Taking the leap to own a treadmill can be intimidating. While it is easy to pick up a cheap treadmill made by an unknown manufacturer, these kinds of treadmills are known to break down with just a few months of regular use. If there is one thing we are sure of after reviewing hundreds of treadmills, it that you get what you pay for.
You can use our resource, the “Best Treadmills of 2018”, as a starting point for your treadmill search. As you read through it, there are some specific things a first-time treadmill owner may want to consider as an important part of their first treadmill.
Consider Treadmills With Bluetooth
Fitness technology has been expanding rapidly, and you can now find many treadmills with Bluetooth. With the ability to use Bluetooth, you can:
- Use a wireless heart rate monitor – While most treadmills come with handlebar pulse grips for heart rate monitoring purposes, these grips are not very accurate. By using a wireless chest strap heart rate monitor and the treadmill’s Bluetooth connection, you can accurately track your heart rate. Some treadmills even provide a free chest strap when you buy your treadmill!
- Sync with fitness apps – With your treadmill’s Bluetooth, you can sync with a variety of fitness apps. Which apps you can sync with depends on the treadmill, so read carefully. Some apps like the SOLE Fitness app is relatively basic, only allowing you to control your SOLE treadmill and record workouts from the app. Others, like the iFit Coach app, gives you access to tons of workouts you can load onto your treadmill, personal trainers, and much more.
Also, some Bluetooth-enabled treadmills also come with the ability to connect with your WiFi, which means you never have to be cut off from your online activities.
Find Treadmills With Touchscreens
You don’t want to have to spend hours figuring out how to use your treadmill. Yet, many treadmills can be confusing for new treadmill owners, leaving them only able to use the manual function.
In our opinion, this is a waste of most treadmill’s capabilities. To keep from this being your future, look at treadmills with touchscreens. On touchscreen treadmills, navigation is much easier, allowing you to access different workout programs and other options easily.
Also, with a touchscreen treadmill like the NordicTrack Commercial 1750, you can access the impressive virtual running programs on iFit Coach. With these programs, you can be transported to places around the world, running along the streets of Paris or on the beaches of Thailand, all from the comfort of your home treadmill.
Examine Treadmill Weight Capacity
Treadmill weight capacity is important when you are looking for a home treadmill. Gym treadmills often have very high weight capacities to accommodate a variety of users. But when it comes to home treadmills, the max weight capacity can vary widely.
Here at Treadmill Reviews, we generally don’t recommend treadmills with a weight capacity below 300 lbs. We have found that treadmills below this weight capacity often aren’t very sturdy and don’t hold up well over time.
Inspect Available Incline Range
While there are many other things you may want to look at for your first treadmill, incline range is the last one which is really key to cover. As many people purchase treadmills to help with their weight loss efforts, you will want a treadmill with an incline range of at least 0% to 15%.
You can burn calories much faster when you set your treadmill deck at a higher incline. We tested the incredible incline range on the NordicTrack X11i Incline Trainer, and at a 40% incline, we really did burn calories about five times faster than normal.
Hopefully what we have shared with you today helps as you go to buy your first treadmill. Be sure to read our reviews on your potential next treadmill so you can learn all about it before you buy.