adidas T-19x Treadmill Review

Seemingly since before time began adidas has been manufacturing and selling sports clothing and equipment but the cardio equipment side of things is a little newer to them. Their first treadmill that we reviewed a while back was a decent first effort upon entering the market but it definitely had its flaws. We finally got around to taking a look at their T-19x treadmill to see if they’d managed to improve on their previous effort.

Assembling the T-19x is a good place to start. And adidas has made putting this machine together easier than its predecessor due to it being partially assembled in the box. There’s nothing here to scare even those who are no good at putting a table together and most people will have this running machine ready to go in about 30 minutes. A good part of that time will be spent removing the treadmill from its packaging!

This a functional, but still quite good looking, treadmill. With a footprint of 154.5cm x W87.5cm (61″ x 34.5″) it’s certainly not small but neither is it so big that you’ll struggle to fit it into a room. The predominantly black colourway with just the slightest touch of red trim makes it look crisp with clean lines giving it quite a modern feel, if a little square.

The running deck on the T-19x is 151cm long by 51cm wide (59.5″ x 20″) so there’s plenty of space to move around on, although it’s narrower than most of the decks you’ll find its direct competitors boasting. On paper, the difference is only marginal, and while in the flesh the difference is noticeable, it’s by no means a deal-breaker. The deck is still 51cm wide which is wider than many models and plenty enough for most runners, and there’s also no shortage of length on this deck so even the tallest of runners will be comfortable at full stretch.

The deck is supported by eight NRG Tech cushion elastomers which do a good job of absorbing the shock of impact on landing. Neither too soft nor too rigid, the deck provides a nice soft landing and a good launch too. There’s a large 4.0 horsepower motor too that makes very light work of driving the running belt up to a top speed of 20kph (12.4mph) and really doesn’t sound like it’s even having to make the slightest effort to do so. It’s true that the top speed on this model isn’t as fast as that boasted by comparable models, but it’s still a respectable speed that for most runners will be just fine. Add to that large motor and well-cushioned deck a set of large front and rear rollers and what we have here is a very quiet treadmill, that should last a long time. These elements combine to make the T-19x feel great to run on with the only fly in the ointment being the lack of a crossbar between the two front posts. Having a crossbar significantly reduces the amount of lateral movement and the fact that adidas has chosen not to employ one here means that this particular model does experience more movement than most other treadmills in this price bracket when you’re running on it. Still, the run is very good and there are 15 incline levels available with the maximum setting being somewhere around 12% which provides a decent level of difficulty, even for experienced runners.

The console on the T-19x is a good deal smaller and more compact than you’ll find on many other models at this price point and at first glance, it doesn’t look all that impressive. But its appearance at first glance doesn’t reflect the true nature of this setup and the console is actually a stand-out element of this treadmill. The physical buttons are kept to a minimum with only the functions that you’ll want to use mid-run being kept. The Start, stop, speed, incline, fan and one-touch speed & incline keys have been kept physical so that they’re easy to find and press mid-run. Everything else is controlled via the 10.1″ Android-powered touch-screen so accessing the 27 different onboard workouts is intuitive and quick. There are also 3 heart rate control workouts and a built-in wireless receiver so you can use them safely and effectively and there are also 10 user-defined workouts including several target types (calorie, distance, time etc). In addition, the console comes pre-loaded with Netflix, youtube and a range of other entertainment apps so that as long as you have an internet connection you can stream videos directly to the console without needing to use your tablet/smartphone. That being said, there is also a tablet/smartphone holder and you can connect that via an audio jack to get audio through the built-in speakers. There’s also a USB input so you can charge your device while you run. In terms of interactive training, this isn’t the most advanced model we’ve tested. Not by a long way. But, there are 3 workout videos that take you along virtual running routes. The videos are done nicely and though they don’t control the incline automatically as happens with other, more advanced systems, they’re still entertaining and enjoyable. The console on this machine may appear simple but it has a lot of functions and works well making the user experience a good one.

Other features include an adjustable cooling fan, floor levellers (nice touch), soft-drop safety mechanism, and two accessories trays/water bottle holders. The T-19x also comes with adida’s 2-year on-site parts and labour warranty.

So what do we think? The T-19x delivers a good run and is built well. It also has a good number of workout and entertainment options, but the reality is that that is true of most of its direct competitors. So we turn our attention to the touch-screen and the more advanced training options as examples of things that make this a premium treadmill. And, while these things do go some way to justifying the price tag, the advanced training isn’t anything like as advanced or wide-ranging as the sort of thing to be found on competitor models, and the running deck, while undoubtedly ample, isn’t quite as spacious as other models either. This means that the T-19x delivers a good comfortable run but doesn’t deliver the sort of experience that other, similarly priced models do. Not quite. That being said, this is still a decent machine from a good brand. It’s the second treadmill adidas has come to market with and it’s definitely an improvement on the first one.