Proform Treadmills- Worth The Money?

Proform Treadmill Review:

 

Ok, so unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 20 years or so, you’ve no doubt heard the name Proform when it comes to treadmills.

In fact I read an article a few years back that said that Proform was the most recognized name in fitness equipment.

And it’s not surprising since these treadmills are EVERYWHERE.

So are they a good brand for you – and are they worth the money?

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly about these treadmills:

 

Proform Treadmills – General Overview:

 

Proform is manufactured by ICON Health and Fitness, pretty much a beast in the fitness equipment industry. These guys also make treadmills under the brand names Freemotion, Weslo, Healthrider, Nordic Track and Epic.

Proform has been around for years and can basically be found in almost any department store that sells treadmills – except for those really, really cheap big box stores who only get to carry ultra-cheap brands like Weslo.

 

The Good:

While Proform used to be seen as more of a bargain-starter-treadmills-only brand, ICON has been making strides over the past few years to put more quality construction into these machines.

So you’re starting to get much longer warranties, tougher motors and mid-level to higher end equipment. Oh and the toys are starting to rival Nordic Track for the “coolness factor”.

Plus if anyone has the ability to build a quality treadmill for less, it’s ICON.

You can find many units that also come iFit compatible – which is a new technology that is super-cool, especially if you need to get inspired to stick to your workout routine.

iFit basically uses the wireless internet in your home to connect your treadmill to the internet.

From there you can run trails all over the world (using Googlemaps), race against Facebook friends and track your workout progress to reach new goals. If you’re an ADHD exerciser, these treadmills are a great option.

Proform has also recently come out with a line of official “Boston Marathon” treadmills that basically help you train for, well, a marathon.

This is a really innovative concept that you can’t find with other brands.  You get high definition video workouts of the actual Boston race course, incline and decline training, and onboard marathon training programs that keep you in your training rhythm. Tres cool.

 

 

The Bad and The Ugly:

Proform makes a ton of treadmills – a TON. With so many product lines, it gets confusing for buyers – as some Proform treadmills are incredible values- while others – not so much.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that many models stay kicking around in stores for years. So you have even more Proform models to choose from.

And Proform sometimes puts a new model under an old model name (which isn’t all that different – many manufacturers do this). But just make sure that you’re researching the right (or newest) model to get an accurate picture of the real quality of the treadmill.

Also, several years ago, Proform wasn’t putting out the quality of treadmills that it is today. So a lot of those bad reviews are still kicking around, hurting the brand.

 

Final Tip:

Proform is great if you’re looking for an affordable – or very unique treadmill. In my view, nobody builds a higher quality starter treadmill with more bells and whistles.

However, just make sure you’re looking at the new models (which you can see at the manufacturer’s site here) if you want the best value for your dollar.