To me, exercising is a way to escape, to let out all the energy that can build up in a day. But it often proves to be frustrating on its own. There are so many programs, fitness hacks, and strategies that it becomes hard to figure out what’s fun and what’s the best thing for my body. I find myself having to change my workout way too often and I keep running out of ideas. That’s why ClassPass caught my eye. ClassPass is a subscription service where the user pays for a certain amount of points a month. With these points the user can book sessions at different workout studios around their area without having to commit to one studio or workout plan. 

ClassPass offers a two-week free trial, which I’ve been testing for firsthand experience and reactions. I rated the app on four variables: app navigation, the quantity of options, the quality of the options, and app value. Each category will get a ranking out of five and then at the end I will average all the rankings and present one final score. 

App Navigation: 3.5/5 

As soon as I downloaded ClassPass I noticed immediately that it doesn’t offer very detailed descriptions on what the classes are. Some are self-explanatory, like cycling and yoga, but the more unique ones only provided arbitrary slogans that did not fully explain what you should expect from the class. Otherwise, the app was pretty easy to use. There is a menu with options to look for classes, view upcoming bookings, or update your profile. When looking for classes, the format was reminiscent of Google Maps — the user can select different pinpoints on a map or scroll down a list and see where each class is located. 

Class Quantity: 4.5/5

At first I was getting a lot of yoga and cycling class suggestions, but once I continued scrolling there were some unique classes that stood out to me. Among some of these were dancing, boxing, and barre. One particularly interesting aspect was that you could use your points for gym time, or access to a gym where in order to facilitate a workout as you pleased. This is a useful option to have, not being limited to classes and having the choice to just go to the gym. Overall, there was a very wide range of classes available.

Class Quality: 5/5

The first class I tried was called SLT. The entire workout was on a bench that moved up and down, platform to platform. The instructor focused on slow, defined movements sliding the bench back and forth working legs, arms, and abs. The workout was amazing. Not only did it work on body strength, it also focused on flexibility and balance. I could definitely not achieve this high level at the gym by myself. At first it was hard to get a hang of the movements but the instructor was right there fixing my form and making sure I was doing everything correctly. This class received full marks. 

The other class I tried was called Exhale and it was a barre class. A majority of the movements were done while holding a rubber grey ball between various muscles. The goal was to perform the exercise without losing form and dropping the ball. Again, I was thoroughly surprised at how much I loved the class — another five out of five rating. 

App Value: 5/5

One SLT class is $32 and one Exhale class is $29; Without ClassPass, I would have paid $61 for both. Via ClassPass, SLT was 13 credits and Exhale was eight. The cheapest ClassPass plan is $49 a month for 27 credits. I would save up to $15 on the two classes I took, with six credits to spare for a third option. There is also a large variety when it comes to how much classes “cost” on ClassPass — i.e. how many points they are worth. I picked classes in the middle range, but there are several options worth five, six, or seven points for users who want to get the most out of the points they purchase. 

With ClassPass you don’t have to become a member of a workout studio or gym to get deals on classes, plus you’re not limited to a specific type of workout. Not only that, you have the ability to truly try everything. This is extremely useful to those new to workout classes or anyone looking to try something new. 

Overall, I was surprised with how much I liked ClassPass. My final rating is … drumroll, please … 4.5 stars. I could definitely see myself adding this app to my workout routine. While I did cancel my membership after the two-week trial was up, not ready to commit to $49 a month as a college student with limited funding for such endeavors, I can say this for sure: I haven’t forgotten about it, and I definitely haven’t deleted the app.