5th treadmill we've tried. Love this one - I had previously reviewed a stationary exercise bike and a $300 treadmill for working out at home while the local gym had been somewhat on lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bike never got used and the treadmill -- you truly DO get what you paid for! I sold it after it had been sitting there for months. With that said, my brother and I each were still on the hunt for a treadmill: one for use with a standing desk (which I had previously reviewed that was actually quite nice) and another that is more traditional. Although we each liked a treadmill we found, I ultimately wanted one with a motorized incline/decline without spending over $1,000. I wanted to ensure that this treadmill would get its fair use before writing the review. Over the last 4 weeks, I had used it about 3 times a week. Right off the bat, you should be aware that this treadmill does NOT compare to what you would find at the gym where those machines cost more than $1000. What it DOES have going for it is its build quality. It is by far, far better than the $300 treadmill I had initially tried in terms of exuding confidence as a safer equipment, more professional look, and extra amenities. SETUP It was SUPER easy to put together (instructions were good enough to follow). Screw on a few bolts at the bottom front to hold the vertical posts in place and secure the dashboard with more bolts. One should note that this treadmill was VERY, VERY heavy. In fact, it was delivered on 2 pallets and left in our garage. Heart rate sensor worked right out of the box and appeared accurate -- it matched my Garmin chest strap's reading. MATERIAL This treadmill looks sturdy with metal parts throughout (and accented with some plastic). It is HEAVY at an estimated 170 lbs due in large part to the motor responsible for the incline/decline. Think about that for a moment -- 170 lbs! There are skateboard-type wheels at the back to allow the treadmill to be moved without scratching the floor. It supposedly can accommodate up to a 265 lbs person. The dashboard is fully plastic and gives it a visually larger footprint than I'd like, but does not make good use of it for holding accessories besides a single water bottle. It houses Bluetooth speakers instead. I really like the shock absorbing running surface, and the 19.7" width of the running belt. My previous favorite was only 17". The width gives me more confidence with running without falling off the treadmill. The cheaper ones I had tried were all about 3.7" narrower. Just 1" alone makes a huge difference! (That's what she said!) The motor, at the lowest setting is VERY quiet. You can also feel its power when set to its maximum speed of 12mph. My previous favorite tapped out at 9.9mph. USE - The treadmill itself can be folded and unfolded with the assistance of hydraulics, making it require far less strength to put away. I was particularly impressed with this one over the $600 and $800 treadmills I had previously tried -- it was more effortless to fold up than the other -- I did not like that you cannot lock the unfolding mechanism. One can activate it by simply pushing it, and slowly, the running belt comes down. For an adult, that's not a problem. But if you have a toddler who happens to be in that area, the treadmill coming down (although very slowly) could potentially be fatal for the baby. I remedied this by using a bungie cord to hold the running belt portion up so that even if the hydraulic mechanism was activated, the treadmill would not come down - Speed and incline can be adjusted through both the control panel and where the pulse rate sensors are located - It shows the values in imperial units (can be changed to metric via the app). In other words, you will see mph (but can change to km/h) - Incline goes up to 15% grade - A smartphone app is available to control and monitor your workouts (download the "Gymax" app on either Android or Apple iOS app stores) - There are Programs that vary speed and incline levels to confuse muscle memory and provide a better workout - There is a red magnet that attaches to the control unit. You should clip it to yourself so if you fell, it would INSTANTLY shut off the machine. WHAT I DID NOT LIKE - Hydraulic function to help fold/unfold the treadmill has no locking feature to stop a child from accidentally having the running belt portion come down and result in something fatal - This treadmill is VERY, VERY heavy. You will need a second person to help you set it up This treadmill takes up a decently small amount of space and is VERY easy to fold/unfold. It felt sturdy and safe and was wide enough that I could still focus on watching a movie while running. Quite happy with this purchase. The quiet motor and automatic incline/decline worked well and for its cost works better than expected.

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