that does make me use it as much as possible.

Nuffield are much much better if you have one nearby

It's ridiculous for what you get. I feel these are more status than fitness. DP goes to the local virgin gym (but it's one of the fancier ones) and I believe it would be £90 a month without his benefits package at work. I go to the local pure gym and I have better equipment but no swimming pool or sauna. I pay £9.99

I joined thinking I'd use the holiday clubs and was disappointed to find it was £35 extra for a half day 😡 didn't work for childcare at all unless you only need a couple of hours and can work from the gym.
Normal kids club was only an hour and constantly fully booked.
So we end up paying from proper childcare and then never having time to use the membership we were paying for.
We were family of 4 and were paying around £300 including swimming lessons in one of the lower tier clubs.

We had a DL membership. 2 adults and 2 kids on platinum memberships at £39 a week.

it’s fur coat no knickers that place.

constant maintenance issues, something always not working. No maintenance staff, they employ contractors instead.

often a towel shortage, pool shuts to kids in winter (the outdoor one)

lots of swearing on the tennis courts.

kids classes are shit. Let’s play Lego classes, design classes which is drawing a picture that the staff tell you to draw. No other design things going on etc, my kids started to refuse to go in the classes as they’re crap.

food in the restaurant is very calorific and the menu is full of junk food.

when you’re shown round they make it out like it’s the bees knees, but it’s actually nothing like it.

I pay £90 for an adult and two children. Prices vary though.

I used to be a member and I just won't pay the prices. It was over £100 for a single memberships years ago.

I use our local authority gym (recently refurbished) for £35pm including gym/pool/all classes. We also have a tennis club family membership down the road for £300 for the year. Maybe worth looking at other options like that?

We pay about £100 per adult and £40 per child I think, plus extra for swimming lessons. There are frustrations, like when things break they seem to be left broken for ages, but on the whole we're really happy. A huge range of classes with excellent instructors, lovely pools (the outdoor pool in the summer could almost be at a medditeranean hotel), decent food in the cafe, and the children really enjoy the kids club, they do things like archery and scooters, and for 8+ there are family gym classes.

Our kids holiday club is only 9-1 and costs £25.

My friend recently wanted to end her membership because she could no longer afford it. They wanted bank statements to prove it …

I hate them for their mysterious approach to fees and regulations. Also the mixed sex changing rooms.

Depends on the branch, I’m north and it’s £109 just for me, or £135 for rackets membership. I know people at other branches are paying nearly £200 a month for individual membership and then some are £70 a month.

i don’t think it’s worth it, it’s dirty, maintenance is non existent, stuff stays broken for months. Ie all the shelves in the showers are now ripped off and have been for years and they won’t replace them so I have nowhere to put my wash bag or glasses apart from the floor. Timetable is dire, classes booked out, gym small and too many members so can’t get a bench, or get on the one deadlift platform or use equipment without hanging around waiting.

Yes it's expensive, so they like to show you how great it is first to sell it to you before they reveal the prices. So says my son's gf who works for them selling these packages !

We pay £400 a month - London with amazing spa - 2 adults, 2 kids...super expensive but we go sat and sun morning and kids go to classes for 2 hours each day. Kids classes are ok at ours and kids happy to go. Joined late last year and I haven't been this fit since I was at school...it's been live changing for our family so worth it for us. If I break it down, 32 hours childcare included which we usually use (although it could be up to 64 over weekends for 2 kids), access to a spa that is better than any hotel spa I've been to (DH and I use twice a week) and DH and I are 'gyming' 3 times each a week.

There is a Nuffield nearby (I think my work does a deal actually) but they don’t seem to offer anything for kids - do you know?

Are you sure? Thankfully no sign of this at my local David Lloyd!

Hmm. Thanks for the heads up, I’ll ask them about that.

Wow, there seems to be a huge variation in prices - thanks for the extra information everyone.

It’s annoying when companies are all secretive. I’m expecting to be pressured into signing up on the day and will refuse! I like to sleep on things 😁

We were offered family membership for £270/month (midlands).
Nearly fainted. Didn't take it up.

We’ve been members for years. Used to be very good - but rapid staff turnover in our gym. And feels to be much more about DL taking your money and no longer giving good customer service.

i used to be able to make changes to our membership - eg taking a break from membership by just talking to someone at our gym. Now I have to email, don’t get a reply for ages and then get a useless reply that doesn’t address my questions.

I’d also be careful about what exactly they do offer for kids - mine are much older now - but some of the classes they really didn’t enjoy. As young teenagers there was very little for them that appealed to them.

I’d just look for online reviews and be careful about your decision

Sometimes- at summer holiday or Christmas times - they cancel certain classes to save money. Their argument is the gym is less busy.
So members have access to fewer classes- even though they themselves are not on holiday, and are still paying the same fee

Does anyone know if their crèches are included in the membership price, or are an additional cost?