Treadmill Comparison 3 Things You Must Know Before Buying

Buying a treadmill? You’ll probably be making several treadmill comparisons when doing your research.

Here are 3 things you must know when making treadmill comparisons in order to find the best one for you.

#1 Compare Apples To Apples

Don’t compare prices between treadmills online and treadmills sold at a store. They are two different marketplaces, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.

When I was selling a Proform treadmill many years ago, the gentleman buying it had gone online and seen the same model for less. I had to explain to him that this price was an online price only. Buying a treadmill online can sometimes be considerably cheaper, depending on the manufacturer, sales, closeouts, etc.

So when comparing treadmill prices side by side, make sure you compare online treadmills to online treadmills and store treadmills to store treadmills.

Also make sure you’re comparing the same models. It sounds obvious but some treadmill brands have so many similar sounding treadmills in their line-up it’s easy to get confused!

#2 Know the Key Ingredients to a Quality Treadmill

Make sure you know the top 4 key ingredients to a quality treadmill:

- Motor Power

- Stability

- Warranty

- Cushioning

Your motor is the heart of your treadmill and adequate motor power is extremely important. Most experts recommend at least a 1.5 HP motor although I prefer a 2.0 HP or higher to ensure you don’t burn the motor out (and then have to pay costly repair fees).

Stability ensures that your treadmill will not shake or wobble when you start to run on it.

Your warranty will protect your investment and quality treadmills will include a warranty. (You shouldn’t have to pay extra for a treadmill warranty – unless you want to, of course!)

Cushioning is the ability of the treadmill to absorb the force of your step. Higher cushioning means lower impact on your joints and ligaments. Cushioning is extremely important as poor cushioning can cause injury and muscle strain

#3) Know What YOU Need When Reviewing Treadmills

Many people get sold on all of the ‘neat’ features of the treadmill – but don’t ever consider if they’ll really use them.

For example we’d all love to own a commercial-grade, luxury treadmill – but for many people, it’s MORE than they need. On the other hand, a serious runner might actually need that kind of stability and cushioning in a treadmill.

If you don’t really care about 30 workout programs, why pay extra for them? If you know your 6’2″ son will be running on the treadmill, remember to look for one with a longer running area and adequate user weight capacity.

By knowing what you you need before comparing treadmills, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and frustration.

So there you have it – keep these 3 points in mind when making treadmill comparisons and you’ll be well on your way to making an excellent treadmill purchase! Enjoy and have fun!

Elliptical Trainer Review Sole Fitness

One of the most crucial features to consider when purchasing an elliptical trainer is the warranty. The extent of the warranty speaks volumes as to the quality and the durability of the machine.

There is a relative new player in the elliptical trainer industry, Sole Fitness. They are defining their niche by offering one of the most extensive warranties available at any price range. This includes 5 year coverage on parts and electronics, and 2 year labor. (Excludes the E25)

Why is the warranty so important when purchasing fitness equipment? First, it reduces your liability if the machine breaks down. Replacing parts and hiring someone to service your elliptical trainer can be very costly. Second, the warranty generally reflects the quality of the machine.

When you think about it, a warranty is based on simple economics. If an elliptical trainer is built to last then the manufacturer can offer a generous warranty. On the other hand, if the machine is of questionable quality, it would be cost prohibitive to support it with a lengthy warranty. The company would go broke with service costs.

Why do you think cheap elliptical trainers come with a 90 day parts and labor warranty? It’s because the manufacturers do not have much faith the machine will last much longer than that.

Beyond their warranty coverage, Sole Fitness is building some excellent elliptical trainers. In a recent test I very impressed with the smooth elliptical motion, and how quiet it was, even when I cranked up the resistance. I also liked the 20″ stride. Most ellipticals are built with a 16″-18″ stride. With a smaller stride you often feel like your workout is constrained, and the elliptical motion bouncy. For someone who is over 6′ the longer stride is a must, but even for people of average height the 20″ stride feels natural and comfortable.

Sole has an excellent reputation. Their treadmills have won several “Best Buy” awards. calls their folding treadmills, “One of the best fold-ups on the planet.”

In addition, their treadmills are used by the Hilton chain for in-room fitness. Having been proven in a commercial environment, this is a statement on the durability of their machines. This same quality can be found in their elliptical trainers.

Elliptical Trainers A Complete Workout

Elliptical trainers can give a complete body workout if the arms are also used. They are low impact cardio vascular workout machine and are easy on the joints of the legs and the knees. They help you to lose weight and stay in shape. In fact you burn the same number of calories as you would when you are jogging on the treadmill. For this reason, people of all age groups can use the elliptical trainers. Thus whether you are a beginner or an advanced athlete, you can easily work out on the elliptical trainer.

The cheapest models come for as low as $300, but they have the most basic functions. The top of the range elliptical trainers come for $4000 and has advanced functions. These elliptical trainers are meant for gym use. If you want to see the features of various elliptical trainers, you’ll find the reviews of the elliptical trainers are extensive and they also give the ratings for the various models. It’s also important to try out the elliptical-trainers before you actually purchase them. By going to a physical store, you can easily try out the various elliptical trainers.

In the more expensive models, some of the features included are warm up and cool down periods. This prevents the body from having cramps. Therefore when you look at look at the features and the cost of the elliptical trainers very closely, this helps to analyze which is the better elliptical trainer. It’s important to buy the elliptical-trainers from a reputed company that can also provide after sales service. Look at the warranty periods to ensure that you get the best deal when you buy the elliptical trainer. Normally there is one-year warranty for the labor and three year warranty for the machine parts.

Lifetime warranties are possible and recommended if you find something in your price range.

Best Home Treadmill 4 Things You Need To Look For

Choosing the best home treadmill can be confusing as you sift through all of the options, new models, and brand name ‘deals’. Too often, people get caught up in all the ‘Goodies’ a treadmill offers them that they miss the fact that the treadmill doesn’t have the basic essentials of a quality unit.

By knowing the 4 basic essentials of a quality home treadmill, you’ll be able to quickly sift through the treadmill deals and choose the best home treadmill for you.

The 4 basic essentials to a quality treadmill are:

#1 – High Powered, Well Built Motor

Since the motor is the most expensive part of the treadmill to fix, a good motor is essential to your treadmill. Try to find at least a motor power of 2.0 HP, preferably higher.

Remember that a 1.5 HP motor has to work twice as hard as a 3.0 HP motor – so it will burn out long before the 3.0 HP motor.

Also, not all motors are built with the same quality parts. Look for a good brand name and a long motor warranty to give you clues as to the quality of the motor.

#2 – Excellent Cushioning

There’s not enough said about cushioning and it is so important in a home treadmill. A good cushioning system protects your joints, ligaments and back. A poor cushioning system can result in injury and pain.

I know of one woman who bought a cheaper brand of treadmill and then ran on it. Within 6 months, she had damaged her hips so badly that it hurt her to even walk on the treadmill. You definitely don’t want that!

Make sure your treadmill offers an excellent cushioning system – especially if you’ll be running!

#3 – Extensive Warranty

You want to protect your investment so a solid treadmill warranty is a must. A good treadmill warranty will cover the frame for at least 30 years, the motor for at least 5 years and other parts and labor for about 1 year. Anything above that and you’ve got an excellent warranty.

But a warranty isn’t just to protect your investment – a good warranty lets you know about the quality of the treadmill parts.

Treadmill companies do not include warranties because they think they’ll have to fix the treadmill within that time frame. They know that they WON’T have to fix them within that time frame because the quality of parts used are high. So if you find a treadmill with a 10 year motor warranty, you KNOW it’s a quality built motor. If the motor warranty is only 90 days however…that tells you something.

#4 – Quality Brand Name

Certain brand names have a reputation for building a high quality home treadmill. Other brand names may be well-known but they don’t necessarily have a good reputation.

Choose a treadmill that has a solid, trusted brand name. Not sure which brands are good? Check out expert ratings and ‘Best Buys’ on various treadmill review sites and/or magazines. You’ll start to see a trend where certain brand names come up frequently. These brands are the quality treadmill manufacturers.

So those are 4 basic essentials of a good home treadmill:

- High Powered, Well Built Motor

- Excellent Cushioning

- Extensive Warranty

- Quality Brand Name

Knowing these, you can sift through the treadmills available and easily locate the best treadmill for your home.



Good luck and have fun!

Treadmill Buying Basics

Treadmills are a large investment financially and in your fitness, therefore much thought and preparation should go into the purchase of your new treadmill.

Having your treadmill motor blow up or your belt warp severely after only a few months use is not something you want, so here are a few basic treadmill buying tips.

Warranty – Any treadmill brand worth its weight will offer a nice warranty on their product. Usually the motor, parts, and labor will be covered under different warranties. Make sure you get at least a 5 year warranty on you motor. After the treadmill purchase make sure you abide by the warranty and send in any user registrations if required.

Walking Surface – How big is the surface you actually walk or run on? My first treadmill had a 16 inch width that seemed fine in the store, however after further usage I found myself always aware of where the sides were and extra careful not to “step off the edge”. Make sure the width of your treadmill will be comfortable for everyone in your household (I prefer 20 inch widths) and also the length is long enough for the long legged members of your family.

Weight Limit – Most treadmills have a weight limit. Too much weight can put a strain on the frame, belt, and especially motor of the treadmill. Make sure your potential treadmill has a weight limit to accommodate all of its potential users to avoid putting undue wear and tear on your new treadmill.

Test Things Out – Get on your treadmill and give it a test drive. Does everything work as the advertisement states? Try the heart monitor if it’s a feature, does it appear to be working properly? Is the treadmill quiet to your liking, or will it be an annoyance when home? Are the displays big enough for you to see easily?

Safety – Make sure your new treadmill has an emergency stop mechanism. This can help prevent serious injuries during malfunction or accidents.

Additional Features – Treadmills come in many shapes and sizes with various features. Some additional features you may look for are a water bottle holder, calorie counter, book stand, incline, and preset and programmable workout routines.

Once you’ve made your final treadmill buying decision, make sure you shop around for the best price for your new treadmill. Getting all the features you want at the price you want makes for happy treadmilling!

Treadmills Burn Calories Fast

Treadmill machines are a great way to workout. They are high impact cardio vascular machines and help to burn calories fast. However before one buys a treadmill machine, it’s important to know about the various models and types, which are readily available in the market. This helps people to choose what is best for them. The cost of the treadmill machines can be as low as $200 and can go as high as $3000. Therefore it’s essential that one has a budget and buys according to their requirements. This also gives the power of negotiation in the hands of the customers.

The higher end of the treadmills has various functions, various resistance levels, control panel and adjustable speeds. Since there are so many treadmills, which are available in the market, a customer can get confused. Therefore to make the confusion go away, customers should read the, the reviews make it easier for customers to make a decision about treadmill exercise machines, thus, these reviews are advantageous for everyone. The factors on which the reviews of the exercise treadmills rests are the price, the various resistance levels offered, the control panel, whether the running belt can be folded away or not and the number of years for which the warranty is offered.

Warranty should be considered when the treadmills are been purchased especially if they are powered. Since they are going to be used regularly, there are chances that at times, some component may go bad. Therefore there should be a warranty of at least three years for the mechanical parts. Decent reviews describe which treadmill exercise machines are good and those that don’t reach up to the mark. You can look at these reviews on the websites as well as in exercise magazines.

Online is a cheaper method and you have access to the equivalent of hundreds of magazines, however the quality will not be as good.

How To Buy A Treadmill

A treadmill is a very good investment. People cannot always exercise outdoors daily due to varying weather conditions. Treadmills are a great option to work out when the weather is bad outside. Some people do not like to workout outdoors and hence opt for a treadmill. There are lots of treadmills available in the market and it is very difficult to choose the best one. You need to keep the following points in mind while buying a treadmill:

You need to research a lot about the treadmill and then buy the one that you like.

First check the warranty of the treadmill. Some treadmills provide 5 years warranty while some 2 years. Also make sure that the warranty is for the whole treadmill including the motor, which is the main part in the treadmill.

The walking surface should be wide enough for you to walk and run and you should not feel uncomfortable. There are also varying lengths of treadmills, so try to take a test different treadmills before you buy.

If you are an overweight person, then make sure you check the weight limit of the treadmill. Some light duty treadmills may not work properly.

Most of the treadmill advertisers like to advertise many things to catch the eye of the buyer. Make sure all the points mentioned in the advertisement are featured. There are many types of treadmills, and many different colors, so you have a lot of choices.

There are many add-on features which you can add on your treadmill such as a small television, ear phones etc. Some treadmills already have these options, so you may wish to buy the latest and best one.

The treadmill, which you buy, should be safe and have an emergency stop mechanism. Suppose if there is a malfunction in the treadmill or you feel exhausted and want to stop the treadmill immediately, then you have to stop the treadmill at once. So check for this feature when you buy a treadmill.

You can shop for treadmills online or buy from a sports shop. Go ahead and purchase a treadmill, and start to get fitter.

Discount Treadmills Do You Get What You Pay For

With discount treadmills, as with any other purchase in life, a bargain can only rightly be called a bargain if the price we pay turns out to be a good investment over time. For example, just as there is little real discount value in purchasing a designer outfit at a great price if it’s not something we really like to wear, investing a smaller amount of money in discount treadmills is not the wisest financial choice if your new discount treadmill ends up not meeting your exercise needs.

In our often high-priced consumer world, there is little doubt that finding great discount treadmills offers a special thrill – this is why shopping for discount can become such an addictive affair! But unlike many of the other items we purchase on a regular basis, such as food or household items, a discount treadmill will be something we hope to invest in only once. Discount or no, and whether we find refurbished treadmills or used treadmills for sale, a piece of fitness equipment of this size is undoubtedly an investment, so when you choose your discount treadmill, you want to be sure that you choose right.

So what should you look for in discount treadmills? While finding used treadmills for sale can offer you a great initial bargain, even the most honest of second hand sellers cannot help you if the used treadmill you purchase develops a problem down the line. Used treadmills for sale usually cannot carry over the initial warranty with which they we re sold, so unless you are sure that the used treadmills for sale that you view are in top condition, you might want to pass on the deal and find discount treadmills elsewhere.

Refurbished treadmills are a great discount treadmills and if they were refurbished by the original treadmill manufacturer, they should still be under some kind of warranty. Though this warranty will probably be somewhat limited when compared with the original treadmill guarantee, refurbished treadmills still offer a great discount treadmill deal. Just be sure to look for ‘factory refurbished’ treadmills, as this ensures that you will be able to avail of that discount treadmills warranty should you need to.

Of course treadmill stores are also a great source of discount treadmills – you just need to keep your eyes peeled for great discount treadmill deals. Some stores will sell older models at a great discount price when new treadmills are released by a particular manufacturer, so keep your finger on the fitness pulse to help you predict when great discount treadmill deals might become available.

Above all, remember not to sacrifice discount treadmills prices for quality or suitability. It’s not a bargain if it’s not the right discount treadmill for you!