You may have realized all the benefits treadmills offer: convenience and comfort, along with giving you a great workout for your muscles and a great cardiovascular workout. However, treadmills can be very expensive, and you may be confused because prices range anywhere from $500 to $3,000. “What is the real difference between the more expensive and the cheaper models?” you may ask yourself. Should you stay in your price range and go for the cheap treadmills, or should you look at the more expensive treadmills? The bottom line with cheap treadmills: you get what you pay for.
Generally speaking, the more expensive the treadmill, the better quality it is. However, there are certain things you can look specifically for to see if a treadmill is good quality, and to determine whether that treadmill with the attractive price tag will give you any value for your money. Here are some of the things you should look for:
The Motor
The motor is the most important component in a treadmill. The longer lasting treadmills have larger, heavier motors. Also, when evaluating the motor, check for its “continuous duty” rating. This evaluates the motor’s quality and duration. You’ll want a motor with at least 1.5 continuous duty horsepower. Many times salespeople will try to tell you that a treadmill has a large and durable motor, but be sure to compare so you know what a large treadmill motor looks like.
Construction
You’ll want to look at the thickness of the walking deck and the size of the walking track as well as the motor. These will both affect your comfort while you are walking or jogging. The deck thickness should be at least ¾ inch and the walking track should be at least 48 inches. The best advice to give in regards to this is to test the treadmill while you are in the store. Find out whether the walking track is long and wide enough for you, and whether you are comfortable on the machine.
Shock Absorption
You’ll want to look into the shock absorption of the machine, especially if you are planning on both walking and jogging on your treadmill. To check this, make sure that the treadmill’s suspension is directly under the walking deck. Rubber padding is the best to help with shock absorption because foam takes more time to return to its original shape after impact.
Basically, the more expensive the machine, the more expensive the parts that were put into that machine in order to make sure it is of a higher quality. However, you do have some options when it comes to finding cheap treadmills. One of these options is to look at the electronics of the treadmill. Some treadmills have a lot of fancy features such as being able to measure your heart rate and giving you preset exercise programs. You can lower your treadmill costs by getting a treadmill without all the expensive electronics, which aren’t really necessary to a good workout. There are many cheap treadmills that simply have the basics: speed, incline, time, etc.
Knowing what you want and need when you go out looking for a treadmill will help you get a cheaper treadmill. If you know the size you want and what electronics you’d like included, you will be able to make a better informed decision about which treadmill to buy. Figure out what your budget is and make sure you get the most for your money with a good, reliable treadmill that will be able to take you many miles.
By Janelle Walker