How to get mileage from your treadmill buy

From the editors of Consumer Reports

More Americans get exercise using a treadmill than any other piece of exercise equipment.

Treadmills provide workouts to more Americans than any other piece of exercise equipment. Many models allow you to raise the deck or increase belt speed to boost the intensity of your workout. Some include features such as programmable exercise routines linked to the machine’s heart-rate monitor.

But steep price has long been an impediment to owning a treadmill. These days you’ll have to spend about $3,000 for a model with solid construction, highest-quality materials and superior warranty protection. Fortunately, our latest tests of treadmills turned up machines that, while not inexpensive, do combine comparative low price with high performance.

Before you take steps toward owning a treadmill, make sure you have room for one. A nonfolding treadmill occupies some 18 square feet of floor space — roughly the same as a small couch or loveseat. Folding models take up about half that when not in use. Also, consider what type of workout you want from your machine. If you plan to walk, most any treadmill will suffice. Runners, however, will appreciate extra stability — the kind found in nonfolding models and many of the folding units we tested.

Then hit the stores. Check that a machine’s controls and displays are straightforward and easy to use. For folding models, make sure you can fold and unfold the deck and — if you need to — wheel the folded treadmill around. Also, decide which features you’ll really use. Programmable routines, one-touch speed and incline controls and large displays that show all functions at once can take some of the drudgery out of workouts.

The following are some noteworthy models.

Fine for most running and walking. Two nonfolding Vision Fitness models, the T9500 Deluxe ($2,000) and the T9200 Simple ($1,300) qualify as CR Best Buys. Both have belts measuring 52 inches long by 20 inches wide, but only the T9500 Deluxe includes a chest-strap heart-rate monitor. Among folding models, the top-rated Bowflex 7-Series ($1,500) and the Horizon Fitness Performance Series PST8 ($1,600) are also CR Best Buys. The Bowflex’s belt measures 60 inches long by 20 inches wide, while the Horizon Fitness is slightly shorter (57 inches) and narrower (19 inches).

Best for avid runners. Also suitable for a range of exercisers, these nonfolding machines are well-designed and sturdy. The Landice L7 Series Pro Sports Trainer ($2,900) lacks a heart-rate monitor, but was extremely easy to use. The NordicTrack S3000 ($3,500) and the SportsArt 3110 ($2,900) have slightly thinner decks than most other top-scoring nonfolding models. At just $2,300, the True Z4 HRC offers the best value of this bunch, yet has no exercise programs.