I tried five high street gym memberships – the £22.99 budget option was best

As someone who has been a regular gym-goer for the past decade or so, I have trained at a variety of gyms – from my local leisure centre as a teenager to indulging in a personal trainer at a high end gym branch whilst living abroad. When it comes to exercise venues, I am very much “vibe-orientated” – I’ve realised if I don’t like it, I won’t go, and if I enjoy it, I’ll be there every day. I recently started running again after recovery from a broken foot, and am looking for a new gym. There are dozens of options where I live in south-west London, with prices ranging from £22.99 a month to hundreds. So I decided to try every high street gym to find out which company offers the best value for money. Shorts The Gym Group From £22.99 per month, plus £15 joining fee. Student and off-peak memberships also available The cheapest high street option is The Gym Group, a 24/7 no contract fitness club. The Gym Group provides an excellent low cost, accessible gym, and tend to be in areas with cheaper rents. I went to the Tooting branch, and was pleasantly surprised by both the size, and range of equipment available. It has a huge free weights section including four Olympic performance level rigs and squat racks, and a wide range of cardio equipment including stairmasters and ski ergs – and free classes. The classes take place on the gym floor, rather than in a separate studio, which can be a bit obstructive if you want to use the kettlebells or ropes in an individual workout. There were quite a few fellow gym go-ers, but the amount of equipment meant I never had to wait for a machine. The changing rooms were decent – clean, if a bit basic, with no towels provided and you have to bring your own padlock. For night owls, or early-risers, the 24/7 opening hours are an excellent plus. 4/5, excellent value for money PureGym From £22.99 per month, but certain gyms can be up to £49.99 I went to the Clapham branch of the no-frills health club chain, Puregym, which happens to be one of their most expensive. Perhaps it was because I went after work during the mid-May heatwave, but I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of people in the gym. I was greeted by spacious, clean changing rooms with individual showers (towels not provided), hairdryers and plenty of lockers. Set over two floors, there aren’t loads of cardio machines and the free weights area is small upstairs. Downstairs was huge, though, with a large free weights area and functional training equipment, stairmasters, and lots of weight machines. Certain branches of PureGym now offer women-only workout spaces, thanks to increasing demand, which is a nice bonus. There is a separate studio for classes, with spin cycles, weight-based sessions and yoga. The gym was pretty unbearably warm on a 35 degree day, though, and the air con didn’t do much to alleviate the temperature. 3.5/5 Fitness First £120 per month at my local (tier 2) branch, on a rolling contract, no joining fee This has a tiered membership system. The Clapham Junction venue also offers leisure facilities like a sauna, steam room, and an ice-plunge pool, along with modern gym equipment and a wide range of classes. There are options like reformer pilates at tier 1 (£160 per month) branches. The changing rooms were huge, and quite luxurious with towels included, plenty of showers, large lockers and hairdryers. The gym floor itself was smaller than expected, and whilst there was a huge amount of equipment, there wasn’t much space. I found myself awkwardly trying to stretch next to the leg press after my warm-up on the treadmill. That said, the range of equipment available – which included a huge free weights section, boxing bags and weight machines, meant there was no need to queue. The spa facilities felt luxurious, and whilst the space became busy at times, it was never overcrowded. The price point is high for a high street gym, but if you have access to a corporate membership – a discount available through work – or want a gym where you can go from home or the office easily, then it is certainly worth it. 3.5 / 5 – the price point knocked it down Nuffield health From £86 per month, plus a £29 joining fee Nuffield Health has a high-end reputation – the branch I tried in Edinburgh has a huge gym floor, swimming pool, sauna and classes. Towels are provided and the changing rooms are great, with large padlock lockers. The gym itself is a large open space, with a huge range of free weights and equipment – and crucially, space to stretch. The 25 metre pool was lovely, and the space has a sauna and hot tub as well. Nuffield has a tiered system, like Fitness First, and provides access to all gyms within one membership. 4/5 Virgin Active £136 per month for a tier 3 branch plus a £30 joining fee Virgin Active has a slightly higher price point than similar brands Fitness First and Nuffield Health. In the branch I tried, the changing rooms were vast and lovely with large lockers, plenty of space and GHD hair straighteners and dryers. The gym boasts a spin cycle studio and a second studio for weights and wellness classes which offer members unlimited classes. However, upstairs the gym was tiny, and whilst it had a decent amount of equipment, everything was so crammed in there was barely space to take in what was on offer. Most of the machines were occupied. The machines and facilities themselves were new and of a good quality – Technogym- but the lack of space was a bit bizarre. As for spa facilities, the sauna was a nice temperature, if quite crowded – there were people standing to squeeze in. The hot tub was a bit too grey to relax, and the steam room was cold and didn’t seem to heat up. I am aware facilities vary immensely across Virgin Active branches but Clapham sits in the second highest membership tier, suggesting it must be one of the better options. Apparently, the Bank branch is lovely, and certain gyms offer extra classes including reformer pilates, but these are tier 1 memberships and cost £218 per month. 2 / 5 Conclusion: Ultimately, for £22.99 per month, The Gym Group takes the trophy here. When alternatives are at least triple that, they have to be pretty incredible, in my opinion, to beat this offer. I live a bit too far from a Gym Group to walk, but with the money I’d save I could afford to travel there. Whilst it would be nice to have sauna and spa facilities, they aren’t worth a minimum of £70 more each month.