Looking for the best recommended treadmill? Unfortunately there are now so many treadmills on the market these days it can get confusing trying to sort through them all.
Experts like Consumer Reports, Prevention Magazine, Runner's World and others recommend treadmills yearly that they think offer the best in value. This article will tell you:
1) Which treadmill ratings to look at when buying,
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2) The best recommended treadmills and where to find them.
When looking at treadmill reviews or ratings, there are 2 different types - consumer and expert treadmill ratings.
1) Consumer treadmill reviews are written by someone who has purchased the treadmill and then written a review of the treadmill online.
The disadvantage of these reviews is that - because people are more likely to leave a negative review than a positive one - the numbers are often biased to give you a falsely negative impression of that particular model.
Also consumer ratings can also be easily rigged. Because rating sites let basically anyone post a review, this leaves the door wide open for 'false' reviews, whether left by the competition (a negative review) or even someone working for the treadmill company (a positive review). We've read many of these.
Finally, because of the quick turnover of many models, you may find that a highly rated treadmill is no longer available for purchase.
All of this doesn't mean that consumer reviews are bad - they just don't always give a fair picture of the treadmill (especially if there are only a few reviews). For the best recommended consumer treadmill, look for a treadmill that has lots of reviews which sound like a normal person has written them.
2) Expert Treadmill Recommendations are written by people like Consumer Reports, Prevention Magazine, Runners World etc.
These tend to be more reliable however again keep in mind that every one of these reviewers weigh treadmill features differently. So for example, one expert may think that a long warranty is more important that the number of workout programs. This results in different treadmills taking the prize for "Best Recommended Buy".
To help you out here are a few of the best recommended treadmills by experts (The links lead to our product reviews of the treadmills - or where to buy them online if we don't have a review yet) :
Best Recommended Treadmills (Expert Rated)
Smooth Treadmills - 2000, 2003 & 2006 Runner's World reviews rated Smooth treadmills consistently in the top ten
Smooth 5.25 (now the Smooth 5.45)- "Best Budget Treadmill" - About.com
Landice Treadmills - Landice treadmills rated #1 for Customer Satisfaction from Runner's World
Landice treadmills rated in top 10 treadmills for Runner's World testing - Nov 2002
Landice L7 Executive Trainer Recommended Buy - Consumer Guide
While consumer and expert reviews can help you find the best treadmill, you also have to be careful that it is the best treadmill for you.
Bottom line? If you've done your research, you are the ultimate expert on what treadmill is best for you. Take your time, enjoy your search and then have fun with your new home treadmill!
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Was this information useful? This article on Recommended Treadmills is one of several articles to be found in our Treadmill Resources section.
