Treadmill Ratings

Treadmills are the most popular piece of exercise equipment and as such there's a huge selection to choose from.

There are thousands of models available to suit every budget, fitness and weight loss program.

So much choice that it can leave the unitiated completely bewildered and vulnerable to making an expensive mistake!

There are some excellent machines on the market -- ranging from a few hundred to thousands of dollars.

But there are even more poorly built treadmills that offer terrible value for money. The key is to find the diamonds in the dust.

Believe the manufacturers' hype and you'd think that all their products were the best that money can buy!

But our treadmill reviews cut through the promotional fluff and are based on rating the most important features of any treadmill.

So if you want a guide to help you interpret the technical jargon and marketing hype, we can help -- so what should you look for when choosing a treadmill?

Treadmill Ratings - The 10 Features we use to Rate a Treadmill...

A very small number achieve this well, the vast majority don't - there are a lot of dogs out there if you're not careful!

Bear in mind that the most important aspects of a treadmill are the motor, the deck, the frame and the overall build quality - you'd be surprised how many people buy a treadmill because there's a TV built into the dash!

Warranties are important too as treadmills can often and do go wrong at some point in their life.

Whether you've a budget of hundreds or thousands - the same principles apply to good treadmill design!

Sure, compromises have to be made to build a $500 treadmill that don't for a $4,000 machine -- but you still expect a well-built treadmill that will stand up to the rigours of the daily pounding you'll be giving it.

So, when we review a treadmill, these are the 10 factors that we consider when deciding the treadmill ratings winners and also rans.

1. Power

The motor is at the heart of any treadmill and it's the motor's power that's essential to both a good workout and our treadmill ratings alike.

Basically, a treadmill is a short conveyor belt powered by an electric motor - the more powerful it is, the quicker the belt goes and the less strain the motor is under. 10-12 MPH is enough for most people.

Choose the biggest motor you can afford - the absolute minimum I'd look at would be 2.0 HP of continuous duty.

Continuous duty is the constant level of power the motor can pump out over a continuous period, whereas peak duty is the maximum power. Continuous duty is a better judge of a treadmill's power.

2.5 HP is preferable, particularly if you're a reasonably serious runner. 3.0 HP or above is better still.

Anything less than 2.0 HP means the treadmill is really only good for walking on. Most budget machines have motors around 1.0-1.5 HP of continuous duty.

2. Running Area

The length and width of the running surface is important in our treadmill ratings.

The belt size of treadmills varies a great deal, with more expensive treadmills generally having bigger belts.

If you plan on running on your treadmill or are tall, then go for a larger belt. Budget machines can have belts as short as 40-45", which is no good for taller users. A belt length of 55-60" is the ideal.

Belt widths also vary, going from around 15" up to the mid 20s. Around 20" is ideal and will accomodate most people.

However, do ensure that the motor is sufficiently powerful to handle a larger belt. A 20" x 60" belt is great, but not when powered by a 1.5 HP motor!

Remember too that the belt size will largely determine the size of the treadmill and you'll need to ensure you have the space to store it.

3. Cushioning

Running and walking are to varying degress impact exercises. The chief advantage of working out on a treadmill rather than the street is that a treadmill running surface cushions some of the impact.

A firm, responsive deck is important as you don't want to feel as if you're running on sand, but this needs to be balanced with cushioning.

A well cushioned belt and deck are essential for pain free joints and years of comfortable running.

4. Build Quality

A solid, heavy, stable, well-built treadmill provides the smoothest ride. Build quality and stabilty are the features most compromised in budget machines along with the quality of the components.

If the treadmill is made with cheap components and wobbles when you run on it, think twice before buying.

5. Reliability

There is nothing more irritating than owning a treadmill that keeps breaking down. It's inconvenient and can prove costly as repairs and new components don't come cheap.

The bits most likely to go wrong are the motor and other moving parts. Again, a well built treadmill using quality components will tend to prove to be the most reliable investment as far as our treadmill ratings are concerned.

6. Noise

The quieter the better - no argument there! More expensive models can be remarkably quiet, but beware of cheaper treadmills that can emit a high pitched whine when they get going - it's like having a screaming hairdryer in the spare room!

As a rule, larger motors strain less and tend to be quiter. If you struggle to hear your TV over the treadmill and you can't hold a conversation without shouting, then the noise will become a problem with regular use.

7. Design

Sure, a good looking treadmill is a bonus, but the design of your treadmill has more than an aesthetic appeal.

For instance, how big is it? How well laid out are the controls? Does it have safety features such as handrails to grab if you lose balance? How easy is it to move? Does it have wheels? Does it have an incline feature so you can hill train?

Another important design feature is whether it folds.

If you've got room to leave your treadmill in situ, this may not be an issue. But if you want to store the machine away when you're not using it then a fold-away machine may prove an asset.

More expensive treadmills remove the hassle of folding up a heavy machine with power fold features - press a button and it will fold itself away!

8. Controls and Programs

A well laid out, computer controlled display panel with easy to read speed, distance covered and calories burned displays is desirable.

Manual programs are OK, although some pre-programed workouts help to keep things interesting, eg fat burner, hilly run, etc.

Treadmills with an incline feature and pre-programmed workouts will raise and lower the running deck randomly to simulate hilly sections of a run.

We'd also recommend a heart rate monitor, which is useful for keeping you in the optimum training zone to achieve your workout goals.

These will either be handles with sensors or a chest strap monitor, which will provide a continuous readout.

The latter can prove the better option as it's less disruptive to your workout, but can be uncomfortable to wear.

A cautionary note. Don't allow flashy controls and loads of programs - how many do you think you'll use? - fool you into thinking the treadmill is better than it is.

Power, belt size and build quality are all far more important factors to consider in treadmill ratings.

9. Warranties

There's no getting away from it, treadmills are complicated machines with lots of moving parts and do go wrong from time to time.

The motor is particularly prone to wear and tear as are the decks on lower end machines.

The warranties offered on most treadmills are generally rubbish, especially when it comes to labour.

As a rule, the manufacturers' confidence in their product is refelected in the warranties they offer. Cheap machines have short warranties and better made, more reliable higher end machines have much longer ones.

10. Value for Money

As the saying goes, "you get what you pay for" with treadmills. Budget machines are often a false economy and will break quickly after regular use.

However, don't confuse cost with value. There are some budget machines that offer tremendous value for money and conversely, some expensive machines that are little short of a rip-off.

So, those are the factors that we consider when arriving at our treadmill ratings in our reviews.

We mark each factor out of 10 and assign them a mark out of 100 as an overall score in our treadmill ratings.

This should provide you with an objective assessment when comparing it to the competition.

As a rule of thumb, a score over 60 means that the treadmill is well worth a look. A score over 70 means the treadmill gets an A!

We hope our treadmill ratings help you to make the right choice!

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