Several weeks ago, I purchased a Smooth 9.15 treadmill. (A friend of mine recommended Smooth Fitness to me.) After I placed my order with Smooth Fitness, my treadmill arrived within 5 days. I was quite pleased with Smooth’s customer service department, as well as the timely delivery.
What sold me on the Smooth 9.15 treadmill was that it had many of the features that I was looking for in a treadmill.
Basic Information:
I’ve been asked to compare the three machines in the Bowflex treadmill series. To make this easy to understand I will compare the 5 series with the 7 series. I will then compare the 3 series to the 5 and hopefully you will be able to make an informed decision.
Bowflex is owned by Nautilus, Inc. The retail price of the 7 is $1,999. The retail price of the 5 is $1,800 but you can get it for several hundred dollars less. The 7 is selling for about $1500; the 5 for about $1200.
My wife and I are 47 years old. Recently I had a mini-physical for Life Insurance. The results were concerning, if I didn’t make some changes my heart and I were headed for trouble. It was time to take my health more seriously.
I’ve exercised to one degree or another most of my adult life. My wife has exercised on-off. We knew if we wished to continue to enjoy a good quality of life we needed to make some changes; better- weight control, diet, and exercise.
I have reviewed the first 3 models in the line of TreadClimbers by Bowflex. I am now reviewing the newer TC5300 which will run you about $500 more than the TC5000 which was the top of the line. The TC5300 is one under the current top of the line.
What is a TreadClimber?
I investigated several treadmills over a 2 week period before deciding on the Smooth 9.15. I was looking for the most solid and stable machine, as close to a pro-gym model as I could find. This unit is VERY solid. Whether I’m running fast or having a brisk walk the machine is incredibly quiet and very stable. No creaks, no noise. I like the preprogrammed workouts and the large LED’s make it easy to read. The computer is easy to use -the photo on the Smooth website doesn’t do it justice. It’s a really nice console, nice bright clear colors, very slick looking. I ordered the unit in Canada and had excellent service from Smooth Fitness Canada/Fitness Source. They managed to get me the unit by a predetermined time as I was to leave the country on business and needed it delivered and setup before I left. I know they went out of their way to make that happen, really jumping in and troubleshooting shipping issues. Thanks to Jeff, Ted & Chris at Fitness Source/ Concord Ont. for accommodating me and getting the unit here in great time.
This treadmill is really heavy and that’s GOOD. That’s why it’s so stable. You won’t be rolling this one around easily and that’s why it will last, because it’s well built. It folds nicely though mine will probably just stay where it is most of the time.
Great warranty. I definitely recommend this treadmill and the companies behind it.
Gotta Run!
Note: This picture is of the 400 X not the 400 GL.
When I first went to review the 400 GL Treadmill by ProForm I wasn’t going to compare it to another machine. I then thought about it and realized that people might wonder what differences there are between the 400 GL and ProForm’s CX18i. At $800 the ProForm 400 GL Treadmill is on the higher end of ProForm’s treadmills and is only $100 less than the CX18i. So let’s take a look at which one I like better and why.
The 400 GL Treadmill:
My husband and I purchased this bike a couple weekends ago to give me a safe exercise option during pregnancy. At six months now I’m getting clumsy, and the wintry conditions here in Nebraska make outdoor activity uninviting. A recumbent cycle makes for a great combination of aerobic exercise, safety, and comfort.
I’ve run outdoors and used treadmills. I’ve also injured one of my feet because of the pounding these involve. It took several months for the pain to go away.
I was doing fast walking outdoors instead of running to avoid injuries. I was tired of doing it in the dark and cold of winter and the heat of summer so started looking at treadmills. While doing that I came across the Precor. All the reviews were great so I went to a store in town and tried it.
I used to run only outdoors. But, a few months ago, I started working at a new job. The hours that I am required to work leave me virtually no daylight time for running on most days…not even during the summer months. I have never enjoyed going to a gym. And, I do not feel safe running in the dark. I also did not want to give up running. So, I broke down and bought myself a treadmill.
Purchasing My Treadmill
When I decided to invest in a home gym, I knew that I had to get an elliptical. Great workout that I actually enjoyed doing. Unfortunately, there are no deals on elliptical cross trainers out there. The low end models are poorly made and do not feel comfortable. I was going to get an entry level Precor or Life Fitness, but my wife didn’t like the feeling of either. I agreed with her. We decided to pay more to get a gym quality machine because we knew that it would get used.