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...
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:
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 400 GL’s belt measures 17 inches x 55 inches. The general rule of thumb is that a belt should be at least 17 inches wide and 48 inches long. The belt is long enough so I had no problem walking on it but it Is just at the bottom of the rule of thumb. I have been using treadmills for so long I am used to all sizes of belts but if you are not you might find the narrow tread uncomfortable. The CX18i is the same length but two inches wider which can make a significant difference for me.
The Deck: Although I am not a runner I power walk. After1/2 an hour on an uncomfortable deck my feet hurt me. The 400 GL has what ProForm calls a Pro Tech Impact Reduction system. We are told that this system reduces impact to my joints. Compare this to the CX18i’s system which we are told reduces impact by 32%. Does this really make a difference? For me it did. My feet are really great indicators of the comfort and cushioning of a deck. Some people can run on anything. I cannot. My feet hurt me a little more on the days I worked out on the 400 GL. The CX18i was much kinder to my feet. The system on the 400 GL is quiet but perhaps just a tad noisier than on the CX18i. I wouldn’t make the sounds a deal breaker and if your feet don’t bother you I wouldn’t make the 17% difference a deal breaker either.
The Design: The console on the 400 GL touts a The ClearView display that has a 180° viewing angle the purpose of this is to make seeing the console easier. However unless you are 6’ 10 inches tall or 3 feet tall, I have never had trouble seeing a console. The ClearView display is nice but if I had to pay extra for it I wouldn’t. The 400 GL has a very small matrix which is unusual. A matrix is a graph that visually shows me my workout. I have never cared about them and have commented that many people cover the console so they aren’t watching the minutes. If for some reason you love large graphs you won’t get one with this machine. I found ProForm’s traditional integrated water bottle holders and one fan which two positions – high and low. This is the same on the CX19i.
Handles: The days of long rails are over so I do pay attention to handles. The safer the better. I feel fairly neutral about the differences between the handles of these two machines though they are very different. The 400 GL has loop handles; the CX19i has straight short handles. If you pushed me to choose which I liked better I would say it didn’t matter. If you pushed me more I would say I like the short straight ones because I think they are easier to grip. Still this is not a deal breaker for the 400 GL and its loops.
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. The heart rate monitor and key clip are the same on both machines.
Let’s use it:
I was shown speed, time, distance, incline, calories, heart rate and carbohydrates burned. This is what clued me into how similar these two machines are because I believe the CX18i was the first treadmill I had seen with this feature. So now we have another one on the 400GL!
The 400 GL has 6 programs. Four are called personal trainer programs which focus on weight loss and fitness goals (hills, interval training) and two heart rate programs that kept me in my workout zones. Since I can input my age and weight the machine can count the amount of carbohydrates I burn on average. This is also 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. The CX18i also has 6 programs. The programs adjust the machine to the various levels that correspond with the program. The only one that doesn’t is the manual program. Choosing this one allowed me to pick my level and speed though with any program I can change that with the arrow buttons.
Both machines and many of ProForm’s machine have a feature I like a lot. One is the QuickSpeed Control. 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 PowerIncline buttons that do the same thing. (The CX18i call them QuickIncline but they are the same just with different names.)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.
Additional information:
~At 2.75 the horsepower is the same on both machines.
~Both have a 300 pound weight limit.
~It is approximately 68 inches long by 25 inches wide by 56 inches high. This is a smaller machine than the CX18i. If space is an issue you will save 15 inches in width.
~The machine weighs 215 pounds.
~The treadmill has a 90-day warranty for parts and labor and a 10-year warranty on the motor.
~Both models are space savers. They 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. You should be able to lift 45 pounds in order to move this machine so be careful.
~ProForm is an ICON Fitness company.
Please keep this machine away from children under 12 and your pets (while it’ is moving)
My final thoughts:
Please check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.
If you were to ask me which machine of these two both of which have the same number of programs and carb counters I would spend the extra money on the more comfortable deck. If your feet are great and you can deal with a narrower tread and/or have to have a smaller treadmill, then the 400 GL will do just fine. It is an easy to use machine without a lot of bells and whistles. You can find similar by ProForm for ½ the price. I rated the CX18i 5 stars. I am rating the 400 GL 4 stars.
Please note: The 400 GL does not come with dumbbells. The picture is of the 400 X Treadmill by ProForm.
Other treadmill reviews:
ProForm 595 Pi • ProForm 350 • ProForm CS17e Treadmill • ProForm CX18i • ProForm 840 • Proform 540
How to Choose a Treadmill • Life Fitness T7-O • Nordic Track ViewPoint TV • Nordic Track Incline Trainer • Landice Treadmill • Star Trac Pro Treadmill • Cybex Pro Teadmill • Cybex 900T Treadmill
All my fitness equipment reviews can be found here.
Thanks for reading.
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