A trend among the top treadmill brands we review here at Treadmill Reviews is how fitness apps are designed to be integrated with certain brands of treadmills. Today, we are looking at how iFit Coach and the SOLE Fitness app stack up against each other for treadmill use.
Integration of iFit Coach vs SOLE Fitness With Treadmills
The first thing to know about iFit Coach is that there are several iterations of this app. If you are looking for the app to sync with your NordicTrack treadmill or other ICON treadmills with iFit Coach syncing enabled, look for the app with the blue heart icon above. There are several of iFit apps depending on whether you are using the Altra shoe app or the wearable-paired tracker. The iFit Smart Cardio Equipment app is the one you want to pair with iFit Coach-enabled treadmills.
We tend to recommend NordicTrack or ProForm treadmills, as they have the best iFit Coach integration thanks to their touchscreens, so you don’t even need to download the app if you don’t feel like it. You can easily access the workout libraries directly from the treadmill touchscreen display, sorting through the programs until you find what you are looking for and just launch into the program. If there is no touchscreen, you will need to download the app and pair your smart device with your treadmill.
As for the SOLE Fitness app, as you might expect, this app pairs with SOLE treadmills. After you download the app and set up your profile, you can pair the app with your SOLE treadmill. However, many users found the app had to be restarted a couple of times before their treadmill could be detected and our testers experienced drops in connectivity, which led to workout data wipes.
Uses For Apps On The Treadmill
The SOLE Fitness app has fairly limited uses, on and off the treadmill. You can use the app to design a workout and control your paired treadmill from your device, which is nice since SOLE treadmills don’t have all of their speed and incline buttons available. After your workout is completed, the app should save it to your profile so you can see it in your calendar overview.
Unfortunately, the glitchy nature of the app makes even its limited applications apparent. As we mentioned, the app can crash mid-workout, and even if you make it through an entire workout, it tends to lock up once you finish, so your workout isn’t recorded.
On the flip side, iFit Coach provides tons of treadmill utility. You can workout all around the globe, thanks to their partnership with Google Maps. That way you can run using street view or satellite, keeping your workouts more interesting. There are also iFit trainer-led workouts, providing you with tips, encouragement, and engaging landscapes. The trainers can also control your treadmill, changing speeds and incline levels for you.
Along with the running workouts, there are walking tours, mixed workouts where you combine HIIT exercises and treadmill use, and so much more. You can even access on-demand studio classes, which is far more affordable than your average treading class.
Our Final Verdict On the iFit Coach vs SOLE Fitness App
While the SOLE Fitness app is free, it certainly shows in its limited features. Along with the poor app support which has led most people, including our testers, to have negative experiences with the app, the SOLE Fitness app really only allows you to track your treadmill workouts and outside runs, and can still crash.
With the contrast of the highly supported iFit Coach program, with its thousands of workouts led by personal trainers for on and off the treadmill, nutrition and lifestyle tracking features, community support, and more, it is clear that iFit Coach is the superior treadmill program. While you will need to pay for iFit Coach, it is worth the price in our opinion.
But, if you buy a NordicTrack treadmill directly from NordicTrack, you can receive a year of free access to iFit Coach. This benefit now comes with some ProForm treadmills, so be sure to check out our reviews on the various NordicTrack and ProForm treadmills if you are interested in finding a treadmill with iFit Coach integration for free for a year.