Buying or renting sports equipment: the method for deciding

Your budget is not infinite and your customers expect results. The real question is therefore not “which device to buy”, but “how to objectively decide between purchase and rental for each need”. Here is a simple method, numerical examples and checklists to help you decide without regrets.

To manage your daily offers, schedules and payments, discover EKKLO on info.ekklo.com.

Before buying or renting sports equipment: clarify your model

1) Your customers and your actual uses

• Which formats dominate your revenue over 90 days (co-course, small group, 1:1, online)?
• Targeted occupancy rate per device (hours/week actually billed).
• Expected customer value (average price/session, membership rate, retention).

Example: if 70% of your income comes from the small group, a rowing machine in high demand may be a priority for purchase, while a trendy and little-used device will be more relevant for short rental.

2) Your brand promise

• Premium image: you renew often, rental keeps you “up to date”.
• Performance/durability image: the purchase of robust equipment reinforces consistency.

3) Visibility horizon

• Visibility < 12 months (new room, niche to validate): test via rental.
• Visibility > 24 months (stable customer base): the purchase often becomes more profitable.

Price tip: if you are starting out, use this guide to correctly set your sports coach prices and then align your device profitability hypotheses.

The decision method in 15 minutes

Objective: compare “cost per month” and “break-even point” of the two options for purchasing or renting sports equipment.

1) Calculate the total cost of ownership (purchase)

• Purchase price including tax
• Delivery/installation costs
• Annual maintenance (parts + labor)
• Insurance/extended warranty
• Estimated resale value (after id="">2) Calculate the monthly rental cost
  • Monthly rent (often includes maintenance)
  • Entry fees / security deposit
  • Duration of commitment

  Simple formula (per month):

  • Monthly rental cost = Rent + (fees entry / month of commitment)

  3) Compare to the income generated by the device

  • Assumptions: sessions/month generated or facilitated by the device, average price, realistic occupancy rate.
  • Margin of safety: apply a coefficient of 0.8 to your forecast of sessions/month.

  Threshold profitability (sessions/month):

  • Purchase threshold = Monthly purchase cost / Average price per session
  • Rental threshold = Monthly rental cost / Average price per session

  4) Decide with a clear rule

  • If Purchase threshold ≤ 80% of your planned sessions, the purchase is often preferable.
  • If you are hesitant or if the trend is uncertain, allow 3-6 months to validate usage.

  Good reflex: centralize your assumptions, schedules and payments on info.ekklo.com to measure actual usage by device.

  Studies of numerical cases (quick examples)

  The figures below are indicative; replace with your prices and volumes.

  1) Studio Yoga - mobile infrared heater

  • Purchase: €1800 + €100 installation; maintenance 50€/year; resale €500 in 4 years.
  • Purchase cost/month ≈ [(1900 + 200 - 500) / 48] ≈ €35.
  • Rental: €49/month, entry fee €60 over 12 months → ≈ €54/month.
  • Average session price: €18; Purchase threshold ≈ 2 sessions/month, Rental threshold ≈ 3. Decision: buy if the device is used every week; rent if seasonal use.

  2) Box functional training - high-end rowing machine

  • Purchase: €1,300; maintenance 80€/year; resale €400 in 5 years.
  • Purchase cost/month ≈ [(1300 + 400 - 400) / 60] ≈ €22.
  • Rental: €38/month, entry fee €50 over 24 months → ≈ €40/month.
  • Average price for small group session: €20; Purchase threshold ≈ 1.1; rental ≈ 2. Decision: almost systematic purchase if the machine is integrated into the WOD.

  3) Mobile coach - EMS kit

  • Purchase: €6,000; maintenance 300€/year; resale €1000 after 3 years.
  • Purchase cost/month ≈ [(6000 + 900 - 1000) / 36] ≈ €165.
  • Rental: €199/month, entry fee €150 over 12 months → ≈ 212€/month.
  • Average EMS session price: 45€; Purchase threshold ≈ 4; rental ≈ 5. Decision: rent initially to validate the request; buy from 5-6 sessions/week.

  4) Cycling studio - 10 bikes

  • Purchase: 10 × 1000€ = 10000€; maintenance 500€/year; resale €2500 in 4 years.
  • Purchase cost/month ≈ [(10000 + 2000 - 2500) / 48] ≈ €197.
  • Rental: 10 × €45 = €450/month; entry fee €300 over 24 months → ≈ €463/month.
  • Average place price: €15; course/month: 12; filling rate 70% (8 places).
  • Monthly income ≈ 12 × 8 × 15 = 1440€ (largely > at both costs). Decision: if you have the demand, the purchase maximizes the margin from month 1.

  Financing and contracts: what to check

  1) Classic purchase, LOA, leasing

  id="">Maintenance included? Guaranteed response time? Loan machine?
• Firm duration and termination conditions. Annual indexation of the rent?
• State on restitution: who pays what (normal wear and tear vs damage)?

3) Insurance, compliance, security

• Insurance certificate (machine breakdown, civil liability). Check the CE/EN standard.
• Maintenance traceability: keep a record.
• User tests and documented safety briefing.

Automate reminders, reservations and your recurring tasks with these best practices: how to automate your coaching business.

Space, maintenance, rotation: think operational

1) Layout plan and flow

• Measure precisely (access, clearances, exits). Anticipate waiting areas.
• Objective: 0 bottlenecks. A poorly placed device can “cost” a coach.

2) Maintenance schedule

• Weekly check (noise, fixing, cables). Daily cleaning visible to customers.
• Hour counter: plan part replacements.

3) Rotation and resale

• If a device passes < 30% occupancy over 6 weeks: decide rotation or resale.
• On trendy machines, rent first then buy the reference acclaimed.

Track your slots, payments and customer messages in one place with info.ekklo.com.

Boost the profitability of your equipment

Buying or renting sports equipment is only part of the equation. Monetize better.

1) Package your offers

• Discovery packs 3-5 sessions to accelerate the adoption of a new device.
• “Unlimited guided” subscriptions with dedicated slots on your schedule.
• Add a visible bonus (InBody assessment, VMA test, plan nutrition).

Concrete ideas for creating attractive offers: packs and bundles for coaches.

2) Pricing and upsell

• Prime time pricing vs. off-peak hours to smooth usage.
• Upsell: towels, drinks, straps, locker/strap rental.
• Monthly events (challenges, records) to stimulate attendance.

3) Rapid marketing and effective

• Before/after stories, 30 s demos, short testimonials.
• Active waiting list and automatic follow-ups on popular sessions.
• Local partnerships (companies, physiotherapists, osteopaths) with dedicated promo codes.

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To remember

• Decide with numbers: compare monthly cost and break-even point.
• Rent to test a trend; buy when usage is proven and recurring.
• Monitor occupancy: < 30% for 6 weeks → pivot or resell.
• Check maintenance, insurance and exit clauses before signing.
• Monetize: packs, upsell, events to amortize faster.

Conclusion - do the right thing choice, then execute

You now know how to buy or rent sports equipment without betting blindly. Choose with your figures, secure your contracts, then maximize use via a clear offer, fluid planning and simple reminders.

Centralize your offers, reservations, payments and messages on info.ekklo.com. And to accelerate your visibility and sales, also read: develop as a sports coach.