Faulty Tech and Confusing Jargon: Orangetheory Stans Have Lots of Complaints

Not every exercise works for every person, and the boutique fitness studio has begun to raise eyebrows amongst customers after people noticed a few flaws with the exercise plan. Is Orangetheory Fitness bad? Keep reading to learn what the critics have to say as well as what some folks say they’re getting out of the trendy exercise company.

One of the reasons why OTF has become so popular may have to do with the unique setup that allows customers to push themselves to their limits, all while monitoring their heart rate and scoring points each time they get into the “Orange Zone.”

The “Orange Zone” is the point where OTF says your heart rate reaches 84-91 percent of its max, AKA: the Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), something that the founder says will help you to burn calories, and remain there for at least 12 minutes.

These 12-minute intervals will earn you “Splat Points,” which signal a successful workout. But to monitor, track, and view your zones — there are five different color-coded zones, according to OTF, and each signals different milestones in your workout — you must wear the company’s OTbeat Core heart monitor. This monitor, many critics say, is not only deeply flawed, but can frustrate users to the point of interrupting their workout.

One such user wrote extensively about their annoyance with the Daily Dot, explaining how the discomfort, inaccurate readings, and lack of accessibility made them want to discontinue using it in favor of a regular smartwatch, a switch that they noted many other devout OTF fans had already made.