I have been a member of Planet Fitness for just over a month and a half**. Not a long time I know, but long enough to get a pretty good sense of how things work there. While PF works well for my lifestyle and I enjoy going there, it also has some serious haters (with valid reasons for hating it). Here are some pros and cons of PF to help you decide if it is the right gym for you.
**Edit: It's been over two years now! My opinions haven't changed but I'm still going there so I guess that says something...
Pros
This is really important for me since I am an early morning exerciser. I take advantage of this by getting to the gym at 5am every day, along with the ten or so people who are already there when I arrive. What I like about 24 hour fitness centers is that you don't have to plan your day around their hours and it helps make it easier to avoid busy times.
I pay $20 a month for my PF membership, and that is for the highest level they offer (includes unlimited tanning, one free guest per day, access to any PF across the nation, unlimited massage chair etc.). I think the cheapest membership is only $10 a month. To compare, other gyms in my area charge between $30 and $50 a month.
I can only speak for the handful of PF's that I've been to, but all of them have seemed to be pretty clean. The locker room at my location is always really clean and well stocked and the shower curtains are changed often. I do wish they would get the pre-moistened gym wipes instead of the paper towels and spray bottles though.
Plenty of cardio machines.
Before graduating college I used my school's gym and if you went at a busy time you more than likely would have to wait for a cardio machine. PF has plenty of treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes for everyone. Personally I have never seen the cardio deck completely full, there is always at least a few of each type open. I also like that they do not have a time limit for the machines. I have been to some gyms where they limit you to a 30 minute block and don't allow you to sign up for back to back times which is a huge impediment to anyone who likes to run more than 3 or 4 miles.
Cons
They encourage bad eating habits.
On the first Monday of each month PF has a "pizza night" where they give out unlimited free slices of pizza. The first Tuesday morning of each month there is free bagels and coffee. That's not all, they also keep a huge jar of tootsie rolls on the front desk and encourage people to take some as they leave. Some people have a theory that PF does this to impede their client's diets and force them to continue using the gym. I don't think that is quite their goal, but either way it is a bad thing for a gym to be doing.
The staff is not very knowledgeable.
When I first went in to sign up for a membership, I was given a tour by one of the men at the front desk. As he took me around the gym he admitted that he didn't know how to use several of the machines. Personally I found this funny and wasn't concerned since I am experienced enough to know what I'm doing, but for a first time gym goer this could be a real problem that could cause an injury. Despite that I have always found the employees at my location to be friendly and in a good mood.
I have mixed feelings about the Lunk Alarm. Planet Fitness defines "Lunk" as: "one who grunts, drops weights, or judges."The alarm will be set off when someone does any of those things. While I agree that some people taking grunting way too far, you have to give them a little leeway. And dropping weights? Yes, it should be avoided, but it does happen. Would you rather have someone drop a weight on the ground or struggle with it and possibly hurt themselves? (Note: I've never seen the alarm be set off in my gym.)
Apparently PF has a dress code (my PF doesn't have one of the signs) that says no More about the author jeans, bananas, boots, sandals, or skullcaps. Okay...that seems like common sense to me. I have also heard a rumor that they don't let you wear tank tops, but men and women (myself included) where them on a regular basis and nothing is ever said.
They do not offer group classes.
My biggest complaint about PF is that they don't offer any sort of fitness classes. No pilates, no yoga, no spinning, etc. so if that is they type of thing you look for in a gym, sorry, you will have to look elsewhere.
Difficult to cancel membership.
I have no firsthand experience with this, but I have heard from others that cancelling a membership at PF can be a challenge. If you cancel past a certain day then you will be charged for the entire month anyway. There have also been cases of people still being charged after their membership has been cancelled.
Now I'm not sure if this is just in the gyms I've been in, but in the 10 or so I've visited across the country not a single one has WiFi. This may seem like a finicky request, however as someone who listens to a lot of Pandora and watches Netflix on the treadmill, those data charges add up! I know some of the higher end gyms around me do have WiFi, and of course at the campus gym I can use theirs, but PF would really get a boost in my eyes if they installed it, especially considering their large clientele base.
Is Planet Fitness right for you?
If you are an avid bodybuilder, probably not. If you are someone looking to get in shape or stay in shape, PF probably offers enough to satisfy you. If you have any experiences with PF that you would like to share, please feel free to comment.
lilliannacortez962 Community Member 
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