Is Buying A Cheap Treadmill A Waste Of Money?

A cheap treadmill only a few years ago meant spending at least £500. Today you can find brand new machines for around £200! Budget treadmills have opened up a whole new market in the home fitness industry even competing with exercise bikes on price. But is a running machine costing £200 a waste of money? Well it’s still true that you get what you pay for but a growing number of treadmill manufacturers are moving into the budget price range (under £350). More competition means better machines at lower prices which is good news for everyone. Before you spend even a few hundred pounds please read our buyer’s guide to see if a treadmill is the most appropriate piece of fitness equipment or you. Even if buying a low-priced machine it’s still a waste if you don’t use it! And you want get much on the second hand market. If you’re a serious runner on a tight budget then you should perhaps consider looking at second hand treadmills as you could get a quality machine for the same price as a new budget one. Or a better option is to look at a refurbished treadmill done properly by qualified engineers.

What To Consider When Buying A Cheap Treadmill

Most of us buy online these days because it’s so much easier to compare prices. But we recommend you try out the model you are considering first if possible. It is unlikely that your local gym will use budget models so you may have to visit a retailer to find one. This is not always possible so do your homework and find reviews on the model and see what people are saying. Even budget models have a few features but obviously the more you pay the more you get. If your treadmill has limited speeds, no incline facility or little or no training programmes built-in, you might find you quickly out grow your machine or just get bored running on it. Perhaps you could save for a month or so more and buy a machine with more features – in the long run (pun intended) it could be a better investment for your fitness.

Check the warranty!

The big difference between the more expensive machines and budget models is the warranty. It is unrealistic to expect top quality when paying out only £200. A manufacturer is not going to offer a long warranty on a machine that will not be as reliable or durable as one built with better materials at three times the price. You should still expect at least a one year warranty on the motor and three years on the frame but it could be a false economy if you have to pay out for repairs after a year or two. In fact, as with washing machines it would probably be cheaper to buy another one. However, prices are coming down all the time and more and more features are cropping up on these machines so you may find the perfect machine for you at a very agreeable price. Some very good budget models are available from Carl Lewis, Weslo and Proform.