Despite the recent rise of new-fangled exercise equipment, treadmills are still the #1 choice of home fitness equipment with buyers. They offer something for everyone from simple walking to incline training to running - all in the comfort of your own home.
If you're looking to buy a home treadmill however - choosing the best one for your needs can be confusing as you sift through all of the options, new models, and brand name ‘deals’.
One of the most common mistakes buyers make is that they get caught up in all the 'Goodies' a treadmill offers them and miss the fact that the treadmill doesn't have the basic essentials of a quality unit. They are then stuck with a machine that doesn't work several months later and wondering if it's worth paying a pricey repair bill.
This article will hopefully help you avoid that. By knowing the 4 basic essentials of a quality home treadmill, you'll be able to quickly sift through the treadmill deals and choose the best home treadmill for you.
The 4 basic essentials to a quality treadmill are:
#1 - High Powered, Well Built Motor
Since the motor is the most expensive part of the treadmill to fix, a good motor is essential to your treadmill. Try to find at least a motor power of 2.0 HP, preferably higher.
Remember that a 1.5 HP motor has to work twice as hard as a 3.0 HP motor - so it will burn out long before the 3.0 HP motor.
Also, not all motors are built with the same quality parts. Look for a good brand name and a long motor warranty to give you clues as to the quality of the motor.
#2 - Excellent Cushioning
There's not enough said about cushioning and it is so important in a home treadmill. A good cushioning system protects your joints, ligaments and back. A poor cushioning system can result in injury and pain.
I know of one woman who bought a cheaper brand of treadmill and then ran on it. Within 6 months, she had damaged her hips so badly that it hurt her to even walk on the treadmill. You definitely don't want that!
Make sure your treadmill offers an excellent cushioning system - especially if you'll be running!
#3 - Extensive Warranty
You want to protect your investment so a solid treadmill warranty is a must. A good treadmill warranty will cover the frame for at least 30 years, the motor for at least 5 years and other parts and labor for about 1 year. Anything above that and you've got an excellent warranty.
But a warranty isn't just to protect your investment – a good warranty lets you know about the quality of the treadmill parts.
Treadmill manufacturers include warranties for specific time frames because they know that they WON'T have to fix them within that time frame. They know that in general the quality of parts used are high enough they won't break down during that time frame.
So if you find a treadmill with a 10 year motor warranty, you KNOW it's a fairly well-built motor. If the motor warranty is only 90 days however...that tells you something.
#4 - Quality Brand Name
Certain brand names have a reputation for building a high quality home treadmill. Other brand names may be well-known but they don't necessarily have a good reputation.
Choose a treadmill that has a solid, trusted brand name. Not sure which brands are good? Check out expert ratings and 'Best Buys' on various treadmill review sites and/or magazines. You'll start to see a trend where certain brand names come up frequently. These brands are the quality treadmill manufacturers.
So to review, those are 4 basic essentials of a good home treadmill:
- High Powered, Well Built Motor
- Excellent Cushioning
- Extensive Warranty
- Quality Brand Name
Knowing these, you can sift through the treadmills available and easily locate the best treadmill for your home.
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