Archive for March, 2009

Smooth Treadmill Review

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

Is It For You?

Smooth treadmills are only for those who want to spend more than normal. Most of their treadmills are robust, with plenty of features and have long warranties. It is ideal for home or office use. But if you’re always price conscious and want only entry level treadmills, then this is not for you. Most of these treadmills cost between $1,000 and $2,500.

The Company Making Smooth Treadmills

These treadmills are produced by Smooth Fitness. They are the sole producer of quality fitness equipment who sell mainly through the Internet. They have been operating since 1984. Along with their successful Web operation, they own four retail stores in the Greater Philadelphia area. They have been selling on Internet since 1996 and have earned profits right from the beginning.

By selling directly from factory direct and on Internet, Smooth Fitness reduces the overhead expenses of retail sales. Hence they can sell fitness equipment at very affordable prices. Their customers enjoy the ease of shopping online along with factory direct prices.

Price Range
Treadmills from Smooth are in the mid price range segment. Many of its treadmills lie between $1,000 to about $2,500. This price offers you a high quality treadmill, mentioned by Runner’s World, which value Smooth as one of the “Top 10 Treadmills”. Prevention Magazine, Monster Ratings and Treadmill Doctor have also rated Smooth very highly.

Drawbacks
There were complaints about delivery delays. This is chiefly due to the high demand for Smooth treadmills. Also these treadmills are quiet difficult to move around due to their size and weight. And there is a problem about additional charge for indoor delivery and establishment. There is an extra charge for that and it is better to pay it as these treadmills are quite big.

Recommendation
Go for Smooth treadmills. Except the delays and additional cost for indoor delivery and installation, Smooth treadmills may mostly be one of the best bargains on the internet.

HealthTrainer Treadmills Review

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

HealthTrainer Treadmills are owned and produced by Keys Fitness. Most of these treadmills come with very affordable price tags. And, like other Keys brands, they also offer the excellent 10 year motor warranty in all their machines, even the cheapest one.

Are They For You?
This brand is perfect for those who want a decent entry level treadmill with long motor warranties. But I must warn you, if first-rate quality, specs and features are what you want, then avoid this brand. You won’t get those from any of the models below. I suggest you visit our best buy treadmills page and look there.

The Company behind the Treadmills
As I’ve mentioned above, HealthTrainer treadmills are owned by Keys Fitness, a company located in Garland, Texas. They’ve only started producing treadmills in 1997, but they have been in the fitness industry for some time now selling dumbbells and other strength training products.

All their manufacturing jobs are done in the U.S. but in order to stay competitive, they import most of their component parts overseas. As a result, some of their previous machines have had some quality issues.
At present, Keys Fitness owns at least 6 treadmill brands with each of them catering for different needs and budgets. These brands include Alliance, Encore, and Ironman just to name a few. It is also the manufacturer of Smooth treadmills (but they don’t own it), which are primarily sold over the internet.

Price Range Category
Most HealthTrainers are currently priced between $1,000 -$1,500 with only one unit having a $2,000 price tag.
Weakness… Like most brands from Keys Fitness, the biggest weakness of these treadmills is their finish quality. They could also use some improvements in the design.