Once hailed as the future of home workouts, connected fitness equipment is facing a serious identity crisis, and in some cases, a full-blown shutdown.
The latest casualty? JaxJox, the smart home fitness brand that promised a revolution in strength training with its adjustable dumbbells, kettlebells, and sleek app interface. But that slick promise now rings hollow: the company appears to have gone dark, its servers offline, its customer support non-existent.
Owners report their expensive smart weights have lost nearly all functionality, a costly reminder of what happens when your fitness hardware relies on an app that simply stops working.
This isn’t an isolated case. Just days ago, Johnson Health Tech issued a massive (voluntary) recall of 3.84 million Bowflex adjustable dumbbells, citing a serious risk of injury. Over 100 users have already reported being hurt, some with broken bones and concussions.
The recall spans nearly two decades of products sold under Bowflex’s former owner, Nautilus Inc., which itself filed for bankruptcy in 2024 and sold off the brand. Now under new ownership, Bowflex is trying to win back consumer trust, but the damage, much like the dumbbells, might already be done.
So, what’s going on? Why are so many smart fitness brands falling apart just a few years after their pandemic-era peak?
The great connected fitness unravelling
The pandemic created the perfect storm for connected fitness. Gyms were closed, people were stuck at home, and suddenly that pricey piece of smart equipment seemed not just justifiable, but essential. Peloton soared to a $50 billion valuation. Tonal raised hundreds of millions. JaxJox, Hydrow, and others raced to keep up.
Fast forward to 2025, and the landscape has shifted dramatically. Gyms are open, supply chains are back to normal, and consumers are no longer willing to commit to expensive hardware plus subscription combos.
Even Peloton, once the poster child of the movement, is shedding staff, outsourcing manufacturing, and repositioning itself as a content company, not a bike brand.
(Image credit: Tonal)
Tonal nearly ran out of cash in 2023 before a last-minute funding round saved it, but only after multiple layoffs and store closures. Hydrow, one of the best rowing machine brands, is still afloat and doing well, but increasingly squeezed by more affordable, more entertaining competitors like Aviron.
Meanwhile, the elephant in the weight room is trust. JaxJox users have learned the hard way that if a company goes under, their “connected” gear quickly becomes disconnected for good.
Not all doom and dumbbells
Still, it’s not all bad news. Some companies are adapting – even thriving.
Apple and Garmin are perfect examples. Fitness is just one part of their larger ecosystems, and their devices work with or without a subscription.
The Apple Watch remains one of the most popular smartwatches globally (although trends aren’t rosy), bolstered by regular feature updates and Fitness+ content.
(Image credit: Garmin)
Garmin watches, meanwhile, cater to endurance athletes and outdoor users with long battery life, offline maps, and metrics that don’t vanish if you cancel your membership. Again, the company did burn itself with the Connect+ launch, but it might turn out to be useful for upcoming wearables.
Lululemon, after a rocky stint with the Mirror smart gym, is now teaming up with Peloton to offer content across platforms, a sign that the future might lie in partnerships and portability, not proprietary gear.
Even WHOOP, known for its wearable health band and performance coaching, has pivoted wisely. Its app and coaching tools remain its main draw, and the company has made progress in offline use, health integrations, and even insurance partnerships.
Not to mention, the latest Whoop MG and Whoop 5.0, as well as the new features announced at the same time as the latest hardware, have been generally well-received.
What happens next?
The golden era of “Netflix for fitness equipment” is over. In its place, we’re seeing a shift back to fundamentals: reliable equipment that works offline, open ecosystems, and apps that enhance the experience without being the experience.
Consumers are savvier now. They want gear that lasts, workouts that don’t disappear if a server goes offline, and fitness tech that doesn’t turn into a paperweight when the funding dries up.
Smart fitness isn’t dead, but it is maturing. The brands that survive this transition will be the ones that respect that truth.
