Orangetheory Reviews 37

Love that is so inclusive… really high energy workouts. Geared to any age and body type

I truly love my experience with my San Francisco Orange Theory gym. They are kind, helpful, and the facilities are always clean. My trainer Anna is fantastic to work with. She has given me so many new exercises to do for my health condition. It has been a wonderful experience and I highly recommend it to others looking for a good place to get some exercise in a nice enviornment!

I tried Orangetheory Fitness because of their “first class free” promotion. After the class, the manager encouraged us to sign up for something called the “Quit Free Guarantee.”

After a month we completed 5 classes and realized the program wasn’t the right fit. When we tried to cancel, we discovered in the contract that you must complete 12 classes within one month before you’re allowed to quit.

This was never explained to us when we signed up. The phrase “Quit Free Guarantee” is displayed prominently, but the condition is buried in small print. My wife didn’t know this condition either and she stood next to me. So tell me this was clear?

Orangetheory workouts are very intense, and completing 12 classes in one month is a lot for most people if not impossible especially if you do other fitness activities.

Consumers should read the fine print very carefully before signing anything. FIGHT IT GUYS! Every review counts, and call you credit card company.

Orangetheory does well at making exercise physically accessible and fun. If you haven't worked out in a long time or if you just need to establish a fitness routine where you can burn a lot of calories and maintain weight and muscle, I highly recommend Orangetheory. The reason I've given it 3 stars is brand inconsistency. Some studios are fantastic, welcoming to all customers, and excel at delivering the templates in an upbeat and professional manner. Others appear to be under strain and leave a lot to be desired in the studio culture domain. No one wants to go to workout and leave feeling bad about themselves because of cliques and exclusion. It's a gym, not a country club.

Enjoyed it tremendously. OTF Merivale 🇨🇦 team is fantastic.

Zero compassion for paying members when a class is missed due to an emergency. I missed my very first appointment on Nov. 24 because my home was hit by the Spring tornado. When I called the next day to explain, I was told there was "nothing they could do." No empathy, no flexibility-- it shows how little they value their members. I'm choosing to walk away and forfeit my initial fee rather than support a company that can't show basic compassion during a real crisis.

Negative Experience at Orange Theory Surprise Gym

As a current member of Orange Theory, I am compelled to express my dissatisfaction with the recent experience I had at the Surprise, Arizona Gym. The owner, Ryan Burn, exhibited a profoundly unprofessional and disrespectful attitude towards a visiting guest, which is unacceptable for a manager, let alone an employee.

Mr. Burn’s behavior made me feel unwelcome and dissuaded me from continuing to participate in the Orange Theory community. His actions demonstrated a lack of empathy and a disregard for customer service. When I confronted him about his inappropriate behavior towards me, a guest he had never met, he attributed it to being extremely busy on Thanksgiving. However, it is noteworthy that there were only two people at the desk at the time of the incident.

Despite my attempts to offer a cordial farewell, Mr. Burn responded with an eye roll and failed to acknowledge or express any gratitude for my presence. He proceeded to greet every female member present and greeted me with a dismissive and condescending demeanor. Furthermore, I was ignored by Mr. Burn until a female member caught his attention and allowed her to bypass the line, knowing that I was standing at the desk.

This experience has left me deeply disappointed and motivated me to cancel my membership as soon as I return to Colorado.

In addition to these concerns, I was informed that I would be required to pay an additional $10 to borrow a heart rate monitor. Since I do not carry this device with me when traveling, the absence of a system for visiting guests appears to be a financial exploitation tactic. Consequently, I will not participate in this program.
Your business name, Orange Theory, is derived from your training method in the “Orange Zone.” However, if you are unable to perceive this when you are in the class, the experience becomes meaningless. Providing exceptional customer service would be crucial in retaining existing members, as they contribute significantly to the salaries of the talented trainers.
It is deeply unfortunate that a gym prioritizes financial gain over the well-being of its members, who support the trainers. Two exceptional trainers, Hales and Natalie, were instrumental in salvaging this gym. Without their expertise, it would likely face closure due to poor customer service and a manager who lacks the ability to create a welcoming atmosphere within his establishment.
Orange Theory has the potential to improve and provide a better experience for its members.

We had fun! I liked the music!

People reading this review, RUN! Find another brand! This has been the most exhausting and unprofessional customer experience I’ve ever had with a fitness company. Never again.

Back in July 2025, I reached out to cancel my Elite membership at the Edgewater location due to financial hardship. I was told by the staff, “No problem, you won't be charged,” only to find out later that they never processed the cancellation. I was charged $198 anyway. When I followed up, Gabe admitted, word for word, “That was my fault. I messed up.” He promised to process it immediately, but he never did.

I asked to be released from the contract. They agreed and admitted fault. But then they said, “We understand you're going through financial hardship. What if we froze your membership instead and processed your refund immediately?” I agreed only if the refund would actually be issued right away. They promised it would be. The refund never came.

Between August 20 and October 6, I followed up seven times. Every time I was met with a new excuse. Gabe repeatedly admitted the refund had never been submitted. He said things like “I forgot” or “I messed up again.” Other times he claimed they were waiting on owner approval. A few days later, he'd change his story and admit he never submitted it. Despite all his promises and apologies, nothing ever happened.

It wasn’t until I asked to escalate to the owner that Gabe finally rushed the refund through on Oct 6th. But even then, they refused to connect me with ownership. They refused to cancel my membership even though they didn't hold up their end of the bargain. They also refused to apply the refund toward the cancellation fee of $218. I told them they already had the $198, and they could apply it toward the balance so I could walk away peacefully after being TERRIBLY mishandled. I even offered to cover the remaining $20 myself. They still said no, we won't do that. I was denied when I asked to speak to the owner. I emailed the owner directly and never received a response. I reached out to corporate and have not heard back. I am now preparing to escalate through other channels.

The lack of professionalism and accountability here is staggering. After reading other reviews, it’s clear this is not an isolated incident. This studio has a pattern of overcharging customers, holding on to money that doesn’t belong to them, refusing cancellations, and dragging out refund requests for months. Customers are left chasing the studio just to get basic issues resolved. That is completely unacceptable.

They clearly prioritize contracts over a people. But if they had chosen to value people over money, they would have recognized this as an opportunity to preserve trust and retain a client long-term. Instead, they burned a bridge, all to cling to a two-month fee that was already covered. The funds for the cancellation were in hand, and they still refused, despite openly acknowledging their mishandling. Any brand with integrity would have recognized that it’s the small breaches, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyard. This could have been a moment to make things right. Instead, they deflected, delayed, and claimed their hands were tied. No, this wasn’t about policy. It was about greed! And now, a customer who might have returned months down the line will never trust them again.

Orangetheory Edgewater — do better. And to corporate, if this is the standard being allowed under your franchise, it’s a serious stain on the brand.

When I signed up for Orange Theory I was told about a 30 day risk free policy on the membership - they did not honor this at all. They added random conditions which they didn't mention on the phone regarding 12 minimum classes - which they did not mention at all when I signed up. Then they charged me another full month, despite the fact that I wanted to cancel immediately, because it's just not a good gym for strength training at all.

BY ATTENDING OTF DAILY AND MULTIPLE TIMES PER DAY I IMPROVE MY OVERALL HEALTH. WHEN I GO FOR MY ANNUAL APPT TO THE DR, MY RESULTS END UP BEING GREAT. ITS SO VITAL TO MOVE AND IMPROVE YOUR BODY'S HEALTH.

Wayyyyy too many spam calls and texts. Need to chill

Orange theory scams you all the time. The heart rate monitor is not accurate and they tell you it is. When you cancel 30 days before they still charge you an extra month claiming it is how your "billing cycle" is which is complete bs. They never explain this and just keep getting away with it. They did the exact same thing to many people I see on line when I looked at reviews. Stay away!

To be honest I wouldn't suggest OTF to anyone if money is something you like to keep track of. They don't explain policies well, they Will Not initially provide you with neither a digital or physical copy of your contract and even though you may sign a cancellation form you HAVE TO PAY 1 MORE MONTH. Why? People want money. Even if you Did Not Take a Single class they want 2 months worth of payments. Not a great facility to be at when it comes down to your finances as they will try their best to get money out of you.

I had good workouts, but the staff aren't very polite and the facility can be cleaned up better.

This is a total scam operation. The policies are not properly explained when you sign up. If you have to put a freeze on your membership bc you are going to be out of town, etc, and can't use it, they CHARGE you a fee for the freeze. This is not explained when you sign up.
If you want to cancel, they CHARGE YOU for an extra month even if you cancel 30 days before the next billing cycle. So that's another month that you can't use if you have a health or other issue that you can't use.

They also charge you $120? for a heart rate monitor. There is no reason they couldn't use data from a fitbit or any of the other myriad trackers but they want the extra money.

You don't get an unlimited number of sessions, you pay for a particular amount of sessions per month and if you can't use them (eg, illness), then you're out of luck. So I paid hundreds, and they want hundreds more, for what I will not use. Others mention the same thing below.

Stay away from these ppl at all costs. It's sad that ppl who are healthy and using their memberships won't ever know all the scammy behaviors they use and what will happen if you can't use your sessions for some reason.

Boca West- incredibly rude phone service y Erin, who claimed to be the franchise manager, and literally 12 sales calls asking if I was still interested after I said no to the first call. Treat callers better- you’ll be a happier perdon!

Bad customer service experience. They don't care. I show up at the OTF location in my hometown and let them know I was arriving 10 mins before the workout. I had issues that morning, the gas station wasn't pumping gas, and I had to park farther away because I couldn't find street parking. In the end, I get there 1 min after they begin, and the front desk lady says I have to reschedule. Mind you, this is a free trial class. I had already signed the form before getting there. Also, she tells me that my ETA was fine and they would still let me in! So, I made a long drive of 30 mins just to be told, we'll have to reschedule you??? Not fair at all. I honestly think it's because my last name is Spanish, and they don't like Spanish people!

Overall, the classes and instructors are fine if you don't have a health condition. I was diagnosed with a chronic illness, and the full program was rough on my body. After a couple of months of orange theory, my blood work showed new health concerns. As a result, my doctor started to prescribe adrenal and thyroid medicine for the first time.

My doctor said no more orange theory unless you can stay at zone 2, which means only strength50 classes.

(Even though the manager claims their classes fulfill this criteria, I really wonder if she understands the difference between zone2 and zone4 - which is weird since the OTF name and branding are based on orange zone - aka zone4) ).

Unfortunately, there aren't enough strength50 classes - and they're usually fully booked almost a week in advance. If you miss a class, it's hard to get in another class the next day.

Anyway, I don't blame OTF for my adrenal fatigue. I didn't realize how compromised my system was until I tried it. However, leaving OTF was complicated and frustrating.

By the end, I was charged for 2 extra months that I didn't use. For that reason, I can only give them one star - and encourage other people with chronic health conditions to not sign up for OTF unless they understand this pitfall.

If the manager would have been more accommodating, I definitely would NOT be posting a 1 star review.

Side note... I'm finally off adrenal medicine. It took a year of slowing down - and weeding out all hamster wheel (treadmill and rowing) activities. If you think you might have adrenal fatigue and are a member of or considering OTF, check out reddit postings about this topic.

As a member with a two-month membership, I had no issues to report until I encountered some unpleasant situations. As customers, we members expect a positive experience from the staff at the front desk. They should be courteous and provide the best service possible.

Mistakes can happen, especially when it comes to communication between staff and customers. In these situations, it's important for the staff to address the problem tactfully, without making the customer feel disrespected or losing faith in the service.

When I arrived for my lesson today, I realized I had forgotten my personal watch at home, which I had purchased from the company. To my surprise, the front desk staff immediately informed me of a $10 charge to use a watch during the lesson. I found it unreasonable to be charged extra for using an essential piece of equipment required to monitor the class. TO BE ON THE ORANGE COLOR.

The staff could have handled the situation with more sensitivity. They should have clearly explained the policy upfront to avoid frustrating the customer. Since the customer was unaware of the policy and had seen others use it in class without being charged, the staff should have acknowledged the potential for miscommunication and reassured the customer that they could still fully enjoy the class for that session, while gently reminding them of the rule and allow me to use the watch for the class.

In the past, the customer had forgotten, and a staff member at the front desk had never mentioned the need to pay, which is why they were so surprised by what happened today.

A more understanding and considerate approach would have been greatly appreciated, preventing the customer from feeling upset about losing a class they had already paid for. I was disappointed with the front desk staff member, who was clearly unpleasant, as well as the teacher. As the leader of the class, the teacher should have acknowledged me, apologized for the miscommunication, and invited me to stay and enjoy the class and give me the watch. The overall experience was unacceptable.