Are you thinking of investing in gym equipment? 

Well, there are multiple fitness retailers that sell a variety of products and services. Whether you prefer to shop online, or visit a fitness retailer in-store, all of these companies offer different products, and provide a different shopping experience.

With so many fitness retailers to choose from, we understand that it can be difficult to decide on a retailer to purchase fitness equipment. 

Generally speaking, as you browse around, make sure you ask yourself some key questions:

• Does this retailer offer equipment that fits within my budget?
• Does this retailer sell equipment that is built for longevity? 
• Does this retailer offer equipment that is going to help me reach my fitness goals? 
• Does this retailer carry fitness equipment from reputable brands?
• Does this retailer offer key services such as delivery, installment, & maintenance?
• Does this retailer offer warranties and return policies on their equipment?

Akfit and Fitness Depot are two reputable examples of fitness equipment retailers that you can look to. Both of these retailers offer a huge inventory of fitness equipment, and both offer very similar products and services. However, there are a few key differences between these companies. 

Although we are proud of what we offer at Akfit, we also realize that we are not for everyone.

In turn, this article will provide a transparent comparison between Akfit and Fitness Depot and the services they offer. We hope that this article provides you with the necessary information to choose the right fitness retailer for you!

In This Article:

1. Who is Akfit
2. Fitness Equipment Sold at Akfit
3. Services Offered at Akfit
4. Who is Fitness Depot
5. Fitness Equipment Sold at Fitness Depot
6. Services Offered at Fitness Depot
7. Key Similarities and Differences between Akfit and Fitness Depot
8. Reach Out to Akfit

Who is Akfit?

Akfit is a Canadian specialty fitness store located in Sudbury, Ontario. For the last three decades, Akfit has been working with our communities locally in northern Ontario, the rest of Canada, and beyond catering to their  needs.

Akfit houses a large inventory of fitness equipment including cardio machines, strength machines, fitness accessories, flooring, nutrition products, and more.

The  fitness professionals at Akfit pride themselves on being able to help their clients find the fitness products that are right for them by providing individualized advice that is tailored to their budget, lifestyle, and fitness goals. 

At Akfit, they don’t just work with our retail customers either. They Also work closely with commercial clients. With this, Akfit offers commercial gym design & planning services, provide quality commercial-grade equipment, and also offer service and maintenance plans. 

Fitness Equipment Sold at Akfit

Akfit houses a large inventory of over 3,000 fitness products that cater to different forms of exercise and fitness goals.  

Among this selection, Akfit aims to carry high-quality gym equipment that is built to last, to ensure that clients get the most out of their investment. 

Below is a list of the fitness products sold at Akfit. These products can be used for consumer or commercial use. 

Akfit Product Selection

Cardio Equipment: treadmills, ellipticals, spin bikes, upright bikes, dual action bikes, recumbent bikes, rowers, climbmills, and ascent trainers

Strength Training Equipment: strength machines, racks & cages, weight plates, kettlebells, bars & collars, power blocks, benches, and accessories for strength training

Fitness Accessories: exercise balls, yoga equipment, pilates equipment, MMA & boxing training equipment, instructional guides, bands & tubing, balance and stability products, recovery & wellness products, and sports goggles.

Functional and Conditioning Equipment: clubs & maces, weight vests, chin up bars and rings, tanks & sleds, suspension training equipment, battle ropes, and personal massagers.

OtherGym Supplies: exercise mats, commercial gym flooring, cleaning & maintenance kits, and storage equipment.

Akfit Brands/Manufacturers

Among this product selection, Akfit carries fitness equipment from the following brands/manufacturers …

Services Offered at Akfit

As a specialty fitness store, Akfit also offers a variety of services to help clients get the most out of their fitness equipment and reach their fitness-related goals. 

Service Centre

Akfit’s online service centre is set up to help clients! 

More specifically, it allows clients to reach out for professional advice. The fitness experts at Akfit will work closely with you to provide detailed information about equipment and help you choose equipment that aligns with your fitness goals.

Virtual Consultations

You can book a virtual meeting with Akfit experts to discuss any of your questions about the Akfit product selection while taking into account your unique requirements.  

Commercial Gym Services

Akfit also specializes in commercial gym services by offering commercial gym design, selling commercial gym equipment, and also offering commercial gym service and maintenance plans. 

Delivery & Installation

At Akfit, there is a team of qualified and insured fitness product technicians who will deliver and install your equipment. 

The cost of delivery at Akfit starts at $50 within Sudbury (25km) and installation services start at $125. The cost of delivery can vary depending on the delivery method of your product, the address, and the difficulty of your delivery. 

At Akfit, the qualified and insured technicians will also show you how to properly use your equipment as well.

Request a delivery from Akfit here. 

Refund Policy

In the case that you aren’t satisfied with your purchase, Akfit also has a refund policy. This policy differs from which product you have purchased and if your product has been used or not. 

If your equipment has not been used and remains packaged with proof of purchase after 7 days, it is eligible for return. However, it is best to read through the official refund policy before going through with a final purchase.

Warranty Plans

Purchasing fitness equipment can be a big investment. In order to protect the value of your purchase,  Akfit offers fitness equipment that is covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. 

These manufacturer warranties vary from product to product but usually include protection on labor, parts, and the frame of your equipment.

Financing

At Akfit,  financing options are available through Paybright and Fairstone where you can purchase your equipment through a variety of payment plans rather than making one up-front purchase. 

Check out our article that breaks down Akfit’s alternative financing options. 

Equipment Servicing

At Akfit, equipment servicing is offered. This includes equipment repair and  preventative maintenance plans that are designed to increase the longevity of your equipment upon submitting a service request form. 

Akfit is the recognized fitness service center for northern Ontario for service on equipment. The insured and trained service technicians will visit your home or facility to provide service to your equipment. All repairs and work performed on your equipment will be done so under the manufacturer’s warranty. 

Any service requests that are not covered under the manufacturer’s warranty will start at a cost of $95 an hour. 

For more information, check out our article on equipment servicing at Afkit. 

Learning Centre

Akfit’s learning centre can be considered a fitness database full of information to help answer any questions regarding fitness-related topics. 

From comparisons of fitness retailers to specific product reviews, the learning centre features a variety of knowledgeable blog posts to help educate you as transparently as possible. 

These articles are written with the objective of helping readers make educated purchase decisions in the pursuit of reaching their fitness goals. 

Who is Fitness Depot?

Fitness Depot is a Canadian “big box fitness store” with multiple locations across Canada. 

Since the 90s, the company adopted its warehouse/depot style of business to combat the lack of smaller boutique fitness stores. In 2014, Fitness Depot expanded its stores to the U.S, opening its first location in Dallas, Texas. 

Similar to Akfit, Fitness Depot sells a wide variety of fitness equipment built for retail and commercial use, while also offering a variety of services to help their customers post-purchase. 

Fitness Equipment Sold at Fitness Depot 

Fitness Depot sells more than 2,300 fitness products on their website that also cater to different forms of exercise and fitness levels. Similar to Akfit, they sell gym equipment for commercial use as well. 

Here is a list of the fitness products sold at Fitness Depot. The following products are meant for both consumer and commercial use.

Products

Cardio Equipment: treadmills, ellipticals, rowers, steppers, spin bikes, recumbent bikes, and dual-action bikes.

Strength Equipment: bars, dumbbells, power blocks, kettlebells, weight plates, functional trainers, racks and cages, strength machines, benches, and storage.

Fitness Accessories: exercise balls, strength bands and tubes, exercise mats, MMA and boxing training equipment, and yoga and pilates equipment.

Functional and Conditioning Equipment: TRX suspension equipment, chin-up bars, balance trainers, jump ropes, and stepping blocks

Educational Tools: books, DVDs, and informative fitness charts.

Brands

Among these products, fitness brands that supply products to Fitness Depot include:

Services Fitness Depot Offers

Similar to Akfit, Fitness Depot offers a variety of services to assist their clients during purchase and post-purchase. 

Delivery, Installation, and Haul-Away

Fitness Depot offers delivery and installation services for all of the equipment purchased through their bricks and mortar retail locations. 

Installation and set-up are not available for online purchases. 

Pricing for delivery is quoted at the time of the product purchase. 

Fitness Depot also offers their haul-away program for the purpose of recycling their products rather than the equipment ending up at a landfill. Rates will be quoted at a retail store at the time of purchase. 

Warranty Plans

A variety of fitness equipment sold at Fitness Depot does come with manufacturer's warranties. 

These warranties vary from product to product but typically offer protection on labor, parts, frame, and more. 

Keep in mind that the product warranty is void if a residential product is installed in a commercial setting.

Buyer’s Protection Plans

In addition to the manufacturer's warranty, Fitness Depot offers a variety of buyer’s protection plans covering in-home servicing on equipment and 100% coverage on parts and labor outside of the manufacturer's warranty. 

Their plans can be broken down as such: 

Four Year Programs:

• $98 Purchases up to $999.99
• $128 Purchases from $1,000.00 to $2,499.99
• $168 Purchases $2,500.00 and over

Five Year Programs:

• $98 Any Home Gym Purchase
• $128 Purchases up to $999.99
• $148 Purchases from $1,000.00 to $2,499.99
• $188 Purchases $2,500.00 and over

Ten Year Programs

• $388 Purchases up to $2,499.00
• $588 Purchases $2,500.00 and over          

These plans are only available for products purchased at Fitness Depot and must be purchased 30-days after buying your fitness equipment. Treadmills under $1,000 do not qualify for these plans. 

Financing

Similar to Akfit, Fitness Depot also offers alternative financing options through Fairstone. This gives the customer the option to pay for their equipment over three unique payment plans as opposed to one upfront payment.

Fitness Tips

Instead of a blog, Fitness Depot offers fitness tips for various workouts on their official YouTube channel.

Equipment Servicing

Fitness Depot does offer servicing on broken fitness equipment. They employ hundreds of independent service technicians across the country should you ever have issues with your equipment. Fitness Depot’s servicing team can be contacted by phone. 

Key Similarities and Differences Between Akfit & Fitness Depot

While Akfit, and Fitness Depot both offer a lot of fitness equipment, as well as delivery and equipment servicing, there are a few differences between the two companies.

Similarities

Some similarities between the two companies include:

• Both Akfit and Fitness Depot sell fitness equipment with manufacturer’s warranties
• Both Akfit and Fitness Depot offer delivery and installation services
• Both Akfit and Fitness Depot offer equipment servicing.
• Both Akfit and Fitness Depot sell popular brands such as NordicTrack, Concept 2, and 360 Athletics. 
• Both Akfit and Fitness Depot sell commercial gym equipment

Differences

Some of the key differences between the two companies include:

• Akfit is the official equipment servicing department for Northern Ontario.
• Fitness Depot has multiple stores across North America, while Akfit only has one showroom in Sudbury, Ontario.
• Akfit offers preventative maintenance plans for your gym equipment, while Fitness Depot offers buyer’s protection plans. 
• Akfit offers virtual meetings to help its customers.
• Akfit offers commercial services that extend past selling and maintaining gym equipment
• Fitness Depot offers instructional videos on their YouTube channel while Akfit publishes extensive blog posts for fitness information.

Reach Out to Akfit

At Akfit, we aim to provide an unbiased comparison of our fitness store vs. Fitness Depot. We did so in an attempt to help you, the reader, weigh the similarities and differences to narrow down your fitness investment decisions.

If you have decided that Akfit is right for you, we would love to help!

Start by checking out some of our best selling products:

• 5 Best Selling Treadmills at Akfit
• 5 Best Selling Spin Bikes at Akfit
• 5 Best Selling Indoor Rowers at Akfit

We encourage you to reach out to us today or visit us in-store at our Sudbury location with any of your fitness-related questions. Or, if you prefer to distance yourself socially, you can book a virtual meeting with us. 

Our fitness professionals pride themselves on helping you reach your fitness goals and ensuring you leave our showroom as a happy customer. Any question you may have about our products and services, our experts can answer it. 

Akfit’s services don't stop there either! If you have already decided on purchasing equipment from us, you can submit a delivery request from. 

We also offer preventative maintenance plans to help you keep your equipment in top shape, just submit a service request here to get started! 

Whatever your fitness goals may be, we are here to help you reach them!