Having lived for 2 years in France taught me just how devastating winter is when it comes to keeping a healthy body weight. I am still unsure why, but it really feels so good to eat during winter and therefore, also, extremely easy to put on weight… which is a problem!
As such, I figured I needed a gym subscription to battle the winter season’s onslaught on my health and stay fit. I ended up signing up as a Premium Member at Basic-Fit when they ran a promo early this year where I paid only 9.99 EUR for the first month, followed by a monthly subscription fee of 29.99 EUR with a lock-in contract duration of 52 weeks (1 year).
This membership level lets me use any Basic-Fit gym in France and anywhere in Europe, which is cool. It is kind of like the gym subscription I had when I was still in Singapore with a company called Fitness First.
This blog post, therefore, lists my general evaluation of Basic-Fit gyms based on my own experience.
Before I delve into what I like and don’t like about this sports club, it is first and foremost worth highlighting the unexpected benefits that I enjoy as a Basic-Fit Premium member.
Extra (Unlisted) Benefits
- Having access to a shower anywhere, anytime in France and Europe where there is a Basic-Fit gym (you may not have this privilege if your subscription is tied only to 1 gym).
- This is extremely useful to me especially, for example, when I want to do an outdoor run from one place in town to another (or to another city). If there is a Basic-Fit gym at my chosen destination, I can have a shower and go home fresh and clean!
- Having access to clean toilets anywhere, anytime in France and Europe where there is a Basic-Fit gym
- Having access to a locker anywhere in France and Europe where there is a Basic-Fit gym
- This is also extremely helpful to me. As I frequently participate in running events in many places in France and in Europe, if there is a Basic-Fit gym near the running venue, I may have the option to leave my clothes in a locker, run lighter (therefore, better running performance), and return for a nice shower. It is priceless!
Basic Fit Gyms I have been to by far
- Basic-Fit Roubaix
- Basic-Fit Tourcoing
- Basic-Fit Lillenium – Lille, France
- Basic-Fit Rue Nationale – Lille, France
- Basic-Fit Dunkerque
- Basic-Fit Amiens
What I like about Basic-Fit
- Free backpack. I personally think that Basic-Fit bags can serve as one of France’s national identities. When I fly within Europe and I see some travelers with Basic-Fit bags on the plane, they are more likely from France. although Basic-Fit gyms also exist in other EU countries.
- I like that I can go to any Basic-Fit gym anywhere in France and in Europe to do a workout and stay fit.
- I like that Basic-Fit gyms have excellent branding. All Basic-Fit gyms have similar “look and feel” so I do not feel uncomfortable going to any Basic-Fit gyms because they always feel familiar regardless of the location even though the gym configuration varies.
- Easy registration to become a member on their mobile app (as I did), though you can also come to any Basic-Fit gym and register there.
- Transparent subscription prices and optional add-ons. All of these can be configured on the app.
- I find the monthly subscription fee affordable and reasonable.
- I like that there are many workout machines. They covered everything that I need for my training: sophisticated treadmills, elliptical machines, digital stationary bikes, a variety of weights, yoga mats, etc.
- Each gym has a weighing scale that is connected to my membership account. I am able to see the historical data of my health statistics, past training sessions, and even a log of my gym visits.
- A fantastic mobile app that shows everything that I need. It is worth mentioning that the app recommends personalized training, healthy recipes, and a link to Basic-Fit’s webshop where you can buy sports accessories and sports nutrition products.
- I like that there are vending machines where you can buy protein shakes, bars, and other workout accessories.
- Group classes are available.
- Basic-Fit gyms are clean and well-maintained. They also empower its members to clean the machines after use which promotes good hygiene for all users.
What I don’t like about Basic-Fit
- Some people have reportedly had their things stolen in some gyms, so better buy a reliable lock when using their locker. Fortunately, I have not personally experienced this.
- It can be very crowded in some gym locations sometimes.
What do you think about Basic-Fit gyms? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
About Author
My experience with Basic-Fit was extremely negative, and I absolutely cannot recommend it. At first glance, it appears to be a professional fitness chain, but once you encounter an issue, you’ll quickly realize their approach is not only unprofessional but also unfair and irresponsible.
I had a flexible membership plan, which I stopped using at the end of June when I left Spain. Despite this, Basic-Fit charged me €139 for months when I didn’t use their services at all. Worse yet, they didn’t inform me about this outstanding amount until four months later. This delay is completely unacceptable—especially because it robbed me of any chance to address the situation earlier.
The app, which is supposed to allow for easy membership cancellation, simply didn’t work. The link on their website that supposedly leads to membership cancellation was also broken. Even if I had wanted to cancel my membership on time, the technical issues made it impossible. When I reached out to customer support for help, they were slow to respond and unhelpful. Instead of resolving the issue, they kept directing me to a law firm, which I find utterly unfair—Basic-Fit forced me to seek legal assistance solely because their own system failed.
Dealing with the law firm was another nightmare. I emailed them twice, but they completely ignored my messages written in English. Phone calls weren’t any better; while they answered, they spoke only Spanish. As a foreigner, I had no effective way to communicate with them. This highlights how little Basic-Fit cares about customers who face language barriers in a foreign country. Their lack of support left me in a situation where I was being pressured to pay for a service I didn’t use, all because of their faulty system and lack of willingness to help.
Basic-Fit presents itself as a friendly and transparent company, but my experience showed the opposite. They were uncooperative, unresponsive, and their policies seemed designed to squeeze money out of customers at any cost, regardless of whether the service was used. Coupled with their technical failures and dismissive communication, the entire experience felt incredibly unfair.
I strongly recommend anyone considering a Basic-Fit membership to think twice. If you encounter a problem, don’t expect fair treatment or any effort to resolve it. For me, it was an incredibly frustrating and costly experience that should never have happened.
Rating: 0/5
If you’ve had a similar experience, share it. People need to know what kind of unfair practices they might face with Basic-Fit.