Vault vs. Tempo: Which Nordictrack Is Right For You?

For quite some time, I’ve been trying out the Tempo Studio and the NordicTrack Vault. To find the best home fitness studio, I’m going to compare them across nine categories.

Tempo vs Vault: Design

These devices have the same goal: to be an all-in one home gym. They have different ideas about what a home gym might look like. The Tempo is available in charcoal or white and features a large touchscreen at the front. The screen has doors underneath that can open to reveal multiple weight plates and clips. A hollow opening behind the screen allows you to store your foam roller or workout mat. Finally, the screen has small holders for dumbbells and barbells.

The Tempo chose a simpler home gym design. However, the NordicTrack Vault from iFit is trying to hide a little more. The NordicTrack Vault is made from all-black carbon steel and has the screen covering the entire frame. The Vault is unique in that it can be used in any room, not just as a home gym. The Vault screen can also be used as a mirror when it isn’t in use. The Vault’s entire front is hinged and opens up to reveal the kettlebell and dumbbell sets.

Although they have different ideas about what a home gym should look like, both devices are very sleek and attractive. It is difficult to compare the two designs.

Tempo vs Vault: Screen

The NordicTrack Vault screen embeds into a mirror so you can see from top to bottom. However, the Tempo screen is larger and brighter. The Tempo screen is forty-two inches in size, while the Vault screen is thirty-two.

Although the difference isn’t huge, I think the Tempo screen is the best. It is ten times larger and brighter, which makes it easier to enjoy the Tempo screen. Tempo gives you a more personal training experience than just watching a TV trainer.

Tempo Studio’s 42″ Screen

Studio vs. Vault: Software

The Tempo completely destroys the Vault in this category. The screen is better and the Tempo has more processing power. The 3D camera can count your reps and give feedback during classes. It can also adjust your weights directly on the screen.

The Vault’s 32-inch touchscreen is still excellent and of high quality. The Tempo is clearly the superior product, with all of its high-tech features including rep counting and movement tracking.

Studio vs Vault: Equipment

The NordicTrack Vault and Tempo Studio are difficult to compare in terms of equipment, since there are many versions of the Tempo. For this comparison, however, I will only compare the Complete Vault to the Tempo Starter Set. These two sets are most comparable in price and what they include. My impression is that one of them focuses more on quality and the other on quantity.

The Tempo has a lot more quality equipment than the others. The Tempo includes a great workout mat, Olympic Style dumbbells and weight plates. One problem I found was that you only have one set adjustable dumbbells. This severely hinders your ability to move around the gym. You’ll find yourself constantly changing the weights of the dumbbells. You might even find yourself using the same weight for multiple movements.

Another issue was the size. The Tempo plates are larger than regular rubber dumbbells and can make certain movements difficult or impossible. The majority of people won’t have any problems, but smaller individuals might find the included dumbbells uncomfortable for certain movements.

NordicTrack Vault Complete

The NordicTrack Vault contains six pairs of dumbbells and two kettlebells. There are also multiple resistance bands. The Vault equipment has a lower quality than the Tempo but the dumbbells are functional and much easier to use. They’re more comfortable and allow you to attend classes without having to constantly change your weights. This is why the Vault won this category.

Studio vs. Vault: Class Selection

The Tempo is a dominant category in the NordicTrack Vault. They have a larger library of workouts on-demand as well as live classes. The Vault’s lack of variety is what is disappointing. You would expect that the Vault workouts come from iFit. They have chosen not to use all of the iFit workouts, which include thousands.

They offer only a few dozen programs, which they use to pull together all their workouts. Although they plan to expand their library, this has not been updated for quite some time. It makes no sense to me why they haven’t included all the classes they have. Tempo wins this category. However, they won it primarily due to the Vault and iFit not including the vast majority of the workouts they should have.

Studio vs. Vault: Selection of Programs

Both the Tempo and Vault have a weak program selection category. Although the Tempo offers a lot of programs, most of the more complex programs will require a barbell. The Tempo program selection is much less than the NordicTrack Vault using dumbbells.

The NordicTrack Vault, as I mentioned, is missing many of their programs and only offers a little more than a dozen. However, the dozen or so they offer are better than the Tempo’s current offerings. The NordicTrack Vault wins in program selection.

Studio vs Vault: Class Experience

Tempo Studio has a lot more to offer than just the basic features. It is fun to see your reps and view a leaderboard. You can also get feedback. It would be easy to believe that they will win in class experience. However, just because a product has more features does not necessarily mean that it is better.

Although the Tempo form correction is an excellent idea and uses some amazing technology, it is rarely used. In the hundreds of hours that I have used Tempo, I have only seen three form corrections. Although the weight tracking and rep counting are very helpful, I don’t think they will be used by many people after the first week.

Although the Vault is not as feature-rich as the Tempo, the Vault has more class experience than the Tempo. The Vault does not require you to change the weights between movements. The Vault allows you to grab the next set and switch between different weights. This makes it much easier to take the class. This category will be another tie, as it has more features than the other.

Studio vs Vault: Stat Tracking

Tempo’s Stat Tracking is another win, as the Vault does not provide it. The Vault does not offer a stat-tracking page. You cannot also track your previous workouts and weights. The Vault doesn’t even have a calendar so you won’t be able to see how many workouts were done each week or month.

Tempo on the other hand provides a lot of information. It shows you how many times you’ve moved per week, per month, and what weights. Tempo’s stat tracking is far more comprehensive and easily wins this category.

Studio vs Vault: Ecosystem

You will need to make sure that your home fitness studio is not just a part of your home gym. It should also have a wide range of equipment. You can expand the Tempo by buying the barbell, kettlebell, and other equipment. These items will enable you to take more classes with the Tempo, but they don’t offer any other complete devices at this time.

The NordicTrack Vault, which is part of iFit, allows you to grow your home gym. iFit can be used in many other devices, such as treadmills, rowers and bikes. If you already have Tempo and want to add a bicycle to your home gym, you will need to purchase a new membership. However, for NordicTrack Vault, you only need one iFit subscription, which will allow you to use a wide range of products. The Vault is a clear winner in this category, as Tempo’s iFit community is much bigger than Tempo’s.

iFIT offers a larger Ecosystem which includes bikes, treadmills, rowers and more

Which home gym is the best?

The final score for all nine categories was two ties. There were four wins for Tempo Studio and three wins for NordicTrack Vault. The Tempo Studio is my favorite product, even though I love both. The most important factor for most people is whether they are looking for the best quality product that can allow for extensive strength training. The Tempo Studio is what you want if that is true. You can read our complete review to learn more about Tempo Studio.

The NordicTrack Vault may be the best option for you if you want something with more functionality, such as dumbbell workouts and a mirror in your home gym. It is also a better choice if you plan to expand your home gym with additional equipment such as a treadmill, bike, rower, or rower. You can read our complete review to learn more about NordicTrack Vault.

Purchase NordicTrack Vault Here. (link includes free shipping, delivery, and 1 month of IFIT).

Tempo Studio now on sale for $450