New Balance Treadmill Review

  About Fred Waters

I love New Balance shoes, in fact, that is my running shoe of choice. But can a shoe company build a decent treadmill? From personally testing their machines, and from my conversations with salespeople, the New Balance treadmills appear to be a solid value.

I tested a couple of New Balance treadmills at the local Sports Authority. I find testing treadmills at these large sporting goods stores rather revealing. The machines are often so abused it shows how they hold up under the strain. In this case the New Balance treadmills were in top form.

I found the treadmills to be relatively quiet, which suggests the motor is not straining and is adequate for the task. While running the deck appeared to offer just the right amount of shock absorption. Often when running on a treadmill the absorption can seem to soft or too hard. You want the deck to absorb the impact of your stride without being sloppy.

New Balance has what is called the EZ Care Treadmill Maintenance System. It makes it simple to adjust the belt and prevent slippage. In addition, you have easy access for cleaning and lubricating, thereby extending the life of the belt and deck.

Their treadmills all have 20" wide belts and between 56"-57" running areas. A bit longer than normal for this price range. Each model can fold. All of their treadmills are equipped with fans, although you can barely feel the breeze.

Not crazy about the look of the console. The overlay looks cheap. And the warranty is not all that impressive for the 1200 and the 1400 models. You get one year parts coverage.

The New Balance treadmills are sold on the New Balance web site and the Fitness Quest site. They are also for sale at Dick's Sporting, Fogdog, Gatelys and Sears, but call your local store to make sure they are in stock. Prices vary, but our research generally found these prices, which included shipping: