Should I join pricey posh gym with spa or cheaper local gym?

[Needtobefitterrr]

I only do classes and swim at the gym.

There’s an expensive David Lloyd a 10 min drive from me (v expensive!!) that looked amazing on the tour. There’s also a much cheaper local gym that is a 10 min walk from me and a quarter of the price.

I don’t know which to go for!

Pros of expensive gym is lots more classes and my children can join and do classes too. And the spa!

Pros of closer gym is the price, it does have a pool and classes and also only a 10 min walk. No kids option though.

Which should I choose?! Is the spa and the kid stuff really worth it?

Kids are £50 a month extra at the DL near me, but lots of scheduled activities for them.

I was thinking that it might be nice in the winter to still have somewhere active to go. But put off by the three month notice period!

It does rack up to be a pricey gym.

I am going to do a trial day at the cheap one tomorrow. I haven’t even looked inside it so will see if it feels like it’s worth “less”!

I’ve got probably 3 gyms within 2 miles of me. All small local gyms with classes and equipment but now pool. I’ve got a council gym and pool about 10 minutes drive away

i pay huge sums of money for the David Lloyd gym and spa, 20+ minutes drive away. I joined the local gyms but I just didn’t use them. But David Lloyd gym and spa? Im there!

Join the one you’ll use.

Check out the different memberships at David Lloyd, as not all levels allow use of the spa. That may or may not be an issue for you!

I was a long-term member at DLL but left because they put their prices up so much. After a hiatus, I decided I needed to belong to a gym, so did the rounds. I was briefly a member of a Virgin gym near us (now Nuffield), which had a swimming pool - but parking was terrible and I really didn't enjoy being in their gym. Too many posturing blokes in the weights area!

The other gym in the area didn't have a pool, and there was no parking at all. Being totally realistic I knew I wasn't going to walk there.

The council-owned gym near us is great, huge gym area and its own spa. But the swimming pool was full of kids, at 2.00pm when I visited, because it's used for school lessons. So that ruled that one out, as well as the fact that there is very little parking there either.

So I ended up back at DL. I pay annually, in one lump sum, which does make it cheaper - although it's a big chunk of money to go out of my bank account! But there's loads of parking and the swimming pool (at the times I go) is usually pretty empty.

@BIWI sounds like the WB DL? I love it , long term member so £110
Per month and I use the spa and do thre classes a week, meet my friends for coffee , my kids still love it it's an absolute lifestyle and a grata way to spend family time - especially in the weekend

I was a member of David Lloyd but ended up not using the spa facilities much as they were always so busy. Jacuzzi and sauna always had big groups that would sit there for hours chatting and it always made me feel a bit awkward. Pool too busy to actually swim in. Gym equipment was good though.

RP @Carriemac - think you may mean the same one!

The DL near me is a flagship one so insanely pricey! And only one membership option available. But the spa is very fancy 😂

I'd join the cheaper gym and then take yourself to a nice spa from time to time with the ££ you save!

I was spending £199 a month for DL membership at one point.

Pros: great facilities, clean and well-maintained, amazing spa, lovely outdoor pool, loads of parking.

Cons: always busy. Lots of young, muscley blokes hanging around in the spa at all hours, which I found a bit uncomfortable. The indoor pool wasn’t as nice as my local leisure centre one. THE COST!!

I jacked it in because I just wasn’t getting there often enough to justify the price. The pool is the most important thing for me, and I’m happy with the leisure centre for that - £30 a month gets me entry to all the council gyms and pools in my borough. I do miss being able to swim outside year-round, though.

As PP’s have said, the best value is the one you’ll actually go to. Maybe give the cheaper one a shot first and see how you like it?

It's the closer one for me. I could afford DL (also 10mins from me) but choose the cheaper leisure centres as I'd rather put money towards holidays, my house, clothes, nights out, savings. All mire important to me

I did a trial day at the cheaper one and it was a bit too small and I didn’t like the pool at all. Ahh!

I might look if there’s a middle ground between that and DL!

Walk to the expensive gym and back every day but do not join .... there's your fitness sorted for free!

I’d avoid DL like the plague. I was a member for a few years and gave it up last year because it had got so bad. The spa was nice but that was the only good thing.

Can you tell me how much you would have to pay for the David Lloyd gym? I've never ever been able to find out how much it costs and it really puts me off approaching them. Personally though if I could afford it I would go to something where I could take the kids.

I rejoined DL after trying out a couple of other gyms, one of which worked out even more expensive.

DL gave me the gym habit. I attended 5 times a week, made friends, got really fit etc. so if DL is the one you are drawn to , try it. Ours allows a 3 month membership - it costs more per month, but you can work out if it’s for you,

@Needtobefitterrr ,

I suspect I may be a member of the same DL (certainly same style) of DL that you are looking at, and pay over £200/month.

Basically, if you use it lots, it is worth it. But if you aren’t using the tennis, you are subsidising the tennis users.

Tennis courts are hard to book (no idea about classes as I don’t use them) and the swimming pools become insanely crowded when you actually want to use them.

Children are £50 per month each and DL is very strict about what they can do and when (restricted family swim times and very limited gym use allowed). Tennis squads are extra.

Finally, at peak times, the car park is a total bun fight with aggressive SUV owners dumping their cars wherever they can (not in parking spaces) and sometimes literally no parks available.

They are trying to increase membership at the moment as I think the private equity owners are preparing it for sale.

Having said all the above, it is a lovely gym and the tennis courts are great, so if you like spas and you are going 3 or 4 times a week, it could be worth it.

I would decide based on opening hours and class times, then by which is closest.

I was a member of our DL when the children were young. I found that it was pretty expensive to add them and there were lots of (annoying) times when they couldn't go. I also had to have an alarm set for 7.58 pm on a Sunday evening to book the class I liked the following Monday and still didn't always get in.

For me it was much more expensive than a basic gym (and I agree that parking at a popular time was a nightmare) but not really all that great - suffice to say I'm not still a member.

I would see if you can do a 3 month trial of the DL, before signing up for the full shebang.
I was a member for a while, I loved the outdoor heated pool, but they ended up closing it over winter and as the gym was a minimum 15 minute drive for me, it soon turned into an expensive chore rather than a luxury.

This sounds like the exact same gym! N London?

That’s interesting insight. Do you think you use it enough? Do you have children who use it too? If that part is difficult, it makes it less worth it for me!

@Needtobefitterrr ,

No, SW London, but sounds a similar model.

‘Do you think you use it enough? Do you have children who use it too? If that part is difficult, it makes it less worth it for me!’

I probably don’t tbh, about twice a week, but I have been a member for over a decade and I keep thinking I will join some adult tennis squads, try the spa etc, but I never do!

With my children, they are no longer members for various reasons (one plays serious tennis at a club, the other prefers weights at a closer walkable council gym) but we have had years when they were younger when it has proved worthwhile, especially over the summer holidays.

I think that if you unsure, I would ask if they have a trial and test it out. But they are very strict (some would say ruthless) about their 3 month notice period if you do join.

When I started my fitness journey, I used to go to PureGym which was £10 a month! I thought I’d use it all the time but end up giving up as I couldn’t drive and the bus was about 30 minutes including 10 minute walk! I didn’t really think of the cost factor as I was only paying £10 a month so I didn’t really care.

Fast forward about a decade later, I took the plunge and signed up to a premium gym (Virgin Active) and for me, it was the best decision as it’s very close to my house (5 minutes in the car), loads of classes, don’t have kids using as somewhere to socialize and likeminded people are there plus the fact it’s so expensive makes me want to get the most of money!
Go for the expensive one, the price alone will give you a reason to go. Do loads of classes too.

DL all the way... although it's annoyingly busy atm as do many sign up in January!

For me this is it. I am in a very exorbitant gym but I go to classes three times a week and it's worth it to me for that reason.