Ironman Inspire Treadmill Review

Ironman treadmills are made by Keys Fitness and are manufactured in China. As such you get a lot for your money.

The Ironman Inspire offers an affordable option for people looking for a treadmill to run on and is a reasonably well put together mid price machine.

However, with the aggressive marketing and price cutting that all treadmill manufacturers are now engaged in, can this relative newcomer compete against the likes of Icon Health and Fitness brands such as Epic, which sell for similar prices or market leaders like Sole?

Ironman Inspire Treadmill Review - What's it Like...?

I guess I had a slightly lukewarm reaction...

There's not really anything to set the Inspire apart from the crowd. It did it's job but didn't really...inspire me (sorry!).

But there's a lot to like about what is really a pretty good value machine if you can pick one up at the discounted prices some online merchants are selling it for.

For starters, there's the powerful 3.0 HP continuous duty motor, which is well matched to the big belt with its 60" x 20" running area.

The motor has no trouble coping with such a large belt and shows no audible signs of strain even when cranked up to the 12 mph top speed.

With its 11 guage steel frame and 300lbs max user weight, this is a solid, reasonably well built and durable treadmill for runners on a budget.

The running surface is comfortable enough and responsive underfoot, although I'd suspect that the deck is one area where corners may have been cut - the 3/4" thick deck may be vulnerable in the longer term.

The big 2.5" rollers ensure the smooth travel of the 2 ply belt and the deck folds up neatly, making storage between workouts easy if space is limited.

The one touch feature smoothly inclines the deck to a 10% gradient if you need some added intensity during your workout.

The blue, back lit, five window, LCD display console is clearly set out and functional - if a little basic.

You get 10 workout programs to choose from, six of which are custom programs - I didn't get past the manual setting!

There's pulse grip heart rate monitors as well as a wireless chest belt. The Inspire also comes with a body fat analyser built into the handles as well as two cooling fans.

The warranties on the Inspire treadmill aren't brilliant, although the lifetime on the frame, 12 years on the motor, two years on the parts and one year labour are better than many in this class.

The Ironman Inspire treadmill lists for $1,599, but we found it for $1,299 at both Treadmills Central and Elite Fitness Equipment.com

Ironman Inspire Treadmill Review - How Does it Rate...?

The Ironman Inspire treadmill is a decent buy at $1,299, but there are better bets around at the list price.

This is still a relatively new machine so I'm not sure as to its reliability in the longer term.

However, it does represent the newer treadmills imported from the Far East by volume manufacturers like Keys Fitness that are offering much more for the money than was the case a few years ago.

The Ironman Inspire is certainly worth checking out.

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