Choosing your fitness equipment is partly an individual exercise. But there are some characteristics common to any good treadmill.
The primary consideration for any fitness equipment is safety. In this case that comes mainly from sturdiness and reliability. A solid steel alloy frame will stand up to much more punishment than the average aluminum one. If the treadmill has plastic composites in the mechanical sections (as opposed to just the controls), they must be aircraft quality. They should be as good or better than metal. The hand rails should be rock solid and stay that way for years.
Cost is always a factor, of course. A high-end treadmill may have a price tag of $3,000 or more. Part of that cost is the result of several ‘good to have’ electronic features that make the treadmill easier to use. But one primary factor is whether it has a motor and of what quality.
Manual treadmills make you move the roller from a dead stop to whatever speed you’ll ‘run’ or ‘walk’ at during use. That can take a lot of force and you may not want to waste your energy on that initial stage. A motor will get your treadmill running gradually at the speed you want to workout. But a quality 2-hp motor – reliable, quiet and long lasting – will add 10-20% or more to the total cost.
Other components of the treadmill should be equally high quality, even for one in the $2,000 range. The belt and rollers will see much use over the lifetime of the machine which you want to be very long. They should continue to appear and act almost new for years. Some light wear on the belt from your feet or shoes is to be expected. But rippling, uneven movement and so forth that develops six months after your purchase is not acceptable.
At the same time, the entire assembly – motor, belt, rollers – should be very quiet and be that way for many years. That isn’t just a matter of annoyance or interference with your music or TV though that’s a factor. Stability, smoothness and lack of noise go hand in hand. Quality parts will produce a quiet, reliable ‘ride’ for a long time, just as they do for autos.
Once the basic safety, reliability and wear factors are met other characteristics can be considered.
You might want a folding treadmill for convenience. If so, they should fold and unfold relatively easily, and the hinges (here we go again!) should be sturdy and high quality. Keep in mind that even a folding treadmill will still be fairly heavy. The feature is to permit freeing up floor space when it’s not in use. It’s not for the purpose of making the machine portable. Though it does help when you move your home. The ability to adjust the incline can also be very handy since it allows you to adjust the kind of workout you get.
Multiple controls are nice to have features, but sometimes that can mean VERY nice to have. Many pre-sets, an accurate heart monitor, programmable variations, a bottle holder, a magazine rack and more are all good ways to get the most out of your treadmill.
Do some homework and you’re bound to find a treadmill that meets your standards.
