ProForm CX18i Treadmill Brand ProformFitness Type TreadmillsSports Type Personal Fitness Details ProForm CX18i Tr...
Proform 400 X Treadmill Brand:ProformFitness Type:TreadmillsSports Type:Personal Fitness Details ProForm 400 X Treadmill - ProForm...
Many people are e-mailing me requests to review fitness equipment. One of the reasons is that there are so many choices; the prices are not all that different; and people don’t know how to decide. I am reviewing ProForm’s CX18i Treadmill. I like the ProForm 840 a lot. The CX18i which sells for around $700 is less money than the 840. People have told me they like when I compare products. I will only compare two at a time since I think it is very confusing to compare more than two in one review. Since I like the 840 but it is a bit more expensive than the CX18i it is the 840 I will compare to the CX18i and we’ll see my rating.
The CX18i Treadmill – let’s look at the basics:
~The Belt: The belt is one part of a treadmill that is very important to me. If a belt is too short or narrow it makes walking on it never mind running uncomfortable. If anyone has ever had the unpleasant experience of walking at a fast clip and hitting the sides or the front of the belt you know that it throws off your balance. If you are not careful or are new to the treadmill can get hurt. The CX18i has a belt that measures 19-inch x 55-inch. This is the same size as the ProForm 840. The general rule of thumb is that a belt should be at least 17 inches wide and 48 inches long. So thumbs up to the size of ProForm’s CX18i belt.
~The Deck: Although I am not a runner I power walk. After1/2 an hour on an uncomfortable deck my feet hurt me. Like the 840, the CX18i has what ProForm calls Pro Sox Impact Absorption. We are told that this system reduces impact on my joints by 32% (as compared to road running). I am not sure comparing a belt to cement is fair. To me it is like comparing apples to oranges. I do know that the air based system is very kind to my feet. I am able to walk for an hour quite easily without any foot pain. I cannot say that about all treadmill decks. The machine’s deck is quiet. Although I will always hear people who are running at a fast click I have noticed that this Pro Sox System’s cushioning really does cut down on the thumping noise you may hear if you run on a treadmill.
~The Design: The console on the CX18i looks very similar to that of the 840. There are two integrated places in which to put water bottles, cell phones and keys. I can’t imagine buying a machine without a water bottle holder but they are out there.
The placement of the handles is important to me. Ideally for older people I like side railings but the less expensive pieces of equipment are doing away with that feature. That is true with the CX18i which again is very similar to the 840. The CX18i has two places in which to hold onto and they are both well positioned. They aren’t too high or too low. I can hold onto the side handles which though aren’t long are adequate to keep my balance.
There is also a handle right in front of me in which the heart rate monitor is. Heart rate monitors are something I really feel should be built into a treadmill. It isn’t a deal breaker for me if it isn’t but what it means is that I will have to buy a heart rate monitor or you will or learn how to take your heart rate. I think it is important that you work in your heart rate zone. Take 220 and subtract your age. This gives you your maximum heart rate.
There is a key clip on the machine which I find on most. This is a safety feature. A cord is attached to the machine and the other end clips to your clothes or finger. If you fall the cord pulls and the machine stops immediately.
A Closer Look at the Console:
Like the 840 the CX18i has a CoolAir built in fan. It has one fan rather than two like you may see on other machines. The fan has two positions- high and low. I shut it off. It blows air at 4-6 miles per hour. I have noted that I do not like air blowing on me. If you do, you will love this feature. If you do not you do not have to use it! I am 5’ 5″ tall. The fan when I’ve tried it out is in the right position for me. If you are exceptionally short or tall you may not get the same benefits of the fan.
The console has a 4-Window/5×7 Matrix Console. What the Matrix means is that it shows you your workout essentially in a graph form. The graph is 5 inches by 7 inches and easy to read because it lights up. The benefit of the graph is if you are interval training (changing levels and intensity fairly regularly); you can then monitor how long you have run at various intensity levels by watching the red lines change.
The four windows show my speed, time, distance, incline, pace, calories burned, heart rate and carbohydrates burned. Ah ha! We have discovered the major difference between the CX18i and the 840 or for that matter any other treadmill I have used so far. The carb display is a new one for me. I can imput my age and weight. What happens is that between my weight and the time I am on the machine, the amount of carbohydrates I burn are averaged out. This is not a feature I would pay extra for but it is on this one. If you are an Atkins fan you’ll love this feature.
I really like the QuickSpeed Control. which can be found on the CX18i and the 840 as well as other machines. It is more a convenience than a necessary function but I like it. For example my gym has many treadmills. Usually when I increase the intensity I have to click on each level. So I would click the up arrow and it moved in increments of a tenth. Granted most people are not listening to my clicking but I have always found this annoying. With the QuickSpeed this is eliminated. I can increase my speed or decrease it immediately. It does not have to basically stop at each interval.
The way this works is interesting. If I am walking at 3 miles an hour and want to go to 4 rather than pressing the up arrow, which is what is usually done, I just press 4 and it immediately jumps to 4. The buttons from 1 to 10 are at the base of the console. There are QuickIncline buttons that do the same thing. The machine will adjust the incline from 0-10% at the touch of a button on the incline and 0 to 10 miles per hour on the speed. For those of you looking for a gift let me assure you that 10 miles per hour is more than adequate unless you are buying this for a marathon runner and most likely you won’t since they usually run outside. I can also use the arrows at any time during my workout if I prefer.
The programs:
You can choose the quick start button and not choose a program. A difference between the CX18i and the 840 are the number of programs the treadmill offers. While the 840 gives me 10, the CX18i gives me six. There are four programs such as aerobics and weight loss and two “make my own” programs” that essentially let me set the speed, distance and time however I want. If I choose the aerobic program, the CS18i automatically controls the resistance and level.
To use a custom program what I do is press either program 1 or program 2. The machine then says custom program and I set what I want. The CX18i has some bells and whistles that are not necessary to know in my opinion for this review. But for example there are segments in my workout and when the first segment is over I hear some sounds and the settings I originally set move over and then the second segment with my second settings appear and the machine adjusts to that. (This was more than I wanted to say. If it is confusing, trust me that you don’t have to know this now.)
Additional information:
ProForm is an ICON company. People have problems with every manufacturer. I have not heard of more than the normal share of complaints about ICON’s products considering the size of this company.
~The machine folds and rolls.
~At 2.75 the horsepower is .50 more than that of the 840 but 2.25 is definitely more than adequate.
~Both have a 300 pound weight limit.
~It is 72 inches long by 38 inches wide by 58 inches high. This is a couple of inches wider and higher but the same length as the 840.
~The machine weighs 215 pounds.
~The treadmill has a 90-day warranty for parts and labor and a 10-year warranty on the motor. (The 840 has a 12-year warranty.)
~The CX18i like the 840 is a Space Saver. It can be folded away by raising the spring loaded deck and locking it into place. There are small wheels that are built into the base that makes it possible to wheel it away if you need the room that the treadmill is taking up.
My final thoughts:
Please check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.
I am very happy that ProForm can make a treadmill with these many features and options in this price range. They have cut down on the programs making it less money but in my opinion six programs is plenty for most people. They haven’t cut the important features like a nice console and comfortable belt. Other than spending considerable time putting the machine together I can’t find anything that would give this treadmill a rating of less than 5 stars.
Other treadmill reviews:
ProForm CrossWalk Performance X Treadmill • Proform 840 •
How to Choose a Treadmill • Nordic Track ViewPoint TV • Nordic Track Incline Trainer • Landice Treadmill • • Star Trac Pro Treadmill • Cybex Pro Treadmill • Cybex 900T Treadmill
My other fitness equipment reviews can be found here.
Thanks for reading and feel free to leave me a question or comment. jo
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