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Top Rated Treadmills
LifeSpan TR1200i
Schwinn 860
Horizon Fitness T101
Smooth 7.35
"Life is a treadmill". I hear that cliché from time to time, but the one thing I don't wan't to do is get off. I feel the same way about my treadmill. In between the tasks on my long to-do list, I hop on for a while to clear my mind and refresh my soul.
Luckily, there's a whole array of treadmills on the market today that will let you do the same. No matter your available space, desired features, or your budget there's a model that will suit you.
Sound like hype? Sure. How could it not? Anytime you hear enthusiasm today our first reaction is suspicion. It's reasonable. There's so much out there to be suspicious of, since most products never live up to the claims.
Here, I claim to be a little different. Sure, I get excited about the products I review. I think they offer good value at a reasonable price. At the same time, I strive very hard to be objective - to see things from the point of view of someone who just wants reliable guidance. I try to see things from your point of view.
I do that in part by looking first and foremost at what a particular treadmill does in real-world use. I strive to look at the features of a given model and how they function in actual practice. In doing that, the reviews range over every aspect of a treadmill: size and weight, durability, ease of use, and high-tech features (or their lack), and so on.
In other words, I examine in detail how a certain model works in the room and during a workout. I look at whether it's the sort you can place or put away easily, or whether it's the type that will work only as a piece of gear permanently in place.
I look at the array of programs offered, if any. Yesterday's products were durable but plain vanilla. You step on and go. Today's treadmills frequently offer a high-tech value-add to your workout, as they should. You want tons of speed and incline options. You want a treadmill that lets you tailor your heart rate and recovery goals.
You want all that in a form that doesn't require you to master yet another computer platform. That means, there must be an easy-to-use console and a manual that you don't have to read but can easily when you want extra info.
At the same time, you want the old-fashioned values of a treadmill: stability, durability, and maintenance-free operation for the life of the product. It should be a long life, and one that requires no calls to the company. If, as sometimes happens, you should need support, that company should deliver it fast and well.
Naturally, you'll be the final judge of how well I succeed at covering the things you want to know about. Of course I'm always open to suggestions on how better to do that, so feel free to write! I'm confident that, in the end, we'll agree more often than not. Now, on to the treadmill reviews!