What it does
Peloton provides a comprehensive fitness experience through a massive library of live and on-demand workout classes led by instructors. The app covers a wide range of disciplines including cycling, running, strength, yoga, and meditation. It also offers personalized training plans, progress tracking, and robust community features to keep users engaged and motivated, with or without Peloton's proprietary hardware.
Where it shines
Peloton excels at creating a premium and motivating user experience. The initial onboarding (00:01) immediately sets a high-quality tone with its dynamic feature carousel. The main dashboard (03:04) is clean and personalized, welcoming the user by name and suggesting relevant workouts. A standout feature is the self-guided 'Gym' mode (12:36), which provides structured workouts for users in a traditional gym setting, complete with timers and video demos for each exercise. This demonstrates the app's versatility beyond its core video classes.
UX highlights
- Personalized Dashboard: The home screen (03:04) greets users by name and presents a 'Just for you' workout section, making the experience feel immediately tailored.
- Interactive Goal Setting: Users can easily tap on dashboard widgets to adjust their weekly goals for active days, time, and total workouts (03:09), making goal management quick and accessible.
- Detailed Class Previews: Before starting a class, users can view a comprehensive breakdown including equipment, music playlist, and class plan (04:58), allowing them to make informed choices.
- Flexible Workout Plans: The 'Your Plan' feature (07:26) provides a structured weekly schedule but allows users to edit it or mark workouts as complete if done elsewhere (09:14), promoting consistency over rigidity.
- Community Teams: The 'Teams' section (15:42) fosters micro-communities around shared interests, featuring dedicated feeds, leaderboards, and challenges that drive social engagement.
- Self-Guided Gym Workouts: The 'Gym' tab (12:36) offers block-based workout plans with individual exercise demos, successfully extending the Peloton experience into traditional gym environments.
Monetization & growth
Monetization is introduced early in the onboarding with a soft paywall at 01:13. The app presents two subscription tiers, 'App One' and 'App+,' clearly outlining the features of each. It promotes an annual option with a 'Save up to 17%' tag to encourage a longer-term commitment. The primary call-to-action is to 'Start 1 month free trial,' a low-friction entry point that leverages the standard App Store subscription flow. After subscribing, the app immediately asks for permissions for notifications and health data, framing them as necessary for the full experience.
Who it’s for
Peloton is for individuals seeking structured, high-quality, and motivating fitness guidance. It caters to a broad audience, from beginners who need more instruction to advanced athletes. While it's a natural fit for owners of Peloton hardware, the app provides significant value to those using their own equipment at home or at a gym. The community and social features also make it ideal for users who thrive on accountability and connection.
Notes & opportunities
The app is incredibly deep, which can be overwhelming. The onboarding is long, involving numerous steps from sign-up to personalization and permissions. While each step is well-designed, the sheer length could be a point of drop-off for some users. Additionally, the distinction between 'Classes', 'Programs', 'Collections', and 'Gym' could be simplified. For example, a new user might not immediately grasp the difference between joining a Program (14:32) and scheduling individual classes (03:56).