Mid-Range Treadmills

Mid-range treadmills $1,000 to $2,000

For those who plan to walk or jog regularly, the $1,000 to $2,000 price range is the current sweet spot for residential-use treadmills. These treadmills offer longer warranties, stronger motors, more advanced features and often longer running surfaces (a must for tall runners) than their less costly counterparts.

More reviews recommend the Sole F80 (*Est. $1,500) than any other treadmill, in any price range. TreadmillDoctor.com names the Sole F80 a best buy, and editors say "their new units are about as solid as you can get in the $1,500 range." Fred Waters, at Treadmill-Rating-Reviews.com, also picks the Sole F80 as a best buy, saying it offers quality components and reliable construction. Sole offers a lifetime warranty on the 3.0-horsepower motor, deck and frame, with five years of coverage on the electronics, belt and rollers. Labor is covered for two years.

Experts say the Sole F80 is sturdy enough for running, thanks to a 20-by-55-inch belt, max speed of 11 mph and a 15 percent incline. The maximum user weight is 350 pounds. The Sole F80 gets high marks from consumers at Amazon.com, where it gets above-average ratings in more than 30 reviews. Users like the easy-fold feature, relatively quiet operation and the good shock absorption. However, reviewers say the assembly can be a challenge, and most agree that the built-in fans are pretty weak.

If you are a serious runner or are extra tall, reviews advise paying the extra money for the Sole F85 (*Est. $2,000). It offers the same features as the Sole F80, plus a more powerful 3.5-horsepower motor and longer 60-inch running deck (five inches longer than the Sole F80). The Sole F85 also has a higher user weight limit of 400 pounds, and it has a maximum speed of 12 mph. According to the experts at TreadmillDoctor.com, Sole has made improvements to the running belt and internal electronics, which put this treadmill "near the top of the fold up field." At Amazon.com, most users say the folding treadmill is durable and runs smoothly. However, one owner complains that the belt continually stops working, and customer service has been unable to resolve the problem.

TreadmillDoctor.com prefers the Sole F80 to the LifeSpan TR3000i folding treadmill (*Est. $1,900), a runner-up in its 2009 buyer's guide. The Sole F80 is slightly cheaper, and it has a stronger motor than the LifeSpan TR3000i, which has a 2.75-horsepower motor. The treadmill also includes a 20-by-56-inch belt, 15 incline levels and a maximum speed of 12 mph. The LifeSpan TR3000i has yet to attract user reviews, but TreadmillDoctor.com says it is a "great looking design with great fit-and-finish quality."

Health magazine likes the LifeSpan TR4000i (*Est. $2,000) treadmill, which it calls one of the best fitness buys for 2009. The LifeSpan TR4000i has a similar folding design as the LifeSpan TR3000i, but it adds a 3.25-horsepower motor, 60-inch-long running surface and a 2.8 mm orthopedic belt. Like the LifeSpan TR3000i, the LifeSpan TR4000i treadmill includes the ability to save workout data to a USB storage device. "The new i Series from LifeSpan is one of the most innovative features we've seen come to market," says TreadmillDoctor.com. The LifeSpan TR4000i also includes built-in speakers for your MP3 player and a lifetime frame and motor warranty.

The Bowflex Series 7 (*Est. $1,300) treadmill gets very good ratings at user-review sites like Amazon.com and Buzzillions.com, and it rates higher than all other folding treadmills in one independent test. The Bowflex Series 7 treadmill has a 3-horsepower motor, 20-by-60-inch belt and a maximum speed of 11 mph. However, its maximum user weight of 300 pounds is lower than many other treadmills in this price range, including the Sole F80. Bowflex offers a 15-year warranty on the frame and 10-year coverage for the motor; parts, electronics and labor are covered for one year. Fred Waters, at Treadmill-Ratings-Reviews.com, thinks the Bowflex Series 7 treadmill is "one of the better deals in its price range," but he notes that the Sole F80 has much better warranty.

TreadmillDoctor.com calls the Bowflex 7 Series treadmill a "great deal," and owners say the treadmill is sturdy with some excellent workout programs. While it does fold up, reviewers say the treadmill is just too heavy (at 298 pounds) to move anywhere. Others say the user manual does a poor job of explaining the assembly instructions and required calibration process. More worrisome are user complaints that Bowflex's customer service was slow or not knowledgeable. Overall, the Bowflex Series 7 comes very highly rated from consumers and experts alike, but most agree that the Sole F80 is a better buy.

The Smooth 9.35HR (*Est. $2,000), a mid-priced treadmill that does not fold up, is at the high end of this price range. TreadmillDoctor.com calls it a Best Buy in the $2,000 price range, and it earns a similar designation from Treadmill-Ratings-Reviews.com. The Smooth 9.35HR comes with a lifetime warranty on the frame and motor, five years on electronics and two years coverage for labor. Other features include a 3-horsepower motor, 20-by-55-inch running surface and a hydra suspension system that adjusts shock absorption to one of 12 levels. Heavier runners say this shock absorption feature is excellent, and helps reduce the pounding their joints receive. The Smooth 9.35HR also has motion-sensor speed controls -- just wave your hand over the side rail to speed up or slow down. "It is hard to get on a Smooth treadmill and not be impressed," TreadmillDoctor.com says. Smooth manages to offer its treadmills for less than comparable models because it sells mainly online, directly to consumers.

The problem, according to TreadmillDoctor.com, is that -- as with Sole -- many "review sites" that recommend Smooth treadmills are actually affiliate sites that earn money from each Smooth treadmill sale. TreadmillDoctor.com's experts say both brands make good products, but they caution shoppers not to take all of these glowing reviews at face value. For our report, we looked for reviews that are critical and balanced -- not reviews that are uniformly positive.

The Epic View 550 (*Est. $1,300) has a unique feature: a built-in 7-inch LCD TV. Critics don't advise paying extra for a TV on your treadmill, saying they can be a pain to repair if they break down. Save your money, they say, and buy a regular TV to put in your exercise room. That said, adding the TV doesn't seem to have hurt either the Epic View 550 or its price tag, according to reviews; it performs well in independent tests and attracts positive expert reviews.

"The Epic brand gives the consumer a good quality machine for a bargain basement price," TreadmillDoctor.com concludes. However, a few Epic View 550 owners who post on Runner's World magazine forums say the rollers clank or rattle, and in some cases have had to be replaced. Some users at Epinions.com found the same problem. Epic provides a lifetime warranty on the View 550's frame and 12 years on its motor, but parts and labor are covered for only one year. The Epic View 550 also boasts a long 20-by-60-inch belt, 3-horsepower motor and a 12 percent incline capacity.

Other treadmills also incorporate televisions, including the NordicTrack Elite XT (*Est. $1,700), which has a 7-inch TV integrated into its display. The NordicTrack Elite XT has a 3.5-horsepower motor, which is more powerful than most treadmills in this price range, and a 20-by-60-inch running belt. The treadmill has a maximum speed of 12 mph, a 12 percent incline and a 350-pound user weight capacity. NordicTrack includes a lifetime warranty on the motor and frame, but just one year for parts. "This one has everything that someone could want in a high value treadmill," says TreadmillDoctor.com, although they think NordicTrack should offer a more generous warranty for the price. Fred Waters at Treadmill-Ratings-Reviews.com says this treadmill is "one of the better deals available from NordicTrack."

However, the NordicTrack Elite XT gets lower ratings from consumers. At Sears.com, only 50 percent of the 12 owners posting reviews so far would recommend the NordicTrack Elite XT to a friend. Reviews here say it's hard to assemble, and several owners report quality problems that arise shortly after their purchase. The Elite XT replaces the NordicTrack Elite 7500 (*Est. $1,500) treadmill, which has a similar design and 7-inch integrated TV. The NordicTrack Elite XT has a "sleeker design" and a different cushioning system than the Elite 1500.