Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Exercise

Chat to other fitness enthusiasts on our Exercise forum.

Should we join David Lloyds

29 replies

FigandHoney · 10/09/2023 00:02

We are considering joining David Lloyds as a family. It's pretty expensive. So I wanted to ask if there are any current or past members. And if you think its worth the price.
We do not live near family, so it would be a great way to get some us time for my husband and I. We are picturing dropping our 3 tear old in one of the classes and then going to the gym or a class. And taking him for a swim on weekends. Any thoughts?

OP posts:
ShellySarah · 10/09/2023 00:06

Depends on the branch. I used to be a member. Classes are crap. No les Mills other than pump. Not much choice with classes

Whattheflipflap · 10/09/2023 00:07

Deff not exeter
we know multiple people kicked out for BF

AHelpfulHand · 10/09/2023 00:09

It’s fur coat no knickers.

2 adults 2 kids aged 5 and 9 at the time, biggest waste of money.

kids classes are crap (art and design class is basically colouring in)

pool freezing

lots of calorific food in the restaurant

Stripedsatin · 10/09/2023 00:30

I absolutely love it. The pools - indoor and outdoor - are just lovely as are the whirlpools, sauna and steam room. I barely do anything except swimming now but classes were great when I went a few years ago. Gym equipment is state of the art. Parking is easy, free and plentiful. Staff are friendly and helpful. Café is good.

Being able to swim outdoors in a heatwave is amazing!

Yes it is expensive but there is nothing remotely comparable in most areas.

It's wonderful for the whole family and the reasons you give.

My impression is that most newer members are happy. The complaining comes from long-standing members who think standards have slipped.

Rumplestiltz · 12/09/2023 05:54

Love it. It’s expensive but being able to swim outdoors is amazing. My daughter enjoyed the kids clubs and holiday sessions.

MollyRover · 12/09/2023 06:07

Ours is oversubscribed imo and every time I'm there they're traipsing around the pool with potential new members. Very annoying, as are the different levels of membership. Also sick of men walking out of the sauna and straight into the pool, it's always men Hmm

VeloVixen · 12/09/2023 06:08

I’m still a member and I agree it’s fairly rubbish. I’m only still a member as it’s significantly closer to me than any other gym. Two minute drive compared to 30 min drive. Classes are crap, the actual gym is small and limited weights equipment. You need to check the timetable carefully as I think your vision of dropping the kid off in creche and going to a class may not work out as well as you hope? I’ve been a member for seven years, standards have plummeted and are continuing to plummet. The company is currently up for sale.

VisionsOfSplendour · 12/09/2023 06:26

Totally depends, they aren't a standard offering. Ive been a member at three different ones over the years, two I liked one not so much. The nicest one is now way too expensive for me and overrun at the weekends

So no way to say really

rookiemere · 12/09/2023 06:46

I used to be a member. The outdoor heated pool is lovely, but they stopped heating it in Winter.

I cancelled my membership because I'd worked out price per visit and I needed to go at least twice a week to make it even vaguely worthwhile. It turned into a chore which I no longer enjoyed.

Work out how often you will realistically use it and how much that is per visit, then decide if you want to spend that much.

FiftynFooked · 12/09/2023 06:51

I think it would be good for what you're looking for, ie some family time, access to fitness facilities and pool and kids clubs. I'm a member and agree it isn't the best gym in the world but I do like some of the classes like yoga, Pilates and spirit. Pure gym is better if you want fitness equipment and weights but won't give you the ability to take your family.

I stay a member as it's the best pool in the area and is close to work but it could be better for the money I pay.

Yajebbend · 12/09/2023 06:58

Total depends what one.

For me

Manchester North - awful

Trafford - Lovely but no spa

Cheadle - awesome, outdoor pool, great gym, classes are great. Icing on the cake spa. I love a spa day and used to go twice a month paying £120-£150 a time. Now pat £160 a month for DL. It’s gets me to the gym I make myself go, workout with the promise of heated loungers, plunge pool, hammocks. People are nice there as well.

I don’t drink, smoke and have sacrificed eating out for this but totally worth it

spiggydit · 12/09/2023 17:28

I really like my DL - haven't been to any others so can't compare. There's a couple of good FB groups that seem to have quite a few complaints.

However, for me I like the bit of luxury compared to a council run gym and the outdoor swimming pool is great. The expense of the membership is eye watering but it actually keeps me going regularly to make sure I get the full benefits

HermioneWeasley · 12/09/2023 17:29

If it matters to you, they don’t offer single sex changing rooms - if a man says he feels more comfortable in the women’s changing rooms they allow that.

ShellySarah · 13/09/2023 00:16

HermioneWeasley · 12/09/2023 17:29

If it matters to you, they don’t offer single sex changing rooms - if a man says he feels more comfortable in the women’s changing rooms they allow that.

Not at my branch. Boys over the age of 8 are not allowed in the women's changing room and it is challenged. When a woman brought her almost 11 yo into the ladies he was asked to leave.

I don't understand why a nearly secondary school aged boy can't undress himself and change alone after swimming but thats another issue. No special needs I know them.

VeloVixen · 13/09/2023 06:34

ShellySarah · 13/09/2023 00:16

Not at my branch. Boys over the age of 8 are not allowed in the women's changing room and it is challenged. When a woman brought her almost 11 yo into the ladies he was asked to leave.

I don't understand why a nearly secondary school aged boy can't undress himself and change alone after swimming but thats another issue. No special needs I know them.

Edited

If they’d said the 11yo identified as a girl he’d have been allowed to stay.

my branch are awful at not challenging mums taking their secondary age boys in to the female changing rooms. Everyone moans but nothing gets done.

HermioneWeasley · 13/09/2023 06:55

@ShellySarah its a question of identity. If boys or me of any age say they identify as women they’re allowed in.

DatumTarum · 13/09/2023 07:02

I tried to join. They point blank refused to give me a proper price list or, honour an advertised offer.

I had to physically visit during office hours if I wanted the price.

Arrogant gits so I gave up.

lampshadecushion · 13/09/2023 07:17

You need to tell us which exact club you are looking at, as they seem very up and down from reading above. Our local one can't be faulted, lovely staff, great varied choice of classes, loads for the kids, big social programmes all the time. Etc etc. We love it, and have been members for 20+ years since it was called Next Generation (goodness I'm old!).

Sugarfree23 · 13/09/2023 08:50

Very little for kids over 10. Other than the gym & pool.
The age groups in the kids classes aren't great 3-5 is massive huge difference between a just turned 3 and a nearly 6 who's been in school for 2 years.

I'm in a low teir so not wildly expensive. I enjoy the convinces of the pool & towels not adding shedloads of towels to my washing.

Like all these things you need to be using 2-3 times a week to make it worthwhile.

slopsan · 07/10/2023 16:32

Complete rip off
Signed up for a year, got hit with price increase after 7 months.
Building work closed various facilities for long periods of time.

We left and won't go back

MollyRover · 08/10/2023 07:20

slopsan · 07/10/2023 16:32

Complete rip off
Signed up for a year, got hit with price increase after 7 months.
Building work closed various facilities for long periods of time.

We left and won't go back

Agree, the showers at ours were supposed to be started before COVID and nothing was done during long closures. Only the showers, the lockers are exactly the same. I think it took about 2 years in the end.

TeenDivided · 08/10/2023 07:35

I have been a member for 20+ years.
It was fab when ours were children, they had swimming lessons and we went at least one other time in the week as a family too, staying to eat.

So so much nicer than our local pool in terms of how busy the pool is, availability of lane swimming, the spa, the cleanliness of the changing rooms. Expensive and a luxury but we can afford it so keep it on even though since covid we have struggled to get into a regular routine again.

Over the years the food has got more 'fancy' and we don't end to eat there now.

Papillon23 · 08/10/2023 07:48

I like mine - it is expensive but I love the outdoor pool primarily.

Mine has a decent sized gym floor, but I think that is easily replicated at plenty of cheaper gyms.

Class wise, they have a lot more on than my local council gym, and more than the cheaper gyms locally. But I find the classes can be a bit random - i.e. they are all advertised as for all abilities but things like the yoga and stretch and mobility classes vary absolutely wildly depending on who runs them. Worth asking in depth about this if you do a tour if that would bother you.

Then there's racquets - the one near me has badminton as well as tennis (and squash) which is great - but again depends what you'd use and on the gym.

Then the primary benefit for me is the pool: full size 25m pool inside (nothing other than the council gym has this locally) and a 20m pool outside. Both open for the full range of opening times of the club rather than me having to squeeze it into whatever random time the council makes available (understandably they prioritise club swimming and children's lessons but still very frustrating as an adult with membership!

I also enjoy the spa: my nearest has "just" a jacuzzi, sauna and steam room but the one 15 miles away has a bigger spa area. Some spa areas are gated so you can only use them if you're a member of that specific club, others aren't. My membership is corporate so I can use all the different clubs (though still not all the spas).

That leads nicely on to the main disadvantages: the mystery pricing, price increases, the fact everyone in the club pays different rates, the fact that they have tiers both of membership and of clubs which aren't the same thing. It's fine once you've worked it out but it pisses me off on principle tbh.

You definitely have to commit to going at least a couple of times a week, preferably 3 for it to be worth the money.

Philomenacunk1 · 08/10/2023 07:55

I’m just about to give my membership up this month. I don’t have children though and used to use it primarily for the tennis, spa and outdoor pool. They don’t care about the tennis - courts aren’t well maintained and children are allowed to run wild around the courts when people are playing.
The dining room is dirty and sticky and the food isn’t good either.
there do seem to be loads of families there - but depending upon your income I feel like you’d have to spent a lot of your free time there to justify the cost.

TeenDivided · 08/10/2023 07:57

That leads nicely on to the main disadvantages: the mystery pricing, price increases, the fact everyone in the club pays different rates, the fact that they have tiers both of membership and of clubs which aren't the same thing. It's fine once you've worked it out but it pisses me off on principle tbh.

We are on a legacy offpeak membership which gives us better hours than the new offpeak membership. I agree, pricing does seem to be a dark art rather than a science.

I can understand different pricing for different clubs though due to location and facilities, and thus why there are different rules about where you can go depending on your home club, otherwise people would join cheap club then just go to fancy expensive one.