Buying A Treadmill
Buying a treadmill is no walk in the park. Such exercise equipment cost between several hundred dollars to over a thousand dollars. The assumption in this article is that you are looking for a home treadmill. The factors to consider between buying a home treadmill and a commercial one are different.
Some treadmills, like the bodyguard treadmill, are built for commercial reasons. They are extremely sturdy, and come with lifetime warranties for both the frame and the motor. For a home treadmill, don’t expect to get similar warranties because you are paying a much lower price.
What do you look out for when buying a treadmill? Here is a list of factors you should take into account before making a buying decision.
Factor 1: Frame and motor durability.
Even though you are using the treadmill at home, the durability of these 2 key components is of utmost importance. If your frame breaks or your motor fails to function, you won’t be able to use your treadmill at all. Instead, you will have to spend time arranging for the technician to come visit your home and repair the machine.
The reliability of the motor depends on the power of the motor, as well as the cooling capabilities. Motors usually break down because of overheating. (Find out what to do if a Treadmill Motor Overheats.) Therefore, some manufacturers integrate cooling technology into the machines. Of course, these machines tend to be a little costlier.
The frame of the treadmill has to withstand a large amount of pounding on a daily basis. Home treadmills usually can support any individual who is less than 350 pounds. That means most adults can use the machines without any issues. The better machines have shock absorbtion technology. So look out for that as well. A frame with good shock absorbtion tends to last longer.
Factor 2: Space constrains.
Skip this section if you live in a big house. However, for many city dwellers living in smaller apartments, space is an issue. Many home treadmills come with foldability features. You can fold it into 1/2 the size, and wheel it away for storage. Even if you decide to leave the machine as it is, a machine that is folded up takes up half as little space. That leaves more room for moving around when you are not working out. Bear in mind that the machine weights about 250 pounds, so even with wheels, you still have to use a bit of strength to move it around!
Factor 3: Heart rate monitoring.
There are a few basic functions that one would expect a treadmill to have – ability to set programs, view info on incline, speed, and distance traveled. Some people like to see if the number of calories burned during the workout. This feature is available on some home machines, but it is not mandatory. The function that is mandatory is heart rate monitoring.
When working out, it is useful to know how hard you are exercising. Are you exercising in the 40% to 60% MHR (max. hear rate) zone? Or are you exercising at 60% MHR? At 60% MHR and above, you are in the fat burning zone. To burn fat effectively, this is the heart rate zone you should be aiming for. In the market, there are 2 options available – the wired heart rate monitor and the wireless heart rate monitor. The wireless option appears to be more popuar amoung consumers. No one likes wires to be around when running!
Factor 4: Lifestyle features.
Since this is a home treadmill, it’s very likely that you are the only one using the machine. For this reason, it makes sense to consider the personalization options available. For example, if you enjoy listening to your iPod when you workout, there are treadmills that come with iPod docks. You can just plugin your iPod and listen to your favorite music while you workout.
Then there are people who enjoy watching a good movie while working out. There are treadmills with built-in LCD screens for viewing DVDs.
Of course, these are not really must-have features. But they can create a more enjoyable experience for you while working out. Perhaps this may motivate you to workout more!
Factor 5: Price.
Finally, there is price. If you don’t have a fixed budget, you may well be able to afford those fancy treadmill options with built-in speakers. You may be paying a premium for these features, but if you can afford it, why not?
However, if budget is a concern, then you have to be a little cautious. Don’t just go for the cheapest machine because those may break easily. If possible, buy a mid-range treadmill. For a home treadmill, a mid-range treadmill will cost you between $800 to $1,500. A higher end home treadmill can cost about $1,500.
There are a few treadmill models that are very popular among consumers, and the best part is, they cost less than $1,000. These are rare and hard to come by. The lower cost is due to cheaper parts imported from countries like Taiwan and China. But that doesn’t mean the parts are of inferior quality. You get all the high end features without having the pay the full cost of a high end machine. That’s nice!