I have been a client and instructor for Neighborhood Barre for almost 4 years now, and absolutely love it! I recommend it constantly because I see how much it has changed my own body. But, Neighborhood Barre is not the only barre studio in the area. I have always wanted to try out the different studios to see what the differences are. Or are there any? Over the last couple of weeks I was finally able to try both Barre3 and Pure Barre! There are certainly some differences, but also similarities, between the 3 studio options. My reviews are of the classic, original class for all studios. They all offer multiple options, so the classic class seems like the best one to compare. Check out my thoughts below, and I encourage you to try these studios out for yourself to find your best fit!

Neighborhood Barre

I am the most educated and experienced with the Neighborhood Barre studios and method. I take and teach classes at multiple of the franchised studios, and also have the privilege of teaching livestream classes. The classic class for Neighborhood Barre has transformed over the years, and I think the structure of it now is the best yet! The class set up is organized and simple. We start with a full body warm up, followed by focusing on thighs, then “seat” (aka glutes, hamstrings, and hips), and finish with abs and a cool down. The class totals 50 minutes, making it extremely efficient while also promoting a high calorie burn. The movements are all designed to be low impact, but targeted and intentional.

How I would differentiate Neighborhood Barre’s classic class from the other barre methods includes a couple of points. First, the classic class is not designed to be very cardio intensive. There are options you can take to make movements more cardio driven, but those are always optional. The thigh and seat movements are also designed to have one longer, more fatiguing set and a shorter sprint set. The warm up and cool down are strategic to be full body, and the abs section also includes a quick warmup followed by sets to target all of those core muscles.

Barre3

It just so happens that the instructor for my first CYCLEBAR class also used to teach at Barre3. She recommended that I look and see when they have rooftop classes, which I thought sounded awesome! A few weeks later they had a free community class to celebrate a milestone in their business, and it was a rooftop class. They have you sign up for classes on the MindBody app, and it was very simple to do. Barre3’s studio building is absolutely gorgeous, and the rooftop definitely doesn’t disappoint! The instructors and clients were very sweet, and the class itself was a good experience.

The major difference between Barre3 and the other barre studios is that cardio is incorporated into the classic class. In a classic Neighborhood Barre or Pure Barre class you will sweat, but not like you’re doing a boot camp or HIIT workout. In Barre3’s classic class, I do sweat that way because of the designed cardio sets. Also, the method seems to be more fluid in what parts of the body we are working. Thighs, seat, abs, and cardio all seem to flow together a bit. One way isn’t necessarily better than the other, the design is just different. The vocabulary used at Barre3 is also a little different than Neighborhood Barre and Pure Barre, but that is to be expected with it being a different method.

Pure Barre

Pure Barre is a very recognized brand in the fitness community, as it has franchise locations all over the U.S. In Knoxville, there are 2 Pure Barre studios. The newer Farragut location is where I took my class. Something different about Pure Barre, outside of the class style, is that the studio is carpeted and socks are required. The Neighborhood Barre and Barre3 studios both have a cork floor with gripping socks being optional. I never normally wear socks when taking or teaching barre, so that was a change for me!

The Pure Barre classic class is, in my opinion, very similar to the Neighborhood Barre class. The set up overall is just about identical, so I felt comfortable flowing through their classic class. The main difference, outside of the carpeted studio, is that Pure Barre does a handful of shorter sets for both thighs and seat. Previously Neighborhood Barre’s class was set up similarly, until it was changed to include the fatiguing superset and 1 shorter set. The vocabulary and movements are similar to what I use while teaching, and I enjoyed the atmosphere, instructor, and other clients very much.

Which Studio Is Best?

If I’m being honest, it is easy for me to recommend Neighborhood Barre as the best studio in the area because I am so connected. I love the method, the clients are phenomenal, and the instructors are a group of strong, beautiful, caring women. But, that doesn’t mean that Neighborhood Barre is always going to be everyone’s best option. When considering which studio to commit to, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Am I looking for a low impact class, or a class with higher consistent cardio?
   • If you want more cardio during every single class, Barre3 will probably be your best choice. Again, all studios have multiple class options with more cardio available. But, Barre3’s classic class was the only one with designed cardio involved.
2. What class times work best for my schedule?
   • Neighborhood Barre and Pure Barre have multiple locations with classes as early as 5:30 am and as late as 7 pm. Because Barre3 is a single studio in Knoxville, the class times are a bit more limited.
3. Do I want livestream options?
   • Luckily this not a huge deal breaker, because all 3 studios now offer livestream options! We can thank COVID for this transition, but I’m extremely thankful for this change because it makes barre available to so many more people.
4. What is my budget?
   • The question of budget is an important one. All 3 studios have a multitude of pricing options depending on whether you are wanting to commit to an unlimited monthly membership or purchase class packs. Depending on when you’re looking to sign up, there might also be exciting promotional pricing being run you can take advantage of!

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, I would strongly suggest taking a free class at all 3 studios to decide which is the best fit for you! Quite frankly, the barre fitness community is an amazing one. These owners and instructors all work extremely hard to provide an excellent experience to their clients, new and old. I would obviously LOVE to have anyone come and try a Neighborhood Barre class of mine by signing up here! You can also reach out to schedule your first free Barre3 class here, and Pure Barre class here.

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