Runner's
World Rates the Top 10 Treadmills
The
Runner's World editors evaluated what they consider
to be the 10 best treadmills. We at Smooth Fitness
were very pleased to have our Smooth Treadmill rated
among the top brands. The conclusion was, "Today's
treadmills are better than ever. In particular, most
brands have improved their stability and controls.
Meanwhile, they continue to offer a dazzling variety
of features."
Click Here to see the "Top Rated"
Smooth Treadmills
They
went on to say, "We're not surprised that treadmills
are getting better. With surveys consistently placing
treadmills at the top of home-exercise-equipment sales,
the major manufacturers have to keep improving their
products to stay competitive."
"Whatever
your reasons for running, today's treadmills can duplicate
almost anything you might do on the track, road or
trail. And you can run at any time of the day or night,
with no concern for weather, traffic or other hazards.
Convenience plays a big role in the growing popularity
of treadmill running."
The
review focused on higher-end "home" or "residential"
treadmills priced between $1,400 to $4,500. This is
the range of machines that can withstand the rigors
of a regular workout from a dedicated runner. The
article goes on to say that you may find cheaper models
with similar features, but they will not hold up over
time.
The
Runner's World staff evaluated each treadmill by the
following criteria (which is what you should consider
when buying a new treadmill):
- Cushioning
- How well the treadmill's belt and deck absorb
the shock of your footstrikes? This does not necessarily
mean you want a treadmill that has the softest
feel.
- Stability
- The smoothness of the ride is probably the most
important quality of a good treadmill. Is it solid
and secure? Or does it flex, jiggle and hesitate
as you run?
- Actual
Pace - This is the pace accuracy based on actual
distance in comparison to the display reading.
The rating below is based on an 08:00 minute display.
The closer to that time the better the accuracy.
- Decibels
- This test how loud the treadmill is at an 08:00
pace. The lower the number the quieter.
How
the Treadmills Rate:
| Brand |
Cushioning
|
Stability
|
Actual
Pace
|
Decibel
Ranking*
|
| Smooth |
7.0
|
7.9
|
8:01
|
70
|
| True |
6.9
|
8.7
|
8:00
|
71
|
| Landice |
7.1
|
7.6
|
8:06
|
72
|
| Life
Fitness |
6.3
|
6.9
|
7:55
|
72
|
| Pacemaster |
6.1
|
6.9
|
8:09
|
74
|
| Precor |
6.4
|
5.6
|
7:58
|
76
|
| Image |
7.2
|
6.7
|
8:04
|
73
|
| Cybex |
5.3
|
7.0
|
7:50
|
72
|
| Star
Trac |
7.0
|
5.7
|
7:53
|
74
|
| Tunturi |
5.8
|
4.2
|
7:50
|
71
|
*
The lower the decibel ranking the better.
The
Smooth Treadmill Difference
The
gang at Smooth Fitness were very pleased to have our
Smooth brand included in this elite club of the "10
Best Treadmills." Smooth Treadmills are sold
exclusively and direct from the manufacturer. We were
only one of two models that is sold direct. This allows
our prices to be considerably lower then the other
models that were evaluated. In addition, our price
was the only one that included shipping.
The
special features listed in the article were: Stores
information on up to 4 different users; Touch-hand-grip
heart-rate monitor picks up signal in 5 to 7 seconds
and shows instantaneous heart rate on display.
According
to Runner's World, "the
Smooth receives high marks for stability, which we
consider the most important treadmill attribute."
In addition it had one of the
highest ratings for cushioning.
Our rating for "Actual Pace" was one of
the most accurate. And
the Smooth had the lowest decibels rating for noise
level.
One final note, we offered the best overall warranty
of all the brands listed.
Selling
direct from the factory gives us the opportunity to
offer you the best deal for a treadmill that can accommodate
the serious and not so serious runner. Our price was
one of the lowest of all the models reviewed. We encourage
you to check out our full range of Smooth treadmills.
