Merit treadmills are a discount line produced by Johnson. Johnson is a well known name in the business that also owns popular brands like Horizon, Matrix and Vision.
Jonnson is the 4th largest maker of fitness equipment in North America and have been making equipment for over 20 years.
Merit Fitness treadmills are known for being economy, starter-level treadmills - with most being coming in under $500.
In this economy, that makes them quite popular. But how do they stack up - are they really a good buy? Here's a quick review to help you decide.
Strengths:
1) Low Prices - One of the best things about these treadmills are they're affordable if you're on a tight budget. Depending on where you buy them, you can usually get them for under $500.
2) Folding - Merit treadmills fold up to save space. They are also fairly lightweight, which makes it easy to fold up and move around.
3) Built-In Workout Programs - Most Merit units have several built in workout programs to help you challenge yourself and stave off workout boredom. On an economy unit, this is hard to find.
4) Strong Customer Service - One of the Merit Fitness strengths is that they are good with customer service.
If you have a problem with your treadmill they try to get you what you need (extra parts, instructions) very fast.
Weaknesses:
While these are great prices, there are a lot of red-flag weaknesses here:
1) Tiny Belt Sizes - The belts on these units are some of the smallest we've ever seen. For example the Merit 715T treadmill only has a 16" x 45" walking area. If you're taller or want to run, you may feel like you're going to fall off your treadmill.
2) Poor Warranties - This isn't surprising, given the prices. Most warranties only offer you 90 days on parts and labor - which is a huge red flag. The 1 and 2 year motor warranties are also quite poor.
3) Manual Incline - While the other units offer power incline, the 715T only offers manual incline of up to 5%. This can be a pain to get off the treadmill and on just to adjust the incline.
4) Light On Motor Power - The motor is the heart of your treadmill. It can also be the most expensive part to fix. So you want a strong, powerful motor that can hold up over the long run.
Merit continuous duty motor powers are quite light. For example the 715T offers 1.25 continuous duty motor power which is very weak.
Conclusion: Not Recommended
While we all like to get a good deal, Merit treadmills just have so many weaknesses, it's hard to recommend them. On the positive side, the user reviews online have been very good and the customer service is strong.
However overall, if you want a machine that will hold up better over the long run, we would probably spend a bit more and get a Nordic Track (starting around $699) which offer longer warranties, power incline, much larger belts and better motors.
Another budget alternative would be Horizon treadmills which again offer better warranties, longer belts and strong motors.
Where To Buy At A Discount:
You can by Merit treadmills direct online. You can often get Free Shipping which will also save you a few hundred dollars.
