Decided to get in shape? You have many options, one of which is to join a health and fitness club. We'll help you weigh the options and costs...and give you ratings of local fitness clubs.

Read our article and findings (available exclusively to CHECKBOOK subscribers)

Back to Puget Sound Consumers' CHECKBOOK Table of Contents.

Sample Subscriber Comments/Reviews About Health Clubs

CHECKBOOK provides subscriber comments on their experiences with the firms they use. Please remember that individual subscriber comments are informal. Subscriber comments may give you insight into the types of features and problems that exist in a service field, but are not the best basis for selecting or rejecting a specific firm. To assess the quality of a firm's performance, we recommend that you give more weight to the percentages of favorable ratings. Those percentages are generally based on much larger numbers of consumers' ratings (the number of consumer ratings is noted above).

As You Can See Below, Some Health Clubs Get High Praise from Their Customers. Some Others Don't. So Choose Carefully.
Here Are a Few Samples of the Thousands of Comments CHECKBOOK Has Collected on Hundreds of Different Health Clubs.

• Subscriber from BURIEN, WA wrote Another Club: There are 2 circles with the latest equipment. Staff very friendly with seasonal decorations done..........
• Subscriber from EDMONDS, WA wrote Another Club: Huge turnover in training staff makes it difficult to maintain continuity in training. Also, very..........
• Subscriber from RENTON, WA wrote Another Club: Mostly use the pool. Like that the water quality is checked frequently, and that they..........
• Subscriber from BELLEVUE, WA wrote Another Club: It's an expensive club, but now that I've been there, it would be hard to..........
• Subscriber from POULSBO, WA wrote Another Club: Ancient machines. Great Hi-low aerobics instructor.......
• Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote Another Club: The place is generally rather dirty. There doesn't seem to be much concern about the..........
• Subscriber from RENTON, WA wrote Another Club: Facility has improved over the past year.......
• Subscriber from UNIVERSITY PL, WA wrote Another Club: I use this YMCA mostly for the Hot Tub/Spa. The water is hotter and the..........
• Subscriber from PORT ORCHARD, WA wrote Another Club: The staff is great. The classes are great. But the gym is falling apart........
• Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote Another Club: Great staff!.......
• Subscriber from BOTHELL, WA wrote Another Club: Facilities are always very clean. Front desk staff is helpful........
• Subscriber from SAMMAMISH, WA wrote Another Club: VERY expensive. If Microsoft didn't pay for it, there's no way I'd go there. So..........
• Subscriber from PORT ORCHARD, WA wrote Another Club: Added classes requiring extra fees in place of classes included in prepaid membership........
• Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote Another Club: The pool is great, it uses something other than chlorine so that it is less..........
• Subscriber from KENT, WA wrote Another Club: My wife and I primarily use the pool facility........
• Subscriber from BELLEVUE, WA wrote Another Club: Outstanding alternative to the big name gyms and health clubs. Very caring professional trainers and..........
• Subscriber from UNIVERSITY PL, WA wrote Another Club: WHOEVER DESIGNED THIS FACILITY SHOULD FIND ANOTHER JOB. IT IS NOT USER FRIENDLY. NO HAIR..........
• Subscriber from BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WA wrote Another Club: Although regular members of the club participate in an exercise class for seniors which I..........
• Subscriber from RENTON, WA wrote Another Club: Equipment and facilities not maintained. It is not clean! Inadequate parking lot lighting. Not enough..........
• Subscriber from BELLEVUE, WA wrote Another Club: Great club, but premium price for services........
• Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote Another Club: While still a very good facility, quality has deteriorated slightly in the past 1-2 years...........
• Subscriber from KENT, WA wrote Another Club: sold to vision quest. it will remain to be seen how it will progress. sad..........
• Subscriber from AUBURN, WA wrote Another Club: Very friendly, no cliques.......
• Subscriber from WOODINVILLE, WA wrote Another Club: My rating is for the pool only. The pool is the nicest in the area,..........
• Subscriber from KIRKLAND, WA wrote Another Club: Been going with family for 8 yrs. As our needs change, the Y is there..........
• Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote Another Club: Recently the OAC seems to have gone down hill in terms of maintenance of equipment..........
• Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote Another Club: Love this gym. Knowledgeable staff and always willing to help. Good variety of classes. I..........
• Subscriber from LYNNWOOD, WA wrote Another Club: Annual fee that rises 22% per year seems unreasonable........
• Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote Another Club: Pool, fairly good, clean locker rooms. Good selection of classes. Parking sometimes tight at high..........
• Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote Another Club: University Fitness is a very inexpensive, no-frills gym. It has weight machines, aerobic machines, and..........
• Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote Another Club: Rates are very reasonable - they really try to sell individual training sessions and have..........
• Subscriber from KENMORE, WA wrote Another Club: Columbia in Kirkland has been recently given a makeover. New equipment and the remodeled facility..........
• Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote Another Club: Top of the line in Seattle but also the most expensive because you have to..........
• Subscriber from LAKE STEVENS, WA wrote Another Club: This location is run down and filthy. Their primary interest is in selling memberships. They..........
• Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote Another Club: This a great gym for those intimidated by gyms! Staff are very friendly and helpful..........
• Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote Another Club: Because I was a member of another gym before they were bought out by 24HR..........
• Subscriber from MARYSVILLE, WA wrote Another Club: Probably the best facilities in the area, but you will pay for it too!.......
• Subscriber from EDMONDS, WA wrote Another Club: They fired my absolute favorite trainer in the world. Many people left when she did,..........
• Subscriber from BELLEVUE, WA wrote Another Club: dirty and crowded.......
• Subscriber from BURIEN, WA wrote Another Club: I checked out numerous health clubs before joining Highline and I found that everything about..........
• Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote Another Club: I am a member through Group Health Medicare and do not have to pay dues........
• Subscriber from TACOMA, WA wrote Another Club: Staff allows a lot of people to walk right in without checking I.D. or membership..........
• Subscriber from BELLEVUE, WA wrote Another Club: A great club, but pricey........
• Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote Another Club: Seems like they have problems keeping the pool heater working. When it is down, it..........
• Subscriber from BELLEVUE, WA wrote Another Club: Much bettter than Bally or 24hour Fitness.......
• Subscriber from MARYSVILLE, WA wrote Another Club: If you like the kind of place that has clicks and the feel that you..........
• Subscriber from BELLEVUE, WA wrote Another Club: Our Bally closed so our account was transferred to another Bally within ten miles, This..........
• Subscriber from KENT, WA wrote Another Club: Run-down...The staff needs to get their butts out from behind the counter & clean the..........
• Subscriber from SEATTLE, WA wrote Another Club: no frills inexpensive gym, no classes, equipment sometimes takes a while to be repaired but..........
• Subscriber from GIG HARBOR, WA wrote Another Club: Staff appear more interested in marketing than instruction. When I visited the instruction was much..........