Do Cheap Treadmills Cost More in the Long Run?

Cheap treadmills are very tempting. As the most popular piece of equipment in any gym, most fitness enthusiasts would love a treadmill in their home for the ultimate in convenience…

However, compared to exercise bikes, elliptical trainers and particularly infomercial gimmicks, treadmills by their very design require a considerable investment. Cheap treadmills offer a solution for anyone keen to won a treadmill but who simply cannot afford or justify paying thousands of dollars.

Take a trip to your nearest Wal-Mart store and you’ll find brand new, motorized treadmills retailing for less than $400. Shop around online and you’ll find even lower prices. But just how much of a bargain do these cheap treadmills really offer? Firstly it’s important to define “cheap”. I would suggest $1000 is a fair cut off point. Certainly anything less than $700 is cheap for a motorized treadmill. Like any other consumer product you get what you pay for and treadmills are no different…

The first and most important drawback of cheap treadmills then is lower quality construction and materials. This is almost always reflected in the length of warranty offered on parts, particularly the motor and tread belt. Ultra cheap treadmills will typically come with a meagre 90days cover… it’s more of a token gesture than a warranty.

A second drawback of cheap treadmills is the overall lack of stability. This is one of the most important characteristics in a treadmill and it usually directly related to price.

Other compromises are basic electronics, lack of heart rate monitoring and heart rate controlled programs and slower top speed. I would say these are all secondary considerations because a treadmill’s primary purpose is to get you fit and even the most basic machines have enough features to do that.

If you are going to buy a cheap treadmill know what the trade offs are. Realize also that you could end up spending out more in maintenance and servicing after a year or two than if you’d bit the bullet and opted for a higher quality machine.