The two major players in the budget treadmill face off are ProForm and Horizon. You’ll find many of their models at many of the large sporting goods strores and at the big name retailers. ProForm is built by Icon Fitness, the largest seller of fitness equipment in the world. They also manufacturer NordicTrack, Welso, Image, Epic and Reebok. Horizon treadmills are built by Johnson Health Technology, which also builds Vision Fitness equipment. Both brands sell in the $500-$1,200 price range.
I often get inquiries on which treadmill is a better value, the NordicTrack or the ProForm. In fact, they are built by the same company on the same assembly lines with many of the same parts. I witnessed that personally when I was out at their manufacturing facilities. There are some models that are unique to each brand, but others are almost identical. They’ll mix and match features like motor size, deck length, iFit technology, workout programs, sound systems and built-in fans. Read more …
I often get inquiries as to which is better a Sole treadmill or Smooth treadmill. First, I have to confess that I use to work for Smooth several years ago, however, I believe both brands offer quality equipment at a value price. Here are some considerations.
Both Sole and Smooth offer 2-year labor, 5-year parts and lifetime motor warranties on most of their models. This says something about the durability of their machines. They would go broke with that kind of warranty if these treadmills did not hold up. Read more …