Best Commercial Treadmill Reviews 2018

A commercial treadmill is pretty expensive equipment as it represents the top level of treadmills. You will get a good one for about $1000 to about $5000 and above. There are certain factors that will affect the price of commercial treadmills. Some of these factors include its motor power, its size, the quality of build, materials used, the number of extra features it comes with and many more.

It is important to ensure that you get a good commercial treadmill if that is what you have set out to get. There are less expensive treadmills that are not commercial grade that may serve to some extent. If however you are going for top quality, then you must avoid cheap commercial treadmills that won’t offer you any value. It’s better to spend a bit more to get something you can rely on for a very long time.

Buying a commercial treadmill is a venture that requires proper consideration so you do not waste your money on a treadmill that is much more than you need or far less than what you require. There are certain factors you can consider to help you identify the type of commercial treadmill you need with ease. Some of these factors include:

• Type
• Motor horsepower
• Programs
• Speed range
• Maximum incline
• Deck size
• Weight capacity
• Deck cushioning
• Additional features
• Warranties

Let’s now try to explain this in more detail.

A commercial treadmill is already a type of treadmill but we will be breaking this into two groups. First is the foldable commercial treadmill and the non-foldable commercial treadmill. This is very simple to understand. One can be folded and the other cannot be folded. This does not necessarily mean that one is superior to the other. It simply means that one is more suited for situations where space is limited and the other is for places with enough space. If you do not have enough space, you should get the foldable type which allows you fold it when you are done by simply lifting the deck into the body.

From the above, you can already gather that the first thing you will need to consider is how much space you have to store the treadmill when you get it. The next thing you need to consider is the power of the treadmill. By this we mean the power of the treadmill’s motor given in horsepower (HP). You will find that on the average, commercial treadmills come in a range of between 2HP and 5HP; whatever you choose should be based on two factors which are your weight and the type of exercise you want to do.

Knowing exactly the type of exercise you will be doing will help you choose the right motor so you don’t either waste money buying what you don’t need or save money getting what will not serve you sufficiently. Here’s a simple guide. If your workout will consist of walking, then you should go for a 2HP motor and above. If you will be doing more of jogging, you can get anything from a 2.5HP, and if you will be doing more of running, you should go for a minimum of 3HP.

For those who weigh over 200 pounds, you will need to add at least 0.5HP to whatever minimum we have listed above. You do not want your motor working at near-full or full capacity at all times as this will reduce its lifespan. While we are talking about weight, you should of course check the weight capacity of the treadmill to choose one that will comfortably accommodate your weight.

Most commercial treadmills have a speed range of 0-12MPH (miles per hour). If you are a walker, you do not need that max speed and will be comfortable with one with a lower max speed. Runners will need treadmills with the maximum speed capacity. Take note of this when making your choice. If you are a walker and all you can find has a range of 0-12MPH, you should not worry as you can choose what speed you want to exercise with.

Another thing to look at is the incline angle. Every commercial treadmill has this feature with the most common being a range of 0-15%. This feature increases the difficulty of your exercise such that you can lose as much calories walking on a 15% incline as someone running on the flat deck. The steeper the incline, the harder the work out and the more calories you can lose. Make your choice depending on your exercise needs and goals.

Another important thing to look at is the deck size. The size of the running (or walking) deck is very important and needs to be considered against factors like the type of exercise you are doing and your height. For walkers, the minimum length to go for is about 50 inches in length and 20 inches in width. For runners of average height, the minimum you should go for is 55 inches in length and 20 inches in width with 22 inches of width being the ideal. For runners over 6 feet in height, the minimum length you should go for is 60 inches in length and 22 inches in width. This is very important to give room for errors so you don’t find yourself walking or running off the deck.

One of the features of most commercial treadmills is a pre-programmed exercise routine. Some have pre-programmed as well as programmable settings so you can either use the built-in programs or create your custom setting. This is an easy way to quickly get into exercises targeted to achieve certain goals. Some even go a step further to have exercise programs that follow your heart rate. Your heart rate is monitored and the settings are adjusted continuously to keep your heart rate at the desired point. You get to choose what you want.

Running is a high impact exercise which sometimes cause strain to the joints. To minimize this strain, many commercial treadmills have specially designed decks that absorb the impact, reducing its transference to the joints where it causes strain. This is a very important feature to look out for as it will enable you to run and exercise for longer periods without any attendant joint ache or strains.

As we mentioned briefly above, commercial treadmills come with all sorts of additional features which range from entertainment features to exercise features and comfort features. You will find speakers, connections for your mp3 player and other devices so you can listen to music, watch a video or even read while working out. What will appeal to you will depend on your personal preference.

We have already mentioned the heart rate monitoring feature that some have. Some may require that you get your own strap-on monitor that will work with the treadmill’s computer or it could come with its own. Another feature is the ability to connect your treadmill to exercise programs like iFit. With some of these features, you can choose a route on Google Maps and have your treadmill simulate a run on that route, adjusting the angle of incline to mimic different parts of the chosen route. This surely is both a novel and creative way to keep you interested in working out. Take your time to look through the extra features offered by the different brands and models and find what works best for you.

Finally, you should look at the warranty that comes with any treadmill you are considering. Most commercial treadmills come with a lifetime warranty on frame and motor and varying levels of warranty for parts and in-home labor. Read through this thoroughly so you can choose one that offers you the most.