Spirit XT600 Treadmill Review

Spirit has fast become established as a company that makes high quality treadmills for the home fitness market at affordable prices. The XT600 is a case in point.

Well built, durable and packed with features you'd expect on treadmills costing thousands more, you certainly get a lot for your money.

The XT600 is a well thought out and designed treadmill that offers the performance to match - so how good is it?

Spirit XT600 Treadmill Review - What's it Like...?

Parent company Dyaco's massive investment in the brand has really paid off and Spirit along with sister company Sole now offers pretty much the best value range of treadmills in the $1,000-$2000 price bracket.

The Spirit XT600 treadmill practically redefines what you should expect of a treadmill at this price.

Compare it to machines from the likes of Bowflex and ProForm and you'll see what I mean.

To begin with you get a powerful 3.5 HP continuous duty motor, which may well be a first for a sub-$2,000 treadmill.

It purred along effortlessly during our test workout and barely made a murmur when we cranked the treadmill up to its top speed of 12mph. I can't see even serious runners need more than this unit can deliver.

The large 1" thick, 2 ply belt offers a spacious 58" x 20" running surface and should accommodate even the longest stride lengths without too much trouble.

The belt itself travels over big 2.75" rollers, which results in a smooth ride with no hint of 'grab' caused by friction between the rollers and belt. The less tension and wear and tear on the belt, the longer its working life - meaning you shouldn't need to replace the belt for some considerable time.

The deck is the same as that on the XT200 and proves both comfortable and responsive underfoot. The deck elevates to a 15% incline if you fancy running up a few hills and folds away after use if storage space is tight.

The console is a vast improvement on the cheaper models, with a six window, tri-colour, LED display including a 16 character message window.

Well thought out, it displays all the information you need to manage your workout cleanly, logically and at a glance.

Changing the treadmills speed and incline is easily accomplished without breaking stride using the 10 quick speed programming options and the 12 quick speed and elevation controls on the arms.

The 10 workout programs should be adequate for most users and feature six preset programs, two user defined and two heart rate control programs.

The telemetry chest strap enables hands-free heart rate monitoring, which complements the heart rate control programs. You also get pulse grip monitors in the handles.

A CD/MP3 interface and speakers on the console come as standard and provide the onboard entertainment if needed - certainly takes my mind off my aching muscles during a long run!

As for the warranties, they're lengthy and stretch to a lifetime warranty on the frame and motor, five years on the parts and two years on the labour.

The full list price for this model is $2,299, but our Spirit XT600 treadmill review found it reduced to a bargain $1,899 at Elite Fitness Equipment.com with free shipping within the US.

Spirit XT600 Treadmill Review - How Does it Rate...?

A treadmill with this kind of specification that you can buy for under $2,000? Unbelievable. Quite how Spirit turns out treadmills as good as this at these prices is beyond me.

To be frank, you won't find a better machine than the Spirit Z600 treadmill in this price range. It even puts some $3,000-$4,000 treadmills to shame.

To get the current price and more details on the XT600 visit Elite Fitness Equipment.com

Return to Spirit Treadmill Review from Spirit XT600 Treadmill Review