Some treadmills have a special FREE gift offer. Please look out for the "FREE GIFT" symbol when searching for your treadmill.
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Why Purchase a Treadmill? |
The onwards march of technology combined with reduced manufacturing costs means that you can now buy a reliable home-use treadmill with gradient control, pre-set programmes and a running action that is absurdly close to commercial quality treadmills for under £1000! 
That's good news, because jogging, running and hill walking are great forms of cardiovascular exercise and are also effective for weight control and body fat reduction.
A good treadmill can provide a level of cushioning that makes even the most exotic running shoes feel like concrete flip-flops, and there's none of the hassle of finding traffic and pollution-free routes, safety issues especially for women during dark winter evenings.
However treadmills require more complex engineering than other types of fitness equipment (such as cross trainers, which means that there's plenty to think about before rushing out and making that purchase
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Essentials When Buying A Treadmill |
 Ensure the treadmill is sold with a labour warranty, many grey import brands are sold only with a parts warranty (You do not want to end up having to fit a new motor yourself etc). Make sure the warranty is not return to base (you pay carriage), ask if the engineer will visit your home to do the repair.
It is essential that you buy a recognised "high street" brand name (e.g Kettler, Tunturi or Nordictrack) where proper nationwide service backup is available. This way if the retailer disappears your warranty is still active with the manufacturer. Many manufacturers now offer lifetime treadmill motor warranties and an extended warranty on the treadmill frame and parts.
- Overall Treadmill Dimensions - Check it will fit into your intended location (near a power point) with sufficient space to mount and dismount. If space is tight, consider folding treadmills.
- Treadmill Motor Power - Treadmills should be rated at least 1.5 continuous horsepower and have good torque (at very low speeds, the belt should not slow when you step onto the treadmill).
- Treadmill cushioning and stability - What does the treadmill feel like to run on? A good treadmill should offer excellent cushioning, yet not shake, wobble, rattle or vibrate on each foot strike.
- Belt or Tread - check that the treadmill belt is wide enough (recommended 18 inches) and long enough to accommodate your running style without feeling cramped and that it moves smoothly over the running deck, even when you're walking at slow speeds.
- Treadmills Maximum Speed - Ensure it's at least 2mph higher than your regular running pace as treadmills motors used at near maximum speeds for long periods of time won't last too long"¦
- Maximum Gradient (incline) - Higher maximum gradients e.g. 12%+ are useful for walking workouts. Also check how quickly the gradient changes once the button is pressed!
- Console feedback and ease of use - how clear and comprehensive is the displayed information? How easy is it to access programmes (if there are any)? Are the buttons clearly visible and easy to use?
- Treadmill Programmes - many treadmills offer interval training, hill courses or allow you to create your own custom running & walking courses. Some also offer heart rate control.
- Motor + Deck Noise - How noisy is the treadmill especially at higher speeds? Quieter treadmills usually indicate a better standard of construction and motor.
- Does it fold - does the treadmill fold for compact storage? if you are short for space consider a folding treadmill
- Standard of Construction - Welded frames are much better than bolted frames, (bolts can become lose under heavy pounding) and the treadmill shouldn't visibly yield when you step on it (normally a sign of a flimsy build)!
- Treadmill Accessories - what accessories can you use with the treadmill, such a treadmill mat, a covered warranty or even a heart rate monitor
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Overview of Treadmill Brands |
Kettler Treadmills
The Heinz Kettler group was established in Germany in 1949 and is a leading company in the leisure industry, producing a wide range of products under many well-known brands.
This includes stylish, high quality sports and fitness equipment such as rowing machines manufactured under the Kettler brand. A UK subsidiary, Kettler (GB) Limited, has been operating for almost twenty years and provides full after sales service here in the UK.
Horizon Fitness Treadmills
As part of Johnson Health Tech, manufacturer of high quality fitness equipment for more than 25 years, Horizon Fitness aim to produce home fitness equipment with the performance and reliability you would expect from health club machines - at affordable prices.
Just a couple of the many features found on all Horizon treadmills worth mentioning are sturdy steel frames, providing excellent stability, and elastomer cushioning between the frames and running deck which helps protect your joints.
This all contributes to the feeling of getting a gym-quality workout in the comfort of your own home. All Horizon treadmills also come with an easy to use folding mechanism, allowing the running deck to be stored in a fully vertical position so that the machine takes up less than half the space needed during use.
Horizon Fitness are so confident in the quality and durability of their treadmill that they all come with a lifetime warranty on the frame and motor and 2 years on other treadmill parts and electronics.
Life Fitness Treadmills
Life Fitness have been manufacturing premium exercise equipment for over 30 years and is the most popular brand of commercial fitness equipment worldwide.
Much of the advanced technology and functional design which have helped them earn this title is also applied to their range of products for consumer use in order to provide health club quality products for your home.
Life Fitness offer a complete line of cardiovascular and strength-training equipment. Life Fitness Treadmills were added to the range in 1991, and Life Fitness is now the number one treadmill manufacturer for commercial facilities. It is also a very popular choice for those looking for premium treadmills for home use.
The Life Fitness T-Series Treadmills boast a full range of advanced, user-friendly features and are packed with workout programmes, including Zone Training™ interactive workouts which will make automatic adjustments to keep you in the right heart rate zone.
With the patented treadmill FlexDeck™ shock absorption cushioning system you can exercise in comfort with the reassurance that impact to your muscles and joints is reduced by nearly 30% compared to non-cushioned treadmills.
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Vision Fitness Treadmills
Vision offer a range treadmills for both home and commercial markets. The first Vision treadmills were introduced in 1997 and their treadmills have since received much praise for their high quality construction and ease of use.
Vision Fitness treadmills offer innovative cushioning with their eight strategically placed variable durometer elastomer cushions. The softest elastomer is located where your foot contacts the treadmill deck while the firmest is in the back to offer support, giving you an extra comfortable workout on your treadmill.
The treadmill consoles are advanced yet easy to use and give you all the information you need to achieve your goals. All treadmill models have one-touch speed and incline quick keys, making adjustments during your workout simple. Some treadmill models even store your workout totals, so you can track your progress over time.
The reliability of Vision Fitness treadmills is backed by good warranties. Parts and labour warranties vary between one and three years depending on the model, all models come with a lifetime frame warranty and the treadmill motor is guaranteed for at least five years, with the higher end models having a lifetime motor warranty.
Proform Treadmills
Proform is a subsidiary brand of fitness equipment giant Icon, the largest manufacturer and marketer of home fitness equipment worldwide.
While Proform today manufactures a wide range of fitness equipment, they are probably still most widely known for their treadmills which have continued to grow in popularity ever since they first introduced the now world-famous SpaceSaver® folding design.
Proform offer an impressive selection of affordable quality treadmills.
York Fitness Treadmills
York Fitness design and manufacture a wide range of home fitness equipment, everything from dumbbells to complete home gyms and obviously treadmills with products being distributed in over 40 countries.
The British division, York Barbell UK, was established over 20 years ago and manufacturing is partly based at the UK plant.
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