Nautilus treadmills are owned and manufactured Nautilus Fitness who have been in the fitness equipment business since 1986.
Nautilus also owns Schwinn, Stairmaster, Bowflex and Trimline. They're the second largest producer of exercise equipment in North America (after Icon).
Nautilus produces two lines of treadmills - commercial high end treadmills (suitable for the health club) and more affordable home treadmills (T516 and T514).
For the purposes of this review, we're going to focus on the home models by Nautilus - the T516 and T514.
Strengths:
#1) Strong Motors - Ranging from 2.75 to 3.2 HP, the motor powers are pretty decent on these machines. We found that they run very quiet also (which is helpful if you're trying to watch TV or listen to music.)
#2) Speed & Incline Controls on Handrails - You can easily change your speed or incline with the side handrail controls. You don't have to reach up to the front of the machine - which is a nice touch since that can throw off your stride.
While this isn't a feature unique to Nautilus treadmills (Sole and Livestrong offer this too), it's still very popular with buyers.
#3) Bright Backlit Consoles - The Consoles on these treadmills are backlit and very easy to read. This is handy if lighting in your workout area is limited.
#4) Strong Decks - When we tried them, these machines felt very strong and stable - even when you run on them (especially the T516). There's no shaking or wobbling when you pick up your pace (which is what you sometimes get with cheaper department store treadmills)
#5) Lots of Workout Programs Including Heart Rate Control - The Nautilus home treadmill models come with a lot of built-in workouts including some that keep your heart rate in your target fat-burning range. There's also time/distance courses, calorie burning programs, customizable programs, and pre-set 5k and 10k courses.
#6) Built-In Fan - These multi-speed fans are built into the consoles and can keep you cool while you run or walk. Another small thing that gives you a more comfortable workout.
Weaknesses:
Nautilus is more known for making commercial health club treadmills - and their home models are definitely not to the same caliber as their commercial models. Buyers however may look at the Nautilus name and think they're getting a health club model for around $1000 - $1500 - which they definitely are not.
Also, several other brands in the same price range give you longer warranties, more fitness toys like iPod docks and speakers, and longer belts (i.e. See Nordic Track, Sole and Livestrong)
Conclusion:
Nautilus treadmills show promise. They give you great basics like a strong motor, stable deck, quiet operation and easy-to-read console stats. However, don't mistake these treadmills to be the same as the Nautilus commercial treadmill lineup.
They do fall down a bit in the terms of warranty coverage and shorter belt length when you compare them to similarly-priced brands. But if you really like the Nautilus name, you'll probably be impressed with these sleek looking home treadmills.
Alternative: If you still want a commercial grade treadmill without the Nautilus price tag, you may want to check out the Smooth or Sole brand first.
Where To Buy At A Discount:
You can usually find some great deals on Nautilus treadmills through Amazon Fitness. Their prices are surprisingly much better than the manufacturer's site. You can often get Free Shipping as well.
