Which gym gate system to choose? 

Open for business

Gates are the dividing line between the people you let into your gym club and the people that can’t come in.

They have to do an important job: Distinguishing the members from the chancers who want to come in for free, by just hopping over the barrier when no one is looking.

Of course, this won’t happen if someone is always in reception, but what happens when your receptionist goes for lunch or is called into a meeting?

If your gym is a 24/7 operation then they have an even more important task to perform too: They have to distinguish and protect you from homeless vagabonds who might want somewhere warm for the night and your paying club member who wants to do a workout at 5am.

Charity is all very well, but you have a business to run, and customers don’t want to find someone sleeping in the corner by the drinking fountain.

So, how do you choose the right system? And what are the systems available? Let’s look at the choices you have.

Magnetic, strike and turnstile. All of them can be incorporated into your access control system with ease.

The security, the lease and the geography 

Possibly, the first consideration you have to make is what level of security do you need?

Is your gym going to be 24/7 and have to operate essentially automatically, with no human intervention?

For many gym owners the move to 24/7 is inevitable because it allows you to ‘sweat’ your asset and maximize its revenue. So if you are going to be going this route you need the security to work without a receptionist, and just a CCTV instead.

In this scenario, you need the strength and the simplicity of a strike lock. It’s strong, can’t be bashed through and controls a door that can’t be hopped over.

Combining it with a CCTV allows you to check if anyone who shouldn’t be in there has tailgated their way into the building. To that extent, it is the 24 hour option.

But If you’ve got a rush of people at certain times and a receptionist, it may well be that a turnstile is a better option. They can handle high volumes of traffic coming in and going out and there’s less of a tailgating issue.

At this point you might want to check your lease, because different access control systems have different implications for your lease.

Leaseholders and drilling in

For any gym owner who is renting their premises, you will have an issue if you start drilling into the fabric of the building.

Strike locks need this to a minor extent, because you drill into the door and surrounding housing. Turnstiles and their more elegant cousins, speed gates, definitely represent a more permanent fixture; you have to secure turnstiles into the floor with some strong bolts, and for gym owners planning to move next year, this might not be an attractive proposition.

If on the other hand, you own the building your gym is in, you have plenty of space in the front, and a fast throughput of gym users, turnstiles could be perfect.

Magnets are easy

The option that is most lease-friendly is definitely the magnetic lock.

These are usually placed at the top opening side of a door and are driven by powerful electromagnets controlled by mains electricity and gym software with door access that you are using.

They have the advantage that they are minimally invasive in terms of drilling screws and bolts that will cause issues with the lease. They are also easy to install with no moving parts and are very reliable.

On the downside, a burly strongman can bash their way through them. Their location at the top of the door makes them less strong than the strike lock that is in the middle of the door. The maximum force they can handle is around 1000 pounds or 4.4K Newtons.

It’s also worth remembering that in the event of a power outage you won’t have a lock in place there.

Max security and full length

Finally for those looking to secure their premises in a 24 hour high throughput environment, there is the option of the full length turnstile. These are more the preserve of embassies, stadiums, banks and railway stations but it may be you want to set up your gym with this level of security. The price tag is around $13,000 for the model shown here.

Sum up

Magnetic

Pros: Simple, non invasive installation inexpensive.

Cons: Power outage issues. Allows tailgating not great for high flow.

Cost: $1500 all in.

Strike locks

Pros: strong, simple, inexpensive and easy to install.

Con’s: Check the lease. Allows tailgating not great for high flow.

Turnstile

Pros: High throughput capability, looks great, no tailgating.

Cons: Higher cost, some jump over if not attended, needs installation and more floor space, landlord approval.

Speedgate

Similar to turnstile but harder to jump over.

Gateway to information

Finally it’s worth pointing out that all of these work elegantly with Wellyx, and will require minimal or zero ongoing cost. They’re a vital asset in helping you collect data about who is using your gym and when, so whatever system you use, it will pay its way in bringing you that all important bigger picture.

If you’re still unsure about anything related to the gym access control system or which options will best suit you, why not call us +1 833 886 1660