Spirit treadmills have been around since the late 80's and have a very good reputation in the industry.
The Spirit name is now owned by Dyaco - the same company behind the excellent Sole treadmill lineup.
While these treadmills are not as well known as some other brands, they may start to grow in popularity as they become more widely distributed
Spirit offers several mid-priced treadmills for sale including the Spirit Z series, Esprit series and the Spirit XT series.
Strengths:
1) Range of Models - Spirit produces a range of treadmill models for any budget. Starting around $899 up to $2000, there's a lot of choices here.
2) Excellent Warranties - One of the best features of these treadmills are their warranties. Many treadmills come with lifetime frame warranties, 30 year to lifetime motor warranties, 1-5 year parts/electronics and 1-2 years on labor.
These warranties are much better than most other department store treadmills and this tells you something about the quality of parts used.
3) Excellent Reviews - Considering these treadmills are not as widely known or distributed as other brands, the expert reviews they have gained so far are surprisingly good:
The Spirit XT600 treadmill was reviewed positively in LA Times. Top features included the built-in speakers, 10 programs, two fans, and the speed and elevation controls on the arms.
Spirit home treadmills also rate quite well with users at Amazon. While there are few reviews - the ones that are there give these treadmills 5 out of 5 stars.
4) Speakers/Mp3 Interface - Several new Spirit models offer built-in speakers and mp3/iPod hookups so you can play your favorite music to your treadmill while working out.
This is a great feature to have, especially if you get bored easily while working out.
(Note: not all Spirit models have this feature).
Weaknesses:
As stated above Spirit treadmills are not as widely known or distributed as many other treadmill brands. So they may be difficult to find. However this may change in the future as the brand becomes more popular.
Plus these treadmills are very similar to Sole treadmills - which have upgraded motor powers and mp3/iPod hookups on all their treadmills. So many people may choose to go with a Sole instead.
Conclusion:
Spirit home treadmills are solid, well-built treadmills with strong motor powers, large walking areas and excellent warranties. The consoles are attractive and some treadmills even offer built-in speakers, mp3 hookups and treadmill fans.
We really couldn't find anything negative about these treadmills in our research - except possibly that they are not as well known as other brands. So you may have to search a bit.
If you're looking for similar treadmills that are more well known and may offer you a bit more you might want to check out the Sole Treadmills.
Overall however, Spirit treadmills are high value, well-constructed machines.
