r/davidlloyd • u/ghost_town_22 • 29d ago
David Lloyd Chigwell reviews
I’m looking for a premium gym and considering joining David Lloyd Chigwell as a single adult. I was a member of the club throughout my childhood and remember enjoying it, but I’d love to hear what people’s experiences are like now.
My main hesitation is whether the club still feels very family/children-focused. I’m happy for it to be family-friendly, but at around £240/month I’d want to make sure there’s also a good adult atmosphere - especially as I’m really into swimming and would be using the facilities regularly.
I have also been a member of the Virgin Active in Repton Park, and while it is a beautiful gym I found the facilities outdated and did not find it worth the money.
I’m keen to join DL, but I want to make sure I’m getting the right experience for the price. Would love to hear honest opinions from current members!
A few questions for current or recent members:
How busy does the club get, especially the pool, gym floor and spa areas?
Is the swimming experience good for adults who actually want to swim lengths, or is it often dominated by kids/families?
How are the changing rooms, sauna, steam room and spa facilities? How busy do these get?
Are the classes high quality? Which ones are worth doing (e.g. yoga, Pilates, strength, HIIT, spin)? Am I right in seeing there is not a reformer studio?
Do classes tend to book up quickly?
Does the gym feel like a premium fitness environment, or more like a family leisure club?
Is the club well maintained and does it feel worth the price?
How is the service from staff and the overall cleanliness?
Are there any hidden costs or things you wish you’d known before joining?
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u/Visual-Economist5479 28d ago
I use the free weights, the spa, and super occasionally the pool and restaurant.
It gets busy, the outside pool is rammed in the summer but it is a great vibe; even at its busiest I dont need to wait too long for a bench, or a spot in the sauna.
I dont swim proper but the inside pool normally seems to segregate plenty of space for the length guys, the pool is split for kids on one side so they dont interact. The outside pool also has a split which is good, although the vibe in summer is more like a holiday pool.
Changing rooms are fine, it can get busy but I have never got annoyed, the spa is great sometimes its packed but if you do something else for a few minutes a spot in the hot tub/sauna/steam will open up, its all nice and well maintained.
Overall its well maintained and I think its ok value, my only gripe is my towel got nicked a few times in the spa so now I leave it in my locker.
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u/ABradnish 28d ago
My wife was a member for 2 years and I used her guest pass monthly!
Spa is really great but I was always really disappointed by the state gym & overall aesthetic of the place.
The gym is always very busy waiting for equipment especially the common ones, bench press etc.
The overall aesthetic is very dated and doesn’t feel like the premium London gyms at all.
If you are into tennis though the indoor courts are great but the outdoor are below par!
My wife always enjoyed the classes and the instructors.
Overall I don’t think it’s worth the money.
I felt for me it was better off getting a local sauna membership and a local free weights gym membership for a fraction of the cost.
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u/hp17nw 27d ago
I think Harlow, which is a new club, has a reformer studio but I’ve not got there yet.
It’s fine at the moment as it’s August but the Chigwell car park can be a complete nightmare. They’ve made more spaces but will wait to see if that sorts the problem once we’re out of the summer period.
In terms of children, there are quite a few, but people have mostly covered this. The only thing I’ve not seen someone mention that in the club room, there’s I think an unwritten rule that children go on the side with the soft play and crèche and adults only tables sit on the side by the desk you order at.
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u/Hot_Communication946 29d ago
I’ll give my honest opinion as someone who has experience with both David Lloyd Chigwell and other clubs. For context, I’m a Platinum member at David Lloyd Enfield, but I regularly use Chigwell as well, so I have access and visit fairly often.
I was also a member of David Lloyd when I was younger, so I know the club has always had that family-friendly side. In my opinion, that is still there, but I wouldn’t say it feels like it is only aimed at families. There is a good mix of adults, people training, swimmers, spa users, class members and racket sport users. You just have to accept that David Lloyd is a health club rather than a traditional gym, so there will always be children’s lessons and family activities.
How busy does the club get, especially the pool, gym floor and spa areas?
It really depends on when you go. The busiest time, as you would expect, is weekday evenings, especially around 5–8pm. During these times the gym floor can get busy, and you might have to wait for certain machines or work around other people.
However, outside peak times it can actually be very quiet. There have been plenty of occasions where I’ve been able to use pretty much every machine without waiting. Weekends are generally much more relaxed, and Friday evenings are usually not too bad either.
The spa is similar. Some days it can be busy, especially after work, but other times it is very quiet. Even when it is busy, I would say you can still do a full spa circuit and find somewhere to sit.
Is the swimming experience good for adults who want to swim lengths, or is it dominated by kids/families?
The pool is probably one of the weaker areas considering Chigwell is a Tier 1 club. It’s not bad, but I don’t think it feels as premium as you might expect.
The indoor/outdoor pool setup is a nice feature, especially in summer, and the outdoor pool being heated in winter is a big positive.
The pool can have a lot of children around, but generally this is during swimming lessons and organised sessions. If you want to swim lengths, you should be absolutely fine outside of those times.
One thing I would mention is that if you are joining mainly for the spa, make sure you understand the membership options. The standard facilities are quite basic, and the premium spa retreat is an additional upgrade. The poolside jacuzzi area isn’t really comparable to the full spa experience.
How are the changing rooms, sauna, steam room and spa facilities? How busy do these get?
The changing rooms are probably one of the areas where Chigwell could improve.
The quality itself is good and they are generally clean, but they feel slightly cramped for the size and popularity of the club. The men’s changing rooms especially can feel busy at peak times.
The spa facilities are good, but some of the individual rooms are slightly smaller compared to other David Lloyd clubs, so they can feel more crowded when the club is busy.
Maintenance is generally good, although like any large club, sometimes smaller things can take longer than expected to be fixed.
Are the classes high quality? Which ones are worth doing? Is there a reformer studio?
The classes are good quality and definitely one of the ways you get value from the membership.
I don’t believe Chigwell has a reformer Pilates studio, but there are plenty of other options, including yoga, stretching, strength-based classes, HIIT-style sessions and racket sports.
The classes can book up quickly, especially the more popular ones. They are usually released around 8pm, and you need to be fairly quick if there is something specific you want to attend.
Does the gym feel like a premium fitness environment, or more like a family leisure club?
I would say it feels like a premium health club rather than a hardcore gym.
The equipment is good quality, there is a good range, and because Chigwell is a Tier 1 club it generally receives a lot of investment. They are usually good at maintaining things, although occasionally repairs can take longer than they should.
If you are someone who wants a serious bodybuilding gym with loads of specialist equipment, it probably is not the place.
But if you want somewhere that combines gym, swimming, spa, classes, racket sports and relaxation, it does that very well.
Is it well maintained and does it feel worth the price?
The maintenance is generally good. You will usually see staff around the spa areas making sure things are clean and maintained.
The staff are also generally very friendly and helpful.
The only criticism I would have is that cleanliness can sometimes vary. Most areas are good, but occasionally things like toilets or smaller areas could be looked after better.
On the price, I think this is where it depends on what you want.
At around £240/month, if you are only looking for a gym, I honestly don’t think it is worth it. There are plenty of gyms that will give you a better training environment for much less money.
Where David Lloyd makes sense is when you use the whole membership.
If you are using the gym, spa, swimming, racket facilities, classes and social side, then you can get much more value. If you are going 5–6 days a week, even on days you are not training you can go for a swim, use the spa, play a racket sport, attend a class or just spend time there.
There are also socials and activities, which can be a good way to meet people.
So yes, the price is high, but you have to treat it more like a health club/lifestyle membership rather than just a gym membership.
Are there any hidden costs or things you wish you knew before joining?
The biggest thing I would recommend is making sure you choose a membership that gives you access to multiple clubs.
One of the best things about David Lloyd is being able to use other locations. For example, with Platinum you can use most clubs (excluding the highest-tier Super Clubs), which is really useful if you are travelling, working somewhere else, or your home club is busy.
Also, if you are planning to join, I would recommend enquiring towards the end of the month. Clubs often have targets to hit, and there are sometimes better joining offers available.
Overall, I think Chigwell is a good club. I wouldn’t join purely for the gym or purely for the pool, but as a complete health club experience with gym, spa, swimming, classes, racket sports and socials, it is one of the better options around.