Introduction
The item that I’ve missed the most from my commercial gym days is the stair stepper.
I’ve said this for many years!
While I’ve wanted to add one to my home gym, no feasible options that didn’t take up a massive amount of space existed. The best-priced options seemed clunky & not worth the investment.
In addition, headroom is a significant difficulty for most, with most being too tall for average ceiling heights at home.
Therefore, I became incredibly excited when I first heard of the STEPR! I was a bit skeptical because of the size, but I have been pleasantly surprised.
The STEPR is a stair stepper created for home gyms, offering so much. With a touch screen that gives you access to media, workouts, and more, it is “The Peloton of Stair Steppers.”
While the compact design involves some trade-offs, it would be a top choice for anyone looking to add a stair climber to their home gym.
Within this review, I will touch on my personal experience with the STEPR, overall dimensions, features of the unit, thoughts on price, and more.
By the end of this article, you should be able to know if it is right for you.
My Personal Experience
I also own a treadmill, air bike, SkiErg, and cycle bike in my garage gym. The STEPR has quickly become my go-to cardio, and I believe it will continue.
I greatly enjoy how much it makes me sweat! It has been a great warm-up, finisher, and excellent for longer steady-state cardio sessions.
As a warmup or finisher, I like to set a step target or floor count and go until I hit that goal. I connect to the Spotify app and listen to a podcast for longer, steady-state work. While other media is included, that’s my preference! The STEPR is not loud, so I don’t have any trouble hearing what is being played.
I find it comfortable on the joints, easy to operate, and much less “mentally intimidating” than using a treadmill. If I’m having a tough time getting going, I’d much rather start slowly on the stair climber and build my way up than hop on the treadmill.
The most common question I’ve received about this product is “How does it feel compared to a traditional stepper with smaller steps?
There is a bit of a difference, but it still provides an intense workout if that is what you are looking for. I’ll touch on more of this later.
The adjustment curve was so easy. It took me just a minute or so to find a rhythm and get used to the different step heights – so not long at all.
In addition, I am about 6′ 2″ and 215 lbs. I do not feel cramped at all. Unless you are a very large human, there shouldn’t be any fitting issues.
Plus, the machine feels very stable. It sits rock solid and there is no side movement at all.
The last thing I’ll mention in this section is that this “connected machine” currently has a slower UI and many features are still to come. With that being said, I’ve already seen improvements in the overall user experience.
STEPR Dimensions
The STEPR is a sleek-looking piece of equipment and the overall built quality is phenomenal. It’s built like a tank & is rated to hold anyone under 375 lbs.
It’s most important design characteristic is its compact size.
If it were sitting next to a traditional stair stepper, the first thing you would notice is its tight design.
The first question most will have is, “Can I use this with my “x ft” ceiling?” When I am using it I am typically around the 92″ mark.
Therefore, I’d say it’s possible for most with at least 8-foot ceilings unless you are over 6’6.”
Additional Dimensions of the STEPR include:
• Height: 82″ from the ground to the top of the display.
• Length: 50″ x 29″ Wide – It was designed to fit through standard doorways. Thus, it can be put in just about any room in the house.
• Weight: 286 lbs – While handles are included to move it within the room, you may need some help getting it up/down the stairs or through doorways. Nevertheless, this provides a solid base for stepping.
• Footprint: 3.5 ft. L x 2.3 ft. – It will easily fit within a stall mat, can fit in the corner of many rooms, and is smaller than a typical treadmill.
Size of Steps & Stepping Experience
As I mentioned earlier, the size of the steps is a bit different from what you’d typically find.
The step sizes include:
- The Step Height is 5.2 inches (the typical size stair climber is 6-9 inches)
- The Step Width is 15.7 inches
- And the Step Depth is about 8.7.”
The steps include a grippy rubber feel that holds up very strongly in even the sweatiest situations.
Floating Step Design
The floating step design helps to make this compact design possible. It helps ensure you can get more of your foot on the step. The front point of the step is in front of the step above it.
This doesn’t feel any different than other steppers I’ve used in the past.
Resistance Levels
With 24 resistance levels, you can customize your workout to your fitness level. They can be as challenging as you want them to be or as easy.
Since the stairs aren’t quite as tall as a traditional stair stepper, you may need to have a quicker speed to replicate the difficulty of other options.
Another way to make it even more difficult is to use a weight vest or ruck bag. I’ve only done this a few time, but this will speed up the intensity quite a bit faster.
Controls
Nevertheless, there are two additional handles. They are responsive and easy to use.
One allows you to pause or stop the workout, while the other changes the speeds.
It is straightforward to adjust how fast you are going, and it only takes a few seconds to go from the quickest speed down to the slowest.
Other Features
HD Touchscreen:
- This screen can rotate 360 degrees, allowing you to follow along with instructor-led workouts or watch videos while you exercise.
- It also displays your workout stats, such as calories burned, heart rate, and steps climbed.
- I don’t think there is any stairstepper in the world that includes a screen like this.
On-Demand Classes:
- There are many on-demand classes. These range from full workouts to just warmups.
- Numerous anchor points are included for bands. STEPR offers its own option, but I’ve found them to be a good spot for my Crossover Symmetry bands.
Price
This is a premium product and the starting price is not cheap. However, at $4,999, I think this is a properly priced product when you compare to other steppers on the market.
None of the other options out there offer a connected experience, and this unit is priced similarly to the lowest priced options out there.
Therefore, while it’s not a product most are going to easily pull the trigger on, the overall value is high.
0% APR options are available through Affirm as well.
All Access Note
As of today, the “All Access” App will be free for approximately the next 12 months.
You’ll always be able to use the “non-class mode” at no additional cost, but a monthly fee will become an option as more features become available.
The planned price is $49 per month.
The STEPR Team
As I mentioned earlier, there is still some work to be done on the user experience, but I have no doubt that the STEPR team will make dramatic improvements over time.
With many years of industry experience, the team has created something pretty special already.
In my podcast with Co-Founder, he discusses how the team is fully dedicated to ensuring the best possible digital experience possible. Many features are on the roadmap and I’m especially excited to see the community they plan on building grow.
More Info
- Setup: While it would have been helpful to have two sets of hands, it is possible with one & can take less than an hour if you stay focused. Putting on the screen with one person was the most difficult part. “White glove delivery and installation” for an additional fee can be added to the cart as well if you’d rather not worry about setting up.
- Two side-rails are easy to grasp when using the STEPR and will help you find a rhythm when first starting the STEPR.
- There is a very large cupholder that should be able to hold any size beverage you’d like to have handy.
- The warranty that comes with each STEPR is pretty strong. It includes a 10-year frame, 2-year parts, and 12 months labor. An additional ‘Protection Plan’ can extend coverage for 3-5 additional years.
Conclusion
In the end, I don’t think it’s controversial to say this is the best stair stepping option for those looking to add one to their home gym.
With it’s compact size, built-quality, and connected features, the STEPR would be an incredible addition to many home gyms.
This is a dream piece of equipment for many home gym owners & outside of the general bugs that accompany newer software, it’s tough to find any real complaints other than price.
The STEPR is an extremely well thought out and constructed tool.
I’m excited to be an early adopter and look forward to seeing what the STEPR team creates!