Hi there!
This is Jane from San Francisco, California. My cousin, Sam, is going to get married the end of the year. Well, she is desperate to lose a few pounds before her big day. She decided to get a home treadmill so she can workout without missing her favourite sitcoms.
So Sam came to me and ask I help her with selecting the right treadmill for her. I was like…”Are you serious?”? Well, how difficult can it be, right? Just go to Amazon, read some reviews and order one that meet your budget. Unfortunately, it was as simple as that. There are countless of them. And for something that can cost more than $500 or even $1000, you would want to be sure you pick the right one. To make it even tougher, I feel there is a conspiracy among these merchants and manufacturers. They never put those specifications and features in common and plain lay man terms that all of us do not need to guess. Hence, I agreed to help Sam do the research for her to find the most best-buy treadmill that meets her needs. After spending days, I eventually convinced her to go with the Bowflex Series 7 Treadmill.
Bowflex Series 7 Treadmill
What to look for when you are buying a treadmill?
There are several points you should pay special attention too when choosing the right treadmill. There are as follow.
- The motor.
- Deck / Running surface.
- Folding vs Non-Folding.
- Inclinable deck.
- Preset programs.
- Max user weight.
- Warranty
Let’s look at each of the above items in greater detail.
1. The motor.
The 2 main factors you want to look out for about the motor. One, the number of horsepower. Two, the motor should be “continuous duty”. The bigger the horsepower, the more powerful the motor. So does that mean you should buy the biggest? No – a higher horsepower motor usually means higher power cost, motor itself will cost more, heavier and likely noisier. For home treadmills, 2.5 – 3.5 horsepower motor is recommended. It is not necessary to get more than 4.0 horsepower motor unless you have a specific need for it. A small horsepower motor is not recommended since the motor will be under-power and may damage the motor. “Continuous duty” motor means that the motor has successfully tested to produce the horsepower consistently. The Bowflex Series 7 treadmill comes with 3.0 continuous-duty horsepower motor. A 3.0 horsepower continuous-duty motor means that the motor has passed test whereby it can produce 3.0 horsepower of power consistently without any damage or reduction in life.
2. Deck / Running surface
Again there are 2 things to watch out for the deck or running/walking surface. One, the dimension of the deck. Two, any support to absorb the downward force when your feet land. A wide and long deck will provide a better running experience and safer. If the treadmill running surface is too short, your feet will step beyond the running surface or knock the front of the treadmill. This can caused you to lose balance and will be dangerous. As you might have guessed, a tall person who likely has longer legs will need a longer deck than a short person. Also, you will feel the disadvantage of a short deck when you are running more than when you are walking. According to a leading sports magazine, it is preferable to have a running deck at least 20 inches wide and 55 inches long. The deck size of the Bowflex Series 7 is 20 inches by 60 inches and fitted with the Bowflex distinctive Strike Zone Deck Cushioning system which is designed to give you excellent support and comfort when your feet hit the surface. According to Bowflex’s website, the Strike Zone Deck Cushioning system will also prevent injuries to your lower body.
3. Folding Vs Non-Folding
The advantages of folding treadmills over non-folding ones are space saving. For those who has a small place such as a 1-bedroom apartment or those who have a big family might have limited space to place the treadmill. Years ago, many prefer non-folding ones because the foldable treadmills in the market usually lack of stability and support. The good folding treadmills usually are very expensive because the costs to make them are very high. However, buyers who can are interested in foldable ones are those who have a tight budget too, thus, could not afford them. Today with the advancement of modern technology and manufacturing expertise, the cost to build a high quality treadmill is almost on par with the non-folding ones. Although this is a key factor for some consumers, personally I don’t see a big need for the foldable features. Because the treadmill even when folded and equipped with wheels is still heavy, and I find it difficult to move it around especially if you need to go from one room to another. So, I personally recommend that you carefully think about a suitable place for your treadmill before you order. Do watch out on the actual dimension. If you are planning to use the foldable features, be sure to check that it is movable with your furniture around. FYI, the Bowflex Series 7 is a folding treadmill and the size when ‘opened’ is 83 inches by 35 inches by 55.25 inches. When folded, it is about 41 inches by 35 inches by 66 inches (according to the specification on Amazon).
4. Incline-able deck
Actually, most treadmill are incline-able. Incline-able treadmills means the front of the running surface can be raised up in order to simulate running or walking up a hill or upward slope. I did not come across a non inclinable treadmill when I was doing this research. So are all treadmills the same based on this factor? No, the distinguish factors are the incline range quantified in % as well the controls. Generally, the preferable upper incline range is about 10% for home treadmills. Treadmills used by professional athletes might have a much higher upper range to provide the extra challenge they need. Also, the way you increase and decrease the incline range is important. Of course you will want one that can be easily adjusted with a push of a button. On the Bowflex Series 7 treadmill, it is easy to control the level of inclination that range from 0% to 12% – sufficient to meet the demands of any home users.
5. Built-In Programs
Modern technology has driven the fitness equipment to a higher level. Built-In programs are a basic feature of treadmills today. Basically, the objective of built-in programs is to improve users experience on using the treadmill and prevent users from getting bored. For example, it won’t be to motivating to you to run around the field next to your home daily. For sure, there will be times when you feel the same ground and environment such as surrounding houses, trees or even people pretty boring. Each built-in program will try to give the users a different experience such as running in a hilly environment or help build your stamina. The experience you get from these programs can vary a great deal from one brand or even model to the other. Based on my research, single users hardly uses more than 3-4 programs. The ones that benefits from the program variations are those (such as parents and children) sharing treadmills. There are 15 built-in programs and 2 custom programs on the Bowflex Series 7. For more details, you can visit Amazon.com.
6. Maximum user weight
It is highly advisable to check the maximum user weight supported by the treadmill. It is dangerous if your body weight exceed the maximum user weight since the treadmill was not tested to support the extra weight. The common impact is it will damage the motor since the motor will be operating at stress. Besides, the body or frame might not be able to withstand the extra force on it. If the maximum user weight is exceeded over time, something will definitely break. The maximum user weight is 300 pounds for the Bowflex Series 7. This is way beyond the upper average weight of the household in America and Canada.
7. Warranty
When you are making a high cost item where you will likely spending several hundred dollars, you will want some good quality stuff. Personally, I find high quality items are often back by a great warranty because if the quality is bad, the manufacturer will be losing money with the warranty. Hence, I always associate the warranty with the quality of the product. While it is not always accurate but a good warranty will give me greater confidence. Although high quality items do fail too, the difference is high quality items with a great warranty are less likely to fail. And if it does fail, your purchase is protected since there is a warranty to cover it. The Bowflex Series 7 is backed by a 15-years warranty for the frame, 10-years for the 3.0 continuous duty HP motor, 2-years warranty for the parts and 1-year for the electronics and labor.
Specifications (from Amazon.com)
- Selected as a top fitness product by a leading consumer magazine
- Grip and telemetric heart rate monitors help you measure your fitness level; large 20 by 60 inch walking/running surface area
- Quick incline and quick-speed keys offer easy access to desired settings; 3-speed fan cools you while exercising
- Warranty: frame – 15 years, motor – 10 years, parts – 2 years, electronics and labor – 1 year
- 15 programs, including two heart rate calculation, two user-defined, and a body mass index test offer maximum workout variety
- 3.0 continuous-duty horsepower motor
- Speed range is 0.5-11 miles per hour/0.8-17.7 kilometers per hour
- 0-12% incline range
- Quick incline and quick-speed keys offer easy access to desired settings
- Fifteen workout programs: Manual, cardio, running, fat burn, speed interval jogger, hill intervals, 5K run with 12 intervals, heart strength/recovery test, calorie goal, distance goal, fat burn heart rate calculation, cardio heart rate calculation, body mass index (BMI) test, two custom programs
- Grip and telemetric heart rate monitors help measure your fitness level
- Skylight backlit LCD computer display
- Strike Zone deck cushioning provides soft landing and firm lift-off
- Two-ply belt
- Rollers measure 2.5 inches/6.4 centimeters
- Walking/running surface area measures 20 inches wide by 60 inches long/51 by 152 centimeters
- Built-in three-speed fan
- Two bottle/cup holders
How much does the Bowflex Series 7 cost?
The Bowflex Series 7 treadmill is available on the Bowflex website for $1299. You probably are paying this price as well if you are buying from a shop. It is easy to find some offers on the internet for between $1200 to $1300. Just remember to watch out if the price covers free shipping too. However, the cheapest I have seen it is on Amazon.comwho consistently sell it under $1200 with free shipping. Click here to check the latest offer at Amazon.com.
What others are saying?
This Bowflex treadmill is rated highly across the internet. In Amazon.com alone, it has a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating from over 200 reviews.
Here are some of the positive comments left by users.
- “It’s very sturdy and has a lot of features for a home treadmill.”
- “I am a 200 pound guy, and the machine has no trouble handling me when I run.”
- “It is very smooth, reasonably quiet, and the 3.0 horsepower motor has no trouble handling inclines or running.”
- “Just as good as the ones I’ve used at the gyms.”
More reviews available at Amazon.com
Any complaints?
There are a few isolated complaints which I take it with a grain of salt because the issues raised are not experienced by others. However, there is one complaint that I picked up from quite a handful of reviewers is the weight. I cannot agree with them more that the Bowflex Series 7 is indeed a pretty heavy and bulky machine (I guess that explained why it has great stability). Thus, I urged you to reconsider if you plan to move this machine around the house often. While I am sure you can manage it but the move itself is a pretty strenuous workout experience. If you decide to pick this treadmill, do yourself a huge favour and find it a permanent space before you whipped out your credit card. Also, it is also a good idea to have 1 or 2 guy friends around during delivery time.
Where Can You Buy the Bowflex Series 7 treadmill?
I suggest you get this Bowflex Series 7 from Amazon.com for 2 reasons. One, Amazon.com is a trustable merchant that has excellent customer service; two, they usually have some great deals. At the moment they are having a big sale. It cost only $1099.97 with free shipping. That is at least $200 cheaper than Bowflex.com. Click here to view this great offer from Amazon.
