Information on treadmill brands

Treadmills are convenient and relatively inexpensive ways to stay fit while you exercise. There are over a dozen manufacturers of treadmills, each having many different styles. You need to determine how much you wish to spend and what types of exercise you plan in order to figure out which manufacturer is best for you. Decide whether you are going to use the treadmill to walk, jog or run training.

Icon health and fitness is the largest and most well known treadmill manufacturer in the world. Their brands include reebok, nordictrack, weslo, proform and image.

Weslo are the least expensive treadmills on the market. They are made for beginners, have smaller running areas and less power than the more expensive brands. This is the line to look at for budget treadmills.

Image is another icon fitness brand. Treadmills are generally more expensive then weslo, around $1000. They offer the best value for the average person, but only have a 90-day warranty. Some modules add programmable workouts, heart rate monitor, and internet ifit connection.

Proform treadmills by icon give comprehensive options starting with the $400 budget unit, the $1000 midrange units and $2000 higher end units. All still have a 90-day warranty.

Nordictrack treadmills by icon range from $800 to $2000. Experts feel that this brand is more costly for the same value due to the nordictrack name. They all have heart rate monitors, but the low end ones have smaller platforms and motors. Nordictrack has some of the best cushioning to help with the jolting on the feet. The upper end models are made for specific types of training.

Reebok treadmills feed off their name recognition. They look nice but lack durability. Reebok has better warranties, but home models are made by a different company than their commercial models.

Smooth is a treadmill manufacturer whose appeal is that they sell direct to the consumer over the internet from their website. They claim and actually produce reduced prices by cutting out the middleman. Smooth treadmills have a 2-5 year warranty. Many experts choose smooth treadmills for their excellent features and reasonable prices. Some people call these the best treadmill on the market for overall value.

Trimline is another manufacturer of home treadmills. They have longer warranties than smooth equipment but cost more too. Prices range from $1000 to $2000.

Keys fitness is a newcomer to treadmills. They are competitive in the low and midrange markets. They are comparable to smooth in price and features.

Sprint is a treadmill company that has been around for 20 years. They are innovative and introduce most new features to the industry. Most models are in the $1500 to #3000 range. They are solid quality.

Landice is one of the top of the line manufacturers. They cost over $3000 and give you great features,  heavy-duty motors, and lifetime warranty on parts.

Cybex is another high-end treadmill manufacturer. They used to be called trotter and produce high quality with high prices to match. Prices  range from $3000 to $4500.

You can see that you need to start with a budget and then decide what features you want. Most models will fall into place based on those two variables.