Treadmills Best Buys - Narrow The Choices

In a market crammed full of treadmills- Best Buys listed by magazine and online reviewers are a helpful guide that can save you money and headaches, too.

Treadmill Best Buys are usually machines that are well-designed and incorporate durable parts and smart engineering into a full-featured package.

Some are of the highest quality but not all, and the reason is simple: the best treadmill buy is the treadmill that is best for you. . . and only you, and if you're like most of us, your budget will narrow the choices considerably.

No matter; treadmills are generally rated best buys within price ranges with companies like Proform dominating the economy class, Smooth leading the next level up, Pacemaster, Landice and Precor topping the moderately priced machines, and Woodway and LifeFitness models most impressive in the highest price range.

Things To Look For

Several organizations and online publications review treadmills for quality and reliability in fitness and sports training.

Consumer Reports, Runner's World, Men's Journal, Men's Fitness and others review treadmills in different classes or for their specific readers.

What do they look for when judging best values in each class?

First and foremost, they look for durability and reliability.

Shoddy fit and inferior parts mean trouble and expense down the road.

They also look at design and engineering, whether the machine's components fit the intended use.

A large running surface and power incline mean nothing if the motor isn't powerful enough to handle higher maximum weight capacities, and high weight capacities, for that matter, are senseless on a machine not long enough to be used by large people or wide enough to be used by overweight users with a wider stance.

Reviewers also consider how a machine is packaged - what workout and programming features are standard.

A treadmill for under $1000 with heart-rate monitoring or control, for example, can be an excellent value, and ratings usually include a close look at the warranty and service on the treadmill.

Treadmills take a beating and break-downs are inevitable, Will parts be available? How about repair service? And will they be covered by a warranty?