La Fitness Vs Planet Fitness - Which Gym Is Better
Sahiba Tandon
Updated At 05 Dec 23
LA Fitness and Planet Fitness are popular USA gym chains where people work out. Both of these gyms are quite remarkable in their own way and because of different features, they have become quite successful. Following we have a guide on LA Fitness vs Planet Fitness that will help you differentiate between the two gyms and choose which one works better for you.
Executive Summary
If you're deciding between LA Fitness and Planet Fitness, our assessment indicates that Planet Fitness stands out as the preferred choice. It's favored for superior customer service, more affordable pricing, widespread availability across the USA with numerous centers, and a reputation for cleanliness.
Table of Contents
LA Fitness
LA Fitness's first gym opened in 1984. It is among the top gym chains in the country with headquarters in Irvine, California. The much-loved gym chain has more than 700+ locations all over twenty-three states of the USA. LA Fitness clubs are known for their premium gym services offered to their clientele.
The clubs of LA Fitness not only offer beginner-friendly workouts but high-intensity training sessions individually to people as well. They also have a high level of choices in group classes. The membership for the club is of two sets. The first starts from $39.99 per month and an initiation fee of $75. The second option is paying $49.99 per month without the additional initiation fee.
LA Fitness Pros
•Facilities and amenities like sauna, childcare services known as Kids Club, pool, basketball court, and racquetball court are perks of an LA Fitness gym membership!
• LA Fitness is not only a gym for beginners but for all types of advanced training too! They have all the types of equipment and facilities that are required for a particular workout. So, LA Fitness is among the best gyms for equipment selection. Everybody from a beginner to a regular will feel comfortable in LA Fitness.
LA Fitness Cons
•Even though it has 700+ locations all over the USA, LA Fitness locations are still a lot less than Planet Fitness.
•The cheapest membership of LA Fitness starts at $39.99 per month plus taxes for gym membership which is rather expensive in comparison to Planet Fitness which just starts its package at $10 per month plus annual fees!
LA Fitness - User Reviews
As per the sitejabber.com, LA Fitness has a rating of 1.51 stars which indicates that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases.
- Justin B from Yelp.com mentions,
They don't clean the bathrooms, stalls don't have toilet paper and paper towel holders are often empty.
- Another user Bonnie L, mentions,
Joined for 6 month trial. Management changed constantly. They didn't stand behind what was told to us on sign up and that person had already quit. Trainers have no authority to help with problems and they quit so quickly you barely get comfortable.
- Harry J mentions,
Not only is the gym a complete and utter mess, both the workers and members are awful. Other than the cleaning people (who are incredibly nice and hard working). No one behind the desks does anything other than talk and joke around.
Planet Fitness
Planet Fitness is a rising chain gym in the USA that has over 2400+ clubs being operated currently. The first Planet Fitness club opened in 1992 and they have headquarters set in Hampton, New Hampshire. They Pride themselves by having a “Judgement Free Zone” that novices can join and get acquainted with.
The gym membership for Planet Fitness is quite budget friendly too starting from only $10 per month to going to $25 for a Black Card Membership. The Planet Fitness PF Black Card Membership gets the members premium digital workouts, uses of facilities like tanning and massage chairs, partner discounts, and more.
Additionally, total body enhancement at planet fitness is only available for black card members. There are numerous benefits which includes weight loss, skin tightening and muscle relaxation which are associated with the total body enhancement machine.
Planet Fitness Pros
•With more than 2400+ Planet Fitness clubs opened in the USA, it is the biggest gym chain in the USA!
• For the mere cost of $10 per month only, one can join the classic package and become a Planet Fitness member. This inexpensive monthly gym membership makes Planet Fitness one of the cheapest gyms out there!
•Planet Fitness Black Card Members get use of premium features like discounts, rewards, extra facilities, options for bringing a guest, and more!
Planet Fitness Cons
• Not many facilities and amenities like other gyms. It is more for a gym for beginners and not for some advanced training. Also, facilities like saunas, childcare services, and sports courts like basketball courts are not available, unlike other gyms in Planet Fitness.
• Like facilities, Planet Fitness is also not the best gym for equipment. They have basic equipment for beginner-friendly workouts but not for advanced training.
Planet Fitness - User Reviews
As per the trustpilot.com, Planet Fitness has a rating of 4.4 stars which indicates that most customers are generally satisfied and happy with their experience.
- As per Tiffany's review on reddit, she like the gym a lot. She mentions,
It’s always clean, it’s very rarely crowded when I go, and there’s a ton of equipment. Not to mention, it’s cheap as hell. If you’re a beginner who just wants to lose some weight or tone up, it’s FINE. If you’re trying to be a body builder, a local gym with the heavy duty equipment may be better for you.
- Jeffrey, another user on yelp.com mentions,
If you're looking for a good gym that doesn't get too busy most of the times, come visit this one!
- Another user Emily mentions,
I enjoy it. All the staff I've ever met is super helpful, I think it's great for the price, the black card benefits are amazing, and they have a wide variety of equipment. Some people say it's hard to cancel, but I've never had issues.
LA Fitness vs Planet Fitness
Both LA Fitness and Planet Fitness have their own set of features that make them better than others. Read the following to get information on both these gyms that will help you decide which club is ideal for you.
Costs
LA Fitness membership is quite expensive in comparison to Planet Fitness with customers paying $10 per month only at Planet Fitness and $39.99 per month at LA Fitness. This gym membership of Planet Fitness is one of the top features that attracts people!
Equipment
If we have to compare LA Fitness vs Planet Fitness, then LA Fitness comes on top easily. Planet Fitness club membership may be cheaper but in the equipment department, LA Fitness wins as they currently cater to more advanced training people and have more equipment for various exercise and training.
Facilities
Both LA Fitness and Planet Fitness have the basic features of proper gyms in the 21st century. But, for a better facility-equipped gym, LA Fitness has more options to attract the customer base like facilities including a pool, women’s-only area, kids club, cardio cinema room, and sports courts for its members! Planet Fitness membership does have more facilities for its Black Card members but definitely not as much as LA Fitness.
Locations
In the infrastructure section for LA Fitness vs Planet Fitness, Planet Fitness comes over top. It has more than 2400+ clubs and It also has five out of United States locations including Canada, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. LA Fitness has 550 gyms and is only in two countries; the USA and Canada.
Our Verdict - LA Fitness Or Planet Fitness?
We have checked multiple websites like yelp, truspilot, sitejabber to understand the common issues users face. Both LA Fitness and Planet Fitness have their own set of pros and cons. However, user reviews of Planet fitness do seem to be better than LA fitness and their average rating is also much better.
If you are a beginner, then joining Planet Fitness would be best as it is not only cheap but also provides a judgment-free zone.
FAQs
Q. Is Planet Fitness a good enough gym?
Yes, Planet Fitness is a good gym. It may not have the same amenities as LA Fitness but it does have its own class of facilities like tanning beds, massage chairs, and more.
Q. Which gym is better LA Fitness or 24 hour?
Though both gyms are good in their own way. LA Fitness has different group class selections while 24 Hour is considered better because it is literally open for 24 hours!
Q. Why is Planet Fitness so famous?
Planet Fitness is famous for its budget-friendly membership fees, nice gym environment, and ease of locations that are all over the USA.
Q. Why is LA Fitness so famous?
What makes LA Fitness from other gyms is the high quality of the equipment that cater to all types of people at a nominal fee per month. The club’s Multi State club membership also avails the users to take part at any LA Fitness club over the 23 states in the USA and Canada!
Q. Is LA Fitness only in LA?
No, LA Fitness is not only in LA. It has the most gym locations in LA with 92 out 550 gyms alone in it. It is over in 23 states in the USA.
Q. Can you bring a guest to LA Fitness?
Yes, through the LA Fitness Multi Club membership, you can bring a guest to workout with you whenever you work at a location.
Q. Can you bring a guest to Planet Fitness?
Yes, you can bring a guest to Planet Fitness when you have the Planet Fitness Balck Card.
Q. Can you access LA Fitness after canceling?
Yes, you can continue to use the LA Fitness gym for a span of 30 days as when you join the gym, you pay the first and last month's fees.
