For today’s #TreadmillTuesday I have chosen the Smooth 5.65 treadmill because it is a popular choice among home owners with tighter budgets.
First, let’s view this treadmill “At-a-Glance”.
Smooth 5.65 Strengths
What makes this machine so popular?
1. The Price
What the above “At-a-Glance” fails to point out is this treadmill retails for $899.00. Very few people are looking to spend more than a thousand dollars on an exercise machine despite the warnings. This is the #1 reasons why the Smooth 5.65 appeals to so many buyers.
2. Decent User Reviews
When you scour the web for reviews of the Smooth 5.65 treadmill you’ll notice the good outweigh the bad. Fortunately, there are quite a bit of reviews of this treadmill at your disposal including a video review (below), and a handful of reviews at the manufacture’s site as well as on Amazon.com.
Here are some helpful, positive, reviews of the Smooth 5.65 Treadmill:
Not quite 15% incline, but still a great treadmill.
“I needed a treadmill for walking and for my wife to do some jogging on. So after I started looking on the net I came across the Smooth 5.65 and liked its price point and warranty but was worried about the low incline that a previous review talked about. So I called one of the people at smooth fitness and they told me on the current “2011” model the unit did indeed have a 15% incline. He also assured me that the unit would be able to take my walking and my wife jogging but if I was going to start running I should upgrade to the next model. At 58, with bad knees, I don’t plan on doing any more running so I placed my order for the 5.65 and the sales person was nice enough to give me a $50 discount.
It took about two weeks to get, the box was heavier then I was expecting and had to call my son over to help me get it in the room. After that set up wasn’t too hard. Once I set it up I busted out my protractor to measure the incline, which turned out to be about 14 1/2%, not quite 15% but much closer than the 8% one of the reviews had stated.
The unit runs quietly & smoothly (as one would guess from a company called smooth fitness). overall I’m very pleased with the machine and would recommend it to a friend.”
Quiet and affordable. I’d buy it all over again.
“In looking for a treadmill, I wanted a few simple things. My primary consideration was a treadmill that was reliable and would not require expensive and time-consuming repairs. I wanted it to be quiet and sturdy because I have young children and often use it in the morning when they are still asleep.
I did NOT care much for lots of “bells and whistles” like internet connections and fancy screens, etc. This turned out to be the perfect machine for me. As I have used it, I have found that it has a few other features that I love, as well. First of all, the console/screen part is not raised too high, which is nice because I am short.
I can even balance my laptop (with a few towels or a lap desk) on the top and watch DVDs while I run! (Again, the stability of the machine is very important here!) The fan works well, although it blows in my face a little more than I like, I am only 5’2″, so this probably won’t be an issue for folks taller than myself.
It does have an MP3 input, which works just fine. When using that, I can hear whatever I am listening to even when running. (I did purchase the black mat that goes under the treadmill to help absorb some of the shock and therefore some of the sound.)
The settings are easy to change from the screen in front or on the side rails. I have only had this treadmill for about 6 months, but so far I am very, very happy with this one and would make the same decision if I had it to do again.”
3. Not too fancy, but fancy enough
Not everyone is looking for a 40% incline or wifi capabilities when it comes to their treadmill. A lot of people just want a treadmill that is going to last a while and get the job done. I can’t say that the Smooth 5.65 will stand the test of time (because the majority of the reviews come from users that have only had the treadmill a few months) but it is a solid machine for the price. You can’t expect a 900 dollar treadmill to last a lifetime.
With that said, the Smooth 5.65 does have some cool features like a fan and MP3 port. It also provides a bit of an incline if you’d like it too which is always a great way to burn a few extra calories.
Overall, a great treadmill for the price.
You really can’t argue with a 900 dollar treadmill with such great reviews. For those of us with shallow pockets, a treadmill like the Smooth 5.65 is a no-brainer. If you have the money, it will be much better spent on a treadmill that is sure to last a few good years but if you’re only planning on using the treadmill for a light jog or walk every once in a while, you won’t find a much better deal than this.