Inexpensive Treadmills - Everything's Relative, Right?

Inexpensive treadmills. . . well, that's a matter of opinion, isn't it?

Treadmills can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand, but what really identifies an inexpensive treadmill is what kind of training you intend to do on your treadmill and how many chinks you've got in your pocket. . . and how many you will have.

Low cost treadmills capable of consistent training and a reasonably intense workout, like Smooth Fitness and Tunturi models, are often priced below $1000, some, as we'll see, well below, and treadmills intended for light exercise and walking can be found for only a few hundred dollars.

But those are only the up-front costs.

Treadmills take a beating, so break-downs and repairs are inevitable, to put it bluntly, what you end up saving today, you'll probably pay tomorrow.

Cheaper By The Dozen?

Weslo and Image, both Icon Health and Fitness brands made exclusively for large discount retailers like Walmart and Sears, produce treadmills for less than $700, and Proform, another Icon brand, often discounts its machines to prices between $500 and $1000.

In their price class, Proform models, like the Frontrunner, are  often rated a Best Buy, but their treadmills are also criticized for using lower quality parts that affect reliability and increase maintenance costs substantially down the road.

Still, for people who are slight of build, exercise lightly, and who prefer features over durability, these inexpensive models are just the thing.

For those who run, have a weight exceeding 250 lbs., are involved in sports training programs, and have a few more bucks, though, the usual guideline is to begin looking at treadmills in the $1200 to $2000 range.

Though that may not seem inexpensive, such machines provide performance and reliability and save you a great deal of money over the long run (so to speak).

The Smooth Fitness 7.1HR is a good example of a treadmill that combines highly-rated performance and features with durability and reliable engineering.

To make matters short, do your research before purchasing a treadmill, and be sure to consider your own needs and budget against the quality and reliability of treadmills you consider, as well as their warranties, which you will need someday. Repeat: 'will need someday'.