The 5 best boutique gyms and fitness studios in the UK

There are thousands of gyms all over the UK, but a select few gyms and fitness studios offer something truly unique to their clients.

We’ve narrowed down five of the best boutique gyms across the UK. See what you think of our selection and which gyms are your favourites.

Maybe you could pay one or two of these gyms a visit. And who knows – if you’re a gym owner, you may gain some inspiration for your business after reading this article!

1. TRIB3 (Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, and Edinburgh)

TRIB3 stands out for several reasons.

Firstly, the look and feel of its signature luxe-industrial gyms. When you step inside, you’ll notice the homely vibe, rustic interiors, and custom lighting, among other features. There are also luxury changing rooms, a shake bar, and a retail shop.

The intensity of its sessions also makes it one of the best boutique gyms. If you like a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout, then TRIB3 is the gym for you. TRIB3 doesn’t do things by halves – as its website states, sweating is not an option, and you’ll burn up to 1,000 calories per session. Its TRI training system (Treadmill, Resistance, Intensity) will challenge you in all sorts of ways, working muscles you never knew you had.

Finally, its international appeal. As well as the above UK locations, you can also find TRIB3 gyms in China, Spain, Russia, and Finland. You can even open your own TRIB3 franchise if you have a spare £300,000 or so knocking about!

2. Barry’s (London, Manchester)

Formerly known as Barry’s Bootcamp, Barry’s is renowned for its cardio and weights workouts.

These take place in its trademark ‘Red Rooms’, and their ambience is hinted at in their title – each studio features red mood lighting and bumping music to get you in the zone.

When you take part in a Barry’s workout class, you’ll exercise for 50 to 60 minutes, and your time will be split 50/50 between a treadmill and strength training on the floor.

Your workout will take place against a backdrop of disco lights, with a carefully curated playlist to imitate the atmosphere of a nightclub – only, you won’t feel quite as relaxed as if you were in a nightclub! You’ll burn up to 1,000 calories per class and, if Barry’s reputation is anything to go by, you’ll savour every burned calorie.  

With multiple studios across London, a location in Manchester, and more than 90 sites across the US and in over 15 other countries worldwide, Barry’s is another of the best boutique fitness studios with a major global footprint.

Why not check out the 50 best fitness YouTube fitness channels for some workout inspiration?

3. BLOK (London)

This award-winning fitness studio has something for everyone, providing 20 class styles under one roof, including yoga, Pilates, barre, boxing, callisthenics, HIIT, and breathwork. BLOK’s sessions focus on skill-building and progression, guided by expert instructors in beautifully crafted, industrial-chic spaces.

BLOK currently has some of the best boutique gyms across London, including one housed in a former Victorian tram depot in Clapton, complete with a cafe and gallery space.

There are plenty of other perks, too. When you purchase an Annual or Flexible membership at BLOK, you can also enjoy free access to BLOKtv, a digital fitness platform featuring on-demand training classes.

In summary – if you’re looking for aesthetics and variety, head to BLOK. You can also read our list of the best gym equipment for sustainable weight loss for tips on making healthy progress. 

4. CaveFit (Edinburgh)

We now travel north of the border, and this next entry is perhaps Scotland’s finest boutique gym.

CaveFit operates a studio in Edinburgh city centre, located at St Andrew Square (inside The Edinburgh Grand), housed in a contemporary, well-equipped facility featuring performance-brand gear like Eleiko, Rogue, and Watson.

CaveFit’s coaching team brings elite-level experience, with each coach specialising in different areas of fitness and performance.

Despite the variety on offer, one thing remains consistent – CaveFit’s core philosophy. This is founded on the seven foundational movement patterns that allow you to train like an everyday athlete – squat, lunge, push, pull, rotation, hinge, and brace.

This gym holds a 4.9-star rating from more than 17,000 reviews on ClassPass and a 5-star rating on Google. Considering the above, these stellar reviews are hardly a surprise.

If you're after a focused, performance-driven gym with expert coaching and top-tier equipment for weight loss and strength, CaveFit in Edinburgh is hard to beat. 

5. Graft Häus (Leeds)

There’s no doubting what’s in store when you visit Graft Häus – the clue is in the title.

One look at its Instagram page tells you that this place means business. Its training space is huge, and the walls and flooring are awash with a distinctive black, reflecting the bold nature of its branding.

But don’t be fooled into thinking this means that it’s an intimidating environment – quite the opposite, in fact. The customer reviews pay homage to the friendly, collaborative, and edgy environment, which is key to how Graft Häus operates. 

Located in Burley, one mile north west of Leeds city centre, this gym is stocked with Primal equipment and contains a functional area with tyre-flip lanes, Stairmasters, Jacob's Ladder, curved treadmills, and a 17 m Astro turf track.

It’s strength-focused at heart, but if that's not for you, there's also high-end cardio kit like rowers, cross trainers, and curved treadmills.

It was voted the Best Independent Gym in the North East at the UK Fitness Awards in 2019, which reflects its high standing within the fitness industry, and status as one of the best boutique gyms in the UK.

Specialist sports insurance through Insure4Sport

Whether you're a personal trainer or a gym member, Insure4Sport arranges specialist sports insurance that can financially protect you in the gym. 

If you own a facility like one of the boutique gyms we’ve listed above, you can also select gym or studio insurance, which can include cover for your building and its contents.

You can get an instant online quote here.